2011

What. A. Year.

I honestly can't believe I survived.  Seriously.  There were times when I looked into the future and literally thought I could not do it; there was no hope; my life was over.  But here I am on the last day of this year.  I have made it.  Looking back, those feared (and sometimes unexpected) moments really were hard.  Now that I know how hard they were it kind of surprises me how I made it through with as much peace as I did.  I know this is only by the grace of God.

I OFTEN think about what I would be doing now if my year had gone differently; rather, if it had gone more "as planned".  It is so crazy how much has changed in a year.  I have learned a lot about myself, about life, about priorities, about loss, about fear, about strength, about tears, about pride, about humility, about shame, about friends, about sleep-deprivation, about failure, and about trust.

My life is not what I want it to be, but life is not about me.  Life is about God bring glory to Himself as He redeems His people and sanctifies us to be more like Him.  Everything that happened in 2011 fits perfectly into His plan.  I don't understand it all, I don't like it all, but He gives me enough peace to live with it all. 

Looking back, I seriously don't know how I survived 2011.  I think back to certain moments and I think, "how in the world did I get through that????".  God's peace met me in each moment; there was always just enough to get me through.

I am not that excited about 2012.  I don't know what it will hold.  I no longer feel like the "possibilities are endless" and "the world is at my fingertips", but I do know that as God continues to teach me and mold me more into His image He will give me peace every step of the way.  And as scary as it is, it is a blessing to wake up each morning and have to seek peace from God and rest in His sovereignty because there is not enough peace in my circumstances alone. 

From the book Jesus Calling:

"As this year draws to a close, receive My Peace.  This is still your deepest need, and I, your Prince of Peace, long to pour Myself into your neediness.  My abundance and your emptiness are a perfect match. I designed you to have no sufficiency of your own."

May we truly be filled with the Peace of God in 2012!

Party like a Rock Star!

It was so fun to get to dress-up and get to go out to Thomas Gibson and Hannah Hoffman's wedding.  It's the little things these days....   :)

Go State!!!

Juliet dressed up for NC State's Bowl Game!

Christmas

Christmas in Virginia.....

 Christmas in Lenoir...

High School Reunion

I have a Christmas Party at my house every year for my friends from high school.  For some of these girls it's the only time of the year we see each other.  It's a party of catching-up, reminising, and playing Dirty Santa!  For most of them it was also the first time they had met Juliet (they gave me the sweetest baby shower ever in August)...and she was quite the hit!

Grove Park Inn Gingerbread Houses

It's a tradition to go see the famous gingerbread houses at the Grove Park Inn every year around Christmas time, and take pictures in front of the huge Christmas trees and in the sleigh.  And no one better to go with than Leah, Becki, Melanie, and of course Juliet!

Aunt Melanie

3 Months

Juliet is three months old today.  It's bittersweet.  My little tiny baby is not so tiny anymore, yet her little personality emerges more and more each day, and that is so fun!

Current Accomplishments:
-takes three naps a day, usually lasting about an 1 and a half each
-still likes to eat regularly at night ... :(
-smiles on command as long as she is not hungry
-sleeps in her crib and on her back (swaddled...just like baby Jesus!)
-tracks movement amazingly well
-LOVES (and I mean L.O.V.E.S) the TV and the ceiling fan
-giggled/laughed for the FIRST time today
-loves for you to sing songs with little hand motions to her ("itsy bitsy spider", etc)
-we sing and read daily (in English and Spanish)
-does not sit still unless she is about to fall asleep...she constantly is moving her legs like she is trying to run
-loves sucking on her fists
-loves to coo and "talk" with whoever with talk back 

Words I would use to describe her: sweet, chubby, expressive, alert, inquisitive, strong

Chubbiness

Memory Thursday

1 Corinthians 2:9

⁹But, as it is written,

    "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
   nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him"—

It's an adventure for sure!

Grandma Award

Not only did my mom keep Juliet (today, a cranky, not sleeping well baby) so that I could go to my Titus 2 Bible Study but she also washed, snapped, stuffed, and put away Juliet's cloth diapers while I was gone.  ...This is no small task, my friends.  She seriously deserves an award!

Sleep Training

It's all a guessing game, I've decided.  And, it's all about finding the right timing for you and your baby.  And, it's different for every family and every child. And, when something doesn't work out just remember "this too shall pass".

That being said, I have started "sleep training" Juliet.  I am taking a relatively laid back approach so it sounds way more intense then it is.  Before having Juliet I planned to be a hardcore mom when it came to sleeping.  I was going to teach Juliet to sleep well, all night long, in her crib, and let her cry herself to sleep if that was what was needed.  Then, Juliet was born.  She did not like sleeping in her crib, by herself, and certainly not for any stretch longer than one hour.  I was told she was fine to cry herself to sleep, I was told to wait until two months, I was told to wait until six months, I was told to never let her cry herself to sleep because it was just plain mean.  ...So what on earth was I suppose to do???

