Bob Your Head #7

It's another edition of Bob Your Head Wednesday and in our home we are officially accepting Christmas music as an acceptable form of music!
I don't like to hear Christmas music prior to Thanksgiving, but once that Turkey is served...play all the Christmas music you like!
One of my FAVORITE Christmas albums is *NSYNC's Home For Christmas.
It's a guilty pleasure.
I am openly admitting I loved *NSYNC and I went to a concert in middle school.
So without further adieu...I present Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays:


What are your favorite Christmas songs/artists?
Has anyone gotten the new Michael Buble Christmas album?
I have it and I'm pretty sure it'll be showing up at next week's Bob Your Head Wednesday!

I hope you have a Blessed Wednesday!

Bells & Holly

What are your holiday traditions?
Is there something your family has done each year that you are doing or want to do when you have kids?
Do you go to the tree farm to pick out a tree?
Do you have special recipes that are saved for once a year?
What makes the holiday season special for you?
Being a military family I decided a few years ago that it would be neat to get the state ornament for the state we are living in every year, going back from when Bud & I got married.
I am still working on obtaining the 2004 Kansas Christmas Ornament, but here is what we have thus far...

2005

"Kansas, the 34th state to be admitted to the Union, 
marks the 34th coin to be issued in the United States 
Mint's popular 50 State Quarters Program, and 
features a buffalo and sunflower motif, emblematic 
of the State's history & natural beauty"

In 2006 Bud & I uprooted to Texas and I have to say the Texas ornaments are by far my favorite!

They are all so elaborate and detail oriented!

2006

"The Goddess of Liberty"
Read more about her here

2007

"In the 20th century, the decorative glass in 
the capital was sometimes broken and 
removed.  Replacement glass not always matched 
the original  and sand blasting rather than acid 
etching was often  used.  During the 1990s Capitol
Preservation Project, decorative glass was reproduced 
using the acid etching process to better match 
the original.  The sand blasted glass was removed 
from the building so the original glass can shine." 

2008

"The Rotunda Floor"
Read more about it here

2009

"Capitol hardware, including the elaborate door
knobs and escutcheon plate featured as the 2009
holiday ornament, are decorated with incised
designs of geometric and stylized floral motifs."


"The use of a proud lone star to symbolize the
independent spirit of Texas dates back to
March 12, 1836".


The Seal of the State shall be a star of five 
points encircled by olive and live oak branches,
and the words "The State of Texas."
Texas Constitution, article IV, Section 19.

2010

"For 15 years, the Capitol Ornament has celebrated
the magnificent architecture of the Texas State
Capitol.  But these decorations do more than show
the building.  To date, the sales of the ornaments
have generated more than 5 million dollars to
assist in the preservation and interpretation of
the Capitol, ensuring the landmark will continue
to inspire Texans for generations to come.

As many of you know we have been stationed in North Carolina and that means a new state's ornaments!

2011

this ornament is in en route to our home now

"Season's of the Capitol: Spring"
"Part of the sub-series of our popular ornament
collection Seasons of the State Capitol.  Pictured in
front of the State Capitol building, the Dogwood, the
oldest of the state symbols which was adopted in 1941,
can be found on the Capitol grounds as well as
throughout the state."

 Of course we have a few other very special ornaments...

This one was made by my husband's sister-in-law!
I told her that all I want for Christmas is more
ornaments like these!

This is one of Bud's ornaments, much to my disliking.
He is representing his love of all things Longhorn.
I'm still working on finding a rustic KSU ornament....
let me know if you find one! 

A fun ornament from my Dad.
We have a special box it goes in so it doesn't
get broken.

My mother purchased this ornament for us...
for more on the story of The Christmas Pickle
read here

We also have a new special ornament...

"...not a creature was sturring, not even a mouse".
This little ornament was a gift to Bitsy from
 or friend Suzanne.  If you haven't been by her
blog you should!  Doesn't it seem that Bitsy's
name seems better suited for the mouse?
Especially as she grows bigger and bigger?!

