~I Think it Was My Fault~

I just love "AHA" moments. I had one yesterday morning.

Josef had his four month checkup on Wednesday and I mentioned to his pediatrician that he had been sleeping through the night (midnight to 6AM) consistently for over a month, but has been waking up every three hours again over the last few weeks. I feel like I have a newborn again, and I am exhausted.

She suggested that maybe I was getting him up too soon and that I should wait until he's really crying before going in to his room. If I have to go in there she said not to feed him, but offer a bottle of water if necessary.

So, I had resolved to take her advice and not feed him that night (I already don't go in there unless he is crying, but I did try to let him cry awhile longer that night). He went to sleep for the night about 11:30, and by midnight he was crying. I waited, and he just cried harder. So, I went in and rocked him for a few minutes and he fell right back to sleep. Victory.

Or so I thought.

Just as I was drifting off the crying started again - 12:35. Waiting did no good - he just screamed.

Rocking did no good - he screamed louder.

The boy was HUNGRY.

Since he will hardly even take a bottle of breast milk anymore, I knew a bottle of water was out of the question. So an hour into the great experiment, I gave up and nursed him until he fell asleep. 1 AM and I was back to bed.

2:30 AM.

He is crying.

2:35 AM.

He is screaming and I am exhausted and ready to cry myself.

This is not working.

Rocking him was useless. After nursing for a few minutes he started to drift off.

And then I remembered...

When he was a newborn I had to work to keep him awake during feeding. If I did, he slept longer.

So this time I made him stay awake until he finished one breast and then tucked him back into his crib. He slept until 6:45. And I slept until 6:45.

And then I remembered....

He started sleeping through the night when I started giving him a full bottle of breast milk at his 11 PM feeding. I haven't been doing that lately because he hasn't seemed that hungry and simply breastfeeding seemed to be enough, but why?

Then I had my A-HA moment.

In late October I had some stress related milk production issues, so I went back to demand feeding to re-establish my milk supply. Also, it turned to winter here in the Frozen Tundra and we have been spending our evenings in the family room with a fire in the fireplace just being together as a family. And during that time he has fallen into a routine of having several short feedings and little catnaps all evening long. Since he has snacked and napped several times during the evening, he is not that hungry at 11 PM, nor is he that tired.

Yep. I did it. I let him snack and catnap all evening, and cost my self a night of sleep. Or many nights of sleep.

So yesterday I went back to scheduled feedings and didn't let him nap after dinnertime. He nursed at 8PM and then took a full 4oz bottle of expressed milk and nursed from both sides at 11PM. He slept NINE HOURS STRAIGHT last night!!

I just love A-HA moments. And sleep.

Thankful Thursday - Girls Night Out

I had a very special treat this week.

I had an evening out (without Jojo) with a few very special childhood/high school friends and sisters in Christ.

(From left to right: Me, Elissa, Anita, Suzanne, and Christy)

With the exception of Elissa, who I see about once a year, I hadn't seen them since Elissa's wedding 14 years ago.

We met for coffee, or my case orange juice, Tuesday evening and it was so wonderful to see how everyone has grown to be such wonderful women of faith.

What a wonderful blessing friends are, and I rejoice at the thought of spending eternity with them.

Thank you to Iris at Grace Alone for hosting Thankful Thursday this week.

Thankful Thursday - Christ in the OT

Isaiah 9

6 For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

 

 

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,

And as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;

Yet we esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;

He has put Him to grief.

When You make His soul an offering for sin,

He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,

And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see the labor of His soul,and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,

For He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,

And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,

Because He poured out His soul unto death,

And He was numbered with the transgressors,

And He bore the sin of many,

And made intercession for the transgressors.

************

This week I am celebrating the fulfillment of the first advent prophecies while looking for the second.

Happy Thankful Thursday and Merry Christmas everyone!

Thank you to Iris over at Grace Alone for hosting Thankful Thursday this week.

Saturday Snapshots

This week started with a lot of snow, so Jojo and I spent most of the week inside.

We love our new sling (http://www.sevenslings.com/).

Jojo is figuring out how to use his Johnny Jump Up.

Share the snapshots of your week at an ordinary mom.

Thankful Thursday

Jojo has been so happy and smiley this week. A happy baby truly is a blessing!

Psalm 127:3 ESV

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Thankful Thursday is being hosted by Iris at Grace Alone this month.

Saturday Snapshots

Loving the new hat!

Eating his hand...

Eating his blanket...

And back to loving the new hat...

