parent of the year, baby. it's mine for sure.

Last night, Hazel answered to a different name.
Fussy Von Whinencrank.









Pick me up.
Put me down.
How dare you put me down??
I want that toy.
No, I want THAT toy.
She screamed and fussed at everything.
And just as her Mama had decided that tossing her out the window might be the only way to get her to stop fussing...
We discovered the bathroom sink.
Seriously.









(Not that any part of my brain even considered metaphorically tossing my baby out the window... ahem.)
It may be unorthodox - but it worked for a good 25 minutes. And that, friends, is the equivalent of 17 hours in the just-before-bedtime moments of the day.












I'm pretty sure this solidifies my title as Mama of the Year. You have my permission to be impressed.

bubble, bubble

There are all kinds of delicious, deep blog posts brewing away in my head right now.

Trouble is, I can't put words to any of them at the moment... not coherent words, at any rate.

And so, I resort to the fabulous Update in the Form of a List. Hold onto your hats.

1. Hazel officially has four teeth now. What a big girl!

2. Mark is off to PA this weekend, so Haze and I are off to my parents' house again - I'm not so geeked about the driving (I never know what to expect with her in the backseat for 4 hours...) but I'm pumped to get to hang with the fam again.

3. I'm reading some good books right now, and have some more on the way (via Swaptree, which I L*O*V*E)

4. I did one of my yoga/pilates DVDs this week and my buff, tough, mama-arms are sore. Let's just say that Baby Lugging Muscles do not equal Yoga/Pilates Muscles. It felt great, though.

5. I cannot believe October is almost over. What in the world.

6. Mark and I went on a date this week (gone about 2 hours total) and I think our baby cried pretty much the whole time. Fat chance we EVER LEAVE HER AGAIN. (I jest, of course we will - it just stinks to come home to a sad sad baby who missed her mama & daddy).

7. It's lovely and sunny outside. Again. I love it.

8. I won't be posting tomorrow, as we'll be trying to get an early start. I'll see what I can do about serving up some of those fabulous thoughts that are a'brewing. Edge of your seats, I know.

Have a great weekend!!

apples, apples, everywhere

I adore fall.
Adore.
Crispy air, crunchy leaves, spicy smells, beautiful colors on the trees, pumpkins, apples, delicious baked goods, warm drinks... I could go on and on. And on.
But I'd rather enjoy the gorgeous day God's given us... so here's the short version:
Right now, my daughter is sleeping, my husband is reading on the couch, my dishwasher is happily scrubbing the tools I used to create a mess in my kitchen, the oven door is open (to flood the kitchen with toasty warm air as it cools down) and my counter is littered with the aftermath my productive afternoon (which would include apple-cinnamon muffins, glazed apple cookies and fresh applesauce... can you tell we had an abundance of apples in the house?)









Did I mention that I adore fall??

stepping out

I am not a risk-taker.

I think I used to be. Or at least, I used to be more of a risk-taker than I am today. At least when it comes to Things That Matter.

Oh, I'll ride big tall rollercoasters (and love 'em).

And I'll chop my hair off (heck, it always grows back).










But in actuality - I am habitually a person who is pretty good at appearing all-put-together and actually terrified of putting myself out there.

I don't like to call up new friends and ask them to do things. It feels like dating, and I never was very good at dating, and it's always weird when they say no (even for a really good reason). Do you call back, keep trying - or does that make you seem strange and desperate?

I second-guess myself when I reach out with a note, a phone call, an email... if I don't hear back within a reasonable amount of time (or whatever my silly little head has deemed "reasonable") then I am sure that I have alienated them, said something weird, and now have to figure out how to undo the damage without wreaking any more havoc.

I'm not sure where this nervous, wimpy, non-risk-taker gal came from... or when exactly she moved in and took over my mind and body... but I'd like to evict her.

I want to be bold because of who I am in Christ. I want to remember that I can have and be all kinds of things (good things!) but if I don't have love, if I don't live love for others... I have nothing. I want to focus on the fact that my rewards are in heaven - not on Earth... and the only things that satisfy are from God.

But lately God has been showing me glimpses - giving me snippets of His power and His grace, and how He has designed our lives... and I hear Him calling me, gently but urgently, to take more risks.

And I have. And although sometimes it's more than I bargained for - it feels great.

