Sleepy Bebes

The Hooligans

The weather has been cooler in the mornings and evenings, making it so nice for playing outside. We have been loving it. The kids played in the backyard for so long on Sunday that I had to keep checking to make sure nobody was injured or dead. They finally came in after nearly two hours and the first thing I noticed was the stinkiest smell coming from both of their tiny bodies. Bath time was definitely necessary. I asked Lyla what game they were playing for so long and she informed me they were playing airport. No further details were provided. Lol.

They are the funniest little people recently. Our brother-in-law, Jarem, is in town from Idaho and stopped by for a few hours on Sunday to watch some football. Lyla talked his ear off for so long that I was beginning to feel bad for him. She gets in these moods sometimes where she just talks and talks and talks and talks. I find my ears zoning in and out when she gets in these excessively chatty moods, often looking at the clock wondering how much longer she could possibly keep it going. Kirk admitted to bailing on Jarem for a few minutes only because he needed a break from Lyla. The fact that he was hiding from his talkative daughter made me giggle. 

The same crazy day, Max was creating his own madness. I was making dinner when I heard him throwing the Barbie car against the carpeted landing on our stairs. It went on for a few minutes, when I finally approached him and asked him to please stop. He wasn't really doing anything wrong, it was just very loud and repetitive. He continued a few minutes later and I approached him again to ask what the heck he was doing. He gave me the most hilarious look and said, "Hulk Smash." I wish there was a way to describe this moment better, definitely had to be there. His expression and tone of voice was perfect. I laughed so hard that I decided to let him continue being Hulk Smash. It was obviously an important mission. 

Then my last funny story happened at bedtime, no surprise there. These kids always try to work the system at bedtime. Anyway, we had already tucked both of them in when we heard the inevitable open of Max's door. It's his new thing to exit his bedroom and then run back in whenever he sees someone coming up the stairs. It's cute...until it goes on until 10:00 pm. He eventually crawls back into bed and goes to sleep without asking for assistance, so that's nice at least. I'm sure it's just another superhero mission in his mind. 

Anyway, on this particular night we heard some unusual noises, so Kirk went upstairs prepared to give the typical "get back in bed" lecture. He found Lyla & Max both standing near their own doorways, whispering across the hall. Big sisters get blamed for everything, so naturally Kirk questioned Lyla first. She replied that she just wanted to see Max one more time before bed. She must have sensed her dad's heart swell a bit, because she followed that remark by asking if Max could sleep in her bed. Kirk complied, against his better judgment, under the condition that they must stay in bed. They agreed and seemed so excited. We heard them talking for awhile longer and eventually there was silence, but when I went to check on them before taking myself to bed Max had returned to his own room. I can't say when or why. I'm realizing there is a lot that goes on that I have no idea about. Regardless, I'm so thankful these two hooligans have each other. 

Apparently He Was Thirsty

I wanted to share this funny story about Max, mostly so I never forget it. And also because it displays how much Max is growing up lately. I blinked and suddenly he's a little boy. 

As I've mentioned before, I allow Max to snuggle in our bed when he wakes up in the early morning. So, Sunday morning he woke up around 4:30 am, a little earlier than normal. I brought him into bed and dozed back off to dreamland. I checked the clock about 30 minutes later when I heard Max slide off the side of the bed. He was awake, it wasn't unintentional or anything. It was just really odd because typically he doesn't wake up, let alone get out of bed, for a couple more hours. It was still dark too. 

Then I could hear his little feet doing their normal pitter-patter on the tile floor. I really wanted to roll back over and wait until I heard a scream, but I figured it would probably be a neglectful parenting choice to let this kid wander around the kitchen at 5:00 am, especially since it's pretty common for him to seek out mischief. Anyway, I wanted to be able to see what he was up to without him catching me, so I rolled out of bed and did the zombie walk to my doorway. I saw him at the lazy-susan in the kitchen getting a sip cup for himself. Then he traveled to the fridge to dispense some water and quickly trotted back to my bedroom. I got back in bed as soon as I saw him coming, as I didn't want him to know I was awake. Then he crawled back in bed, snuggled up next to me, and fell back asleep.

