Need your baby to sleep? Put them in a dirty bag.

Pre-sleep smiles

September 27th: We put JJ to sleep as we normally did. Some cuddles, I nursed her, topped her off with a little formula and a cozy PJ. Just a normal bedtime routine, though the PJs were a new addition.

Another hand me down from her big sister - maybe that's why L's sleep good juju took over. That night, JJ slept 7 hours. SEVEN STRAIGHT HOURS. Glorious. Do you know what 7 hours feels like after months of not have 3-4 hours of sleep? It's amazing. I was a new woman.

September 28th: Listen, if it isn't broke don't fix it. We Groundhog's Day that baby. Same routine. Same amount of formula. Same PJs. What? She didn't run a marathon? She didn't leak through her diaper- why not just throw on the sleep sack again?  That night, she slept 6 straight hours. 

September 29th: See September 28th.

(rinse & repeat)

October 8th: It's been over a week and it's been working. JJ is sleeping anywhere from 6-7 hours straight at night and it's glorious. Not so glorious? The PJs. There remained unwashed. Listen - would you tell a winning football player to wash his jersey before the series play offs? (I know, different sports - I did that for effect.) The ball & chain had a harder time putting her in the crusty PJs night after night. Me? Not so much. Of course, I would have washed it if she had an accident in them - but beyond that? What's a little drool, spit up and wear between friends? When the top started to get cardboard stiff - he started talking about washing our lucky PJ. I put it off for as long as possible. Finally, reason (and the husband) won - and we put her in a 'similar' pair of PJs.  The warmest ones we had because we are convinced it's the fact that she is toasty and warm that lets her sleep. 

A substitution that work

October 9th: I'm pissed. I was up all damn night with the kid - every 2-3 hours. It isn't being warm. It's the magic of the sleep bag. It's warm, like a blanket but there needs to be more. Maybe but the fact that it's a bag bottom - she has the freedom to kick around. I don't know if it's the 8 day old drool on the damn thing that lets her sleep - but what I do know is we need another sleep bag because we need her to wear these PJs everyday.

We spent our day driving around looking for a complimenting PJ.  Keeping in mind the original is circa 4 years ago it wasn't easy. We found a Babies R Us and Target that carried the sleep bag - but at two different levels of thickness. We kept the thicker one and now have her wearing that one or the original.

True story: the more worn (some might say dirtier) the PJ is, the sounder she sleeps.

True story: If it were up to me, we'd wash the sleep twins less.

Inspired to Do, Make & Create

Listen up: I'm not a crafty person. I can't draw a straight line with the assistance of a ruler. I am not kidding. I've been feeling especially inspired with the help of Pinterest.

(Time out: Family - if you come here for the pictures, quotes, videos and sit through my snark? This is not for you. I'm about to geek out - come back tomorrow or the next day - I'll post a picture or something.)

What in the world is Pinterest? 

You know when you find something online and you're like, "OOH... (and the next statement is something to the effect of any of the following) I want to save this somewhere. I want to do this. I want to buy something like this. This is good to know. What a great idea. That's fun. That's funny. I love this.  Hilarious. Thoughtful. Inspiring." I used to send myself an email, save the link as a favorite or make it a bookmark.  Well... you can do those things still - but for things that you want to visually see together?  Pinterest.

It's a vision board that people use for all kinds of things. Inspiration, funny quotes, decorating, gift ideas, crafts/DIY projects to do, holiday fun, ideas for photos, meal planning, styling, etc etc. It's really what you make of it. You find that thing online that starts you saying, "Ohhh." and you... PIN it.

Me: I have different boards for different subjects (you categorize your pins on boards). I use it to keep track of things I want to do, try and remember.  I have holiday boards for things to do during the holidays, or costume ideas for Halloween as well as gifts I want to give, get or funny quotes I like. The list keeps shifting.

