A Sleeping Situation

My "baby"...(who is over two years old, but will be referred to as my baby until another child comes along, which will be never....so she'll always be my "baby")...does not sleep.

I vividly remember the day I was warned of this sleeping situation...she was 5 months old, we were staying at my Mom's house in Houston...Kevin had just packed up the moving van for the 2,000 mile migration to Montana...Ry was upstairs asleep in her crib & she started crying...so, OF COURSE I run upstairs to see what's wrong, pick her up, carry her back downstairs and hold her until she falls back asleep. That's when it happened, the curse, or the warning, or whatever you want to call it...

"You know, she's old enough to fall back asleep on her own...you'll regret this one day"

Fast forward almost two years, and that fateful day will always be rembered as "The one day Kevin was right"

I say "one day" out of humor, unfortunately the man is right far too often, (much to my frustration as I prefer to be the "person who is right more often")

But really, I think of that warning often....mostly at 11:00, 2:00, 3:30, 5:00....her normal waking times. She sleeps less often than a newborn...and I'm tired. I'm very very tired. All she wants is for me to put her back in bed. Sometimes this requires milk, but generally she just wants me to pick her up and carry her back to bed. Was he right, or was he right?

Oh, and I've tried every type of sleep training out there...but my girl is as stubborn as they come. She will literally stand outside our door and scream for two hours. At some point she wins....Daddy does have a job afterall.

She also rarely naps....just thought I should throw that in there.

So imagine my amazement when I realize it's 9:00 this morning...and she's still asleep. Now come to think of it, she didn't wake up last night either. Now the panic sets in! She went to bed last night at 7:30! It's been 13-1/2 hours! Is she ok? Is she still breathing????

I run into her room half fearing the worst...and she's just rubbing her little tired eyes...gives me a big smile, notices she still has dress up rings on both thumbs, "Mommy yook at me! Ry Ry preeeeety gurl"

Yes you are sweet baby, the prettiest girl this Mommy has ever seen.

(especially when you sleep 13-1/2 hours, but I'm just sayin)

Beuller???

Hello, is anyone there? Bueller? Bueller?

I kid.

I've had trouble sleeping for the last 3 days, so I randomly decided to check this blog I used to write. I've actually thought about starting over...or re-starting...or picking up where I left off?

I think it's pretty ironic that the last thing I posted was my resolution to "post more" and that was over a year ago....I love me.

I just have SO much to say, I've felt really compelled lately to share my story and my struggles, what I've learned...mostly the hard way....and how AMAZING it feels to come out on the good side.

I love that I changed the name of my blog from "and baby makes three" to "erin under construction"...it's so fitting, when are we not under construction?

Maybe I should learn how to properly organize my thoughts before I try blogging again. (that's comical to anyone who knows me, my real life conversations are equally random)

So maybe this is a "hello again" maybe it's a "fooled ya"....either way, getting on the internet as a result of lack of sleep is never a good idea :)

My resolution

So like 50 something days after the first of the year, I've finally come up with a resolution.

I always want to be a better version of myself...I don't want to CHANGE who I am, because, for the most part, I'm really pleased with the person I've finally become...but I always want to be a better version. You know, a skinner, more self-assured, confident, happy, trusting, trust-worthy, motivated, frugal, fashionable, patient....etc, etc, etc...version of me.

So my resolutions usually sound something like, "I'm going to be MORE (blank)"...and I really didn't want to do that this year. I'm picking something more simple, less guilt-inducing, and easier to track.

I'm going to blog more. Ya, that's right. It took me two months to decide that.


**I'm watching Making the Band 4 on MTV, why do all the boys end the show by taking their shirt off? I'm embarrassed for Donny Klang right now**

In order to start anew with my blogging resolution, I need to get some blog-things off my chest:

I love reading everyone else's blogs but I'm a horrible commenter

and

I beat myself up if I take too long between posts, so that keeps me from posting something new

also...I can't spell, I over use the comma and elipses...or whatever those things are called I just over-used again. I also feel the need to hyphenate words a lot. And there will be your fair share of run-ons, fragments, and overall bad grammer...sue me.

So now that we've covered all of that, I'm going to let myself off the hook for not posting enough pictures, or witty thought provoking articles...and instead, I'm just going to use this blog like I originally intended, I'm just going to say what I feel like saying!

Let the resolution begin! VIVA LA RESOLUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Attention all 11 followers...

It's nothing new, but I just noticed that I have double digit followers...what what.

I'm doing my pretend friend's ipod shuffle meme, so here goes.

Now, out of my own personal integrity I must explain that my shuffle is in no way, shape or form an accurate representation of my musical taste. I use it to work out, so it includes work out music...and that's it! None of my favorite artists (Pat Green, Marc Broussard, Aerosmith, Jack Johnson) are represented on said shuffle. So I beg you, please read the following with the understanding that we're dealing with workout music here.