Yes, he's entered the "everything goes staight into the mouth" stage.

Check out An Ordinary Mom for more Saturday Snapshots.

Thankful Thursday

1 I waited patiently for the LORD;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear the LORD

and put their trust in him.

Psalm 40:1-3

Sometimes the Scriptures speak my heart far better than what I can express in my own words.

Thankful Thursday is being hosted by Iris at Grace Alone this month.

The Rainbow Cake Revisited - Not Me Monday

Alternately titled "Yes, I'm Another Year Older"

Do you remember this?

(The Rainbow Cake December 2009)

This was last years birthday cake, which I made for myself just a little late.

After someone posted a cute song on my Facebook wall this morning about putting another candle on the cake I thought I would make myself a birthday cake on my birthday this year.

Then I remembered.....

The rainbow cake is *not* STILL in the freezer.

Of course not. I would *never* leave a cake in the freezer for a whole year.

(The Rainbow Cake December 2010)

And I most certainly did *not* take the cake out of the freezer and decide it would do for this year as well.

Oh no...*not me*

-Though Mckmama is no longer hosting Not Me Monday, I think I will post my own from time to time; it's just too much fun.

Word-Filled Wednesday

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

-Matthew 11:28

Check other Word Filled Wednesday posts here.

Thankful Thursday - Thanksgiving Edition

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

What am I most thankful for?

That the Creator of the universe would look upon sinful man and make a way for us to be reconciled to Him.

That He sent His own Son to be born of a virgin, live a sinless life, suffer the agony of death on a cross, and rise again on the third day so that all who repent and put their trust in him will be saved.

I'm thankful that He softened my hard heart and granted me repentance, and that He continues His good work in me, all for His own glory.

I'm thankful that though man may remember my sinful past I know that God looks on me and sees Christ's righteousness.

Romans 8

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Look Who's Getting Big

Today Jojo reached for a toy and picked it up...

dropped it...

grabbed it again...

and got it to his mouth.

Just like a big boy.

All using his left hand.

Sunday Hymns - Come Thou Fount

Sunday Hymns - Day by Day

Thankful Thursday - Lifelong Friends

I'm so thankful for wonderful Christians friends who have cried with me, encouraged me, and prayed with me over the last few weeks.

My oldest friend happened to be passing through my area and stopped by with her kids for a visit, just when I needed her most. We have been friends since we were both three years old. We've been through so much together and she has always been loyal, even when I bagged her as a science partner in 9th grade :-)

Elissa is a friend who always seems to know exactly what I need and what I need to hear. She is kind and compassionate and a wonderful listener. I am so blessed to have her in my life.

Thankful Thursday is being hosted by Laurie at Women Taking a Stand this month.

Walking Through a Valley

I think the last two weeks have been the hardest time my family has ever been through. I might blog about it later, but probably not.

A dear friend shared this song with me this morning. It's so beautiful.

Sweet Baby Talk

Peace

It's 11:30AM.

 I'm not dressed, I haven't showered or eaten. I need to go to Target, the bank, Whole Foods, and the church.

Yet here I sit, holding a sleeping baby...

And feeling totally at peace.

It's going to be a good day.



Thankful Thursday - Seasons

I love fall. I love the cool mornings and warm afternoons, the dry weather, and beautiful displays in nature. I also love winter, spring, and summer - all for other reasons. There are parts of each season that aren't so pleasant; raking leaves, shoveling snow, sub zero temps, and hot and humid days. Yet I still look forward to each new season.

Life has seasons too, though the changing of the seasons is often hard.

Over the last three years I have had the newlywed season, the rebellious teen season, and now I'm in the new baby season. Each season has seen it's share of tears and heartache. Major changes in life are hard. However, it's the hard times that make us grow.

This week I'm thankful for the changing of the seasons. I'm thankful for our loving Father who uses these seasons to teach us, mold us, and conform us to the image of His Son. I'm thankful for the grace that He gives to sustain us during these times of change, and that we can know that He will bring forth new life after the "winter."

2 Corinthians 5:17

17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Thank you to Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage for hosting Thankful Thursday this week.

Virtual Coffee

If we were meeting for coffee this morning I would find the comfiest chair and settle in with a bottle of water, explaining that coffee would keep the baby awake tonight.

I would tell you how God is using this season of change in my life to smooth away some of the rough edges.

I would tell you how proud I am of this little guy. He is seven weeks old today and has recently started smiling real smiles! He is a very content baby and had his best night of sleep ever last night.

The ladies of our church had a baby shower for us last week, so I would be sure to show you pictures.

