Crabby Mama

If you remember, the author stated her goals were:

Go to sleep earlier
Exercise better
Toss, restore, organize
Tackle a nagging task
Act more energetic

So I decided to see what I could do with them. Sleep did not happen much because again I have a baby who eats at like 10:30-11 at night. My exercise was hit or miss but I am definitely anticipating that to get better starting when Adam turns 3 months old next weekend. He will officially be able to go to the gym daycare. I did clean off my desk but not the cabinets above the desk. I want to do one cabinet a week for the next few weeks and try to make that space as organized as possible. My nagging task of calling someone to look at the dining room table did not happen.

The last goal was the difference maker. I started making a to-do list every morning and tackling it EVERY day. Because I was forcing myself to have more energy (by tackling tasks), I felt more accomplished, which in turn encouraged to accomplish more. I began to actually have the energy to do more, whether it was playing with the kids, making sure Adam was put down for his naps on time, getting everyone out of the house on time, making my meal plans and grocery lists, etc.

So I feel good about the last two weeks. Not to mention I am losing weight now with Weight Watchers. That always boosts your energy.

I came across this picture today:

And it made me think of this one:

Same girls, almost 30 years later. Crazy!

The month of January is devoted to consciously working on boosting vitality and energy, because as Rubin writes, “research shows being happy energizes you, and at the same time, having more energy makes it easier for you to engage in activities – like socializing and exercise – that boost happiness. Studies also show that when you feel energetic, your self-esteem rises” (18).

For her project, Rubin decided to work on the following 5 steps to boost her energy:

Go to sleep earlier
Exercise better
Toss, restore, organize
Tackle a nagging task
Act more energetic

Well, hell, if I could do these things, I would have it made. The first one is tough because HEY I have a newborn. As soon as I get in bed, he wakes up to eat. So that one may have to wait a few weeks. The exercise I am working on. This week I want to do something three days out of the five. I am going to take our desk for the third one and clear it off. My nagging task is selling our dining room set. That has been a goal of mine for YEARS! I plan to make some phone calls and see if I can find someone to look at it and see if it is worth anything. Last of all, to me acting more energetic has to do with my getting in there and playing with the kids. When I force myself to get down on the floor and participate, I feel better about myself and the kids behave better and have more fun.

So those are the goals for this month moving toward a happier me. What about you? Are these goals something you would like to strive for? If not, come up with your own goals having to do with boosting your energy.

Erin has been doing SO well going on the potty. I don’t think I have changed a poopy diaper of hers in at least a week. And whenever we remember to take her, she definitely goes pee. I tried pull-ups, but I think they feel too much like a diaper to her because she still sometimes wets in them. The only reason I still like them is because she can pull them down herself to go potty and we can get them back on easily if she was dry still.

This afternoon (about 3ish) I put training pants on her instead of a pull-up. She stayed dry until bedtime!!! We reminded her to go potty two or three times and she went. One of the times Mike & I were both preoccupied and by the time he got to the bathroom, Leah had helped Erin wipe and was trying to put her undies back on. How cute is that??? So I think I am going to try the training pants whenever we are at home and do the pull-ups when we are out (not ready for accidents at Walmart quite yet) and diapers still at night.

I am SO over having kids who don’t nap. Seriously, two in a row??? I guess I was spoiled by Leah. And I thought I was some genius having a kid who napped religiously and easily no matter where or when. Apparently no thanks to me because I couldn’t get Erin and can’t get Adam to do it for anything. I was re-reading my blog today and found that Erin had the exact same issues at the exact same age as Adam is having. Only Adam is not sleeping as well at night as she did. Basically he wakes up 45 minutes into a nap EVERY TIME and will only go back to sleep if I do his whole nap routine again, sometimes several times. And sometimes he won’t go back to sleep at all and I just get him up. I wouldn’t mind this SO much if it didn’t make him SO cranky until the next naptime when we start this game all over again. I have gotten him to sleep in the swing or in my arms a few times and those naps tend to be long. Today he did the 45 min thing and wouldn’t go back to sleep. So I brought him downstairs and got him to fall asleep in my arms and he slept for 2 more hours. Um, seems obvious to me that the kid needs more naptime. But I can’t give it to him.

The icing on the cake is that he still wakes up every 3 hours to eat at night AND sometimes needs to be soothed back to sleep several times. I am becoming a zombie.

That’s everyone at two months. What do you think?

Erin’s last day of her gymnastics semester was yesterday. Mike couldn’t be there, so I took lots of video for him to see how much Erin has improved. You be the judge…

Seriously we watched that video 20 times and laughed our heads off.

Britt’s wedding was LOTS of fun. We spent the day in her hotel room getting our hair and makeup done. I have NO pictures of anything that day because I was so busy getting myself and my girls ready to walk down the aisle. But I looked pretty decent, if I do say so myself. The hardest part of the day was making the girls behave for the hour and a half between getting dressed and leaving for the church. We were taking pictures in B’s room and they were into EVERYTHING. I had to stop Erin from shredding her little basket of flowers multiple times. Neither of them wanted to wear their hairbands. Leah pitched a giant temper tantrum over it. I was so stressed out when we got in the limo. But they were super adorable walking down the aisle. At least that’s what they tell me. I was still in the back waiting my turn, so I didn’t get to see it.

During the ceremony, they sat in the pew behind me and they kept kissing and patting my shoulder. Mike ditched Adam with my aunt and took Erin to the back for a while. Leah behaved relatively well. Then we got back into the limo to head back to the hotel. When she was told we were going to a party, Erin said, “But we have no party hats!”

The second we walked into the reception room, both girls put their hands over their ears and exclaimed, “It’s too loud!!!” We stayed for a few minutes, then walked upstairs to drop Adam off and let the girls change their clothes (Leah was complaining that her dress was itchy). They said they wanted to go back to the party. The minute we got back, Erin burst into tears and wanted to go back to the room. So we got her a plate of food and Mike took her back. One minute after they left, Leah told we she was done and wanted to go back too. So I made her a plate and met Mike in the room. Then the best part of the night began. The kids stayed in the room with my mom and aunt and Mike and I got to go back and party!

We had a great time being grownups and dancing and having a few drinks. Brittany looked awesome and Jimmy did double dutch minus the ropes at the reception. Quite the sight.

Here are some pics I got from my aunt.

The only pic I have of Britt and Jimmy. B was gorgeous!!!

The girls in their finery

Proud daddy & his boy

Dad & Myrn (proud papa)

Myrn & Zac

Me & my daddy

Mike & I

Just wanted to throw a quick update out there. Adam is definitely getting better. He doesn’t choke and gag all that much, maybe once a day. I didn’t do his morning breathing treatment this morning because we were running kinda late and I wanted to see how he would do without it. He got a little gurgly, but it seemed to pass quickly and he has been fine ever since. He is finished his antibiotics, so ears are good. All in all, I am very happy with his progress.

Erin has one more dose of her antibiotics. She is fine, no coughing at night. Leah is about halfway through her antibiotics, but has not complained again of ear pain and is not coughing at night either. Peace reigns in the house at night. Ahhhhh!