I purchased our first star this year.  Our trees have 
never had a star, but when I saw this one I KNEW 
it fit in with our rustic/Texan feel!

When Bud worked at the Texas State History
Museum he purchased 2 of these LARGE Jingle
Bells...They look wonderful on either side of the
mantle. 

Last year I purchased this "be merry" banner from Alicia.
If you aren't familiar with her blog you should stop by and
say, "Hi"!

 One of these years I'll make us all stockings, but in the mean time...store bought will have to do.

Bud's new Texas Stocking

My new stocking.
I may not like snow or all things cold, but
I do have a special place in my heart for
adorable snowmen!

...and here is Bitsy's stocking!
She also get's a snowman, but he
delivers a special message of
HOPE!

Last but not least, let us not forget what this
season is all about.
HE is the Reason for the season.
My mother has been slowly buying me each
piece for this nativity set and I love it!

So what are your traditions?
Do you get a special ornament each year?
Do you have a count down to Christmas?
Share your traditions here...Bud & I are trying to think of what traditions we can start now that our children will grow up with and remember and maybe pass on themselves!

I hope you had a Blessed Tuesday!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the give-away here, this give away closes TONIGHT!

Baby Diaries #38

Today was Bitsy's 2 month appointment.

There was the good and the bad during this appointment.

The Good:

Bitsy weighed in at 14lbs and measured 24 inches long!

She is in the 97th percentile for both weight and height.

I can't believe my little girl is already 2 feet tall.

There was a baby in front of us in the waiting room and I asked the mother how old the little one was.

She told me 4 months.

I smiled and then I thought to myself....my 2 month old is 2x bigger than that 4 month old!

It was crazy!

The Bad:

Today was Bitsy's 1st round of shots.

She had to get 3 today.

The nurse held Bitsy's legs tight and gave her 2 shots in one leg and 1 in the other.

She cried louder than I've ever heard her cry before.

Big alligator tears rolled down her cheeks and she turned red as a lobster.

I did everything I could to calm her.

It was at this moment that I was exceptionally glad that Bitsy had those chubby little legs.

I can't imagine giving shots to skinny baby legs!

After about 15 minutes Bitsy calmed enough that she was able to sit in my arms only whimpering if I changed position.

We waited for her prescriptions to be ready (baby tylenol should she run a fever and her vitamin drops).

I had a handful of errands that needed to be run before we could make the trek back home.

1st it was a stop at Time Warner Cable to return our router box (we have a new provider in our new home).

2nd it was Hobby Lobby!  I bought new stockings for us (I'm hoping to eventually make stockings for us, but there is very little sewing going on in this house these days), I bought a tree skirt, and a star for the top of our tree.

3rd was a stop at Wal-mart to grab a few groceries.  I honestly don't need to cook at all this week because we have enough leftover turkey and ham to sustain us!

Finally, we were able to come home.

Bitsy had slept through it all...

and she continued to sleep once we were home.

From 4-5 I slept with her....cuddled up on the couch cozied up ignoring the rain outside.

She slept until about 7pm at which point Daddy took over for a while and she gave him so many wonderful smiles.

It's been a long day for all of us...so I'll sign off by showing you pictures of a happy baby!

I prefer to see her like this as opposed to lobster red, alligator tears, and heart breaking crying.

It's officially bedtime.
We are sleeping on the couch tonight.
I'm watching to see if she develops a fever at all and I have a feeling that after a day full of sleeping she may be up all night.
Bud needs his rest so he's ready for work tomorrow.
Oh tomorrow....hopefully we can have a 'normal' day!

I hope you all had a Blessed Monday!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the give-away here, this give away closes at midnight on Wednesday!

Baby Diaries #37

Guess who is already 2 months old today?!

Tomorrow is her 2 month appointment.
That means shots.
I know she'll do good though.
She's a tough little cookie!
I'm excited to get her new measurements.
According to my scale she is up to 14 lbs!
I can tell she is taller!
I'm so excited for the new stats!
In the past month Bitsy has experienced and changed so much!
She moved from an apartment to her first home all with the help of her Oma Dear!

