A traumatic morning

Luke is the most amazing baby. I'm sure you think that goes without saying but it really is the truth. He's the kind of kid that you hand over to someone who wants to hold him and you know he's going to make them feel so great about themselves. He smiles, interacts and gives warm reassuring glances to you as you hold him.

In Novemember when Josh and I took him to the states though, we sort of threw off his sleeping patterns. There he was at 4 months being his amazing self and we messed him up by dragging him half way across the world and visiting tons of people in 5 states in three time zones in 10 days.

So I wasn't surprised when we returned home and he didn't drop right back into schedule. The thing about him is that even when he wakes up in the middle of the night he is so sweet and friendly that it's only a blip.

Well, then it was the holidays. Ok. So I wasn't thinking straight and realizing that he still wasn't getting back into sleeping through the night. But he's still young, right?

In January I was ready to get more than 2 or 3 hours of sleep in a row. But this kid. He's so good to you, makes you feel like a million bucks, you don't realize that this really shouldn't be allowed. They say that Josh was like that as a kid. At parent teacher conferences they would be talking about how he was progressing. "He's wonderful! Very smart and talented!" The teacher would say. "Great! " Mom and Dad would say. "How are his grades and homework coming?" "Well, " long pause from teacher, "He's actually not doing so well as we'd like. Hmmm." Puzzeled look from teacher. All because he was just so likeable they hadn't realized he wasn't actually faring that well in school.

Well, last night I realized we (Luke and I) are not faring that well. After 3 sets of 2 hours of sleep and then day starting and with Josh on his second trip away in the last three weeks. I am not getting enough sleep to just cope. And if I feel like that my baby must be feeling some of it. So I decided to put the hammer down.

I determined to let Luke cry for his morning nap. Well, he fell asleep on the way home from dropping the kids off at school. But when I put him into his crib he went right back to sleep. Ok. After one hour he was ready to be up. So that's how it's gonna be huh? He got up and we did our normal routine and at the late morning nap time I laid him down. I decided I am not the cold turkey mom. So I went in every 15 minutes and checked on him gave him his pacifier and left again. I was relentless....well, after I got done crying outside the bedroom door I walked away didn't I? After 3 sets of these he's out cold and I'm an emotional wreck. I think we both need our dad!

A very Patty Christmas

Christmas Eve was spent at our church and the kids performed The Mouse's Tale in Slovene with all their sunday school friends. They were wonderful! Totally unbiased opinion from their mother of course!

Before the program began each kid got to play a song of their own chosing on their instrument. The Jackson's loaned Kendra this music maker, a stringed instrument you plucked. She loved having a chance to play since she hasn't got to start playing piano like Blake and Becca. She stole the show playing "Still, Still, Still" It was funny because the other playing had been sort of like nice, christmasy background music. Which was our intention but Kendra's instrument was different and so I think eveyone thought things were getting started. As soon as she started plucking the place became silent. And if you know our little girl, she ate up the attention!

Afterwards we had our teammates, the pastor and his wife and some other missionary friends join us for food and singing and story telling. It was a wonderful night together.

This year our Christmas morning was spent with only the memebers of our immediate family! What a change! Every year we've been joined by special friends or family but this year it was just us. We took our time opening gifts. Stopped occasionally to enjoy a cinnamin roll (homemade.mmmmm!) and coffee or orange juice. Even Scout had his own stocking this year!