I've got a big girl in the making...

We made the transition to a toddler bed this past weekend! "Oh my!" is right! I had thought her crib was supposed to be a 4-in-1 and turn from a crib - daybed -toddler bed - then to a twin or full. BUT I could not get it and of course we no longer have the paperwork on it anymore SOO... we bought a toddler bed from a friend on YCM for $20!! Wohoo! After I sanded it, I had help from Danny painting it and then I put it together and took down the crib and changing table. I am really proud of myself for taking this on and doing it. Usually Justin and/or Danny feel like I throw projects on to them and I never mean to, they just take over ;)... (really, they enjoy it though. Don't let them fool you - haha) I guess I should not have taken it all down until I knew if it would work or not because the first night was rough. If the crib had still been up, she would have gone in it! Then again, I am glad I took it down b/c soon or later, she would have to transition! Anyhow, we are on day 2 and it is slowly getting better. The first night she thought it was the coolest thing to be able to run over to her bed and sit on it with her books and stuffed bear ... then came bedtime.... She would lay down but as soon as I would get ready to leave she would cry a scared cry. After sitting by her bed and then sitting by the door and making my way out of the room she went to sleep an hour and a half later. 5am I hear a loud noise and Hayden begins to cry -- yep, she fell out of the bed. Let me remind you that this DOES have side rails on it and one side is against the wall... she just sleeps all over the place! So in the bed with us she goes!! Sunday nap she falls asleep in the car so that went well. We just moved her to the bed and she slept a good 2 hour nap. Now that evening was better than the first, only took about an hour. I just layed there and explained that she needed to sleep in her big girl bed and mommy was going to sleep in her own bed and see her in the morning and she did good. Now at 1am she fell out again! I layed with her for a min and left the room again. Today, day 2, daddy put her down for her nap but when I got home with groceries I guess I was loud enough to wake her up so I hear her, go in there and she is sitting on the floor by the door. Not a great naptime but it will do... in her crib if she had heard me she would have layed back down and went to sleep but not now that she can get out of her bed herself. So here we go to a big girl in the making.

Day 5 Update:

It is getting a lot better. I knew it would just like training her to self soothe when she was a baby. However, I have had to start building a little wall with some stacked pillows so she can't fall out. Riht now the ratio is 4:5. That would be 4 nights, 5 falls. Monday night I walked in to check on her and build the wall and she had hers knees on the floor but her head was still trying to hang on the bed, like a praying postition. It was cute but poor thing!!! Naptimes have actually been a lot better than expected. I thought it would be hardest, that she would just rebel against sleeping and want to play but she is doing better at naptime then bedtime.

Lesson learned for myself here - Well, a lot of patience, as usual. But also I think that with the next one I will be sure that it is time to transistion over. Now I am not saying it wasn't time for her but I may have rushed it a little bit. She was able to climb in/out of her crib and she does looked cramped sleeping all over the place in there but now ... she can get in and out whenever she wants!! LOL! I know that after talking to so many other parents that everything is different for everyone/child. Some never had any problems and started at a year old with the toddler bed... some wait 3 years or longer.

Mother's Day 2010

Mother's Day becomes more and more special to me. Hearing Hayden say "I love you" is the most amazing feeling ever! I know the day she says it and knows what she is saying it will mean even more. She loves to tell people "I love you, muah, bye bye" It is sweet! I couldn't imagine life any different. It is also has changed the way I look at Mother's Day regarding my own mother. Oh how I can appreciate the role of being a mom now more than ever! I could never say enough wonderful things about my mom to make up for even half of who she is. What she has taught me and made me the mother I am to Hayden today. I thank God for giving me such a wonderful mom who cared, loved, and never gave up ;). There was never a day that went by that my mom did not help me (and her other daughters), love me, hug me, or pray for me. I hope one day Hayden will be able to feel the same about her mom as I do about mine.

We Love You Mom!!

This weekend my mom took Hayden for the day on Saturday while Justin and I went on the lake. We took the boat out and got some sun! We rode up to TBones on the Lake and had lunch on the pier, then got back on the water to lay out! How nice! I truly enjoy the time Justin and I get to have just one on one. Sunday, after Church, we went to Granny's house for a family cookout. Hotdogs and hamburgers are always good with good family time! I would do it every week if it were possible! The kids playing was so good to see.... Hayden, Ava, and Ali, and Justin and Josh running around! I think Hayden could be friends with anyone if they would just give her the time of day.... that means all their attention! :) She would go around saying "hug" and hug whomever. And cousin Lee and Larah were able to make it with the new baby Jude! He is so very precious! I got ot hold him and get my baby fix... I am all good to go now. :D

That brings me to this question: Does everyone eventually stop asking "when are you going to have another baby?" It doesn't seem like it cause I get it all the time. I really have no idea if we will have another baby or not. I don't know why I am having a hard time with this decision. There are so many good things about having a sibling for Hayden nut I am not sure if I can handle it all or not. I wonder that same thing about Justin too. Does that sound selfish? It really is a battle going on inside my head on this. I wish I could skip through and have 2 kids about 6 years old and 8. No I don't really wish that at all actually! I enjoy all the milestones watching Hayden grow and learn, I just know it will be tough in the first stages with 2 children. But there are many many women who have done so I know I could, I think. LOL No I know I could.

Speaking of, Hayden was in the bath tonight (looooves the bath) and picked up a foam letter "A" and said "A"... Isn't that great?! She is really smart, I swear she is, not just because she is mine. I think I was always afraid I would not know how to teach her things so I just "review" and do games and cards and stuff like that all the time. I sing the alphabet all the time and she will sing the tune with me but not yet the letters. She will say all the colors but it is just the words, not like the actual color with a match. But you know, some children do not yet talk as well at this age so I know she will do just fine! I hope and pray that she continues to learn as quickly as she does now so that she does not have study problems when she is older. Oh but how I do not want to get into thinking about school yet... that is a discussion in itself and it is so early. I cannot believe that in a few years I will be deciding what is best for schooling! I am considering all options - Private/Chirstian, homeschooling, public? Just don't know which is best. I need to get out there and ask some people who may have some input.

So to end a wonderful Mother's Day,

Happy Mother's Day to all of your wonderful moms out there!

Good Night!

Family Time

Lately we have been able to really spend some family time together. Justin was layed off at Bowater and we took advantage of that time. We went on the lake in the boat, all three of us. Hayden loved it. She just wanted to drive! We rode around for a couple hours on Lake Wylie and just enjoyed the fresh air.

We also packed up and headed to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. The drive took about an hour and a half but Hayden did surprisinly well. This was such a fun age to take her because she knew the animals and the sounds they made so she was very interested in seeing them alive and in action. We brought our own lunch and sat at the tables for a break then headed back for more. We did bring her backpack "leash" and found it useful. I would never walk around the store with her wearing one but somewhere like the zoo, I thought it was perfect. She felt independent and could squeeze through tight areas and yet I had her the whole time. She was so funny, she would mock the monkeys, saying "eh eh eh mon-key" She did this with a lot of the animals.

We got to feed the giraffes too! That was pretty neat. I think Hayden was a little scared but definately comforted being in daddy's arms. After one long, but wonderful day, Hayden was knocked out all the way home making it a good car ride home. I think I even napped a little ways while Justin drove. :)

And to clear things up, Justin does now have a job. He was hired on at Domtar 2 weeks after Bowater. Straight 3rd isn't exactly what I was thinking but it seems to be working out pretty well. We still get time together and it actually helps me out when I have to work over or have a house to clean in the morning or something but it is still 3rd shift and I know he doesn't get good sleep having to sleep during the day. I have to say I am proud of him!