She has watched her parents at their tensest moment (watching a KSU v. UT football game)

She met her Grandpa (my Dad) & He brought us to see Arthur Christmas.
Bitsy's 1st Movie (she slept through the entire thing), but I can vouch for her and say the movie was wonderful!

She started smiling a LOT!!

She experienced her 1st Thanksgiving

She didn't want anything to do with this photo 

When I asked why she wouldn't take a
family photo this was the look I got... 

My cute butterball baby!
I LOVE her! 

Getting a few more smiles out of her!

It's been a busy 2nd month for this little beauty!
I'm loving watching her grow and develop and I can't wait for all that is ahead of us!

I hope you had a Blessed Sunday!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the give-away here

Black Friday Give-Away

I hope everyone had a wonderful & filling Thanksgiving!
Were any of you among the group of people lined up outside Target, Best Buy, or other similar stores?
I don't have that in me.
Well regardless of whether you stood out in the cold (it's cold here) or you stayed in your warm bed comatose from all the Turkey and Pie, if you came by here today you can enter our Black Friday Give-Away.

First let me tell you a little bit about who and what is being given away.
Have you ever had the thought pass through your head, "I need a fill in the blank".
I have this frequently and it's normally some obscure idea of something that is neither made or is relatively difficult to procure.
Recently while transferring items from my purse to the diaper bag for he 100th time I stated, "I need a small bag that can hold my essentials and is easy transferred from diaper bag to purse and visa versa".
So began the Etsy search for a clutch-esque type bag.
Then I found what I was looking for....forever mimi

She had Large Cosmetic Bag/Diaper Clutches for the perfect price.
I contacted the seller Julie and requested a specific pattern.
She was delightful to do business with and quick and professional on the customer service side of things.
According to her Etsy profile Julie is....
"...a wife and stay-at-home mom of 5 children. I started my business in order to supplement my husband's income and to honor my mom ("Mimi") who passed away in February 2009. Forever Mimi is dedicated to serving moms like you by giving you high quality handmade products".
And quality handmade products are EXACTLY what she provides!


Etsy is not the only place that Julie is selling her wares....look here.
So what are we giving away this Black Friday?
Well that's kind of up to you!!!
One blessed follower will receive 1 item, of their choosing, of up to $25 from Forever Mimi Boutique


There are 2 ways to enter:
1. Leave a comment telling me:  If you had up to $25 to spend here, how would you spend it, and who would you be buying for?
2. Like Forever Mimi Boutique on Facebook and come back and tell me.


*Also you must be a Busy Biz Blogs follower to enter.
** A winner will be chosen December 1st via a random number generator.


Good luck to everyone!
I hope you have a Blessed Friday!

Blow a gasket...

or a catalytic converter.
A catalytic converter is device that converts exhaust from the engine into a non-toxic substance.
A couple weeks ago the service engine light came on in the car.
Bud brought it to Auto Zone to get a diagnostic run only to be told it was our catalytic converter.
We brought it to Pep Boys and they ran their test and told us they had to fix an oil leak on the car.
We knew about the oil leak and we agreed to the fix.

When we got our vehicle back I could still hear the sound of a maraca when I attempted to speed up.
My RPMs wouldn't respond like they should and around 2500 RPM the sound of a maraca.
That might be a festive sound if you didn't know that it meant something was wrong.
So we went back to Pep Boys and they told us they couldn't find anything wrong with the vehicle and that if it was the catalytic converter that was an exhaust issue and they didn't work with exhaust issues.
A co-worker of Bud's told him about a local mechanic and that mechanic confirmed what we knew.
The new converter was ordered and installed Tuesday, only to have the local mechanic tell us that we had an oil leak...did we know about it?
At this point we were beyond irritated!
Pep Boys should have fixed all the oil leaks.
Bud is now in the process of contacting Pep Boys corporate office to let them know he will not be paying for something that should have already been repaired.
We are hoping for a speedy repair job.
We are hoping that this is the last repair on the vehicle.
This vehicle is supposed to last us for AT LEAST 18 months.
I'd prefer 24 months.
This confirms that when we go to see my brother-in-law and his wife in Indiana for Christmas we will be renting a car.
The moral of this story is that if you hear a maraca in your engine, more than likely, it's not a mini-mariachi band....it's probably your catalytic converter....and more than likely a $450 repair job.