1. Brother Lee, Citizen Cope...I saw a picture of this "Citizen Cope" character online, thought he was cute in that weird dread lock hippie kind of way, checked him out in itunes and found that the only song work out worthy was, Brother Lee. It's great...catchy...you should check it out.

2. Just Dance, Lady GaGa...have I ever mentioned my obsession with dancing? I am a B.A.D. dancer yall...and not in the Michael Jackson "bad means good" sense, I just plain suck. I also suck at Jazzercise, any form of aerobics...step, water or otherwise...pretty much anything that involves coordination. I can play volleyball, I can cook, I apply eye shadow well...and that's about it. Sooooooo I have this massive obsession with people who can dance. Step Up (1 and 2) and Center Stage (mostly 1 but also 2) are some of my favorite movies....great for picking up moves to pretend you can do yourself. When I'm working out, I like to distract myself by pretending that I'm secretly a profesionally trained ballerina / hip hop dancer and I make up dances in my head....this song is the BEST for said pretend dancing.

3. Fly on the Wall, Miley Cyrus...what can I say? I have kids, Miley and Hannah are staples around here.

4. Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), Beyonce...my man HATES this song, mainly because he has yet to "put a ring on it".

5. Flat on the Floor, Nickelback... I heart older school Nickelback. Their first CD was seriously hardcore, like heavy metal almost (is that even a genre any more?) but this CD was hard enough to make it good workout music, but still bearable...and I just like it.

I also feel the need to mention that I checked the little box that tells me what songs I've played the most...the top rated is that Lady GaGa song, apparently I really enjoy making up dances in my head...the second through fourth songs were all by Flo Rida. Somewhere in Louisiana, Marc Broussard is shaking his head in disgust.

Answers

...if you haven't read what I posted yesterday, this will make little to no sense....but that's how I roll.

Kisha...Oh, how I wish I was exaggerating on the job market here. Unfortunately, that one was true. Even worse, my pay rate is exactly 1/2 of what I was making in Houston. I'm just thankful I got this job!

Sophia...you're a straight hater. It is soooooooo not the working out one. I loves me some gym now! If you weren't my sister I'd probably dis-own you for that comment...I kid :) Oh, and write a new blog please!

Lyndsay....now, I see where you're coming from. I did kind of contradict myself there, but I have a REALLY hard time sleeping, so I do many many things whilst trying to catch my Z's...including, but not limited to: writing blogs in my head, fake conversations with people of all sort, ideas for a novel I can write that would inspire Ellen to have me on her show, inventions, what I would do with 20 million dollars, what I would look like with blond or red hair, what clothes I would buy if I miraculously woke up 20 lbs lighter....etc

Sadly, the only lie on that list was about ...my other pretend friend, (also named Lyndsay...what's up with that?) the amazing photographer coming to Montana. But I'm thinking that maybe I inspired a vacation she'd never thought of :)

Here is a link to some Missoula vacation info...personally, I think yall should all come see me this summer. The weather is amazing. The Farmers Market is probably the coolest thing ever. There's a river to float (Kish...I know I got you with this one), lakes, mountains, all sorts of awesomeness...and good shopping too.

Alright, that sounded a little needy and pathetic didn't it? I'm going to go drown my sorrows in flavored creamer with a shot of coffee!

Why, yes...it IS a new post

A while ago, my favorite pretend friend posted a list of "nine truths and one lie" on her blog...last night when I could sleep I needed to do one of my own. So here goes:

1. As we speak, Big Girl just ran over to me in her ginormously amazing burgundy Christmas dress complete with velvet, tulle, and rhinestones (it lives in the dress up box for those exact reasons) and demanded that I take it off RIGHT NOW because it was messing up the tattoos on her arm...huge sparkely dresses and arm tattoos go hand in hand around these parts.

2. This afternoon will be my first day at work here in God's Country...in order to land my position as a part-time receptionist I had to beat out 100 other applicants. The job market in Montana is AMAZING yall!

3. My brother was just picked as Cy-Fair's Dispatcher of the YEAR...he gets an all expense paid trip to Vegas for the Dispatcher's conference complete with spending money. This was his first year as a dispatcher! I cried.

4. My favorite photographer is taking a trip to Montana this summer and has agreed to take pics of my family. I'm so excited I can't stand it!

5. I have a heart shaped freckle on my arm.

6. For the first time in my 28 years, I can HONESTLY include working out in my list of things I enjoy doing.

7. My Baby Girl has a future as a super model...she's in the 90% for height and 25% for weight....AND she eats all day. Is it wrong to be jealous of your nine month old?

8. I CAN NOT STAND the Tigger and Pooh cartoons, they also happen to be Big Girl's favorite...I'm planning the unthinkable...I'm going to do laundry just to get away from it.