Then Monday evening I was enjoying my last night of TV watching with my mom. Both the kiddos were sound asleep. 11:30 rolled around when I heard Max wake up and start crying a little. It took a few minutes, but he seemed to calm himself down and the upstairs went silent again without my help...or so I thought.

I heard a door unlatch and I instantly jumped up from the couch, knowing Max's door was the only closed door upstairs. I made it half way up the stairs to find Max making his way down. He was rubbing his eyes, yet he seemed content. I scooped him up and he was agreeable to returning to his room. But. Umm. Hello. This means he successfully climbed out of his crib!!! Ugh. It looks like a bed transition is in our future. Despite Max's impressive climbing skills, I would like to avoid any potential broken limbs. 

What the heck, Max! You are hilarious. Keep up the independence, buddy. 

Sleep Routines

It's that time of year again when we change our clocks, allowing daylight to stick around just a little while longer. Although the adjustment can feel like we are getting an hour of our day robbed from us, I actually prefer this time change because it means it's still light when Kirk gets home from work. However, any time change means a potential disruption in our sleep schedule. Bedtime has definitely been sneaking up on me the past couple days. 

Our babies are not natural born lovers of sleep, especially Lyla. That girl has some wild sleeping patterns. I've always tried to be really consistent with our bedtime rituals and stick to a schedule. I feel like it's the least I can do to help them out. But as our kids grow, their needs and wants change and so does our bedtime routine. We've been in the same groove for a few months now and I've really enjoyed it. 

Lyla's bedtime has always been a little later than I would typically like, but Kirk doesn't arrive home from work until 7:00 --- give or take thirty minutes. So ever since our move to Texas we set her bedtime at 9:00 so she could spend some time with her dad without feeling rushed to get through dinner and get ready for bed. Max isn't a night owl like Lyla and he could never make it until 9:00. He's always been on the 8:00 bedtime schedule, until recently. 

I used to incorporate bath time into our nightly routine, especially when they were little babies. Obviously it makes more sense to bathe them after the inevitable mess created during dinner, but for the same reason of not feeling rushed when dad gets home, we now like to get baths taken care of late afternoon. or whenever --- since baths are a source of a fun time for them!

Because the needs of these kiddos are constantly changing, we've been able to merge their bedtime routines over the past several months. It's turned into our nightly family activity and I will be very upset if anything [like the time change!] screws us up. I just wanted to dedicate this blog post to giving a detailed description of our evening on a typical basis. It might be boring to read, but it's mostly for my own reference. I know the day will come when Max refuses to be rocked to sleep. The day will come when my arm no longer goes numb from rubbing Lyla's back. Those dreadful days are ahead and when they do come, at least I can look back to this blog and remember all these treasured memories. 

Here we go!

Around 8:00 the whole family climbs into Lyla's bed for story time. Lyla and Max pick out an assortment of books. The book about a freight train and the superhero books are regulars. Kirk likes to spice up the repetitiveness with some really impressive voices. His sound effects are pretty awesome too. Then after our twenty-ish minute snuggle sesh, Kirk always asks Max if he wants dad to put him to bed. That's when Max clings to me while saying "Mom!" Actually, it really sounds like "Meeeehm" when he says it. Max gives hugs and kisses to Kirk and Lyla, then we venture off to his room. Max still thinking he is the boss for choosing who puts him to bed, when really that is all part of our sneaky plan to build some enthusiasm about going to his bedroom. 

I sit with Max in his chair for approximately ten minutes. I rub his back and talk to him about his day. His body is getting so long that, I must admit, it's getting a little awkward to hold him like a baby, but I will make it work as long as possible. Then I lay him in his crib with his binky, he wraps his arm around hulk, rolls over and closes his eyes. Sometimes he gets a little feisty about the order in which his blankets get put on top of him. It's a bit of a communication issue, as I can't exactly figure out what his deal is with the blankets. But after a few tries of putting them on in a different order, he usually seems satisfied. It's a weird thing. He settles in and sleeps until morning. We snuggle in bed in the morning until Kirk gets in the shower, then Max is usually eager to join him in getting ready for work.