Funny how God always seems to know what's best, huh? I mean - what is up with that??
:)

it's a funny thing

I'm feeling Moderately Baffled by life lately. Just in a tilt-your-head-to-the-side-and-give-it-a-little-scratch kind of way.

Of course, at any given time, I am Mildly/Moderately/Severely Baffled by all kinds of things, so this is not to say that I am feeling anything particularly profound or novel. I am currently just feeling moved to report to my faithful bloggie friends about it. Lucky you.

At the moment, I am Moderately Baffled by:

1. Answers to prayer. Especially things that have been on my heart for a long time. It's odd and a bit surreal to finally see fruit in some of those areas, and I realize that part of me may have started to believe that I would be forever praying and always hearing "My plan is different from your plan" in response.

And at the same time, being baffled by "not yet" responses to other prayer requests. I am not upset (yet, although that may come)... just perplexed.

2. The fact that I am me. That sounds really weird, I know... but I have been adjusting to this huge new addition to my personality (Katie the Mama) for the past 8 months, and the more she cleaves to the Old Katie, the more I see of mySelf coming back into my sightlines. Of course, I will always be learning about Katie the Mama, especially as her role grows and changes over the years to come - but the Old Katie is rearing her head back up, and now I am mentally wrestling with incorporating bits of her back into my day to day life.

The Old Katie loved to learn and be mentally (academically) fed and challenged - and that's been missing for awhile. I am (and pretty much always have been) a school nerd. I missed it while I was working full-time, but there was usually enough mental challenge at work that I was still satisfied in this arena. Having a baby sucked out my brains - but they are slowly returning and they are hungry. Not sure how to feed them... or what exactly I want to feed them.

3. The Babynut. Of course, she will probably always be moderately baffling to me, at least. She is, after all, her own separate, unique person, and only God will ever truly know the inner workings of her heart. But as her true, beautiful, passionate, God-given personality grows more apparent by the day - I am learning about her.

And making progress (which is good!) But similar to the prayer-thing... I'm a bit baffled that I am making progress. Again, I think I let myself think that I would forever be struggling to "figure her out." And I'm sure I will, but only because new facets of herself will present themselves to me. That doesn't mean that as time passes and we grow together, that I won't be able to study and learn bits and pieces - and learn how to respond/react/deal in a way that honors and respects both of our unique personalities.

In conclusion to a long and somewhat verbose meandering brain-dump...
Cute Baby Pictures.
Enjoy!!

Hazel & Dave:









Hazel has her daddy's expressive forehead:










Sweet smiles.

knew I married him for a reason...

Because he's an ACTUAL ninja.
Gives that post's title a whole new meaning. (looks around, blushing... "Who said that??")

mama can take down the ninja

There is an intruder in my house.

Since Sunday (at least) - my home has been home to the world's most obnoxious houseguest EVER. Always hovering, never leaving me alone... I just cannot seem to convince this guest to vacate the premises.

It's a fly.

Not even a big one - just a little bitty housefly.

But I swear - it has ninja skillz. It's uncatchable, unswattable - and for a few hours every day - undetectable. Just to lure me into a false sense of security - I forget temporarily that my house has been overtaken by a mutant insect, and then when I least expect it... BAM. Stinking bug lands on my forehead. Or my lunch. Yum.

I'm not sure how to handle it, as it's a wee bit chilly to just leave the windows and doors flung wide open (not to mention that such an act might be construed as an open invitation and then I could find a full-on convention of ninja insects taking over my living room...)

All I can say is - Mama has had it. Beware, ninja fly.

what's your sign?

Recently I have come to the conclusion that life (at least, MY life) would be monumentally easier if every person wore a sign around his/her neck that listed Things You Should Know About Me If You Want to Be My Friend. (Or something that means the same thing but sounds way less cheesy and dorky).

Logistics (such as: Is it really prudent to have such a sign be visible at all times or should it only appear when someone really DOES want to be your friend? and How many things go on the list?) aside - I'm convinced this is a stellar idea. The fact that I came up with the idea has nothing to do with its obvious merit. *cough*

Inane and inconsequential "insights" like I like basketball would only be allowed on the list if your liking borders on obsession and it would truly be helpful for someone to know this prior to going about the business of becoming your friend.

