Panacea

It is a bit difficult to read the sign below but it says Panacea. Do you know what panacea means? I did not know but Bill did. Panacea is a remedy for all ills or difficulties: a cure-all.

This is a coffee shop that we found on our recent trip to the mountains. The name of the coffee shop is Panacea.

The above sign is a bit difficult to read also but it says "coffee good, morning bad." Funny. This coffee shop was so cool. They roast their own beans and had the roaster right at the front of the shop. The building is an old warehouse that they renovated. It was very open, with high ceilings. They had tables and chairs, comfy couches (great for nursing) and over stuffed chairs were you could sit while enjoying a great cup of coffee or latte.

A cup of coffee was a dollar. They had great little snacks, Sydney enjoyed 2 homemade gingerbread man cookies. The lunch menu looked delicious but it was a bit early for lunch when we were there and we had just eaten.

We drove past this building three times the night before while looking for a certain restaurant but did notice the coffee shop. When Bill complimented our waiter at the Inn (where we stayed while in the mountains) on the taste of the coffee he told us about this coffee shop that roasts coffee for the Inn. We are glad we went to check it out.

So what is your Panacea? Is it coffee?

My nephew

He was adorable when he was little!

He is still adorable as a big boy!

What a smile!

My nephew Michael is a special guy. From the moment my sister Amanda and her husband Derek agreed to be his foster parents we were all in love. Michael has since been adopted and we are still in love. He is on the autistic spectrum and has needed special services and therapies from the beginning. Michael has come so far and excelled in so many areas. My sister is currently fighting a battle with the school system for Michael to have a one on one. Before Michael came into our lives I thought I understood what it would be like to be an advocate for a child, in reality I had no idea. It is almost a full time job! My sister is an audiologist and has a very good understanding of what services are available and how to obtain them but oh the obstacles. Check out this post on my mom's blog and please pray for Michael and my sister and her husband. I imagine that it is frustrating to know that your child can achieve greater goals and expectations if only he had the services that he deserves. Michael is such a warm child and is so smart. He is a joy to be around and a real character. I am praying that a door is opened and the right person comes into Michael's life to be his aid, someone that will love him and see all his potential!

First Day

Monday was my first day back to work after being home for 12 weeks. Monday was also Griffin's first day at daycare. I started crying in the car on the way to the daycare. Then I had a little chat with myself that went something like this...

my head "get it together"

my heart " I am going to miss him so much"

my head "he will be fine"

my heart "what if he cries all day?"

my head " the girls in the infant room are great"

my heart "but I am going to miss him so much"

my head "stop crying, Sydney is going to notice and you are going to upset her"

By this time we are pulling into the parking lot so I get myself together and gather up all the stuff and walk into the infant room with both kids. We say good morning to Kyla and I start crying again. Oh well. Griffin did a great job. The girls agree with me that he is a very content baby and always talking and smiling. I did okay once I got to work, I was fine until one of my coworkers asked how I was doing. I am fortunate to be able to go the daycare at lunch to nurse so I get to see my baby mid day which helps A LOT!

I had a hard time when we started Sydney in daycare because I had to start her at a different place (for a few weeks) because we were still on the waiting list for Shepard's Way and I was not as comfortable with the daycare. Sydney did great and she was well cared for but as a mom you still feel guilt and fear about leaving your child in someone else's care. I went back to work just shy of 8 weeks after Sydney was born so she was younger than Griffin. I thought it would be easier with my second child but it has been harder. I think its harder this time because I am more attached due to being home a full 12 weeks with Griffin and also I have nursed him almost exclusively. With Sydney I had to supplement with formula from the beginning so she had more bottles and therefore other people feed her at times. I think the longest that I have been away from Griffin since he was born is 1 hour (except for this week). I just do not leave him. So we are transitioning and adjusting to our new routine. Bill and I are up at 5 to get ready and prep bottles, lunches and breakfast. Kids are up at 6 and we leave at 7 for daycare. Bill is a great help in the am and I am thankful that he can get ready for his day after we leave. Keep us in your prayers as we continue to adjust. Here is a picture of me and my little guy on his first day of daycare!

Comparison

Griffin at almost 3 months! At his last check up (2 months) he weighed 11 lbs 15 oz. At six weeks Sydney weighed 9 lbs 10 oz so I think they are growing at the same rate. With Sydney I never had enough milk so I supplemented and this time I have had enough milk for Griffin but I was curious about how their weights would compare.

I had forgotten about these pjs and they barely fit Griffin. I put the pjs on for a picture but ended up taking them right back off because I felt like his little toes were crammed.

This is Sydney at about 3 weeks in the same pjs. See how much more hair she had.

My niece Ava and Sydney in matching pjs from Grammie La la.