While I'm saying goodnight to Max, Kirk remains in Lyla's room. They started this new habit of drawing funny faces on pictures and then posting them to Snapchat. I eventually come back to Lyla's room and she promptly orders Kirk to leave. It's like she is excusing him from his shift. It's pretty funny. This is when the serious rituals start. Lyla will not close her eyes until we complete all of the following steps. And if I try to rush through or skip anything, she knows. There are some nights when I wonder what I got myself into with all these elaborate steps I've created. 

The first thing we talk about is our day. I always ask her to tell me something that made her happy. Then I ask her to tell me something that made her mad or sad. It's actually a great time to reflect on any disagreements we may have had. She is generally pretty logical, but there are times throughout our week when she gets so overwhelmed with emotion that it's difficult for her to comprehend logic. It's easier to talk about those times when we are laying in her bed. It's also a good time for me to acknowledge my own imperfections. I tend to apologize to her for being impatient or a lazy listener. Then she wants to know our plans for the following day. This is fun, except on the days that I don't have anything planned activity wise. Then I just have to make playing with barbies sound like the best day ever, which is actually what Lyla would prefer to do most days anyhow!  

You would think she would be good with a hug & kiss after all that, but no. The next thing I do is list out "all the people who love lyla..." I say all the names in this slow, methodical voice. There have been times when I try to say the names at a faster pace, especially if I'm tired or there is a TV show I am itching to watch. Lyla does not allow it. "Mom, you aren't doing it right..." Now I've learned my lesson that it's best to just do it right the first time. The list goes like this:

"Your mommy loves you. Your daddy loves you. Max loves you. Krew loves you. Kurt & Bya love you. Charli, Jeremy, & Hali love you. Grandma Julie loves you. Grandpa Monte loves you. Cameron loves you. Ashton & Jarem love you. Taylor & Jordan love you. Sydney, Rob, & Scarlett love you. Grandma Anna loves you. And Carl. Grandpa Dave loves you. Grandma Carter loves you. Grandpa Paul & Grandma Shelby love you. Uncle Jake loves you. Grandma Paula loves you. Grandpa Steve loves you. Grandpa Rick loves you. Grandma Becky. Aunt Kari and Chad love you. And Madison, Chloe, & Libby. And those are all the people who love Lyla."

*Please note* Although the names on this list are clearly of elite status, it does not include all members who undoubtedly have love for Lyla. If you feel your name should be included on this list and it isn't, please do not take it as a personal attack. It is not our intention to offend anyone or hurt feelings. There are additional names I've considered adding, but I simply do not wish to create more dialogue in our already very tedious night time routine. Oh. And the list is in no particular order either. I know my gram might start over thinking that one!  *Carry on*

The name game concludes and that's when I begin scratching Lyla's back. In a perfect world she is starting to feel sleepy. Her eyes are getting heavy and I watch her transition into her first phase of sleep. It's nice when that happens. It makes me feel pretty victorious. In reality, she usually starts pulling out the stall tactics after a few minutes of getting her back scratched. She will ask for a family picture, for the hall light to be turned on, or some water. Every once in awhile she will start her sentence with "umm...um...um..." and that's when I know she is getting desperate for an excuse. 

If this happens, I will stay in her bed until she does fall asleep. It's not unusual for me to doze off as well. If I have work to do or blogging, Lyla is agreeable to me being on my laptop outside of her bedroom. The tapping noise from my typing must be continuous though or she starts calling my name. 

In a perfect world she sleeps in her bed until morning. It's nice when that happens. In reality, she usually sneaks into our room in the middle of the night. At least now she does so silently, instead of her old ways of screaming bloody murder her entire walk to our bedroom. It really doesn't bother us when she comes to our bedroom though. The only time we question why we allow it is when she starts doing cartwheels and someone gets a kick to the face.

It's funny how typing all this out suddenly made this process seem so ridiculous. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. What matters is that it works for us. The days can be full of so much chaos, having a predictable evening is sometimes what I look forward to the most. It's the most peaceful part of my day. 

When Lyla Calls Your Name

Lyla has discovered a new bed time strategy. It's a game I used to play all the time. I am an expert at it, however, I find myself losing to a much younger opponent quite often! 

Let's see...some of her new excuses include:

1. "I need to go potty." 

The most logical attempt that I generally cannot ignore because I like to avoid soiled bedding. 

2. "I need a drink of water." 