Now, I'm not talking about taking all the fun out of getting to know someone - because I really do like the discovery process involved in growing new friendships. I'm also not advocating that the sign hanging around the neck would in any way serve as a deterrent ("Oh, now that I know that, I don't want to be your friend") NOPE.

It's just that (especially early on) a lot of time/energy/potentially hurt feelings could be saved if we had certain tidbits of information upfront.

Katie, I just don't get exactly what you mean!

Here's a completely made-up, not-at-all-realistic or exactly and precisely accurate "for instance":

One of the items on my sign would read: "I don't like feeling/looking stupid." (Don't like is probably way too gently put, actually) I know that very few people probably actually like feeling and/or looking stupid, so it seems like a silly thing to say - but run with me here for a minute, folks.

My intense dislike for feeling/looking stupid is pride-based. I am well aware of this, and it is definitely something I struggle with and work on - on a daily basis. I want people to think I have it together and I can handle things. I know it shouldn't matter to me - and God & I are in the process of working on that.

HOWEVER - those that know and love me are aware of this - and are particularly judicious with their advice/help/comments - they know me well enough to wait until I ask for help or input, or they know how to say things or to approach me in a way that doesn't seem condescending or patronizing. Above all - they show more interest in me as a person than in what they can do for me - and that (for me) is a really good thing. I appreciate their willingness to love me where I am, despite the fact that I probably should be somewhere else.

I've met new people who didn't know this about me - and occasionally, in their unknowing efforts to "be helpful" wind up setting off a defensive alarm in my head. Advice is given (that is almost certainly well-intentioned) that makes me feel talked-down-to and suddenly... walls go up. Well-meaning help is offered - and I transform into someone who is "incapable" - which makes me want to avoid the person offering the help because now I think they think I can't hack it on my own.

I know - I'm crazy. But the thing is - if I had a sign around my neck, everyone who wanted to be my friend could KNOW how crazy I am and could (if they so chose) adjust their approach to me.
Likewise - I would be thrilled to not inadvertently step on someone else's "emotional toes" and learn, from the very beginning, to love them where they are...

Sometimes, I think a little tip-off wouldn't be that bad.

What would your sign say??

----------------------------------------
Completley Unrelated and Gratuitous Baby Pictures:

Hazel has enjoyed music, specifically acoustic guitar, since before she was born. This just further evidence that we have a little prodigy on our hands.

Not that I'm biased or anything.

begone!

I should be allowed nowhere near peanut butter M & Ms. Especially cute Halloween colored peanut butter M & Ms. I will munch on the entire bag, no matter the size, over the course of a few (too few) days until every. last. one. is. gone.

And then, I won't really miss them. I don't need them. But my willpower goes right out the window if I try to coexist with them.

On an entirely unrelated note - my friend Dilyn came over to spend a couple hours with Hazel and I this morning (and hopefully every Thursday morning). We had (or at least - I had and I hope she had) a nice time chatting and learning a little more about each other. We've known each other for awhile but have never had a ton of opportunity to sit around and have the kind of talks that lead to knowing a person more, well... personally. I think we started branching that way today.

Dilyn is a wonderfully sweet gal who is a junior in college, studying all kinds of science things that I'm totally impressed by (because I'm SO not a studying-science kind of girl myself)... on her way to hopefully being a physical therapist. She's also spending a lot of her time loving the girls (now high school sophomores) that I knew well when I was leading WYLdLife (middle school ministry I was involved in during my pre-baby days). It's incredibly cool to see her know and love these girls well - girls that (although I don't get to see them as often anymore) are incredibly special to me. And they love her so. much. too. Dilyn is a quiet-at-first, thoughtful, observant and generous woman who loves Christ a lot - and it positively seeps out of her. I like her.

Part of our conversation this morning is leading me to a (few?) new blog post(s)... but they're still stewing in my brain right now, so y'all will just have to wait. In the meantime...

my daughter is a robot

I've concluded that Hazel is a robot.

You know the one from The Incredibles - the one that has a mind of its own and decided to thwart all authority and run rampant over the tropical island and as anyone tries to fight it, it actually learns and gets smarter and smarter and better at outsmarting its opponent?

Yup - that's her.

The difference being that the robot in the movie actually killed its enemies. She hasn't succeeded in doing that yet.