9. Whenever I can't sleep at night I have pretend conversations in my head...like I'll pretend to be Elisabeth Hasslebeck and I'll let all the crazies on The View know what I really think about them and all their hypocrisies. Especially Whoppi and Joy...shudder

10. We're going to a Super Bowl party on Sunday (go Arizona!) and I'm most excited about the food I'll be bringing. Party food makes me eternally happy :)

Aright...now yall have to tell me which one is a lie. This is not in the least bit difficult...but I have a baby rubbing her snotty nose on my shirt and screaming at me, so I'm rushing. Hate me :)

Nine Months!

Hello again...from the slackiest of all blog slackers.

Today, my baby is nine months old!

Right now, as we speak...or, type/read...she's sitting in her high chair watching Little Einsteins with her big sister, eating a banana and some Crunch Berries...and banging the back of the chair that's with-in her reach against her tray. That about sums my girl up. She's down for any kind of table food 24-7 and she NEVER sits still. Ever.

We go in for her check up in a few hours so I don't have height/weight stats but I can tell you that she's a pretty lean baby...and not for lack of eating! Just an example of a typical daily intake: a banana and about 2 eggs scrambled (that she has to eat standing up next to my chair and off my fork, not sure why, but that's how sister prefers her eggs), 2-3 Mum Mums, a Bitter Biscuit, 1/4 a canister of Puffs, 2 hot dogs, a small can of peas & carrots, a couple crackers and maybe some noodles of whatever variety I have on hand. Home girl can EAT. They always laugh at the gym because the entire time I'm working out, they have her in a walker eating crackers or gold fish and she's as happy a can be! Oh, and she still has 4-5 bottles of formula a day too!

If she ever had "down time" I'm sure she'd have those chubby baby thighs and a cute belly...but she NEVER stops moving. Just last night her Daddy commented on how hyper she was. She is literally all over the place all day long. Her morning nap lasts a whopping 45 min...in the afternoon I'm lucky if I get an hour and fifteen min. The rest of the day she's either dancing with her big sister to Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus CDs (she gets up on her knees and bounces around capping), pushing her baby stroller all over the house, or banging on her Leap Frog Activity Table.

She's a very happy baby, but pretty stubborn too...and she HATES the word "no" (which she hears often)...she definitely knows what it means too, because as soon as you tell her no she starts throwing a little fit...or if she's feeling especially bold, she'll just smile at you like, "woman, I know what you're tellin' me but I really feel like pulling up on the trash can to get this empty apple juice box, ok?"

As my Grammie would say, "Oofta"

I am very happy to report that she's still a Momma's girl though! Something about me still carrying baby weight around makes me feel like she should at least be a Momma's girl, right? Well, she's a Momma's girl when Daddy doesn't have ice-cream...when Daddy has sweets, all bets are off...she puts her head down and does the super charged crawl right over to where he's sitting, stands up and drops her mouth open. She definitely has her Daddy's sweet tooth.

Some of her favorite things are her stacking rings she got from Grandma & Grandpa for Christmas, her baby she sleeps with, HER PACI (good Lord help me when I have to break her of that), empty water bottles and keys/cell phones/remote controls...but not the kid ones, my girl turns her nose up at those, she wants the real thing.

Some of her nine month milestones:
-she's standing independently and is literally days away from taking her first steps
-she claps when she's happy or excited about something
-she said her first word on Christmas Day, "Bu-Bu" to her big brother, he was SOOOOO excited. She also asks for her Ba-Ba (her bottle) and says Da-Da too.
-she'll also talk on the phone...it's just jibber jabber but when my Mom talks to her, she talks right back...it's so cute.
-if you stick your tongue out at her, I mean I don't....why would I do that? ummm, but IF you did....she's do it right back. She mimics most anything you do.
-she sticks her finger up her nose too, I don't think it's for picking purposes yet, she just figured out it fits up there about a month ago...and it's now her finger's favorite place to be...lovely

Some non-milestones:
-sister refuses to hold her own bottle...I mean why hold it yourself when your Mom's right there to do it for you? right?
-she won't drink out of a straw or sippy cup...although she thinks the tips make excellent chewing devices
-she still only has her two bottom teeth, clearly that doesn't stop her from eating everything in sight though
-I don't think my baby will ever sleep through the night, not while her push-over Mommy is there. She has me all figured out...she knows I'll cave eventually, honestly it doesn't ever bother me anymore.

I can't believe she'll be one in three short months! It feels like I was just pregnant...I can't believe how much she's grown and changed in nine months. I just want to keep her like this forever...especially when I think about how big her brother and sister are getting! She has the sweetest smile that lights up her whole face, and those tiny fingers, soft baby hair. I just love her so much! Happy nine months Ry!!!!!!!!!!!!!