Can you tell that's my mom? She gave the most powerful devotion I have ever heard at a shower. Everyone had tears in their eyes.



(My favorite gift)


I would probably whine for a minute about the continuing battle with mastitis.

What would you have to say?

Please link up for Virtual Coffee HERE



Wisdom

We decided shortly after we found out I was pregnant that we would home school Jojo.  Homeschooling really begins at birth, whether we are intentional about it or not.

I've been trying to keep that in mind as I work towards getting Jojo into a daily routine. One of the things we have started already is daily Bible reading. Every morning after breakfast I read the Scriptures to him, hoping to develop a lifelong habit of starting the day in God's Word.

Last June Ali at an ordinary mom challenged her readers to read a chapter of Proverbs a day for one month. Since there are 31 chapters in Proverbs and 31 days in October, that's what we will be reading this month.

Last week I wrote about keeping control of our thought life.  With that in mind, it seems very fitting to begin a month of filling our hearts and minds with the wisdom of Proverbs.

"The abortionist had to sign my birth certificate."

Thank you to Sola Sisters for the original post.

Romans Road - Free E-book

Awhile ago I participated in a group writing project on the Romans Road. You can read the complete project by clicking in the image below.

Word-Filled Wednesday

Two of my favorite "gifts"

James 1:17 ESV

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Taking Every Thought Captive

This is a repost of something I wrote last fall. I really need to read it myself right now, and I will refer back to this in a different post later this week.

*************

2 Corinthians 10:5 (New International Version)

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Though I've read it many times, this verse really struck me last week.

Take every thought captive.

I have been striving to put this into practice over the past week, and have found that it is transforming my marriage.

It's so easy to slip into "oh poor me" thoughts when my husband is harsh with me right when he comes in the door, forgets something that was important to me, or just doesn't seem to pay any attention to me.

Normally any of those things would result in me treating him poorly as well. That has not been very effective. It usually ends in a bigger argument.

It really is a sin. God has provided me with a wonderful husband, and when I choose to look for faults, I find them. When I choose to be a victim, I am one.

But when I choose to love and serve my husband even when he is gruff, I honor God. When I take the "poor me" thought captive, I see it as a sin. It is a failure to be thankful for the husband that God has provided for me, and it is a failure to respect my husband (Eph 5:33). When I respond lovingly to him, I am sharing the love of God with him. He is blessed by it, and things have been so much more peaceful at home. What a blessing!

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

Training myself to take each thought captive is hard but possible... by grace alone.

Thankful Thursday

Thank you to Iris at Grace Alone  for hosting Thankful Thursday this week.

As I've been enjoying this precious "newborn" time the last two weeks I've been reflecting a lot on the importance of my family.

My husband has been so strong, patient, and kind through the difficult pregnancy and now through the newborn baby days.

I'm so fortunate to have parents who love the Lord and have been married for 38 years. I am so thankful that I grew up in a stable and loving home and that I still have a great relationship with my parents.

I also have wonderful grandparents. One grandfather has gone to be with the Lord. My other grandfather is recovering from a major cancer surgery. I hope to be able to bring the baby to Iowa to visit him and my grandmother soon.

The other grandmother was in town last week and got to meet her new great -grandson:

I wrote about Grandma Theora HERE - she truly is a Proverbs 31 woman.

I have been blessed with in-laws who love the Lord. They took very good care of me while I was on bed rest!

Last week the Teen came over and we had a wonderful visit - it was so nice to have lunch with both of my boys!

Hmmm...it seems he might be taller than me now.

We also had a great dinner with my aunt and uncle and three of my cousins last week.

I am truly blessed to have such a great family.

Word-Filled Wednesday

Psalm 127:3-5 ESV

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Thankful Thursday

I have so much to be thankful for this week.

-The best husband

-A beautiful baby

-Precious newborn squeaks and grunts

-That sweet baby smell

-Tiny fingers

-Lanolin. Seriously.

-A visit from the Teen

-And our great and awesome God Who made it all possible

Thank you to Laurie at Women Taking a Stand for hosting Thankful Thursday this week.

He's Here!!!

Josef

Born two short hours ago - 6:17 AM

6lbs 14 oz

20.5 inches

Everyone is doing well!

Friday Randomness

-Still pregnant but enjoying being off of bed rest!

-Enjoying new blog hops today

-I just found a great blog with a lot of natural cleaning tips:

 - Andria over at I am What I am has set up a Facebook page for Mommy bloggers, check it out!