Wishing all of you happy vehicle health!
I hope you had a Blessed Wednesday!

P.S. Don't forget to come back on Black Friday to find out and enter my 1st give away!

Broken pipe...

The weekend we moved into the house we discovered a plumbing problem.
After running the washer we found that the downstairs bathroom had flooded.
We called our property manager and reported the issue.
She told us they would get a plumber as soon as they could.
The NEXT day...no plumber yet.
I take a shower.
I go downstairs and step in a flooded kitchen/dining room/bathroom.
It had happened again.
We cleaned up and that afternoon while my mother-in-law was babysitting Bitsy the plumber came and 'fixed' the problem.
We were on a date (mandated by the mother-in-law).
But when we got home she informed us that they had pushed the clog out and we should be fine.

Today is 6 days after the plumber 'fixed' the issue and guess what happened last night?
I took a shower.
The kitchen/dining room/bathroom flooded!
Arg!?!?
Another call to the property management office this morning and a new set of plumbers come out with in a few hours.
Turns out the pipe wasn't clogged.
It had burst.
BURST!
The plumbers told us that the guy who came out last week no longer works for the company.
Friday was his last day.
More than likely when he came out he knew that the pipe was burst, but because he knew his last day was Friday he didn't fix it the proper way.
He did a temporary fix.
That should be a crime.
The homeowners had to pay for the plumber to come 2x in 7 days.
Well I'm currently doing laundry and so far...no flooding.
I'm thinking that with the new pipe we will make it more than 6 days before we need another plumber

I can say that in an instance such as this it's nice to know that we are renting and we don't have to pay to fix the problems.

I hope you all had a Blessed Tuesday!

P.S. Black Friday will be the day I announce our give away and WONDERFUL sponsor!  I hope you are all as excited as I am!

Back to 'normal'

Hello!
I'm alive.
I have not fallen off the face of the earth.
However, I did move across town.
I seriously believe that a move across town is 2x the work as a move across country...
...especially when you have a newborn.
Fortunately, my AWESOME mother-in-law was here to help us and without her I would probably still have an apartment full of stuff and ZERO unpacked boxes.

Because of her we were able to get almost all of the apartment emptied (there is maybe a box or two worth of items we still need to pack up and bring over) and I have unpacked all but 2 boxes at this point (that does not include the 6 boxes of books, they don't count because I'm waiting for Bud to build bookshelves).
It feels good to have 90% of our belongings in a place where they belong.
It feels even better to be in this home and to know that it'll be our home for the time that we are in NC!
This place is 2x bigger than any place Bud & I have ever lived in our 7-1/2 years of marriage.
I'm working hard to keep all the clutter to a minimum, because I know that a house this size could become very dirty if I don't stay on top of all the little things.
The boys seem to have adjusted rather quickly and they are in LOVE with the back yard.
They are like puppies all over again, which is saying a lot since they are nearly 11 & 12 years old.
They run and jump and catch and roll!
Life is good!

I will be back soon to show off a purchase I recently made and announce my first give-away!
Just in time for your holiday shopping needs!
I hope everyone is as excited as I am :)
Now that we are settled we can start to establish some routine for Bitsy...*yawn*
Well it's back to bed for me....can't wait until we are sleeping through the night.

I hope you all have a Blessed Sunday!

