Successful socks

I never even thought about making my own Christmas stockings until my sister mentioned it a couple weeks ago, and I thought..."ya know, it really can't be that hard." I was in the hunt for a stocking for Vienna anyway and I didn't totally love mine and Andy's current stockings. But I really didn't want to spend a lot of money...

I did a little searching online on "how to" and came across this great 3-part video tutorial. I decided I'd give it a try and took off to the fabric store. That was a nightmare. Screaming child, understaffed store, so many decisions....ugh. Needless-to-say I didn't want to step foot inside that fabric store again for a very long time. But I walked out with some great material and accessories and ideas for my stockings.

I basically followed the video with a few exceptions:

1. I didn't use the adhesive material.

2. I made the outside of my stocking the same length as the inside lining as I wanted to roll my stocking over to create the cuff.

3. I attached the loop to the inside lining instead of the outside.

I'm really no sewing savvy, so trust me when I say this is super easy. If I could figure it out and make alterations of my own, it really can't be that hard. And the best part, it doesn't have to be perfect sewing...or cutting. The first stocking took the longest because I wasn't sure exactly what I was doing, but the second two were a breeze. Seriously, so simple.

I spent $30 for all the supplies...that included thread, all the accessories and the material. I'm super happy with the way they turned out. I love them. The only thing missing is names, I'd still like to add our names to the cuffs, in a non-cheesy-nice-looking-sort-of-way, but I'm not too sure how to do that. So maybe that'll be a project for next year.

Daddy's stocking:

Mommy's stocking (can't decide whether to put a bow on it or keep it off...)

Vienna's stocking

Yep. I'm super happy with the way they turned out!

St. Nick's Day

Growing up in my family, one of the traditions to our holiday season was St. Nick's Day. Most people I've ever mentioned "St. Nick's Day" to have had no idea what I'm talking about. It's a European tradition, I'm honestly not too sure how common it is in the U.S...but my Mom is from Germany and grew up with this tradition and then carried it on into her own family. It's pretty simple really, you put your boot outside the door on December 6th (you can even go as far as leaving your "Christmas wish list" in the boot) and St. Nick comes along (takes the letter) and fills the boot with goodies. I loved it when I was little, going outside and finding your boot filled with candy! What little kid wouldn't love that?

Of course there's more to the story behind why St. Nick's day exists, but that's something a simple google search could answer for you...I'm not going to go into the whole story. But it was fun, and we decided to do St. Nick's Day with Vienna.

"St. Nick" filled V's boot with Gerber Arrowroot cookies (since she's too little for candy & chocolate) and a Christmas bib...

...V discovered the goodies in her boot...

...in which she shoved an entire cookie into her mouth.

Does anyone else celebrate St. Nick's day?

Oh Christmas tree...how lovely are your branches

I love this time of year. I know everybody says that, blah-blah-blah, but I really do. I love snow. I love Christmas music. I love the food. I love picking out gifts for people. Everybody is so happy this time of year most people are so happy this time of year....everything, I love it all.

Last year at this time I was super pregnant and I was thankful for the Holidays to distract me as we anticipated the arrival of our baby - they flew by, to my delight. This year they're flying by again, and I wish I could slow it down. But I think I've come to the conclusion that this time of year will always go by fast. That's just the way it is.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is picking out and decorating a Christmas tree. Growing up we never had a fake tree, we always had real ones. And I refuse to get a fake tree, I just love real ones too much...I love hunting for the perfect tree, cutting it down, bringing it home, smelling that spruce aroma...mmmm.

This Christmas is extra special as it is our first Christmas with a kid. Yes, I have a kid...it still feels weird to say that. The anticipation of the Holidays is so much more exciting with Vienna as part of our family. She's experiencing this all for the first time...it's so fun. Over Thanksgiving weekend we went to the Bentlyville lights display, V loved looking at all the lights. We also got our Christmas tree and brought it home to decorate. (Okay, so mommy and daddy decorated while Vienna napped.) And topped it off with a cup of hot cocoa and some Christmas music. Of course Mom has to document everything with pictures.

(Except Bentlyville....because my camera died right when we got there...) :( boo

Picking out a tree!

Taking it home...this is a classic "Mom, put me to bed" look.

Waking up from nap and seeing the tree for the first time!

Blankie love

I intended my next blog post to be about the holiday weekend...but I couldn't resist posting this quick...a new little obsession Vienna has.

Her blankie.