Once again, I must consider other factors such as, when is the last time she drank water? Did she drink enough water today? I can't sleep when I am thirsty, so maybe one small drink of water will be okay.

3. "Will you read me another story?" 

I say yes to this request most of the time. My cut off is five, or sometimes three. Depending on how tired I am. LOL.

4. "Will you turn the fan on?" 

I ask myself, why would she want the fan on? The fan sucks. But okay, if you wish, I shall turn on the fan. Now go to sleep. 

5. "Will you turn my blankie to the soft side?" 

I have since learned to put her blanket on the soft side from our initial attempt. But she got me with this reasoning several times before I wised up. 

6. "Will you turn on the hall light?" 

I always comply with this request because I always slept with the hall light on as a kid. 

No hall light = monsters. Duh. 

And the latest & greatest....

6. "My bum is itchy." 

This is the one excuse I fear she is taking advantage of because one time I think her bum was actually itchy. So I pulled her out of bed and gave her a bath. Nothing worse than an itchy bum. However, now that excuse has turned into a new regular. 

Nope. Not falling for it, Lyla. Shut your eyes.

I look forward to more new material in the future. Silly girl. 

random wedding photo just because my people are cute. 

 

New Month

January was a challenging month---parenting wise.

We made a lot of changes & the babies made some big strides.

Time felt like it was going by incredibly sloooow, but what do you know, it's already February!

Lyla turned two! That's a big deal.
Her new outbursts aren't as shocking when they occur.

I know she isn't being malicious or trying to be defiant. 

She is just being two & figuring out what this big world is all about.

Plus, generally she really is a good listener. 

She has a gentle, sweet spirit & is such a wonderful sister.

She ditched the nighttime bottle. That's got to be tough.

And dare I even say it, she is potty trained. Undies all day long.

No diaper at night & she has even used the potty in public. 

Public restrooms generally give me the creeps & I try to avoid them all together.

But I've learned there are two types of people who can't exactly 'wait' like the rest of us...

1. pregnant people. 2. toddler people. 

I find myself saying "ew don't touch that" at least 20 times each visit.

My other favorite is, "for the love of god, do not crawl under the stall." 

That was fun. I was basically defenseless, as I was mid-pee myself.

We are still struggling with pooping process. Different sensation I suppose.

I'm not worried about it. I'm impressed by her progress already. She's a smartie.

Anyways...different topic.

As you know, Max started crawling. 

He is definitely cruising from room to room now.

He advanced from the unsteady turtle-like pace in a matter of days.

And with that, he has started pulling himself up on furniture and/or human legs.

This has resulted in a lot more injury to that noggin of his.

Which reminds me of another 'mother of the year award' moment.

The other morning he crawled right off the bed. 

I don't know if I should tell the truth or lie: which sounds worse?

[did I fall asleep or was I awake & not paying attention..]

The truth is I dozed off after Kirk got into the shower and suddenly I heard a thud. 

He was perfectly fine. However, in my half-asleep haze I initially

 thought his nose was pressed flat against his face. 

Oh Max. I have a feeling that won't be the last time you make my heart sink.

I remember Lyla being such a cautious baby compared to Max.

Whether it be stairs or the edge of my bed, she would always  stare off the edge from

 a distance, as if she knew it wouldn't be wise to inch any closer.

Oh well. Max is a boy. Boys get bruises.

I suppose I'm not really the over-protective type parent.

For the most part, I let him explore and figure out that 

balance & coordination stuff without restriction.

The one exception to that statement is bath time. 

Suddenly, Max has transformed to Evil Knievel in the water.

This includes trying to pull himself up on slippery items and 

submerging his face underwater mid-crawl.

He thinks this behavior is hilarious until he starts coughing

 up the gallon of water he swallowed.

It's a delightful experience.

 He is limited to one inch of water until further notice.

Further, Kirk & I have surrendered to the persistent sleeping issues. 

We don't want everyone in the house to suffer from sleep deprivation and 

after many battles, we've accepted that we are the house of never ending newborn syndrome.

It is what it is & it won't last forever. 

Max seemed to be sleeping better after a weekend of sleep training boot camp.

Then his two top teeth emerged and with that, he went back to his old ways.

Lyla seems to be falling asleep easier, but continues to wake up

 in a state of panic at least once per night.