Yes folks, another thing to spend time doing online. Too much time is can be wasted. It was fun when I was decorating the new house.  I could keep track of how much stuff cost as I weighed each product against each other. I read a blog that I think totally explains it - if you want to know the how to and why to. I imagine you can just sign up for an account, but if you need an invite - let me know.  Suzanne over at Behbehblog breaks it down with an easy "how to." If you know me at all, you know I love me some instructions and screen shots. Most people are super overwhelmed to start... and then? They get addicted. Pinterest is the new FB crack - remember the first time? Same thing. You get sucked in.  And then the next thing you know - you are writing paragraphs about something only 1/2 of the intended audience is reading, if that.

Here's my point. 

Martha Stewart can relax - I'm not coming for her job but I AM
doing something with her website.  Like the pin that inspired this
staircase and this face.

Something amazing happened recently. Not only did Pinterest help in the decorating of our new home - but it is inspiring CRAFTS & CREATIVITY up in here.  It started with a favor idea for the kid's birthday, that spilled into Halloween because the kid has a new found love for creepy and now I'm a Princess skirt (tutu) deep into half of a 100% homemade costume and ready for more.Pinterest provides ideas, inspiration, fun and a total time suck.  The only way to make good on that time suckage? Do something! And something I have done. 

It's been 2 weeks and with every little project I feel accomplished.  In the time it took me to start this post and publish it, I'm another 2 projects deep. One completed salt dispenser from a mason jar WHAT? (Note to self: Pinterest loves herself some mason jars) and craft supply jars.  Sure, if you click through you'll find that all I did was print out labels, print google images, tie knots and cut templates - but dang they are festive.

completed (sucka easy) "projects"

Making an Entrance

Ever since I saw the series premier of Modern Family I've wanted to be in a scenario to walk into a room, holding up something singing:

Nants ingonyama bagithi
Baba Sithi uhm ingonyama
Nants ingonyama bagithi baba
Sithi uhhmm ingonyama
Ingonyama Siyo Nqoba Ingonyama
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
What am I talking about? Are you having a seizure? No. It's the opening scene of the Lion King. Obviously, I googled the words - because if you were to ask us it is:

Awwww
She-angway
Shaniqey-wha
Cha-gong-gong

Here's how Modern Family does it:

L saw The Lion King in the theatre and LOVED.IT. We got her the movie - for no reason, just for being an awesome kid. Fine, we also we wanted to watch a movie we haven't seen 1958 times - I'm looking at you Tangled. To show her she was going to own the classic - the ball & chain walked into the kitchen singing. I wish I had my camera out because L had a deep belly laugh and loved it. Then she wanted to try.

Here is her rendition:



We do things big around here. Now most everything, we are raising above our heads singing... it's not old (yet).

Be Careful What You Nag For

Tuesday
L, "Mama, how about we walk to school tomorrow?"
Me, "Sure thing! That'll be fun!"

Wednesday
L, "Mama, you forgot. We didn't walk to school!"
Me, "Oh I forgot! Tomorrow."
L, "Why'd you forget?"
Me, "That's how forgetting works - you just forget."
L, "Why?"
Me, "I don't know why I forgot - but that is what forget means - you accidentally don't do something or get something - because you forget."
L, "Why'd you forget though, Mama?"
Me, "I don't know. Tomorrow."
L, "Will you forget?"
Me, "I won't know until I do or if I do. Tomorrow, okay - it'll be fun."

Thursday
Me, "We don't have time to walk to school today, but I'll pick you up and we'll walk if I can leave early enough!"
L, "Will you forget?"
Me, "I don't think so - but you never know!"

Fast forward, 4 hours... I do not forget and pick her up - on time - at school.

L, "Did you walk here?"
Me, "I did!"
L, "Will I walk home?"
Me, "Yup - with me - that's how this works."

Fast forward, 2 hours and we finally see the door to our house.

L, "Maybe next time we take the car, Mama. Don't forget."
 

wordless wednesday

4 years & 1 week going on 25.
We.Are.Doomed.