Okay, so the fact that she likes her blankie isn't new...ever since she was born she loved to sleep with a blanket by her face, swaddled...cuddled. But the extent of her obsession is quite new. The last few days she's been walking around like this:

All of the time. She'll go find it lying on the floor in her room or on the couch...and will walk around the house clutching it with a look a utter happiness.

When she discovers it lying on the floor, or if she loses her grip and it falls...she does this:

It's adorable.

I'm starting to think it might be a good idea for me to hunt down another blanket exactly like this...so that if it ever gets ruined, too worn out or lost...I can replace it.

So that's all. Now I'll have to actually blog about the holiday weekend since I've already mentioned it.

Baby steps

So. Today my baby decided to start walking.

She started the day off with refusing to take a step on her own (we've been trying to get her to let go of our hands when we walk with her for a few weeks...she wouldn't have it, even though she's barely been using our hands for support for awhile.) I've been telling Andy for the last week that she could totally walk, she just didn't have the confidence in her balance yet. Yesterday she tried moving one foot a few times. but then would give up. I guess that's kind of like a half-of-a-step...right?

I pulled out my camera to take some pictures of her in her cute little pigtails, and she of course wanted to hold my camera...that was when she took her first step to try to get it. Yay - we of course we're thrilled and proud parents to witness our daughters first steps.

That was lunch time. Throughout the day she kept taking one step here and two steps there, but I couldn't get her to do more.

Then suddenly after supper we were all sitting in the living room, and Vienna was just kind of playing by herself when she decided she'd start putting more steps together on her own. Again, proud parents get all excited and pull out the video camera and cheer her on. :)

Within the hour she mastered walking a good ten steps before falling down and had become noticeably faster at it. She just kept doing it over and over and you could tell by the expression on her face that she thought it was pretty cool.

I think that was actually my favorite part - seeing how excited she was that she was learning how to do it by herself.

My predication is that she'll have it pretty well mastered in a week. She was that way with everything else - sitting up, pulling herself up, standing...once she actually tried it she had it down within 1-2 weeks at the most. I'm not sure if this classifies as an official walker, but it'll be interesting to see how far she can get by her 10-month birthdate next week!

Good Eatin'

I have such a good little eater. And I am quite thankful.

Peas...squash...yogurt...eggs...black beans - you name it, she eats it without fuss. She has favorites, you can tell what she really likes...but she hasn't been picky about anything so far.

And suddenly one day she grabbed the sippy cup off the table and took a big drink, all by herself. I had no idea she knew how to do it on her own...she's getting so big.

I'm sure there will come a day when she becomes more selective about what she eats, but there's definitely no complaining about it now!

Such a good little happy eater :)

Something I've never done before

I've mentioned before that I am not athletic. And I mean it, I'm not...AT ALL. I always wanted to be that girl that could play a game of basketball or participate on a team of volleyball without being that one person whom everyone is secretly annoyed with and wished was never on their team. Or even run a simple mile without dying. I just didn't have it in me, I don't have the coordinating, the stamina, the natural talent or the ability to be good at sports.

But I wanted to be. Three years ago I decided to try running, and quickly realized, again, that I just wasn't made to be athletic. I tried to run but my lungs felt like they were on fire and my chest felt like it was going to explode. My husband started a running program with a friend, and being stubborn, wanting to get in shape and not wanting to be left behind...I decided to join them...regardless of how much I disliked it and the pain it inflicted.

I remember the very first time I ran a whole mile...sad, I know...but it was something I'd never done before and I felt pretty good with myself. Me, the girl who dropped out of HS basketball after two weeks, ran a whole mile. In fact, I even worked up to run 50 minutes...the program started at 10min runs and ended with a 50min run. I felt on top of the world when I completed it...though I hated every run that got me there. Sure, I felt great afterwards, but it took every ounce of me to complete that program...and there were definitely runs that I skipped, missed and just flat-out quitted.

I did a 5k, and couldn't complete it. Iknow...sad. I joked around that someday I'd run a half-marathon, secretly actually meaning it, but believing I never could or would. It was all too easy to stop running, and I did. Just got out of the habit...skipping one run, then another...and then it's so hard to get back into it again. I kept telling myself I'd start again, and I when I finally wanted to, my world went crazy for several months. I got pregnant, moved back to Minnesota, was "homeless" for awhile. And then finally when we moved into our own place and things settled down a bit I was too far along in my pregnancy to start an exercise that my body wasn't used to, so I waited.