But I swear - anything - ANYTHING - that is helpful with the usual bedtime/naptime battle we fight daily around here - anything - it only lasts a day or two. (And since it usually takes 2-3 days to figure out what "helpful" might be, the return on my investment is not so hot).

I thought mamas were supposed to love naptime and bedtime. In my head, it was always a sweet, quiet, dimly lit bonding time where songs are softly sung, sweet words are murmured - full of rocking chairs and snuggly blankets and delicious-smelling baby heads.

My reality includes many of those things - snuggly blankets and yummy baby heads and dim lights and soft songs... but they are too often cut short by cries and yells and a baby that is struggling against my arms and rubbing her face in my shoulder because she is So Tired but screams bloody murder when I have the audacity to lay her down to sleep in her bed. And so, I kind of dread bedtime and naptime.

I feel like I must be missing something, some key to parenting, some skill - there just doesn't seem to be any good reason why it should still be so gosh darn hard to put that girl to sleep.

Shouldn't there be something, some trick, that comforts her and makes her feel safe and sleepy?

And shouldn't her mama, who grew her and gave birth to her and spends every day with her be able to figure that out??

*sigh* Parenting robots is tricky business, folks.

powerful stuff

45 minutes ago, I was actually in physical pain from listening to Hazel cry. Poor gal was just so tired and just so stubbornly refusing to sleep... bad combo. It felt like it would never end, the wailing.

Three-quarters of an hour, a warm mug of decaf-coffee-plus-hot-cocoa, some good time with my Beth Moore devotional study book, and a little pilates/yoga and a few push-ups later... and I feel like new.

It doesn't hurt that Haze isn't crying anymore either.

I'm just saying... our most basic needs, combined with a few of the most simple pleasures... what else could a gal really ask for?

around the world in 80 days

I would say that I feel like I've been living in a Jules Verne novel lately. But that would be phony and fake, as I went to Illinois (not around the world) in a Nissan Versa (not by railroad or steamer) for 3 days (not 80)... and I have not even actually read Around the World in Eighty Days. So I will simply use it as a clever and exaggerative title (to a blog post in which I make up new words like exaggerative).

At any rate - I'm back. Hazel and I went to Nana & Papa's house (my parents) for the weekend since Daddy has been out of town since last Sunday and Mama was wanting a little bit of caretaking for herself. Oh - and because of her 10-year-high-school reunion. Gulp.

It was a lovely weekend - I'm always so well taken care of at my parents' house - they cook great food, run to Panera for delicious blueberry muffins in the morning, snuggle my baby daughter and fight over who gets to dress her and change her diapers and feed her dinner... it's a little vacation from my everyday life. We shopped, watched some TV, took walks, and played with the baby. Excellent.

And this visit, I got to reconnect with friends from high school. There was no real formal "party" - it was Homecoming weekend at BHS and there were mini-events all weekend, the only one of which I attended was my friend Sara's informal open-house. There were some people I've seen relatively recently (in the past year), some where it's been 2 or 3 or 5 years... and some I literally have not seen since the summer after we graduated. Here's what I noticed:

- We all pretty much look the same. Some people so much the same it's almost creepy.

- Lots of us have changed names... not just because we're married, but because we now answer to "Mom/Mommy/Mama/Mommommommommom"

- When talking to some of the people with whom I was not super-close or even necessarily "friends" (as opposed to more "friendly acquaintances") and you remove all the high school social trickiness and add 10 years - you think to yourself "if we still lived in the same town, I bet we would be good friends, because these are just nice people." It makes you feel kinda good, but also really sad that high school is so fraught with drama and social strata that prevents you from realizing those things as a teenager.

- It's strange to stand in your old friend's same old house with the same old people (plus their wives/husbands/children), snacking on slightly more refined food... and feel as though nothing and everything has changed.

- I much prefer smaller group get-together/catch-up sessions. It was a blast to see people, but I'm just not a big-group-type person. I like a cup of coffee (okay, okay - a doctored up frou-frou latte drink) and 1 or 2 other people and good conversation. I'd really love to catch up with these people in a more personal setting - but that's not exactly the easiest thing to do.

