Back in Action

So we are back in the swing of regular life... well almost... I'll elaborate on that later... for now some recent pictures and their stories.



For Father's Day Adam received a coupon for a golf outing with the boys... he was pretty thrilled!


The boy loves his golf... maybe that's why he became an attorney... hmmm, puzzle pieces falling together!

While he golfed Chase and I spent some time at the playground...

which... mark it down (in the non-existent baby book)... was the first time I didn't have to stand next to him the entire time. I felt very comfortable letting him explore a little more on his own and he felt extremely comfortable pushing the envelope and going down the big kid slide on his own.

*sniff* *sniff* My boy is growing up.


He did a lot of this... without my help...


and a lot of this... without my help.

*sigh*

I will say that in the event he got an 'owie', he always came running to me calling 'Mamah Tisses, Mamah Tisses'. I did love that.


It's amazing how much I love him.


Here is a rare moment when 4 kids are playing together and none of them are yelling, hitting or screaming.


Ahhh my little chef... he makes a lovely home, don'tcha think?

The latest and greatest comes from today... some of the moms checked out a 'new to us' park in the area.


Chase cheering Lexi down the slide


Having fun on the merry go round... spinney thing... carousel... what the heck are those things called anyway?

And the last 2 pictures are from my friend Mandy who clearly has a gift... although she will roll her eyes when she reads that. You rolled your eyes didn't you Mandy? I know you did.

In an attempt to stop Chase and Sadie from a simultaneous tantrum, I told them to hold hands and walk back to the slide. They held hands alright... but then walked for the next few minutes around the park... no where in particular... although Sadie was definitely leading ;~)

I could seriously melt at the cuteness.


And this picture... well it saved my sanity.

Let me backtrack a little to set the context.

Ever since we got back from San Francisco Chase's sleeping habits have gone to crap... and I want to use a stronger word but I am refraining... with all my might. At night he would stand up and cry for Mamah or Daddy (usually whoever put him down) and instead of it being an easy "Chase lay down, it's time for night night" and boom sleeping... he would jump back up and cry out again... and again. It was repetitive and time consuming, not to mention robbing him of precious sleep... which I know he needs. But somehow, with 2 people it isn't as hard... it sucks but it's manageable.

The naps though... oh boy have the naps been rough. I have often blogged about Chase's napping... HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE to name a few... but for the last 6 months or so he has been a fairly consistent 2 or more hour napper. To which I was eternally grateful. But ever since SF it's been a hour and a half... then an hour and 15... then 45 min... to finally no nap at all. And when I say no nap... I mean in his crib screaming and jumping up and down. It wasn't for lack of trying on my part but I knew that the problem was with the ability to put himself to sleep on his own.

He had lost it in SF.

He spent an entire week napping on me or getting so tired and passing out that he barely remembers going into the pack and play... thus the ability to self soothe was gone.

So he spent an hour and a half alternating between screaming, jumping, crying, talking or shrieking.

The kid never fell asleep.

I went in just like nap time was over and it was time for him to get up and start the afternoon... like he had been sleeping for the past hour and half. He wasn't pleasant for the rest of the afternoon but wouldn't you know it he passed out at bed time... not even a peep until morning.

So today at nap... same situation. I tried settling him in for the nap and then laying him down awake and before I was out the door, up and crying. Awesome. I was close to having a mental breakdown... seriously, lack of rest will do that to a mom. I posted a status on my FB which my friend Mandy read... which prompted her to send this picture...


This picture stopped me in my tracks. I saw Chase the way I should always see him.

With a lighter heart, I went back in and tried to lay him down twice (in 15 min increments) but he wasn't having it... so I decided I had to do it... I had to let him cry it out again... or scream it out which was his method... and scream he did. So much so that I took video of the monitor just so I could show Adam (and FB ;~). He screamed from 1:00pm until 2:27pm... then the monitor lights stopped jumping. He was down and sleeping (God bless the video monitor).

Once I thought it was safe to come back in... oh yeah, I had my computer, 2 phones, work notebook, wires, video monitor and dog on the front porch - a girl's gotta work!... I snuck back in, laid on the couch and rested my eyes. And he slept for an hour and 10 min. Not great but you wouldn't believe the energy and hope it gave me.

Tonight Adam and I decided it was the cry it out method part 2. At first we thought we wouldn't have to test it... but soon enough he was back up again. At first I stood strong... no going in. Then I waffled and Adam stood strong... no going in. 5 minutes after that he laid down for good and was out.

Who knows how the rest of the week will go but hopefully we are back on track a little more than we were.

And this kid...

He's just awesome.