Not sleepy?

So Andrew has officially outgrown the sleep positioner. As you can see to the right, the thing wrapped around his belly should have held him on his back and in the middle of the bed. It obviously hasn't done its job.

The thing that drew Drew's attention is the electronic music box that plays classical music for him as he falls asleep. Apparently, Andrew's curiosity got the best of him. Chris went to check on Andrew, who was clearly not asleep. Chris came and got me to show me our little explorer. We just stood there watching him attempt to press buttons and either restart or turn off the music.

Maybe he's not a fan of classical? Maybe it's time for him to have his own iPod, so that he can choose the play list that puts him to sleep for naps?

If you would like to contribute to Andrew's Baby iPod fund, please send check or money orders....

:)

Anne

Sleep training

After our fantastic weekend out and about for Liz and Justin's wedding, we learned the power of sleep training and just how fragile it is. We had loads of family take turns babysitting and loving on Andrew for us, which made the weekend marvelous. Thanks to everyone for helping!

However, this extra lovin' and attention confused Andrew to no end. Now, he wants to sleep when it's time to eat, he wants to SCREAM when it's time to sleep... it's nuts. I feel so bad for him. As a mom, I feel like anytime he's upset I should be able to fix it. When I can't (especially when I think it's my fault), I feel terrible. So I spent a lot of time last week, calling Chris, so he could distract me from the crying. Chris just kept reminding me (and I'm sure he will the next time this happens), "There's nothing wrong with him. Just give him a few minutes, and he'll be asleep". When Andrew is crying, ten minutes feels like an eternity. I'm sure every mom has felt this way.

After 4 days of SCREAMING, I got him back on his routine and falling to sleep like the angel he is. Then, we decided to bring him to a dinner party. He was a perfect gentleman at the party... Then, it was bed time. After an hour of screaming, he was worn out and fell asleep. He was face down and still in full tantrum pose.

The upside to having the super-struggle going to sleep... He was so tired by the time he fell asleep at 9:30 pm- he's still asleep now. Yep, it's 8:45 am. He woke up at 5:30 am, ate, and fell right back to sleep. I guess that's why I get to catch up on the blog.

Here are some random recent shots...

We've added the "Excer-Saucer" to our list of "Ways to Keep Andrew from Rolling under Furniture". He digs it big time.

He does get overwhelmed trying to choose which part of the toy to play with.

Later I'll add some pics and quick hits from Martha's birthday party.

~Anne

Skipping class...

I'm setting such a good example, that Andrew has already skipped class. We were supposed to have music class this morning, but poor Andrew (and his guts) had other plans. If he wasn't pooping he was sleeping. Although some may argue that that function makes music of its own, we opted out of sharing it with his "classmates".

I didn't take a picture of his grumpiness this morning, but here's an older shot that sums up his feeling.

~Anne

Being Thankful

I just walked in to check on the baby, and I have to take a moment to be thankful. I have said it before, but Andrew blows my mind. This whole parenting gig blows my mind, and I hope everyone gets to feel this immense love. Sometimes Chris and I stand side-by-side, with our chins resting on the edge of the crib, and we can't help giggling because he's so darn cute.

We are blessed.

He's amazing, beautiful, and all ours. I love him so much, and I am very thankful for him. I don't know what we did to deserve him, but I'm glad we got him. He's a keeper.

We were in love from day one. I guess we loved him before day one...

~Anne