Pages

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Growing Up...

   That's what everyone is doing and I'm helpless to stop it. I know, I wouldn't really want to. The future is something I look forward to. Weddings, grandchildren, and seeing the fruits of my current labors. But today I just want to push the pause button for a moment, or two, or more.
   There have been a lot of "firsts" in our home the last couple of weeks. Bri made her first Bishops Chocolate Pie last week, that is one of those recipes that is something like a rite of passage for girls in my family, right up there with rolling your first cinnamon roll and making your first loaf of bread :). Tori went out to check the mail by herself for the first time and a few days ago she delivered a note to a neighbor, they are right next door and I watched her the whole time, but still ;). Bethani is growing and learning every day, her latest accomplishment is being able to feed herself with her fork. Now for the one that will make all mothers who read this ecstatic for me, Andrew slept through the night...twice out of the last three nights. And here is the part that will make most mothers who read this throw tomatoes...I don't like it at all. Since the birth of our second baby I've recognized those late night feedings as precious bonding time. With all of the busyness in the day time I actually look forward to the night wakings that ensure quiet time with Baby. Alas, it seems those times are quickly coming to an end...until about 5 months from now when our babies start waking up two and three times a night again ;). So, perhaps I should focus my efforts on catching up on my sleep before I find myself in round two ;).

5 comments:

  1. on Andrew sleeping through the night! In all my 4 babies I've never known what it's like for my baby to just sleep through like that...I'm soo envious. Samuel doesn't sleep in his crib for more than half and hour and that's even if I can successfully lay him down in there without him waking up immediately.


    Please tell me your secret, if there is one!


    ~Nadine~

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know they grow up so quickly. The firsts can be almost bittersweet.....

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nadine- I know what it is like to be up with a screaming baby all night :). I should ammend my post to say that Bri did not at all fit the pattern of the "Shaffer Baby Stereotype". She did not sleep a full night in her own room/bed until she was over two years old (and that was before we saw co-sleeping as a viable option :))! As for the others, I have never tried to get them to sleep through the night but I do give them a predictable bedtime routine from the time they are about six weeks old (by simply including them in the routine of the older children) and we don't "do" pacifiers. I know a lot of Bri's night waking was caused by her dependence on pacifiers in her first year. When she would wake up she couldn't get herself back to sleep. I made the connection the other day when I watched Andrew stir in his cradle, find his little fist, and comfort himself to sleep. He never fully woke up and he never even fussed, just moved a bit. I don't know if these are "secrets", they are just what has seemed to work for us :). And don't forget, this is just round one :). But these same tactics seem to make round two go fairly smoothly as well. I'll let you know how he's doing in another few months ;).

    <br>And I know exactly what you mean Tanya :).

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree wholeheartedly about how bittersweet it is to see one's littles growing up. It is so neat to see all that they can accomplish, yet it can be so difficult for me to let my children grow up. I want to snuggle those babies forever. They really are such a blessing.

    In Him,

    Christine

    www.christine-mary.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. What fun to see you here :).

    I know what you mean! And that sweet baby smell and soft baby skin. I love it!!!

    ReplyDelete