Big girl bed

About a month back we went crazy. We did the sleep training with Rhys and decided in the middle of it that it was a good time to change Cora from a crib to a toddler bed. Now, I had been holding off making this switch for one simple reason: naps.

See, Cora stopped really taking a nap sometime around Thanksgiving. I kept putting her in her crib and letting her play during nap time with the intense hope she would actually sleep. Alas, most times she just yelled loudly from her crib. I was afraid that if she wasn't contained in her crib she wouldn't stay in her room and I would never get a moment's peace! Finally, though, Geoff and I gave in and decided naps are a thing of the past for our girl.

So we started quiet time. Cora didn't know what to do. She would lay down on the floor with a blanket over her because she couldn't lay in her crib. She even fell asleep on the floor once or twice. Finally, I gave in. If she isn't going to nap then why not put her in a toddler bed? At least that way she has a place to sit during quiet time and she can fall asleep on her bed rather than the floor.

Not a baby anymore.

Hunting Easter Eggs

Easter Sunday started out rainy and gross around here. We had an egg hunt planned with the little boy across the street who is just a few weeks older than Cora. Fortunately the rain stopped and was replaced by humidity, mugginess, and mud. Pretty awesome, huh?

So, as the kids are both only 2 and not so adept at finding things right in front of them, the Dads didn't work too hard to hide the eggs. Even in plain sight we had to explain, and then demonstrate, the purpose of the egg hunt to the kids. Took awhile to get started, as we repeatedly had to encourage them to pick up more eggs and spend less time shaking each one and asking "What's in it?" Really, who knew egg hunts were so complicated?

Finally getting the hang of it.

Sleep, wonderful sleep

I have always heard and known that each child is a different person with different habits and attitudes. No where in our children is that more apparent than in their sleep habits.

Cora has always been our easy child. By a few months she was only waking up once a night. By around 6 months she was sleeping 11 hours straight. She never stood up in her crib, never threw major fits, and only fussed or fought when she was sick. The entirety of our sleep training with her consisted of a few days, like maybe 2, of letting her cry it out. Then she was fine. We were those parents that others hate to talk to about baby sleep habits. And we knew it. In fact, we used to joke that we shouldn't have more kids because the next would never sleep and be a terror at bedtime.

Foreshadowing, that's what that last sentence was.

Because Rhys. Oh, Rhys. Dear, sweet, happy baby Rhys. At a few months old he was waking up 3 to 4 times a night. By 6 months he was only waking up 2 or 3 times, and the longest stretch of sleep was about 4 hours. Getting him to sleep for both naps and bedtime involved bouncing his 20+ pound self until our knees hurt, then patting him on the back in the crib until he was silent. Then patting some more just to be sure he was asleep. This was after spending months getting away from nursing him to sleep.

Oh, yeah. He'll sleep in a stroller no problem.

Coincidences

I regularly listen to this podcast, This American Life. Generally I listen while I do my long runs on the weekend, but sometimes I listen while the kids are napping and I am cleaning or attempting to do something domestic. So, mostly while running.

A couple of weeks ago they ran an episode based on coincidences people have experienced. Now, I do believe that coincidences happen, but I have never been one to ascribe some sort of meaning to chance happenings. That being said, I’ll tell you about a really neat coincidence that happened to my family.

My Dad worked for most of his adult life for Union Pacific Railroad, driving trains from one location to the other. He would be gone for a few days at a time, and when my brother and I were children he would bring us back candy after each trip. When my brother, who is 2 years older than me, started high school, Dad took a day job so that he would be home for football and basketball games during our high school years. Trains have always been a big thing in our family – we have train Christmas ornaments, train piggy banks, and train nicknacks of all sorts.

In October of 2004, Dad passed away from cancer. After the graveside portion of the funeral we were walking through the cemetery looking at the graves of our other relations when all of a sudden we heard a loud and distinct train whistle. All of us looked up and smiled, and someone, I can’t remember who, remarked on the train being a sign of some sort.

Like I said, I don’t really believe that it meant anything special, but it was a sort of nice highlight to an other wise depressing day. Most importantly, it lets me look back on that day and smile a little bit.

ETA: My Mom informed my that two train whistles blew during the day. The first was just before the preacher was to pray, and the second as I’ve told above. I don’t remember the first at all!

Originally blogged at Stillintheworks.wordpress.com

8 months old

Dear Rhys,

It is incredibly hard to believe that you are 8 months old. You are a happy and smiling baby; people are always commenting on your wonderful smile, how happy you are and how your spirit is contagious.

Happy baby