By morning, both babies end up in our bed.  

It's hilarious cause I always said I would never allow that. 

I do admit, I love the cuddles & watching their peaceful faces as they sleep is a beautiful thing.

Although, one thing that would make this family bonding time more enjoyable is a bigger bed.

I'm considering starting a charity. Obviously it's for a good cause. 

Life continues to move at lightning speed & I'm excited for what's in store this month!

Narcoleptic Afternoon

Monday was the weirdest day ever.

First, Lyla ate eleven [yes, eleven] miniature pancakes.

That was funny weird. But later on something crazy weird happened.

She settled in for her nap & awoke after a short hour.

With the way naps have been going lately, I was actually satisfied with that duration.

She woke up crying and snuggled up next to me on the couch,

then suddenly she was back to catching zzz's.

[Isn't she so adorable & scrumptious?]

  
My initial thought was wow! That is incredible.

This kid never falls back asleep after an already one hour nap.

Eventually Max woke up from his nap and I got up from the couch and ventured
up the stairs to retrieve him. Lyla has eyes in the back of her head, so of course she 

shot right up and followed me up the stairs in a half-asleep & fully delusional meltdown.

By the time I returned she was out cold, crouched over like so...

This was cute and hilarious for at least 45 minutes. 

Then she awoke for what I assumed would be the final time.

We hugged & I even changed her diaper in my bedroom.

Within minutes she looked like this....

Yes. Asleep once again. I could not believe it.

All together this nap phenomenon lasted nearly three hours.

She woke up for the last time sweet as a peach.

A very bizarre afternoon nonetheless!

A Fresh Week

We had an extra fun weekend and so far, I'm feeling good about the week.
I'm slowly regaining my control and at the very least, I'm not 
wanting to crawl under my covers and scream.

There is still this new unfamiliar toddler person living inside Lyla.

I'm getting to know that person and working on figuring out works best to tame that fiery rage.

But for the most part her sassy level is back to a cute and tolerable level

 rather than the scary and irrational one like last week.

She has made some big strides with potty training this week.
I will leave out graphic details just in case her future boyfriend finds this blog in 16 years.
We are moving at a gradual pace, but moving along nonetheless.

The newest problem around here has been bedtime.

Lyla has never given us any grief at bedtime. She has always made it so easy & simple.

Staying asleep for her is a whole different story---but the initial 

bedtime phase has always been a breeze.

Until now, that is. 

We are many moons late on this one, but the time has come to say goodbye to the bottle.

As a result, she has replaced that source of comfort by having mommy or daddy 

lay next to her in bed until she is sound asleep. Leaving the room is not an option.

A handful of books and forty minutes later, we attempt to sneak out of the room as
she shoots up in a sleepy blur  and shouts "no mommy, lay down." 

It usually takes 2-3 attempts before a successful exit is achieved. 

The only problem I have with this new time consuming 
bedtime routine is that it cuts into my hang time with Kirk. 

The other problem is she insists on this nonsense at nap time now too.

This would be a completely enjoyable part of my day if she were an only child. 

But she isn't. Max is here too and if I didn't have other people in the house

to help me out right now I literally have no idea what I would do. 

On the flip side, Max has relaxed compared to last week as well.
I think I may have been right about our return from Idaho sending everyone on the fritz.
It would only make sense that it would take longer for the little's to readjust.

I nearly have Max's nap schedule back on track.

They remain shorter than I would prefer, but we are taking it one step at a time.

Secretly, I often reminisce about the three hour long siestas of the past
 and I am keeping my fingers crossed they find their way back to us.

Mobile-Max is on the way! He is so so so close to crawling.

His hand coordination isn't quite there yet and face plants multiple times a day.

One "step" closer to keeping up with his sister Lyla. 

Well. A little ranting. A little update. I think that's all for now.
These changes are challenging but there is no place else I'd rather be. 

At the end of the day, I hope my babies know I love them

 more than anything in existence. 

Update

After 7 days:

I completely stopped consuming caffeine at all times of the day 

and saw a dramatic change in Max. Seriously. 

It's hard to believe it was making him that grouchy, but it make sense. It's science. Hello!

Maybe it was just a fussy phase, but the instant I cut off caffeine I noticed I big difference.