I feel like most women who carry a baby for 9 months feel an increased urge to get in shape after labor. I have always been conscious of what I eat but I was determined to live a healthier lifestyle, that didn't just include eating healthy, but exercising too. So after a sufficient time of healing from labor, I changed my habits and started dabbling with running again. It was harder to start than before. My lungs didn't burn like last time, but my body was so out of wack from refraining from exercise for so long and from being pregnant and delivering a baby. Things hurt that I never knew could, and my muscles were non-existant. I had to start slow and to be honest it bothered me that I couldn't just up and run two miles. But I worked at it, and did a combination of running, weight lifting and yoga throughout the weeks.

At the beginning of summer my sister (who just started running for the first time in her life) got it in her head to do a half-marathon. We talked about running it together, and I had every intention of starting the training right along with Heidi. But, I didn't. I talked myself out of it. My biggest reason was that I wasn't getting a sufficient amount of sleep to stick with a training plan that required runs I couldn't miss, and I had no idea how I'd even fit those runs in with my baby's non-existant schedule. That, and when it comes right down to it...I was afraid that I just couldn't do it.

But I kept running. 2-3 times a week...with the occasional week here and there with 0 runs. I was doing mostly 2-3 miles at a time. At one point I did actually complete a personal best of running 5 miles, it felt like such a great accomplishment...I'd never run that far before. I remember feeling that way after completing my first mile ever. And I began to realize that I actually liked running. It wasn't just a form of exercise anymore...it was more.

Seven weeks ago my crazy sister decided she was going to run another half-marathon, a fun Halloween race called "Monster Dash." Up to this point I'd given up the idea of running a half, and had pretty much decided that I never would. But I found myself considering it again, and the more I thought about it the more I knew I really wanted to do it. I felt confident that maybe it was a good time to try, and so I searched the internet for a 7-week training program and started the schedule. The list of runs was intimidating...adding a mile every week seemed impossible on paper...but I was determined to try. I didn't officially sign-up for the race until a few weeks into the training program, just to make sure that it was something I was actually going to stick with.

I was excited to start training, and from the beginning I found myself looking forward to my runs. The more I ran, the more I liked it. It was down-time that I could get away and think, get in a zone and clear my head. I felt great after the runs, and that feeling was addicting. Now, don't get me wrong...I didn't look forward to every run, there were definitely those I dreaded. And many were very challenging. There were several runs that I thought would be the end my training, and there were times when I believed it impossible to add another mile in only the course of a week. My 7-mile run was, by far, the worst run throughout the entire program. I went in the afternoon and was pumped and mentally prepared to go. I started running, and, like all my runs - the first two miles sucked. But it wasn't just the warming-up process and getting into the rhythm this time, it was the fact that I was burping up lunch. Yeah, ish. By mile three I was fighting the urge to throw up every time I burped. I kept telling myself that eventually the feeling would go away and to keep running...stick with it. So I pressed on and pushed myself another 3 excruciating miles, telling myself the entire time "Don't throw up, Kristy, don't you dare throw up." Well, just before mile 6 I didn't have a choice, my body took over and I had to stop on the side of the road. Not once...four times. I felt gross and was so mad that I didn't make it the full 7 after pushing myself so hard. I felt utterly disgusting for the rest of the day, and need-less-to-say running 13.1 miles felt impossible after that.

There were ups and downs throughout my training, and two weeks leading up to my race I was getting pretty discouraged. I was getting a side-ache every time I ran, when I ran 9 miles with a side-ache the whole way I was positive I couldn't complete 13.1 miles like that. My goal for the race was to finish without walking (except for water-breaks,) and to run it under 2hrs and 40mins. And as race day approached I was really anxious about every aspect, the weather had been icky for a couple weeks, cold, rainy...it even snowed. I was crossing my fingers that there wouldn't be snow on race day andthat my persistent side-ache wouldn't show up.

The night before the Monster Dash we looked up the expected temperature feel for 8:30am the next morning...it said 32 degrees. Brrrr. It was tricky picking out something to wear...I didn't want to freeze the whole time, but I didn't want to dress too warm either. I slept horrible that night, (not to mention I'd slept even worse the night before.) And when I woke up on race day I was so nervous.

We (my sister Heidi, her husband Steve and myself) got outside and were happy to see there wasn't frost on the ground...and were pleased to find the temperature at 40 degrees. (Hey...every degree makes a difference when we're talking about cold.) When we got to the lake where the race started it felt much cooler with the wind coming off the lake. We walked up and down the start lane to keep warm and were entertained by all the different racers in their Halloween costumes. I had no intention of running with Heidi and Steve as I was slower than they, but on race day I was feeling brave and lined up next to them with the 10:16 pacer and decided to stick with them as long as I could. I was so ready for the race to start, just so I could start running to warm up.

