Good Times!

Wyatt and I have got to spend some one on one time together, which has been nice, because we don't get to do that much. The first "date" we went to Tim Hortons for donuts and hot chocolate. We had a great morning! {I won't tell you about our afternoon and ruin the mood....I will just give you a hint: bad behavior.}

Today, we went to Aspen Park for Wyatt to ride on the bike trails. He was so excited. Poor guy doesn't really get to ride his bike at home because of the poor terrain.

We got to see the elk. Wasn't sure if we would catch them there or not, but we did!

It was SO hot and muggy, but fun all the same. It was good to set aside time for us to reconnect and recharge our relationship. We definitely need to make a better effort to do it more often.

Sleep Success!

Last week we were sleep training. After much prayer and then talking to a friend who had just experience the same sleep and feeding issues, I had renewed determination. I had a night that I didn't feel absolutely exhausted so I figured this was the night to start.

Our poor son shares a room with our little night owl. And I was really worried that he wouldn't get any sleep, but he said the next morning he didn't hear anything. Not sure how he couldn't, but happy her crying didn't affect him.

It was hard, and I tried all other options before I let her cry it out. But, it worked. I guess... I am not sure if it was that or things just clicked for her. Saturday, we went away for the weekend and stayed at a hotel, she slept ALL night. From about 10pm to 7am. She slept in a pack 'n play right next to me in the bed. I was shocked and amazed and of course elated! It was a stark contrast to the previous nights we had been having.

Sunday, we had a few hiccups, but minor. She would wake up, I would let her cry for about 30 seconds and would go in and shush her and lay her back down. I had to do that a few times, but she went back to sleep.

Monday to now, she is sleeping all night, even putting herself to sleep if she wakes up! She is even sleeping for up to 11 hours straight!

In addition to sleeping all night, she is taking her naps! I can even put her down without nursing! She is doing so great.

I am so grateful for the sleep-full nights. And I thank the Lord for giving me the perseverance and energy I needed to work with her at night.

My best advice: Don't give up! Pray! I couldn't have done it without relying on God for strength.

11 Months!

Our little Josie is now 11 months old! Hard to believe at the end of the month we will be celebrating her first year!

 Happy to say with the last week we have gained much in sleep and routine. After trying many different ways to get her to sleep and failing I finally resorted to the Cry-It-Out method of sleep training. I have to say my prayers were answered, because after waking up nightly absolutely exhausted, God has granted me new energy to persevere this last week. And it's working! I started with her naps since I was already awake. Then continued with the same methods at night. She has made SO much progress, the night before last, I actually got a six hour block of sleep! {...Happy Dance...}

She is still nursing, but about a month or so ago we introduced the sippy cup. She still doesn't like the taste of milk, but she has been taking drinks of water on her own. One step at a time.

She took her first steps April 28! And a couple nights ago she walked across her bedroom floor! She gets so excited and gets ahead of herself because she tries to run and falls. But she is doing great!

She loves music and loves to dance. At church, during worship songs she tries to sing along. I think she has a musical gene in her.

Oh, yeah, and she doesn't like grass, or trees, or even touching the ground! She is 100% girl! When we stand her on the ground she lifts one foot up as far as she can so she is touching it as minimally as possible. It is so funny to watch her.

Can't wait to see what the rest of the month brings. Our little girl is growing leaps and bounds. It is going way faster than Wyatt's first year that is for sure!

Until then...


Enjoy your day!

She Sleeps

Right now as I type, she sleeps. I have to admit, for me, there is relief. We had another rough night. By far the worst we have had so far. Frustration overwhelms me. Not so much with her, but with me. I have no answers. Nothing I do works. I'm tired.

I have prayed, searched for solutions online, and have asked advice of others. It seems our situation is unique. No one has had the exact same obstacle to overcome. Yes, there are similar problems, but not exactly what we are going through.

I feel guilty. Not that I am not doing enough, but that I let myself get frustrated with the circumstance that is just part of the process. It's not her fault.

I am a fairly good mom, not perfect, but good. Yet, I fail to meet my own expectations. Or at least what I think a good mom should be.

Motherhood is not an exact science. Babies are not born the same. And there isn't always answers. But, what I can do is forgive myself in my shortcomings and trust God to bring me through.

"Those who trust in the LORD will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not get weak."    Isaiah 40:31

Wyatt Turns Five!

We had an awesome weekend, Saturday, Wyatt turned five! His choice of party: Super Hero. Before I get into the party I just want to say what a gift our sweet Wyatt has been. The last five years has been such a blessing. Wyatt has grown from our little baby boy to a smart little boy. Always having something to say and anything but shy, he keeps us on our toes. I can't believe how he has grown. He weighs about 40 lbs now, I can hardly lift him anymore, and getting so tall!

We got his party planning underway fairly easy. Sent out the coolest invitations ever:

Found this on Etsy at Suenios Encantados.  They did a fantastic job! But, I made a big mistake. I forgot to call the Clubhouse and reserve the date for his party. I remembered to call AFTER I sent the invitations! And guess what...they are closed for renovations for at least two weeks. So, I had to quickly find a new location for the party. After numerous phone calls we found that we could use our church for the venue! Perfect!


And so the party was moved to the Comins Mennonite Church. And there we began set up for our party! We had "Wonder Dogs" {Hotdogs stuffed with cheese wrapped in crecent rolls}, "Doctor Octopus Dogs" {Hotdogs cut in half and legs cut in one end to form legs}, and "Joker Juice." We had a Super Hero Photo Shoot. We popped Energy Capsules. And of course face painting!

{Energy Capsules filled with candy}

{Made with love by Aunt Jami!}

We made homemade comic book bunting and a city-scape made from poster board. And got a couple extra capes and masks from a shop called FunKidStuff.

I have to say I was completely exhausted afterwards, but it was so worth it! Wyatt had so much fun. And it was so nice visiting with everyone that came! I think it is safe to say Wyatts 5th birthday was a huge success!