Anyway - we're home now, 10-year-reunion is under my belt, and Mark comes home (LATE) tomorrow night. Haze and I are looking forward to having our guy around again.

i am not universal

I've never been one of those people who "everyone just likes." And honestly (said with a slightly ashamed face)... I've never really been one of those people who naturally just "likes everyone."

I'm not going to sit and rant about how people do this or people do that or I hate it when people always... because I am well aware that I own the vast majority of responsibility when it comes to both sides of this issue. The way we treat and respond to the people around us has a great deal to do with whether we are liked or whether we like others. (I know that I can't control how they treat and respond to me, which is why I'll never hold out for universal appeal).

I've had a few relationships in my life that started out fairly rocky. People with whom I thought I had nothing in common and would not get along well with - or others that I knew (or thought I knew) and with whom I did not even want to be friends... and I have often been proved wrong. Very wrong. And honestly - I love it when that happens. And it's always the result of someone reaching out and taking a risk.

Sometimes the risk is minimal - just a friendly gesture to a person with whom you're not sure you'd get along... and you find that you can talk easily and find a great deal of support and encouragement in a new friend.

Sometimes the risk is terrifying - putting yourself out there and having a tough conversation that shines a big, bright spotlight on the elephant in the corner... and you find that the elephant is just as scared of you as you are of it, and that it just really would love to be your friend.

The thing is - it's always hard to work up to having that tough conversation... and (again, said with a slightly ashamed face) tough to figure out if the risk is worth the potential benefit. Because even though it could turn out beautifully and result in a rewarding new friendship... it could make a just slightly rocky relationship completely crumble into tiny little gravelly bits.

I'm not the easiest person to get to know, initially. I've been told I can be fairly guarded and stand-offish (probably doesn't seem that way on my blog, but this is a weirdly safe place for me to be myself) - and that's usually the case when I don't feel as though I can trust someone with myself. I've been burned by friends before, after over-zealous dive-right-into-being-friends personal sharing... and I'm fairly hesitant to do it again. Especially with people I know relatively well who have never truly put me at ease.

The thing is - I don't think this habit (or whatever you want to call it) is particularly God-pleasing... and I'd like to work on it. I just don't know how to start.

Can anyone out there relate?

filling the time

The days slide by... and if I'm not paying attention, I have No Idea what I've done with them. Partly, that's a curse of Mamahood, and partly, it's about me not being a very good steward of my time.

I have a budget for our money... and I usually think of myself as a pretty good time-manager. Except that I haven't really sat down and thought about how I want to be spending my time. I'm not sure that I view it as the incredibly rare and valuable resource that it is...

Lots of people have lots of opinions on how you should spend your time. Full-time work, stay-at-home-mama, housekeeping, exercise, girls-night-out, date-night with the hubby, playing with your kid, taking a nap, reading a book...

The thing with opinions is that they really usually work best for the person who is giving it. Not to say that sharing opinions is a bad thing, or that I don't OFTEN find value when someone shares theirs with me... it's just that at the end of the day, no one is responsible for me but me. And I don't want to look back and wish I'd spent my time differently.

Mark is out of town this week - and I'm trying to keep our schedule relaxed but productive - full of things that I might normally push aside for less meaningful, more mundane tasks. Because really - I'd rather eat dinner at a friends house and enjoy wonderful, supportive, loving company for a few hours than fold clothes. And I'd rather spend a few extra bucks on lunch to have some 1:1 time with a friend than stick like glue to my budget for the month and eat alone at home. Mark's only been gone since Sunday - and we miss Daddy A LOT, don't get me wrong - but I'm glad that I seem to be doing a better job of spending my days this time.

my moments

Sometimes it comes out as a good thing... you've just had a great idea, or the project you were working on turns out So. Much. Better. than you could have imagined or hoped. Someone compliments you, and you respond with a small smile and "I have my moments."

Other times, it's not such a good thing... someone (usually someone who doesn't know you all that well) says, "I have a hard time imagining that you would ever fill-in-the-blank." Then you respond with a small smile and "Oh, I have my moments."

The words are the same. The meaning... so different.

Last night - I had a moment. One of my moments. And unfortunately (for me and for Hazel) it was not the good kind. I'll spare you the drawn-out, sleep-deprived details... but suffice it to say that this Mama lost her cool a wee bit and responded in kind to her screaming, crying baby. Before anyone gets nervous about what actually happened - I did not yell at her... but I did let out a big ole holler of pure frustration while I was in the same room as her... and that, generally, does not calm babies down. Just a note for my own future reference.