There were thousands of racers...and the first couple miles I was occupied with trying to stay with Heidi and Steve and get into rhythm with the pace. I instantly got my cursed side-ache and thought I wouldn't be able to run the whole race at this pace. But I knew from experience that I needed to make it through the first couple of miles before I really could tell how things were going. By mile three I was feeling pretty good - the pace felt great and my side-ache was mostly gone. We lost Steve at a water-break but caught up with him around mile 6 when we saw our families cheering us on. Around mile 8 I was getting tired and was looking forward to seeing our families at mile 9. As 9 approached there was no sign of our "cheer squad" and I realized that they must've skipped all the way to the finish line, which, by the way, we could see. It was discouraging to pass the finish line and seeracers at the end of their race and know I still had 4 miles to go before I could stop. You could also see the entire lake we still had to run around and I thought that there was no possible way I would make it around the whole thing. But I kept with it, after passing mile 10 and running up a hill I realized I'd officially run further than I ever had before...just random thinking to take my mind off the fatigue. I was still with Heidi and Steve and was getting to the point where I had to mentally stay in the game. My side-ache flared up again, which did on and off throughout the previous miles, but it wasn't going away this time. Steve kept encouraging to keep going and as I rounded mile 11 I told myself there was no way I wasn't going to finish this race...I'd worked to hard to quit now. My lungs started burning. Everywhere around me people were stopping to walk. I passed them and looked at them longingly thinking maybe I should just stop and walk too. There were no crowd cheerers on the side of the road (amazing how strangers yelling "Go runners!" can seriously boost morale)...I was exhausted and it felt like these last couple miles were taking forever. I was looking forward to the last water station to feel a boost from the cold liquid coursing down my throat...and the helpers were shouting that there was only a mile-and-a-half left...and I thought, "I got this. I'm finishing.It's not that far." So even though I desperately wanted to walk, I kept running. At last I rounded the corner which led to the finish line and there were hundreds of people shouting and screaming that the end was just up ahead. I could hear the music and cheering, and the adrenaline kicked in. I don't think I could've stopped myself from sprinting...I was so excited to finish, after all, it meant that I could STOP. It felt great to pass the finish line. I couldn't help myself but to throw my arms up in the arm in triumphant. (Yeah, I'm a nerd.)

I did it! Something I always wanted to do, but never thought I could. I completed 13.1 miles in 2hrs-18min-15secs. That is 20mins faster than my goal time, and I ran 10min-33sec miles, which is definitely faster than I'd been running my long miles in training. (I know that's not that impressive, especially to those who are running pro's...but it's good for me!) Before the half-marathon I was thinking of tackling a full marathon, but after running 13.1 miles and knowing that to complete a marathon I'd have to turn around and run back to the start line, I'm not so sure anymore. But I think another half is definitely in my future!

The high

What's on my mind? Running. That's what. I am nearing the end of my half-marathon training, and am getting pretty excited to run the 13.1 in two weeks! I am slightly nervous, because I've never done anything like this before...ever. And I desperately don't want to be the last one to finish.

I wanted to run a half earlier this summer with my sister, but it just wasn't a good idea with the amount of sleep I was getting and the ups and downs of having a new infant in the house who had an up and down schedule. I was really bummed. But then five weeks ago my sister said she was doing another 13.1 (because she's just awesome like that) and got a fire underneath my butt to run it too. I'd been running all summer, but just 2-3 miles at a time, and a very occasional 4...I think I did a 5 once. So I was kind of nervous to start training with only 7 weeks to go, but I gave it shot and am on track and fired up to run!

I'm not a very athletic person, actually...I'm not, AT ALL. But I really enjoy running. I am obsessed with the feeling after I run. It's like a high. I feel so energetic and good and alive, and to be honest - this last Wednesday when it came to my rest day, I was actually disappointed that I didn't have a run that day and craved it. Weird, I know.

My brother-in-law is training for this half-marathon too, and I loved a comment he said about the training process: "Every week you do something you never thought you could do." It's so true, it's such a great feeling of accomplishment every week. I've never run 8 miles before in my life...and last Saturday I did, without trouble, and felt fantastic. I am so glad that I decided to do this, it's been tough, I've pushed myself, had bad runs and good ones, and I still have two big runs to tackle before the big day...but I'm looking forward to my 9-mile tomorrow. This next week is my biggest running week...which will be complicated because Andy is out of town and Vienna doesn't nap long enough to run 5 & 7 miles on a treadmill (which I am dreading running on the treadmill for that long anyways...I'd rather run outside.) SO, I either have to push the stroller for that long, which is basically out of the question, run after she goes to bed at night or go in the morning before she gets up, which would entail starting to run at 5:30am. Blah. Or figure something else out...

