So BIG. So Proud.

Garyn is changing. {Aren't we all?}

I am so amazed today as I  thought of the changes over the last year. Today was his last day of Mother's Day Out for this school year and it got me to thinking of how he has changed.

Garyn May2009

Last year, at this time, he still had a pacifier! And was only talking in 2-3 word phrases. He screamed every time you left him somewhere. I mean SCREAMED. {Some of you saw this first hand} Using the potty was a complete after thought, as it should have been. And his favorite place to sleep was with his momma and daddy.

Around 6 months ago, we were battling sleeping in his own bed and beginning potty training. Wow, what a ride and struggle those two have been. He was back to newborn hours, sneaking into our room every 2-3 hours! While we did give in some, I stayed strong {notice I } and put him back in bed every time and listened to the crying and then silence that meant he was sneaking his way in, again.

{Now don't get me wrong, I love snuggling and sleeping with him. But not in a queen size bed with Tyler on the other side! Tyler takes up 2/3 of the bed, I tell you. Add Garyn and that leaves me like 1/5 of the bed! So I vowed to make it only a once-in-awhile snuggling-sleepover. }

Potty training has also been challenging, as always. But I am glad to say  that the last week he has been pooping in the potty at home! I say at home, because he has had his accidents and he hasn't gone at church or school. He has actually been telling us when he needs to go, we sit him down, and he goes! I am so proud. He even did well during our trip! In fact, the whole time we were in Gatlinburg, he kept his rocket! {The rocket is on the pull up and fades when you pee. Its a big accomplishment to still have your rocket when we go to the bathroom}

I thought we would never get to this point! He has been so stubborn through the process. While the process isn't over, it is starting to click in his little brain. He gets so excited when he is successful. We have been playing lots of Wii!!

When we leave him now, at church or school (a.k.a. mother's day out), he does sooo much better. He doesn't always run in and play, but there is no jumping up and down while almost tearing apart the baby gate at the door! He might slightly whine or cry, but can be reasoned with easier. This makes things so much easier! I would have never imagined the stress leaving your child screaming could be. It has brought me to tears a number of times....not because I think he is miserable the whole time, nor that I feel like a bad mom for leaving him, but because the workers have to try to make him happy the whole time and you struggle with....how long should I let him cry? or Do I spank him for screaming like that? or Why do I even try to come cause I am just going to be worrying about whether he is screaming the whole time? I have been pulled out of church, gatherings, Sunday school many of times because he was uncontrollable! And not to mention, the whole family has differing opinions on the subject and you can't help but wonder who is right.

So I am so glad that stage is over!

And back to sleeping....For the last month, he has come into our room maybe once a week! He goes to bed so much easier, too. Actually, I am a little sad, because he hasn't been wanting to read and rock anymore! We will go into his room and when I ask "what do you want to read?", he'll say....."Momma, I wanna go to bed". I say ok and secretly want to cry while at the same time I am so excited that he isn't fighting it anymore. He has his Kitty (a.k.a. Sully from Monsters, Inc.)  and Giraffe now. Two new stuffed animals that over the last 3 months he has decided he needs to sleep with. He has them......I am so glad he has a comfort.

Garyn May2010

However, I know we are phasing out of toddler stage and into big-boyhood! He will be 3 in 2 months! What? Can't believe that.....He is talking non-stop. {He has even started calling us "mom" and "dad" sometimes.....where did that come from?} Several people at church and such have said things about how they couldn't believe how he was talking all of the sudden. He is really getting into sports and playing with friends.

We are going to have many fun years in front of us. We are so proud to be his parents. God has truly blessed us! I love him more everyday and want to cherish every minute.

WAY too early...

The most obvious characteristic that Garyn has of mine is slowness to wake up....And Tyler reminds me of this almost daily.

There is no jumping-up-out-of-bed and ready-to-go in my blood....Instead I take at least 30 minutes to wake up..............My father past it along to me and I to Garyn.

When I was growing up at home, my dad and I were quiet in the morning, I ate breakfast in silence while he sat in his chair in silence drinking coffee (if he wasn't already at work, once I was driving). One might come by and think we hated each other or were mute, but no we just didn't want any stimulus, our minds weren't cranking yet. In fact, just the other day, after a mix up, dad was late getting here to watch Garyn. I had to call to wake him up so that he could come here to watch Garyn while I slept. He got here not long after me and was not talkative like normal. He actually said a couple of words to us, put a pot of coffee on, and then sat down on the couch. I chuckled to myself knowing he had not had his 30 minutes to warm-up, unfortunately, Garyn had already and was jumping all over the place.

When Tyler and I first got married, I thought I could shoot him some mornings. Tyler wakes up smiling, happy, talking......"Whats going to be for dinner, honey?"..."What time will you get off work?"...."You know I really would like ____ for lunch?" Meanwhile I am in the shower, or something, trying to just think! I would hardly ever answer and he would get offended. Finally, I would speak and say "Please just be quiet for a little bit so I can wake up...I don't like stimulus in the morning" So I finally got used to him and he I.

Garyn is the same way. He doesn't want you to change his diaper right off, nor eat right away. He just wants you to hold him and be quiet. He typically comes into my bed around 7-7:30 and we just cuddle until getting out of bed around 8-8:30. Yes, I know we are lazy, you could say.
I love it!

