The Sleep Whisperer

I've always been really into kids' and babies' sleeping habits. It's an amazing thing.  Habits are so addicting!  That first year can make or break the person's sleeping habits.  I read and listened to our pediatrician for advice.  When V was over six months old we finally let her cry it out.  4+ hours of the most torturous hours of my life.

With Christian I only waited until he was 5 months and he only cried for 40 min and then was the most champion sleeper I had ever seen or heard of.  Amazing.  You'd put him in his crib at 6:30, awake and get him out at 6:30 am and he was the happiest baby never making a peek through the entire TWELVE hours!

When Brecken was a few weeks old I happened to stumble upon an old blog post of a blog I like and trust (she was a teacher) about how she sleep trained at 3 months old!!! I thought they had to be able to sleep through the night without eating to be able to do it.

So I began soon after Brecken turned three months.  He had already had some pretty good habits.  I could put him down right after feeding at night and he'd put himself to sleep.  I'm sure it helped that I went to pump and he was just put down and I wasn't there for 20 min. even if I wanted to be.

In the last week we've gone from him crying for 15-25 minutes each night after his critical bedtime routine at the same time each night for several nights.  Tonight he cried for 3 min.

That's it.

Then he laid there and put himself to sleep.

Just call me the Baby Sleep Whisperer.......

Or the lady who has three kids and sleep is important.

Give Me a Bath

Giving my baby a bath is my favorite time of the day.  He started out taking baths in our kitchen sink.  This always seemed weird to me, until I finally tried it.  

GENIUS!  I'd bathe all the kids in there if I could.

Look what a little adorable bundle he was! 

We was a few weeks old here.

A couple weeks later he could look up and smile.

I was singing along to Nick Lachey's lullabies here.

(Note the clutter in the corner. Gone baby gone.  It's my summer resolution to be counter clutter clean.)

Look at those Baby Eyes looking up at me.

So precious!

Snuggled in his little towel.

 Still looking at me.

I LOVE that little boy!

I think I'll stick him in the sink tomorrow just to see how huge he is!

Note to Self

Note to self:

Next time your husband sits and makes you garage sale signs while you watch....don't comment on his penmanship.

Summer Blow Out

"He hasn't pooped since Friday,"  I've been heard saying every single day lately to just about anyone who has held Brecken.  I follow it up with, "It's going to be a blow out when he does....."

Well, he did have. A.  Blow.  Out.

At Victoria Summer Academy Open House tonight.  

At least we got there early and headed out to the 'world's most gigantic playground in the whole wide world' before we left.  I was sitting on a little ledge feeding him a bottle.  I felt something sticky on my fingers on my left hand.  Sure as shit (pun totally intended!) it was the most thick and sticky poop EVER!!  It had been leaking out onto my skirt.  I called Mark over and we extremely calmly (I might add) went into emergency mode.  Of course, I didn't bring the diaper bag in.  It was the three blocks back to the car (see previous SA post to read the looooong version of the SA parking lots).  I used the half page of card stock that had all the room numbers on it.  And thank the good Lord I eat at Buffalo Wild Wings a lot because I had a good stash of wet wipes in my purse.  Not enough to actually get it all out from underneath my fingers nails.  But 'good enough if you have three kids' good enough.  Yes, that's very disgusting, but true.  Christian spotted what we going on as he ran by and screamed, "Victoria, we gotta go!!  Brecken pooped ALL OVER MOM!"

We made it back to the car and Mark did the change in the World's Busiest Parking Lot and I handed out the Huggies wipes and held open the plastic bag.  I even had a big enough/correct season extra outfit in the bag.  

I predict in a few years and I'm holding Brecken's had as he walks thru that parking lot when we're there for Victoria's Open House he might hear something about - "When you were a baby......."