Regardless, two weeks left - 13.1 here I come!

Healthy cookies

Okay, so I realize that the word "healthy" and "cookie" don't really have much in common...but these are as close as they come with still tasting delicious. I discovered this recipe on the back of my Muesli bag and thought I'd give it a try and I loved them! They are super yummy and don't make me feel icky like normal cookies do after I eat them. Andy really likes them too, which is saying something because he typically doesn't like any "healthy" treats that I make - like bran muffins. So, I'm glad to have discovered a guilt-free, good-tasting, semi-healthy cookie that I can indulge. :)

Chocolate Chip Muesli Cookies

1 Cup Bob's Red Mill Muesli (I buy it at Super One)

3/4 Cup sifted Whole Wheat Flour

2/3 Cup Applesauce (I use one without the added sugar)

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

6 oz. package Chocolate Chips

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1 Egg

Heat oven to 375. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together and set aside. Blend applesauce, sugar and vanilla together. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture and mix. Stir in Muesli and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minute. (Makes about 2 dozen cookies.)

Super yummy!

Good riddance

Dear tricky no-good-can't-live-without-you piece of plastic,

We can live without you. Though we are grateful for the moments that

you saved our sanity, we are all-to-pleased that your service is no longer

necessary.

Sincerely, Kristy

If you haven't guess...we are pacifier free!! Officially. Have been for more than a week! It's over. It's done. The excruciating pacifier weaning process is complete.

Thank. God.

And as a result...we have a baby who is sleeping better! I feel we are very close to sleeping through the night, (I've been spoiled by a couple nights of this since the pacifier has been gone). There's been a big improvement from a few weeks ago. And not just at night, but naps too. She's getting in solid naps again and is back to putting herself to sleep. Oh goody!

I'm pretty happy 'bout this, if you can't tell.

Funny the things parents get excited about... :)

Little girlies

Four days. Four girls. And one lucky man.

We watched our nieces, Trynica and Berlin, while my sister and brother-in-law took a short vacation through the weekend. Andy and I had a chance to experience what it would be like to have three little kids girls. Andy, of course, was sold on the idea. ;)

The girls had a blast, even though they missed their parents. It's hard for little ones to be away from their mommy and daddy, so I tried to keep them occupied to make it a little easier for them. So we painted pumpkins...

In which the girls proceeded to be very meticulous in their own artistic way. They were so proud of their pumpkins!

We baked cookies to bring home to mommy and daddy. It's amazing how entertaining watching a mixer can be... :) Of course, their favorite part was licking the mixing spoons.

We played outside, went out for ice cream, watched movies, played games, played princesses, helped Andy set up a tent...and played with Vienna. Vienna adores her cousins, she was so excited to see them every time she got up in the morning and from nap, and the girls loved entertaining her. One of their favorite things to do was to make her laugh...Tryn kept saying, "I want her to smile at me!" They played so well together - they all had fun!

The battle

Do you ever feel like you have no idea what your doing? As a parent, I mean?

I do. In this specific situation, I have to admit I feel that way.

So here's the predicament: the pacifier. Its the culprit, that tricky little no-good-can't-live-without-you piece of plastic. Sigh.

I know everyone has their own opinion, and of course there is that good ol' truth that 'every kid is different'...with that said, this is where I stand: I have a love-hate relationship with the pacifier. Well, more of a hate at this particular moment in time. V has had her pacifier since she was 2 weeks old. At first I gave it to her only if she got really fussy and at bedtime/naptime. Then I started only giving it to her when she went to bed/nap. (And occasionally in public if she got real fussy and it was close to nap time.) There have been so many times that I've been so thankful that she took a pacifier, but in the back of my mind I was dreading the day I had to take it away.

I really didn't want her to have it long, I knew that the sooner I took it away the better. Her use of it began with a need, more than a choice on my part. Like a lot of babies, Vienna found so much comfort in sucking when she was first born, it was a fight to get her to take a pacifier instead of her fingers (I knew fingers would be harder to wean her from...and since I was a thumb-sucker as a child, I wanted to spare her of this.) In the back of my mind I'd always told myself that I'd wean her of the pacifier by the time she was a year-old. Hopefully.

Every day with children is different, there is no two days the same, and I've learned that when you think you've got something down...they change on you. Like sleeping.