Build me one...

of these

and one of these...

source

and a couple of these....

source

I literally could make a list a mile long of things I would like built.
I SHOULD be able to build them myself.
After all my Dad can build anything and I know some basics.
Alas, my skills are greatly lacking as is our tool shed!
However, my Dad is coming the week of Thanksgiving and he is going to teach the hubby some woodworking basics!
The end result should be something VERY similar to this in our dining room.

source

another view...

At least the table and the bench!

I'm so excited to have a grown up table!

I'm so Thankful that my Dad is so handy and that he can teach my Hubby how to be handy!

I'm so Thankful that my Hubby is as excited to learn to make the table as I am to have it!

He's building a family heirloom and OH the memories that will be had at this table.

I promise to post pictures once it's built!

As for me...I may be MIA for a couple days.

We are starting our move from the apartment to our new rental house tomorrow and if packing, moving, and unpacking weren't enough to keep me busy....I'll still have a 6 week old to tend to!

I'll see y'all soon!

I hope you had a Blessed Thursday!

Bob Your Head #6

This week I'm feeling up for a little Sharon Little...

I originally heard this song as the theme song to a television show called the Cleaner.
It's definitely one of those songs that makes me want to move!

Does anyone have any suggestions for songs for next week?

I hope you all had a Blessed Wednesday!

Before Bitsy....(part 2)

**Please be advised that this post is a continuation of yesterday's and is a heavy topic.  It is the story of the worst day of my life.

The Monday following our miscarriage my diary entry reads as follows:

This morning we went to see Dr. *****.  He did an exam & confirmed that the cervical plug was gone.  He told us he would see us at 1:30 for my surgery.  (I had to have a D&C to ensure I didn't get an infection).  I was surprised to find out he would be doing the surgery.  It was a comforting feeling.  I was really nervous about the surgery.  Bud helped me change into my surgical gown.  I had to crawl into that bed which made today the 2nd worst day.    I teared up while talking to the nurse.  They/she attempted to start my IV in my hand.  She asked why I hated needles.  I explained that it never seems to take the first time & subsequent attempts make me nauseous.  She tried my hand & quickly realized she failed.  "Oh dear, now I know why she dislikes these," she said.  She made the 2nd attempt in my arm, it took.  The anesthesiologist put 3 needles worth of something into my IV.  I remember kissing Bud & telling him I loved him & then they rolled me off.  I remember going thru double doors & lining up with another bed.  That's when I must have fallen asleep.  The next thing I remember is waking up in recovery.  I wasn't shocked, I wasn't even surprised where I was.  I had saltines & grape juice waiting for me.  I remember the saltines were too dry, but 4 grape juice cups later & we were about to be released.  Bud helped me dress & they wheeled me to the car.  Bud & I headed to Wal-mart to pick up my Rx.  Bud & I spent the evening recovering.  I HATE that I had to have surgery.  I still hate this situation.

Having a miscarriage is the hardest thing I've ever been through.  I think what makes it even harder is that it isn't over and done with all at once.  There is the surgery, the recovery, the follow-up check-ups, and then of course the fact that you aren't supposed to start trying to have a baby for another 8 weeks.  Having to wait those 8 weeks before we were cleared to try again was like a constant reminder of what had happened.  I'm not saying that I wanted to pretend like the miscarriage didn't happen, but I certainly didn't want to dwell on it.  On multiple occasions I read information I found online about people who didn't wait the 8 weeks post surgery and who were blessed with healthy babies.  I would tell Bud we didn't need to really wait, but he was the rock during that time.  He was firm and believed we should follow the doctor's orders and allow my body to recover.

Obviously, we waited. 

And when we were cleared 8 weeks later, we prayed...again that God would bless us with a child be it his will and in his time.

4 weeks later....the doctor confirmed we were pregnant.

Doctors tell us that miscarriage during the first trimester is most often attributed to chromosomal abnormality, improper implantation of the egg, trauma, &/or hormonal problems.  

I will never know what the cause of our miscarriage was, but honestly when I look at my healthy baby girl...I know deep down that it doesn't matter.  

She is here and she is our world.

We can not imagine our life any other way, nor do I want to!