Father's Day Part II

Father's Day Interview by the Humphrey Children

What is something daddy always says to you? V: I love you little munchkin.  C: Please
What makes daddy happy? V: When we pick up our toys in the yard. C: When we say thank you
What makes daddy sad? V: When we don't listen   C: When I stick my tongue out at him.
How does daddy make you laugh? V: When he's funny. C:  When I mane funny faces at him.
How old is daddy? V: 35  C: 35
What is daddy's favorite thing to do? V: Spend time with his family. C: Play catch with me with the real baseball and our gloves.
What does daddy do when you're not around? V: I don't know because I'm not here.  C: I don't know because I'm not around.
How tall is daddy? V: Really tall  C: 34 inches
If daddy becomes famous what will it be for? V: Being the best daddy in the world.  C: Singing just like Jordan Knight.  (Yes, that is his actual response.)
What is daddy really good at? V: Fishing  C: Playing catch and flying our planes.
What is daddy not very good at? V: Nothing C: Changing Brecken's diaper.
What does daddy do for his job? V: Construction worker  C: Build houses
What's daddy's favorite food? V: Meat  C: Broccoli
What do you and daddy do together? V: Have fun  C: Play catch
How are you and daddy the same? V: ?  C: Our hair is the same.
How are you and daddy different? V: He has whiskers and I don't   C: I'm littler and he's bigger.
Where is daddy's favorite place to go? V: Menards  C:n Pizza Ranch
How do you know daddy loves you? V:Because he tells me that   C: Because he's my daddy.

Daddy's Father's Day Interview

The best part of being a dad is watching my children's accomplishments.

I'm glad no one Instragrammed that!  When I pelted Christian in the face with a snowball.

How I hope they take after me --- work ethic

The trait I hope they don't get from me --- short fuse

The most important lesson I will teach my children is take responsibility for your actions.

What I learned about myself when I became a dad - patience is a virtue I don't have enough of.

I'm better at fixing things than mom.

Mom is better at parenting than me.

When they're older they will probably be embarrassed by my constant joking around.

I look forward to when Brecken is old enough to play catch.

I look forward to when Christian is old enough to have a child.

I look forward to when Victorai is old enough to graduate college.

The Lashes

A sleeping baby is one of the most precious things in the world.

I love the chubby cheeks, the button nose, the tiny fingers and toes.

But good grief, those lashes...........

My Graduates

My first class of students graduated this year.  That means, if you were a second grader a decade ago, you should be graduating this June.

Maybe you've heard a teacher say, "I don't have favorites."  Let me tell you, it's not like having children.  Because you actually DO have favorites.  I have 2-3 favorites each year.  I have three from my very first year.  I was invited to two of their graduation parties this year.

Even though my life has changed in so many ways since I was their second grade teacher, I will remember them forever because I sunk my heart and soul into that class.  

I didn't have children or a husband.  I was theirs and all theirs.  

It still shows when I see kids from that class.  It was a really special year.  

This is Jake.  His mom and I have become friends over the years.  She's actually subbed for me over the years.  Jake came up to me my VERY FIRST day and handed me a gourd covered in puff paint and said, "My mom thought I should give this to you because you were going to be so nervous today."

I will never forget it.  I was very very nervous.  And somehow that gourd and Jake made me feel a little bit more at ease.  I ended up home schooling his little sister for a couple months and had his younger sister in second grade several years later.  I consider his family genuine friends of our family. 

Now Jake is headed out of state for college and had to slouch for this photo. 

This little lady was the cutest little second grader ever.

Her mom worked at our school, so I was friends with her and couldn't stop gushing about her daughter.

I loved her!

In fact, our 'adult only' wedding included a flower girl and her brother 

and Molly.

She was quiet but friendly.

She respectful and hard working.

We had a connection and I still love that little girl.

Even though she doesn't look or sound the same -

I still feel that love for her.

Even though it's bittersweet to think those little eight year olds have turned into eighteen year olds

I am happy for them and only wish them the very very best in their future.

I hope they continue to 

read every night and be kind to their friends 

and extra kind to those they don't know.