Good intentions...

Before I get into my blog, I have a special prayer request: A friend of mine, Brandie Stoddard, just had her baby. They had to go in and do an emergency c-section and her little girl, Ashlyn Reese Stoddard, is pretty sick right now. Please pray for them. She came only a week early, so she is a good weight and everything, but her little lungs are damaged right now, and they are really nervous for her. Her grandmother told us she's a little fighter already and they are very hopeful....but please help us lift this new little family up to our Father. (Brandie-mom, Dustin-dad, and Baby Ashlyn) THANK YOU!!!!

I'm in trouble!!!! This little guy has me so wrapped around his finger right now; I don't want to think about how bad it's going to be in a couple more years! I really want to have a "good child". He's so good right now (he just doesn't like to sleep), but you see so many kids that are just completely out of control and you wonder "What do I need to do to make sure mine doesn't end up like that?" I've started with just simple little things... like when he tries to take off his bib before we're finished eating, or when he's reaching for something that he knows he's not allowed to have. Now... I know he's still very young, and it's not like I'm a drill sergeant or anything, but to me it makes me feel like we're doing something at least. Guess we'll see in a couple years! He's growing so fast! He'll pull up on anything that he can. He also lets the one hand go, and every now and then he'll let both go. He doesn't last too long of course, but just the fact that he's doing that much already is crazy. He's so proud of himself when he does it... as you can see below! He's so sweet! The past couple of nights when I go to put him down to sleep he just fights and fights it. And then I finally give in because I know I can get him to go to sleep. I'll pick him up and bring him out with me and Bev (while we're catching up on our movies). I'll sit down and snuggle with him for a few minutes and then he's out! He just wants to be close all the time. I think he's got a little cold right now because his little nose is really runny...but who wouldn't want to snuggle so sweetly with this precious little guy???

Our typical night since we've moved up here with Bev is something like this: I'll put him down (the last time is usually around 10:30-11:00pm) and he'll sleep until somewhere between 2:30-3:30am. Then he'll wake up and I'll bring him in bed to nurse and then he'll fall asleep. He'll toss and tumble (and usually nurse) a few more times throughout the night, but he usually is ready to get up around 8:30am. Not a good night sleep for me really, but it's a lot easier than it was the first few months. We had a really good routine in Auburn, but haven't been able to get back into that yet.

But every night I'll tell myself "okay, when he wakes up... give him a few minutes and see if he'll go back to sleep on his own". That's what worked before. However, when 2 or 3 am rolls around I am completely out of it and all I can think of is waking Bev up (she never hears us though). Next thing I know, it's about 6am and I'm rolling over with my little man laying next to me in the bed. "How'd he get here?" "Did I get up and not realize it?" "Did he jump ship and climb out of his crib, crawl across the floor and climb up into bed next to me?" (Those are the thoughts that typically run across my mind) And then I'll remember something about the wake-up (like last night... I turned the fan on and I remembered getting him when I saw that on). I'm telling you... sleep (or lack of) will do some crazy things to me :)

But when he wakes up and looks like this (below) and I'm facing him in the bed....how can I not go get him??? (See what I mean about having me wrapped around his finger)??