Love in Sleepy Eyes

Little Scooter is taking a peaceful nap. He's really getting better at this and it's only taken a week or so. I was just standing in his doorway watching him drift off, and I couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with love for my little guy.

It amazes me how such a tiny little person has captured all the love in the world and put it right into my heart! I'm sure every mom in the world has felt this, but it's such a personal and momentous feeling that it's hard to think that anyone else truly understands it. Thinking back to last Valentine's day, I'm not sure I could have said the same thing. Scooter was just a month old back then, and I was overcome with exhaustion, stress and feeling like I didn't have a clue about what to do with/for my little baby that love was a more distant concept - definitely there but sort of on the back burner. Now it's front and center and all warm & fuzzy.

He's the love of my life (don't tell his dad) and to see him in all his innocence sleeping so peacefully, I couldn't ask for more. Mommy loves you, little one!

The Sleep Chronicles

Okay, it seems I'm obsessed with my baby's sleep capabilities (or lack thereof). Scooter (not his real name - if it was, I'd have to seriously rethink my mommy decision making skills) is down for his nap! And I did it this time! Hooray!

Was he just so tired that he couldn't resist the pull of midday slumber, or is he really getting used to the idea of going to sleep on his own ... in his own bed ... without nursing? I hope it's the latter. Seriously, I'm starting to have anxiety about weaning him because I just don't know how he'll go to sleep. So pray that he's really getting this sleep thing and that he'll be okay with Mommy putting him down without the nipple.

More to come I'm sure ....

Good Monday Morning

Up early today ... Zumba class in 1/2 and hour, baby still sleeping (made it all night - yea!), hubby & other kids, too! Good start to the week.

Monday munchies will likely begin later, so perhaps a recipe is in order!

Savory Pretzels (compliments of my friend Shannon)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

Place the following in a large zip top bag being careful not to get any on the seal:

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dill weed

1 envelope fiesta ranch dressing mix (a spicy ranch mix - found in the salad dressing aisle of the grocery store)

Shake to mix. Then add

1 lb bag of pretzels (the traditional pretzel shape works great)

Seal & shake the bag like crazy until all the pretzels are well coated.

Empty onto a baking sheet (or 2) and bake for one hour.

Once they're done, you'll have a wonderful savory & lightly spicy snack. This one is a bit high on the salt content, so be sure to have a tall glass of water or other beverage on hand! Or you can try adjusting to a different mixture w/less salt!

Enjoy!

Time to Blog

I've been reading a bunch of stuff on the best mommy blogs out there, and I've had a chance to visit several of them over the past few days. All I can say is "Wow!" I wish I could do that!

I'm in constant amazement at what other moms seem to be capable of. It's not even the big stuff that gets me - I mean, getting your blog into the top 10 or 50 out there is awesome, but I'm even amazed that anyone with little creatures in there house has any time to write, much less make it that good!

Maybe it's just my own lack of time/organization, but I find it nearly impossible to sit down at my computer and write. I think I have plenty of good ideas, but between baby time and big kid time and husband time, I can't seem to get in enough writing time. I know a lot of people will use nap time to write (that's what I'm doing now), but little Scooter isn't consistent enough with his naps to allow me to luxury of having both hands free for a reliable amount of time. Daddy put him down today, and he's doing great, but Daddy isn't always available and I'm still struggling with the whole sleep thing (see previous posts).

But it's liberating to be able to put even a few thoughts down on paper - well, I guess it's more accurate to say "in computer" - and I hope I have more frequent opportunities to do this in the future. Even if it takes a while, perhaps I'll get enough going to make me feel like I have a real blog! That would be fun!

Sleep, Sleeep, Sleeeeeep!

So I just re-read my post from October, and all I can say is, "oh well." My little Scooter (not his real name) got the hang of going to sleep on his own, then the holidays came, we travelled, and it looks like we're back to square one.

Each night brings all the anxious & hopeful feelings of successful sleepers everywhere right into the baby's room, and we begin the bedtime dance. Some nights he goes to sleep just fine, other nights ... not so much. He's better at doing it on his own than he used to be, but I still find myself praying to the sandman each night to help him drift off peacefully and sleep through the night.

My husband is much better at letting him cry for a little while and then helping him go back down on his own. It's like he works some kind of magic in there that I haven't figured out yet. I'm just a sucker for the little guy and he knows it, so the desperate cries and theatrics generally get the better of me after a while. I know ... I have to be strong and keep in mind that it's better for him in the long run if he figures out how to go to sleep by himself. I'm trying. For now, I just have to KEEP trying and toughen up against the sweetest little guy in the world. Put in a good word with the sandman for me and wish me luck!

Mommy Milestones

I'm sitting here listening to my baby cry & trying to stay occupied so I don't run in to comfort him.  Sounds harsh but we're in day 2 of sleep training.  We probably should have done this months ago - he's already 9 months old - but it just didn't seem right to make him cry and cry.  Plus, we were traveling a lot, so sleep routines were meaningless anyway.  Now it's just time, for his sake and ours.

The good news is, he's doing great!  I've read horror stories about babies (and mommies) crying for hours.  My little overachiever has already stopped for the night.  So tonight he went about 12 minutes before settling down.  I'm so proud of him!  And I hope it's not a fluke.  It's so hard to hear him crying and even harder to put him down when he's clinging to me for dear life.  I just hope he really does get the hang of it and I don't have to keep tearing myself away like that.

For now, I'm sticking to the theory that my baby is doing a wonderful job of learning the ropes & figuring out how to become more independent.  As much as I'd like to keep him my little baby, I know I need to give him the tools to become my little man.  Day by day, I guess we're both learning.

Homemade Garden Wedding Invitations

Do it yourself wedding invitations are easier than you think, especially if you have a computer and printer available. There are many kits available for purchase at craft stores that you can easily personalize and that include pre-made invitation cards, response inserts and envelopes for reasonable prices.

But I personally liked the idea of putting a bit of my own creativity to work, and came up with this idea for my own wedding. We actually used these as placecards/favors, but turning them into invitations would be a snap as well.

Eco-friendly, Garden-inspired Invitations Made Easy

Click edit above to add content to this empty capsule.

The first thing I did was search the internet for special paper with flower seeds embedded in it. The papers are beautiful with a charming homemade look and feel, and they come in a huge array of colors, so you can pick the right one for your wedding. You can find good selections by doing a simple Google search. Some sites offer the paper in bulk - this is what we did - or for a little more, you can buy them pre-made into cards. Check out these sites for ideas (but be sure to compare prices because they can vary quite a bit, especially for shipping).

• Botanical Paper Works
• Flower Seed Company
• Of the Earth

If you buy the bulk sheets (often sold as wrapping paper), you'll need to cut them to the right size, but this will also allow you to make them truly customized for your special day.

Since you can't run the paper through the printer, you'll need an overlay sheet unless you're a calligrapher and plan to hand-write each invitation. The easiest way to do this is by getting some vellum sheets - the semi-transparent pages you often see in scrapbooking. These are readily available at craft stores in the scrapbooking section and can be purchased by the sheet or in packs of 50 or more sheets. It comes in standard 8 1/2 x 11, so it's easy to run through any printer.

Then once you select your invitation wording, print it onto the vellum (if you're using an inkjet, make sure the ink is dry before you do anything to it) and cut it just slightly smaller than your seed paper. Then attach the vellum to the front of the seed paper with a ribbon, small flower or other decorative piece. You now have a beautiful, handmade invitation! And it also serves as a keepsake to be planted as a reminder that your love will continue to "bloom" as you begin your new life together - just remember to include the planting instructions!