My First Award

I received an award! (And I immediately say in my head "What's it all mean, Bazil?")

Mandy, at Mommy Musings, passed this award on to me this week, and I'm honored!   I don't remember how I found her blog, but it was shortly after I started mine.  I was hooked on her blog, because she has a little girl only one month older than Jack, and a lot of what she was posting was what I could relate to.  I love Mommy Blogs. Thanks so much, Mandy!!!  (I hope Little M gets her naps figured out!)

Okay, now down to business....Here are the rules:
1-Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2-Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3-Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4-Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
5-Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6-Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7-Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they’ve been nominated.

 Here are 7 things you may not know about me (though, since most of you reading this are family, you may already know this stuff).

1-I've recorded a CD.  In a real studio.  So maybe it only has 5 songs, and none of them are my songs, but it's still a CD, and it's still really cool!  And I'm also credited on a real album.  One that's sold to the public. (so it's discontinued...my name's still in there!)

Avenues by Canvas (Audio CD - 2002)

9 Used & new from $24.49

Download MP3 Album: $8.99

This item has been discontinued by the manufacturer.

 (2)

  

2-I have been on TV.  This is a running joke in my family.  I really was on TV, but it's even worse than the 'I recorded a CD thing.'  I won a Karaoke competition in a hole-in-the-wall bar years ago (before I met my hubby).  The prize was a trip to Vegas to be in a big competition for a karaoke CD maker, which would be aired on TV.  Ummmm...it was an infomercial that aired at 4:30 in the morning.  Once maybe.   But I had a blast in Vegas with some great friends!



3. I've been to Great Britain THREE times.  Can you believe that?  I can't. The first time was with my Dad when I was 16, and the next two times was with my college choir on a choir tour.  They were  the most amazing vacations I've ever taken.  I LOVED being in the cathedrals and castles.  My favorite place was Wales.  All of it.  I would go back in a heartbeat if we could afford it. 



4.  I ramble.  A LOT. I can go on and on.  You may have guessed that. 



5.  I went to Alaska last summer with my husband and mom (Thanks, Mom!!!). That is my other most favorite vacation ever.  We took a cruise tour from Fairbanks down to Vancouver. Rick and I often toy with the thought of moving up there.  It was so beautiful


6.  I love cooking new things. It may stress me out to try new recipes, but I really do love making new meals for me and Rick.  But I always end up forgetting what I've tried and never making it again!



7.  I struggle with knowing what to do with Jack all day, every day.  I want to be a great mommy, but sometimes I worry that I'm not doing enough.  *sigh*  



These are the 7 blogs I'm choosing to pass this award to.  *You don't have to pass it on if this isn't your thing.  No pressure.  But it's kind of fun coming up with those 7 things and seeing who you 'read'. *





http://gracefuldiscipline.blogspot.com/ (I'm learning a lot about praising my son from her!)
http://apgacruz.blogspot.com/ (she has a ton of ideas for rhymes and songs and FELT!)
http://thompsonfun.blogspot.com/(her stories about her kids are so funny!  And she takes great pictures!)

http://itfeelslikechaos.blogspot.com/(I've read her blog longer than I've had mine.  I always end up laughing or learning something)

http://www.momtriedit.net/ (I just recently found this one, and I've told ALL my mom friends about her.  GREAT ideas!!)
http://dreamingofthecountry.wordpress.com/ (she's in Wales!  I've been to her town!  That makes me smile)
http://kristinandthegirlygirls.blogspot.com/(she has a daughter with special needs and is so honest about dealing with it all) 


Ok, so that's it.  You don't have to leave a description telling why you nominated your 7 blogs, but I thought I'd add it to my list.   I hope you at least check out some of those blogs.  Thanks again, Mandy! 

Again, My son hates to sleep!!

Have I mentioned that my son hates to sleep? It doesn’t matter if he’s in my arms, Hubby’s lap, or his crib. He will SCREAM when he feels himself falling asleep. Here is another installment of “My son hates to sleep!”

Yesterday was a good day. He had two decent, but not great naps. By around 7:00pm he was exhausted and ready for bed. We did the usual routine, sans the books. After the diaper change, he was too worked up to settle down for bedtime books, so we went straight to the nursing. He fell asleep peacefully while nursing, and the transition to the crib was flawless. He was out for the count. On with my evening chores I went.

Within the first hour, he was up. He screamed until I came to ‘rescue’ him from his bedtime misery. I rocked him back to sleep in just a few minutes.

The second hour brought the same scenario. He screamed until I ‘rescued’ him again by rocking him to sleep. Two times I can handle.

The third hour brought the same scenario yet again. I wasn’t as patient in my ‘rescuing’, but it went the same way – rocked back to sleep. All three times it seemed all he wanted was to be in my arms. He didn’t seem to be in pain from teeth, or discomfort from gas. Each time he easily fell back to sleep when he was with me.

The FOURTH time in three hours, I finally decided I’d had enough. I was worried that I was going to be up every hour all through the night, and I definitely didn’t want that. On my way to his room, I closed our bedroom door (so Hubby might possibly get some sleep) and then the nursery door behind me. I knew it was going to be a loud evening.

The next two hours were touch and go. Of course it started out with tears. He screamed because I wasn’t picking him up this time. I patted him, and kept a hand on him, which he eventually pushed away. Have I mentioned that he’s like a horse when he’s annoyed about being in his crib? Yes, he kicks the bed like a horse stomping the ground. After a half hour of crying, he finally took a pacifier. I’m pretty sure he fell completely asleep in 5 minutes, but he felt it, didn’t like it, and woke up with a vengeance.

I let him sit up for a while, since he’d been crying for more than 30 minutes, and I figured he had some gas bubbles in his little belly. While he was sitting up, he first tried to fall asleep – his head slumped over his chest, leaning on the side of the crib. Next he screamed, because he realized he wasn’t getting picked up out of his crib. And then he decided to smile and play. He found out that he could reach the crib rail, look over the edge of the crib, and chew on the rail. He was actually very cute.

*this picture is blury because there was barely any light, and I didn't want to use the flash. The shutter had to stay open for a while to let all the light in, so any movement made it blury.

I sang “Jesus Loves Me” about 200 times, all while he was crying. I sat in the chair where he couldn’t see me for a while, thinking that may work.

In the end, I think he just gave up finally. I was patting or rubbing his belly, he rolled over onto his side (always a good sign) and fell asleep. I crept quietly down the hall to my bedroom, where I turned the monitor on. I was assuming he would wake up in a few seconds and we’d have to start the whole process over again. Finally, my body relaxed, my eyelids drooped (more than they already were), and I breathed a sigh of relief. He was asleep. Hubby was asleep. I was asleep. All was right with the world!

Three hours later, he woke up crying. I nursed him right back to sleep. One fight a night is enough for me!