Well, I threw ALL plans out the window.  I rocked Juliet to sleep and she slept in the bed with me.  That worked for us.  That was how we both got the most sleep and so that is what we did.  I assumed I had ruined my plans of ever having the perfect sleeping baby because I spoiled her, but when you are just "surviving" you do what works best for that day.  I was okay with giving up my perfect sleeping baby dream for a few months (and a few hours of sleep); that is what worked at that time!

Well, Juliet hit the two month point and with the support of the pediatrician and some friends I just decided to try putting Juliet in her crib at night, while she was still awake, to try and help her learn to put herself to sleep.  I was prepared for the WORST!  On night ONE she cried 20 minutes and then fell asleep.  I was SO happy.  I was prepared to "out last her" for hours on end (slight exaggeration!).  After her mid-night feeding, I laid her down again, awake, in her crib.  She made noises and struggled (because I swaddle her) but fell asleep after about ten minutes without one tear!  WHAT ON EARTH?!?!?  I kept going to check on her to make sure she was okay because she was NOT crying.  Well, since then (it has been about a week) Juliet has been laid down in her crib at night and after each night-time feeding (about 3), while still awake, and gone to sleep on her own without one tear. 

If I catch her at the right time during the day, as in tired but not too tired, I can get her to go down for a nap in her crib with anywhere from no crying to 10 minutes of crying.  However, if she is overtired she will cry through her whole nap (1.5 hours...).  So, we are still pretty relaxed about daytime sleep at this point and just working on getting longer stretches at night!

So, I write all of this for a few reasons: 
1.) as a record for myself to be able to remember how I sort of "sleep trained" Juliet
2.) as an reminder that just because you have a goal in mind (aka: a good sleeper), you might have to take an unexpected route to the finish line, and you might not get there as fast as you thought, and that is OK!
3.) to remind myself that it really is all a guessing game, and every child is different

If you are sleep training a baby, no matter how you are doing it, HANG IN THERE!!...this too shall pass :)

Sophie the Giraffe

The VunCannon's, our dear friends, gave Juliet "Sophie the Giraffe".  Jean-Marie VunCannon had seen Sophie on Good Morning America where they said it was "all the rage" among celebs and their babies.  So, of course, Juliet needed one!  I think she likes Sophie too...

I "play" with Juliet and her toys everyday.  Sometimes we read, sometimes we practice colors and numbers (in two languages!), etc, but Juliet never seems interested in the least bit.  However, yesterday for the first time she begin to focus on her toys and now she will stay focused on what every you put in front of her.  It is amazing how in just one day she seemed to develop this skill!  Now she actually "plays" with me :)

Don't know about Sophie????  I did not either.  Her is her story:

Once Upon a time, a simple story...

The Little giraffe was born on the 25th of May in the year 1961. St Sophie's day! In those days, the only animal toys available were farm animals or pet figures. That is why one day in France, a certain Monsieur RAMPEAU, who was an expert in transforming sap from the HEVEA tree using the rotational molding of rubber as a toy-making concept, came up with the idea of designing a giraffe.

Such an exotic wildlife figure would be a first on the market, and its size and shape would be ideal for a baby's small hands to grasp. Sophie the Giraffe, who looked exactly the same then as she does today, went into production on a Thursday, May 25th, whence her name. She was an immediate success.

Young mothers straightaway saw that she was a must for their children when the first signs of teething appear, Sophie the Giraffe helps baby stop crying!By simple word of mouth, the little Giraffe's fame spread.From then on in Europe, generation upon generation of children were to love hearing Sophie squeak whenever they pressed her tummy and head! Vulli, a company based in Rumilly in the Haute-Savoie Region of France has continued to keep the jealously-guarded secret of how this wonder toy is made.SOPHIE is still "traditionally" produced to this day, a process that involves more than 14 manual operations. She is made from 100% natural rubber derived from the sap of the Hevea Tree.

Why is Sophie such a huge success? Sophie the Giraffe is BABYS FIRST TOY, stimulating EACH OF HIS SENSES from the age of 3 months:

*Sight:

At the age of 3 months, a baby's eyesight is still limited and he can only make out high contrasts. The Dark and contrasting attention-catching spots all over Sophie the Giraffe's body provide visual stimulation and she soon becomes a familiar and reassuring object for baby.

*Hearing:

Sophie the Giraffe's squeaker keeps baby amused and stimulates his hearing. To begin with, the funny sound Sophie makes when she is squeezed helps to stimulate baby's hearing, and then later, helps him to understand the link between cause and effect.

*Taste:

Sophie the Giraffe is made of 100% natural rubber and food paint, and is completely safe to chew, just like a feeding bottle teat. Her soft texture and numerous chewable parts (ears, horns, legs), make her perfect for soothing baby's sore gums during teething.

*Touch:

Touch is the first means a baby has of communicating with the outside world. Sophie the Giraffe's soft feel, like baby's mother's skin, stimulates physiological and emotional response that soothe baby and promote healthy growth and well-being.

*Smell:

The singular scent of natural rubber from the Hevea tree makes Sophie the Giraffe very special and easy for your child to identify amid all his other toys.

Great-Grandma Isla and Juliet

Tummy Time