Er...maybe we never really had that down.

Regardless. At first it was the rocking....check, got over that obstacle. We were in a great groove. For awhile.

But then something else becomes an obstacle...like nursing. Getting up to eat more frequently than necessary. Okay, finally got over that one too...we're in the clear.

Wrong.

Next, it's the pacifier. I really feel like she is dependent on it out of habit now, instead of sole comfort and need. Some nights I can't count on one hand how many times I get up out of bed, walk to her room and stick the pacifier back in her mouth because she woke up without it in...then she'd instantly go back to sleep. Recently it's been quite an issue. Which made realize that maybe it was time to take it away. My theory was that if I could get her weaned off her pacifier then she wouldn't wake up wanting it, and could potentially sleep through the night. Well...it's a theory at least...I have yet to see it happen.

It's only been a couple days...but it has been two of the longest days of my life. And I am contemplating wether this is worth it or not. I keep telling myself if I just give up and try again later then I have wasted all of this effort and it's all been for nothing. Sigh.

It makes me wish she never had it in the first place.

To make matters worse, she is sick...has a icky snotty nose. At first I was going to give her the pacifier because the poor thing is sick and what terrible timing is it on my part to make her go through the weaning process...but then, her nose was so stuffy that she couldn't really suck on it anyway... so that made me think maybe this IS the time. But geez...I feel like a mean mommy. It's been rough, and I'm trying to tune into her needs and am finding it hard to distinguish between sickness and/or lack of pacifier and what to do. I have no idea what I'm doing...if I'm doing this right...if I should just forget it...or....what. I don't know. I'm starting to think my daughter just doesn't like to sleep. Ever.

Six months

It is hard to believe that my baby...my little 6 lb, 10 oz bundle of love, is six months old already and more than double in size. I don't think a person really can fathom how fast time flies until they have a child...it's c.r.a.z.y.

In ways I feel like I've always had her, I can't imagine her not being a part of our life. In other ways I feel like it was just yesterday that I was rubbing my pregnant belly, feeling like I was going to be pregnant forever, and wondering how life would be like with a baby.

Well, it's great. I love it. :)

It's her half birthday - she is officially a half year old! This past month was a big month for her - she had her first taste of cereal, learned how to put herself to sleep, moved to her own bed, stayed with a sitter for the first time, got her first tooth, and learned how to sit up on her own. Yep, my baby is getting so big!

Cuteness

Vienna's favorite thing is her bath. She is always so excited to get in and loves being in the tub - regardless of what mood she was in beforehand. She's become quite the squirmer and splasher, needless-to-say by the end of bath time mom is usually pretty wet herself. I gave her a bath the other morning while at our stay at the B&B and afterwards she looked so darn cute and was in such a good mood that I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures of her cuteness.

B & B

We just celebrated six years of marriage this last weekend. For our anniversary we stayed at a bed & breakfast in Duluth, and though it would've been nice to go alone, neither of us were ready to leave Vienna overnight yet, so she came with us. In my hunt to reserving a room at a B&B I found out that most don't allow children. But, fortunately for us, we found one that does, the Ellery house.

It was charming and peaceful. We stayed in the Daisy room, with enchanting old fashion furniture and decor. I loved the bathroom, not just for the oversized-claw-foot-tub, but I thought this stain-glass window was so pretty.

We spent most of our time in our own private sunroom, attached to our bedroom & bath.

Breakfast was served to our room - and it was incredibly delicious. A platter of fresh fruit, bacon, stuffed french toast with pure maple syrup and strawberry toppings, lattes and orange juice. MMmmmm!

Here's to six years and a great weekend!

Progress

Thank you for all the advice and suggestions regarding sleeping babes. I really enjoyed reading all of your thoughts, you all had good stuff to say and your words have really helped me as I'm beginning to teach my daughter to put herself to sleep.

I am pleased to report that we are having success - in fact, Vienna has put herself to sleep for two straight weeks now.

I really gave it a lot of thought and ultimately I didn't want to make a decision based out of frustration. I really think you were all right, that it depends on the child - and tuning into what your baby needs. I really thought about what it would be like to be her, I tried to put myself in her position - as a little babe, who doesn't know things like I do, whose senses are more alert than mine are and who is more sensitive to them. If I were her, what would I go through if I cried and cried and nobody came for me? I tested the waters twice before I wrote my previous post regarding the matter, and when she cried I could tell she was fearful - and when I finally went in to get her, her eyes were wild and she was scared. It was after this I really began to give it a lot of thought because my decisions are going to affect her development emotionally, as well as in every other way.