I guess my little baby doesn't enjoy being jacked up on caffeine all day. 

Understandable. I'm sorry sweet Max. 

My food & drink intake is back on my radar for your sake.

I'm so happy he is back to his pleasant little self. 

After 3 days:

Lyla is not catching onto the potty training thing as quickly as I hoped.

Yes, I expected accidents. But I also expected more progress.

She only successfully used the toilet twice. Exciting, but not good enough!!

The rest of her waste ended up in various locations around the house.

I know I'm impatient for giving up after only three days.

But she is still a little young and intimidated by the porcelain god.

We will continue to encourage her to use the potty, but maybe

 it will be best to wait to try again after all the holiday madness.

I am really looking forward to the day when I can spend that

 extra diaper money on something more spectacular though...

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I'm happy to 

announce that I'm preparing my very first turkey.

With my aunt mentoring me all the way from Idaho, 

I think I can pull off something glorious! 

I never knew menu planning and table-scaping could 

be so time consuming and anxiety inducing!

Luckily I have Olivia here to hand me a brown paper bag

to breathe into when I start feeling overwhelmed. ;)

Turkey pictures coming soon and then my daddy is coming for a visit! Hooray!

Sleep Solutions Continued...

Sorry to blast my blog with more talk about baby sleeping habits, but I just got to do it. 

I keep going back and forth between what I want to do with 

moving Max to his crib and getting him to sleep through the night.

I'm certain all this thinking is burning a hole in my brain.

I read about so many different methods, ideas, 

and people claiming to have the magical sleep secret. 

As I was rocking him to sleep tonight, I suddenly thought of something. 

Maybe babies don't come with a training manual for a reason.

I mean, technology allows us to share stories and 

experiences from across the globe and it is great!

But it also makes [me] over analyze to the most extreme possible. 

Maybe a mother is meant to figure out on her own what 

works for each one of her babies individually. 

All babies are different so obviously what works for some, won't work for all. 

I'm really not against the cry it out method. I do think it works. 

It gives your baby the opportunity to self soothe. 

But who says they are meant to self soothe? 

Isn't that what I am for, as their mother? To soothe them? 

It's not like I'm faced with a baby who is confused between night and day.

He simply needs a little help going back to sleep when he wakes up.

Whether that means a dream feed, a pacifier, or just some snuggles.

There isn't a magic trick. I know that for sure. 

I remember being faced with the same challenges when Lyla was so young. 

And looking back, the sacrifices I had to make seem so minimal now.

I don't ever regret rocking her to sleep. 

In fact, those are some of my favorite moments. 

Eventually she was able to fall asleep on her own 

and eventually she started sleeping in her own crib. 

I can't remember when it happened, but it did, just as it will with Max. 

So, I think I'm just going to keep on doing on what we are doing. 

No books. No methods. No sleep training. No whiskey. <- joke. calm down.

I'm just going to do what works for us and what feels right. 

What feels right now, could be different in a month, and that's okay

 because I'll say it one more time---everything with babies is a stage.

Libby: Part 2

I'm going to be one sad momma when Libby leaves us.

We are having so much fun & it's not so shabby having a live-in nanny either!

Some of our recent activities include:

1. a very serious coloring session.

2. [libby] modeling school clothes for aunt kari.

3. petting stingray at the aquarium. ahh!

4. the happiest little dude in town. 

5. fun times at the park.

I didn't think much changed between 14 and 24,

but having Libby here is making me feel OLD.

She's making me realize that all things I find cool are actually uncool. 

[and she makes fun of me when I wear the baby harness carrier thingie]

exhibit a:

She also informed me that kids her age never call each other on the phone.

Now communication is all about Facebook or texting.

What. is. the. world. coming. to.

Do you realize this means she has never gone through the heart-racing anxiety

 of calling a boy's house with the possibility of a parent answering the phone? 

That was as real as fear got for me as a young gal.

I know I'm merely one generation ahead of my sweet cousin,

but the influence of technology has me slightly freaked.

Seriously. The world is becoming too smart for its own good.

I really hope my children remain human & don't turn to robots.

Kirk and I decided that when Lyla is old enough for a cell phone

 we are going to disable the text messaging feature. 

Not cause we are mean, cause we are funny!