It will be fun to continue to compare the kids at various ages.

Night Owl

Does this boy look like a night owl to you? Well he is not. We are so blessed to have good sleepers at our house. We lay Griffin in bed right about 10 and he puts himself to sleep and wakes up around 6:30 am. I went to a seminar when I was pregnant with Sydney titled "What every parent needs to know". The speaker was a male pediatrician and a father of five. The talk was all about things PAs need to teach their patients parents. One of the topics was how to get your child to sleep all night by a certain week (I cannot recall which week). Some of the recommendations are:

1. lay your baby down to bed awake (so they are familiar with their surroundings and learn to put themselves to sleep)

2. no late naps- no napping after 5 pm unless it is very short- 10 minutes

3. routine- same bed time and wake up time every day

So we have followed this advice and we have had two great sleepers. Sydney started sleeping 7-8 hours at night at 7.5 weeks old. Griffin was about 9 weeks when he started sleeping 7-7.5 hours straight and within a week of that time he was up to 8-8.5 hours at night. One thing we did with both kids is put them to bed in their own crib, own room from day one. No bassinettes at our house. I do not have anything against bassinettes I just feel like it is confusing for the baby to get used to sleeping in one place in your room and then to be moved at some point to a bigger crib in another room. Plus I did not have a bassinette so our kids went straight into their crib. I am going back to work next week and I am thankful for the rest I have been able to get and will continue to get once I go back to work.

Look at those arms up in the air, big stretch.

Notice his legs are crossed, he does this all the time. Usually when he is nursing he has his legs crossed. So cute.

Do you have any tips on getting kids to sleep through the night? Were your kids night owls or great sleepers? Please share.

Cowboys and of course Cowgirls

In December we were invited to this guys 3rd birthday party. His name is Nate and he and Syd have been friends since before they were born. Isn't he an adorable cowboy?

Here are all the kids- Sydney, Garret, Nate and Emma. (I am not sure how this got underlined and cannot get rid of it, sorry)

Yummy Snacks- pigs in a blanket and cheese curls- real cowboy food.


My cowgirl, so cute

Wanted posters of each of the kids- funny. The invitation was similar in style and equally adorable

We had a great time at the party!

Goals for the New Year

A new year, the year of 2010. I have been thinking about my goals for the year of 2010 and I thought I would share a few with my readers. Bill and I usually try to come up with a few family goals for the year and we started to talk about them the other day but we have not finished the conversation (this happens a lot in a house with kids). So far here are some of my thoughts,

1. Be healthier- I think this is on the list every year but it is a constant choice with many restarts. I try to cook healthy and I pack our lunches so we are already making good choices but there is always room for improvement. Of course since I had a baby recently I have a few pounds to lose but it is not all about the weight. We want to be healthy and take care of our bodies and I think what you put in your mouth is a good place to start. It will be a challenge to get our exercise but we are going to try.
2. Family time- my husband works long hours and unfriendly family hours. We are blessed to have the jobs we have but Bill's job does have bad hours. If anyone has ever worked in sales you understand. Rebath schedules appointments at 10, 2 and 6. The evening appointment is often the best time because both parties are home and are able to make a decision but of course this is dinner time and bed time at our house. Sydney is just now to the age where she asks for daddy at bed time. At the end of my pregnancy I had Bill block his Wednesday evening appointment to ensure he would be home to have dinner with us and help with the bed time routine. I think for the new year we will keep that slot blocked so we have at least one night during the week when daddy is home for dinner and bed time.
3. More time for Bill and I - wow what a goal. Since we both work during the week we hate to be away from our kids on the weekend and very rarely leave them with a babysitter. If we go out shopping or to dinner we just take them along. We both recognize how important it is for us to keep our relationship strong but it is a challenge. I am not sure how to achieve this goal but we need to try. Any tips?
4. More patience for me- I know that with two kids and going back to work I am going to need this. I will have to keep my focus on what is most important and let some other things go at times in order to keep from losing it. I need to continue to learn to pick my battles (particularly with my 3 year old) and remember to redirect at times.
5. Grow closer to God- I have recently got into a great routine with devotions and need to continue even after I go back to work. Bill and I are thinking of taking a class on raising your children and incorporating the Bible in everyday life with your kids. I really would like to start scripture memory verses with Sydney but have not made the time yet.
6. Enjoy the little moments. "...there's the real danger of overlooking a very important day...today. For this is the place and time for living. Let us live abundantly and beautifully while it is here." Esther Baldwin York I recently came across this quote and I was inspired and convicted. So often I am looking forward to the next day or the next big event and I am missing out on the actual day and moment. I want to change this behavior in 2010.

Well this is the list for now. Do you have a list of goals for 2010?