A certain friend gave me some great advice in where she talked about feeling empathy for your child and letting them know that you are there - even if that means not giving them what they want. And to be emotionally present as well as physically present. Taking this into consideration I kind of just went for it, I tried to tune into what I thought Vienna needed and made sure I was reacting out of love and with empathy, and it was rather interesting to see how well and quickly Vienna responded.

The first two days I stayed with Vienna until she fell asleep, nap times and bedtime. I did not rock her. Sometimes I needed to lay my hand on her to let her know I was there, sometimes just sitting next to the crib or lying with her was all she needed. She cried, a little, but not the extent of if I had left her alone. The first few times it took a little while for her to fall asleep, but I hoped that spending the time doing this and staying focused would pay off, and we quickly made progress. It was rather interesting to see the difference in Vienna when my own emotions changed - she responded so well when I was focused on her, being patient and loving, as to how much fussier she became when I got irritated and impatient. Now, two weeks later this is where we stand: I lay her down, make sure she has her pacifier and blankie - of course give her a kiss - and walk out the room. I usually have to go back a couple of times because her pacifier will fall out and she'll fuss for it, but then sometimes she goes to sleep straight from the beginning. Half of the time she puts herself to sleep just from the comfort of her pacifier and her blankie, without fuss. Yes! Success! The other 50% of the time she is a little worked up and stimulated where she won't settle down enough to lay still to fall asleep, so I will stay in there and keep my hand on her, by her face usually - she likes to hold my fingers to her cheek - and just spending a few minutes being with her comforts her enough for her to fall asleep - I almost always let go of my hold and walk out of the room before she's completely fallen asleep. Sometimes if she is really worked up I'll spend a couple of minutes rocking her to calm her wiggly body and then I will lay her down - and over the last two weeks I have discovered that she prefers not to be rocked to sleep, she gets to a point where she just wants to be put down.

So not only has nap-times and bedtimes become easier and less of a stress, but she is sleeping more soundly through the night because of it. I noticed a change through the night from the very first day. She is a lot less fidgety and is sleeping in longer chunks of time. On a normal night she gets up twice, though she's given me two nights in the past two weeks of only one nighttime feeding! And when she wakes up to feed, all I have to do is lay her back in bed and she falls asleep on her own. Yes!

So that's the update! I am so thankful. So thanks again, I really appreciate everyone for caring enough to respond, your input and encouragement was great and I am so happy that we're making progress!

Toe time

Vienna has recently discovered that she can reach her feet.

And has endlessly played with her toes ever since.

She plays with them all of the time....bath time, nap time...and every time between.

And sometimes she just likes to have her feet ready for when she does want to play with them. Goofy girl sits like this all the time...feet sticking straight out.

Baby toes. Just about the cutest thing ever.

What's the best way?

My house is a mess, dishes stacked on the counter and a to do list that doesn't seem to end... but here I sit, ready to blog - just because I want to. My daughter is sleeping, I've already got my run in and showered, so I'm putting the house work on hold, made myself a cup of coffee and here I am.

This week has been a stressful week in terms of sleep. Vienna has been a bear about nap times and waking up during the night. I'm not entirely sure if this is a result from being away from home for several days last week, or if it's just a new phase... but its tiring. It's got me thinking about the method of "letting your kid cry themselves to sleep," also known as the "ferber" method. I am undecided. I don't like the idea of letting my baby cry herself to sleep, but do I just feel that way because I'm a first time mom? Is it a healthy method? Or is there other ways? I know it's effective... so that is promising, but at what cost? I'm confused...

The other day I felt like I rocked Vienna the entire day. It would be one thing if she was happy when she doesn't get her naps in, or even being content sitting on my hip - but she's not, nothing makes her happy and I know sleep is the only cure. Anyways, it was a long day and I thought surely she was going to just pass out at her bedtime feeding. But, nope. Wide awake. Her bedtime is typically around 7pm, it was 11pm and I'd tried everything. I was laying in bed, rocking her in her bassinet - irritated. She was doing this thing that she'd fall asleep, and I thought...yes, success! And then fifteen minutes later (if that), she would wake up! Finally, I'd had enough, and I thought to myself..."Fine, I'm just going to hold her..." (We've slept many nights like this...me, cradling her in my arms while we lay down sleeping. I'm sure it's super comfy for Vienna, for mommy...not so much. But at least we both get some rest.) I picked her up, laid back down, snuggled her close and kissed her forehead over and over. She instantly stopped fussing, breathed a deep breath like she was sighing, and was still, as if to say, "That's all I wanted, Momma." I lay there for at least five minutes feeling guilty and thinking about how much I loved her and that I would hold her like that forever if that's what it took. I thought she was fast asleep, she wasn't moving a muscle or making a peep. I opened my eyes to steel a glance at her and was startled to find her wide-eyed, staring at me with the sweetest little eyes I've ever seen. I wondered how long she'd been looking at me...what was she thinking, I wonder? I can't even explain how much love I felt for her at that moment. And then, it didn't take long for both of us to fall asleep...