Please know that if you are reading this and you have experienced a miscarriage, you are not alone.
If you need an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, and/or a heart that can relate to your own...I am here and willing.

I hope you had a Blessed Monday!

Before Bitsy....(part 1)

**Please be advised that this post will be long and is based on a heavy topic.  It is the story of the worst day of my life.


A few years back Bud was on the phone with his father when I overheard him say something along the lines of, "who knows maybe we will have kids in the next couple years".
Upon the end of that phone call I freaked out and yelled at Bud, "How could you say that, we've never discussed when we will have kids, I don't have it in my brain that we are going to have kids anytime soon, if this is something you are serious about we need to start talking about it so that I can readjust my thinking"!  (yeah I sounded kinda like that)

Needless to say, Bud and I did start the process of deciding when we would start a family.  We made plans for me to go off my birth control in the spring of 2010.  At which point we would continue to be careful until mid-September (a date I randomly calculated in my head) when we would 'stop being careful'.
September 1, 2010 rolled around and Bud asked what difference does 2 weeks make.
I asked him if he was really ready to be a Dad and he asked, "Only if you are really ready to be a Mom".
September 20th...my diary entry reads as follows:

"I slept horribly.  At 4:50 I woke up & took another test.  The second line was so faint, but I knew.  I went all day thinking about the fact that I was most likely pregnant.  Bud didn't workout so he was home earlier than I had hoped.  I told him I was gonna run to the store to grab some dinner.  I went to Target 1st and bought the digital test & right after buying them I rushed to the Target bathroom.  I tested.  I waited & then on the screen flashed the magic words pregnant!  I rushed to Randalls' to get something to pour the pasta sauce on.  Herb chicken tortellini.  When I got home Bud was playing Nazi Zombies.  I prepped the pasta sauce & waited until he could help me make dinner.  He played & played & finally he was done.  He didn't know why I needed help.  I never ask for help, but upon my request he grabbed the sauce from the fridge & set it on the counter.  "I hope you like the sauce," I said.  He assured me he would & started shaking it up.  Finally, he read the label.

In case you can't read this it said:
We are...PREGO
Secret Family Recipe
Custom made by Bud & Biz

He laughed & then he realized it was real.  He's gonna be a Dad!  Best moment.  I can't believe we got this 1st try.  Actually I can.  We asked God.  He is in control.  Bud said, "Now all the people who said you couldn't plan this will be surprised"!

I went to the doctor the a few days later and he confirmed that we were 4 weeks pregnant.  

We decided we were going to wait until Christmas to tell the family, after all we were going home for Christmas and we would have been 17 weeks pregnant...we knew it was going to be hard to keep it a secret that long (we weren't even sure if we could hide it that long)!

Now this is when the story changes and we flash forward to November 4th, 2010.

I had a small scare, a little spotting...but I rested and tried not to worry myself.

November 5th...more spotting and this time a call to the Dr. who advised I go home and rest.

November 6th....one year ago today...the worst day of my life.

I'll spare the graphic details, but I will explain how my day went.

Bud left for work & then promptly returned.  He told me later that he saw the worry in my face & knew he needed to be home with me.  I received a phone call from a friend.  After getting off the phone with her my 1st of 8 trips to the bathroom began.  It was during my time in the bathroom that Bud heard me cry out, "Oh God".  It is the only time in my life that I can remember uttering that phrase in a way other than praise and worship.  Bud said he heard me and he knew.  5 minutes later I emerged.  Bud grabbed me & pulled me close & we sobbed together.  Then Bud prayed & praised God.  We called my Dr and got the nurses answering service.  Shortly after leaving a message with them, my Dr called back.  He confirmed what we already knew.  We had miscarried.  Since I didn't have a fever there was no need to go to the hospital.  Multiple more trips to the restroom followed and each time the same horrible experience.  I cleaned up after each trip and then promptly returned to the couch.  My tear soaked cheeks, my matted hair, my breaking heart.  Bud did everything he could.  When the worst of it was over around mid-afternoon we were exhausted and decided to take a nap.  45 minutes into our nap I needed to use the restroom again.  I was groggy and dizzy and overwhelmed with nausea.  I finally thought I was okay and I attempted to stand...I blacked out.  Bud found me quickly.  I was cold & clammy & sweaty.  I didn't hit my head, but I did hit my hand...only minimal damage.  Bud took care of me better than I could have thought possible.  We had planned to meet with friends that night to watch the KSU vs. UT football game.  Bud told me we should stay home, but I insisted that I get a shower and get out of the house.  After being in the house all day I couldn't be there any longer.  I needed fresh air.  I needed to be around friends.  It was the best thing I could do for myself...