Last week, Garyn had a Dr.'s appt at 9:45, no big deal, I thought, I will have to rush in the morning but I can do it. Well then, I got a call asking if we could reschedule or bump it up to 8:15.....ok, in my head I was thinking (8:15! yikes Garyn and I aren't even out of bed by then, but I really don't want to post pone this) and I think the lady thought "hello?" So I took the 8:15, set my alarm, got ready (just as I like it) on my own without waking Garyn until 7:20. Then had to juggle rushing him without making him upset.

On the way there, I realized how much I love working nights (which has only worsened my sleepiness-in-the-morning habit); how much my dad, Garyn, and I are alike in this sense; and how much Tyler is not night person, like us, but a day person. As I write, it is 10:25 and Tyler is in bed while Garyn and I are still up.

But you know, I also love, once I am up, having much more time to just do whatever that day entails...guess I can't have the best of both worlds!

So are you a morning person??

Setting Goals....

I know its not the new year, but I am trying to be more productive.....so far I have been failing miserably this week. However, new recipes, money saving techniques, organizing ideas, teaching opportunities with Garyn, and money-making ideas are all fluttering around my head as of late. Not to mention, staying on top of my devotion time. Friends are inspiring me and also just knowing that Garyn is growing up fast and I need to focus on making these days great for him and us, not to put any pressure on myself though, right!? I made a "To do" list a week or so ago....a loooong one...and I have done ok with it so far. I am giving myself some slack because it is a hefty list.

One website I have really been checking out lately, and growing more in love with is moneysavingmom. There are lots of great budgeting, freebies, and coupon ideas on there that I have been looking into. You know how I am about coupons, remember this. Tyler noticed the other day that we have been getting a lot of samples in the mail......I spent maybe 45 minutes the other day during Garyn's nap filling out every free offer she has on that site. It has been fun getting them in the mail!

Anyway, no real theme to this post. Just wanted to feel you in on my doings!

For some Garyn updates...........

We have had a much better time at night the last few days. I stopped putting him completely to sleep once we had 3-4 good nights of rest and chanced laying him down partially awake. He did cry and get up out of the bed, but I would put him straight back to bed with little to say. Within no more than an hour, he has been going to sleep after being put back to bed! We have had a couple of times that he has come in around 2 am, but I would put him back in bed. He would cry a little, stomp even, but didn't keep coming to our room. I hope this sticks!

Last Friday was the football Jamboree at Finley Stadium and Garyn, as always, heard music to dance to! FYI there is a part where I thought for sure he was going to fall, just brace yourself......

Sorry it is so long, I didn't realize how much I talked in it either.

Goodbye for now!

Big Brother??

We have been wondering what Garyn will be like when he is a big brother.......

WAIT!! .............................................................

I am not pregnant! Gotcha, huh?

Garyn is around some little babies but not much and not when I am taking care of them, so I always wonder what he will be like.....jealous, loving, helpful? Yesterday we got a little trial run you could say......

Little Miss Virginia Grace came to stay with us yesterday......she is precious! She is a great baby, too! Her mom said she fights sleep.......well Garyn must have killed sleep because he was screaming, crying, kicking 30 min into getting him to take a nap. Virginia Grace went to sleep 5 minutes into rocking her......ahhh...maybe the next one will be easy. Actually, he was a good baby, I just probably stressed too much about him going to sleep on his own. After last night, I wish I had stressed a little more or maybe a little less because he still doesn't know how! I'll get back to that in a minute.

But we had fun yesterday. Garyn was not jealous and was helpful. He threw away diapers, got her toys, knew to be quite when she was asleep. I was very pleased. She really liked him and would follow his every move. Once, I told him to get his guitar for her ( a leap frog one ) and he pressed the buttons for the music to play, handed it to her, and then would dance in front of her. It was so cute!!

Here he is tickling her.......

So maybe it will be easy for him to have a baby in the house....or maybe Virginia Grace's 7 hours here were not realistic! Oh well, I was just glad he didn't pitch fits and try to step on her or anything!

He did want to do everything she did though, I got out this Boppy pillow for her and as soon as she would get out of it, he wanted to sit in it. He also wanted to play with all of her toys....

Back to Garyn and sleeping.........

The last week and a half or so he has been doing pretty good in his bed. I have been able to put him down slightly awake, very droggy though, around 9:30 and then he might get up around 6ish and come to our bed. I am fine with that, I am not strict about him not being in our bed but just not every night! Well Tuesday he had a short nap, feel asleep in the car around 8 and then woke up when we tried to go ahead and put him in bed.

WELL.......that sums up to a disaster in parent world, most often! And ringing true to that, he didn't want to go to sleep at 10 , 11, or 12! I finanlly gave up and put him in our bed since I had worked the 2 nights prior and was very tired. The last 2 nights since then we have had trouble again about him not wanting to go to bed at all and getting out of his bed and into ours. Last night, at 3 I got into bed with him after numerous times of him coming to our room and me putting him back in his! UGH! I was so frustrated. At those moments, I wish I had been better about not rocking or nursing him to sleep. But I also wonder if he really would still do this no matter what?

Any suggestions out there?! I don't want to make habits, but I know this may be over with soon just like it was when we first put him into a twin bed. So should I lay down with him till he goes to sleep or keep putting him back in his bed?