At times like that I can't bear the thought of letting herself scream herself to sleep. All she wanted was for me to hold her. I had to check my attitude, and give up my selfishness for what I wanted in that moment. And I find that I have to do that a lot, being a mom can wear you thin and for everything you're worth...but I find that when I check myself, my attitude, and take a step back - and then re-approach the situation at hand, things tend to work themselves out and everyone is much happier.

So, with that being said, am I contemplating letting her cry herself to sleep out of my own selfishness? Or, because that's what every parent needs to do at some point? Or, because it's what's best for her? I have no idea. I don't know what's the best way. So I guess I'm asking all you other mom's...what did you do? Did you have a baby that had to be rocked to sleep endlessly, how did you break that habit? And at what age? I don't intend to do anything as of yet, I feel like she's still a little young, but then really...what is a good age? If we did eventually decide to do the "ferber" method, I'm not entirely sure I can handle it...and I know Andy will be worse off than me, I'd have to put a lock on the door for him not to go in there. So I think deep down I really want to know of some better options... ?

Growing girl

It is so fun to see Vienna change from week to week. She is 13 weeks today. It has gone by so fast, but it's still weird to say that I have a 3-month-old daughter.

She may have the good looks of her daddy, but she definitely has a few of my traits. One of them being her sleeping habits. She LOVES to cuddle a blanket. She takes all of her naps with her blankie like this and will grab it like it's the best thing in the world, (that and her pacifier - if she's not sucking on her pacifier she's sucking on her fingers.) I was very much like that when I was little, I sucked my thumb for far too long (unfortunately) and I was incredibly attached to my blanket as a child. I had to have it to go to sleep and I would always pet it, it was so soft. To this day I still like to cuddle the blanket underneath my arm when I sleep.

She's such a good sleeper. There are times she fights going to sleep, and times when she can be a very sensitive sleeper. But the majority of the time she goes down pretty easy (she's even fallen asleep on her own a couple of times.) And she has pretty good chunks of sleeping time, during the day and at night.

It's so neat to see her learn, first just with noticing toys and now actually grabbing them and playing with them. She loves this flower rattle. I mean, really loves it. She smiles and talks to that thing like its her best friend.

We got her a play-mat just the other day and she has been loving that as well.

And I'm in the process of transitioning her into her 3-6 month clothes. Its kinda sad to put away some of these outfits she's worn for the past three months, all of the sudden one day half of the things were too small for her. There's still several 0-3 things she can still wear... so she's not officially in the next size as most of those are still big on her. It's just crazy how fast they grow! I mean really, everyday I feel like she's different. Either she looks a little different or can do something a little differently. But I love each new day with her.

Easter weekend

We drove up north for Easter and stayed at my parents house. We really had a great weekend enjoying time with our families!

Saturday we traveled further up the north shore to attend my sister-in-law Jessie's baby shower. Her husband Zack (Andy's brother) has been at basic these last several months and she was getting ready to move down to FL to be with him while he was in tech-school and would be gone until November. When we arrived Jessie surprised the family by brining Zack into the room - nobody was expecting him, in fact we all thought we wouldn't see him until November. It was a nice surprise and we are all excited that he's home. Turns out that they'll probably be able to stay until after their baby is born! Which is exciting for what that means to them and we'll also get to see the baby when it arrives!

Left to Right:

Jessie (due in July)

Zack (Andy's older brother)

Me

Andy & Vienna

Amber (due in May)

Ben (Andy's younger brother)

Easter morning we had a famous Petron family breakfast (one of the best parts of visiting my family!) and then took the kids outside to hunt for Easter eggs. All of my nephews were there and they had a blast finding the eggs we hid in the yard and along the trail down to the river. It was a gorgeous morning, I don't remember it being that warm in MN on Easter in...a long time!

Vienna went Easter egg hunting too, well maybe in her dreams. :) She slept in Opa's arms the whole time.

Of course we had to get Vienna an Easter dress. She did great letting us take pictures of her, I think she liked posing. :)