People may not understand how Bud could praise God after everything that had happened that day, but I understand it.  We weren't praising the loss of our baby, we were praising the fact that God protected us from something far worse.  I was never physically in pain during the entire process.  We knew that despite this horrible occurrence, God had a plan in place.  We knew that by experiencing this ourselves we could someday help someone else who may not have the same confidence in God's plan that we did.

I'll be back on tomorrow to finish this story.  

I hope you all had a Blessed Sunday

Be warned....

I just want to give everyone a heads up about tomorrow's post.
It is a heavy topic.
Some of you who have been around for a while may remember me talking, this time last year, about the worst day of my life.
Well tomorrow is the one year anniversary of that day and I'll be sharing here what happened.
It is time and if it in any way can help someone else than it is meant to be shared.
I'd appreciate prayer as I work to find the right words to accurately express the day, event and emotions involved.
I'd appreciate prayer that anyone who could benefit from my experience will find and read the post.
I appreciate all of you!
It is because of many of you that my faith is stronger and for that I'll always be grateful.

I hope you have a Blessed Saturday

Baby Diaries #36

We have officially reached a new landmark.
Bitsy has slept 3.5 hrs straight for the past few nights!
This is a big change from 2.5 hrs.
The long stretch tends to go from 11pm thru 2:30am.
We normally get back to bed by 3:30am and wake again around 6am.
I'm still loving co-sleeping, but I will say we attempted to get Bitsy to sleep in her cradle during her first stint of sleep (which runs from 8-10).
Unfortunately, as soon as we put her in the cradle and leave the room she wakes.
I attempted to go and calm her, which worked, but then upon leaving the room again...she woke.
I don't think she's ready to sleep alone just yet...maybe a few more weeks!
Baby girl and I sleep comfortably on the couch Sunday-Thursday nights.
I do this so that we don't wake Bud each time we get up.
Friday & Saturday night we all sleep in the bedroom.

On the same note of co-sleeping.
Bud recently encountered someone who was anti-co-sleeping.
The individual 'informed' Bud of all the dangers.
I was proud of my hubby though, he told this person that he had shared the same view points before and even in the first week of Bitsy being home.
He told him though that he supported my decision, he knew I did a lot of research on the topic.
Also Bud is no longer weary of sharing the bed with Baby, he used to worry he might roll over or accidentally hit her (There are about a handful of times that I've been elbowed or hit by Bud while he was sleeping and rolling over).
Bud also told this individual that he knew this was an 'argument' he knew he couldn't win...but he also didn't feel it was an 'argument' we even needed to have.
What a blessing to have a husband who supports me in all I do!
It's not until you become parents that all other parents want to tell you how to raise YOUR child.
Everyone thinks their way is best, but your way is best for your family and your children...just like my way is best for my family and my child.
Our families and family dynamics vary household to household, thus so do our parenting techniques.

On a separate note I went to pick up a few groceries last night and this is what I came home to.

 Bud & Baby peacefully passed out.

 Baby cooing in her sleep.

 Daddy providing the warmest most comfortable napping venue in the house.

How could I not want to snuggle with this as often as possible?!

**Also let me just say that co-sleeping is another one of those bellybutton topics...everyone has their own and they are all different ;) 

I hope you all have a Blessed Thursday.