Ta-Da!

I have to show you all my first major sewing project (for me, it's major!) I made some curtains for my dining room, and WOW! What a huge difference they made in that room! I just like to sit there and stare at them sometimes and say, "I made those!" :)






We have lived in this house for two years, and I bought the material over one year ago. I was tired of looking at bare windows, so finally I asked my sweet friend Hannah to come and H-E-L-P M-E. She graciously did, and we knocked them out in one day-well almost. She stayed and helped me as long as she could, and we had all but one done. So, after the kids went to bed, I picked it back up, and got to my LAST row of stitches and ran out of thread! Anyway, I finished them a few days later, and I think they turned out pretty good!


Stay tuned for another year and I may have a new project to show you!

Testimonial from a baby

For all you moms with babies- there's a conspiracy going on between them! This was too funny!

Sleep Training...

OK, here's my situation. My Mommy has had me for almost 7 months. The first few months were great--I cried, she picked me up and fed me, anytime, day or night. Then something happened. Over the last few weeks, she has been trying to STTN (sleep thru the night). At first, I thought it was just a phase, but it is only getting worse. I've talked to other babies, and it seems like it's pretty common after Mommies have had us for around 6 months.

Here's the thing: these Mommies don't really need to sleep. It's just a habit. Many of them have had some 30 years to sleep--they just don't need it anymore. So I am implementing a plan. I call it the Crybaby Shuffle. It goes like this: Night 1--cry every 3 hours until you get fed. I know, it's hard. It's hard to see your Mommy upset over your crying. Just keep reminding yourself, it's for her own good. Night 2--cry every 2 hours until you get fed. Night 3--every hour. Most Mommies will start to respond more quickly after about 3 nights.

Some Mommies are more alert, and may resist the change longer. These Mommies may stand in your doorway for hours, shhhh-ing. Don't give in. I cannot stress this enough: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!! If you let her STTN (sleep through the night), just once, she will expect it every night. I KNOW IT'S HARD! But she really does not need the sleep, she is just resisting the change. If you have an especially alert Mommy, you can stop crying for about 10 minutes, just long enough for her to go back to bed and start to fall asleep. Then cry again. It WILL eventually work. My Mommy once stayed awake for 10 hours straight, so I know she can do it.

Last night, I cried every hour. You just have to decide to stick to it and just go for it. BE CONSISTENT! I cried for any reason I could come up with. My sleep sack tickled my foot. I felt a wrinkle under the sheet. My mobile made a shadow on the wall. I burped, and it tasted like pears. I hadn't eaten pears since lunch, what's up with that? The cat said "meow". I should know. My Mommy reminds me of this about 20 times a day. LOL. Once I cried just because I liked how it sounded when it echoed on the monitor in the other room. Too hot, too cold, just right--doesn't matter! Keep crying!! It took awhile, but it worked. She fed me at 4am. Tomorrow night, my goal is 3:30am. You need to slowly shorten the interval between feedings in order to reset your Mommies' internal clocks.


P.S. Don't let those rubber things fool you, no matter how long you suck on them, no milk will come out. Trust me.

SASS-SAY

Abby recently had her hair in braids for a few days, so when we took them out, her hair was all wavy. Aaron Job kept staring at her and quietly giggling to himself at her poofy hair. So, finally he couldn't stand it anymore, he said "Abby, you...look...kinda...um...different!" She looked at him, and with her hand on her hip, in her sassiest sass, she declared, "Well I'm STILL in this family!!"

New Addition Announcement!

Did I get your attention? No, it's not that kind of addition announcement. We have a new addition to our blog family! Aaron Job has started a new blog.

Okay, really it was started by Aaron, but the six year old is the contirbutor. It's called Aaron Job Draws, Original Drawings and Stories by Aaron Job. To get the whole story you'll have to visit my husband's blog. Check it out!

Favorite Pics of 2006

...yes, I meant for that to rhyme:) Instead of posting anything with real content, which is way too time consuming for my brain right now, I thought I would just post some of my favorite pictures. They're mostly from the holidays

Aaron Job is growing up so fast. He loves to read, draw, and play with Legos. He really has made homeschooling a joy for me. He loves to learn and is very bright.

Abby is such a happy girl. There is never a dull (or quiet) moment when she's around! She loves to talk, and is the social coordinator of every event! She always makes us laugh.

Then there's Anna! With her beautiful blue eyes, she's normally the serious child. She's not easily amused, but loves to be tickled and has the cutest laugh. She also loves making messes! She really only has three needs in life: her thumb, her blankie, and her mommy!

Sweet baby Ava. She is pure sunshine, and is almost always smiling! She just turned 8 months old, and about a week before Christmas, she sprouted two teeth, began sitting up, and started crawling!



Here we are in Hot Springs on a trip to Mid America Museum. Aaron Job took this picture, and it turned out really well, considering the subjects he had to work with!

From our whole family, we hope you have a blessed and happy new year!