Here's the thing. In the aftermath of my moment, with tears pouring down my cheeks as I tried to comfort the baby who has been entrusted to my care and was now crying harder than ever because of my uncontrolled emotional outburst... as I sat in the rocker and asked her and God to forgive me and felt like the biggest wreck and failure of a mama I could imagine...
I realized something.

His grace is sufficient for me.

I could be as down on myself as I liked, feel like a chump and a fraud and wonder why in the world I was so bad at the only thing I've ever really wanted to do with my life... OR... I could realize that God called me to be her mama. Me. He didn't pick me because I'd be perfect at it, or because I would do everything right. I might not actually ever know why He picked me. And it doesn't really matter. His grace is sufficient for me, and His power is made perfect in my weakness.

Last night, my weakness was so very weak, so very pronounced... I had a hard time not focusing on my role in the situation. But that completely ignores His role... and I'd much rather turn my eyes toward Him than be so self-centered that all I can do is feel bad about myself.

Today... well, today is a new day, and His mercies are new every morning. It's not easy, but I don't think it's supposed to be. One day at a time... that's not so hard, with this little one in my life:

blurry

Today is blurry.
Lack of sleep makes things blurry.
I know this is what babies do.
But my-oh-my... this mama needs her sleep between midnight and 3am. At least some sleep between midnight and 3am.
Blurry is the best I got today, folks.
Hopefully beautifully concise and clear and focused will pour forth tomorrow.

return to sender

Dear Rain,

You have been visiting us for approximately 76,391 hours.

The cute little “natural area” (aka mini-swamp) behind our home was officially named as the sixth Great Lake this afternoon. Thank you for lifting us out of obscurity.

I now no longer feel the need to visit Venice, Italy because I can walk out my own front door and sail away down the street in a gondola. If I had a gondola.

And while we missed you for pretty much the ENTIRE MONTH OF AUGUST and it’s uber-generous of you to make up for that now, I feel as though it’s time for us to take a break from all the visitation.

I swear, absence will make my heart grow fonder.

~Katie

---------------------------------------------

At least now I do know why God chose to break His sump pump this week, flooding His basement and causing us to spend His money on drying and cleaning His brand new carpeting… it’s so that He would have a shiny new UltraDuperFantabulousSumpPump in place for the torrential rains that came this weekend. We are very blessed to not have any real damage or dangerous flooding threatening our home.

A few memorable quotes from this weekend as we observed the rain:

“Remember when it wasn’t raining?”

“It’s pretty much like Noah.”

“I think I saw a shark in your backyard. Or a porpoise.”

All sogginess aside – we had a lovely weekend with my mom, dad and sister (sadly, water issues kept my big brother from being able to make the trip to Michigan) who came into town.

A game of Settlers/Seafarers was played (which, if you don’t know, is quite possibly one of the most fun games EVER), The Princess Bride was watched, delicious food was eaten… and we all came together as a family for Hazel’s dedication at church this morning (Mark’s mom, stepdad and sister were here for that too, which was awesome).

It’s been quite a week – awash with surprises and sprinkled with God-moments that keep the floodgates from bursting open.

my basement is humming. loudly.

It's humming because there are six or so industrial, full-strength fans and one dehumidifier (big enough for me to sit inside of it, I'd think) running nonstop.
They're running nonstop because after our lovely few days of heavy, late-summer rain this week, our sump pump decided to stop working. Which promptly soaked our newly finished basement.
(hang head and sigh a little bit)
Thankully - nothing was ruined, and it was noticed early on. The carpet is mostly pulled up and is being dried out and will hopefully be laid back down in a day or two. It's just awfully sad to stand in your basement and see water squish up through the (brand-new and not inexpensive) carpet and between your toes.
Oh - and did I mention that the basement is where the Meredith's bedroom is? Welcome to our home, friend - you can move into our lovely finished basement and commence your year of student teaching - but you'd better put on your waders!!
So Meredith spent the night in the bunkbeds in our spare room upstairs, and probably will until the carpet is dry (please by Friday, please by Friday) because oh yeah - my mom, dad, sister and brother are coming into town for the weekend for Hazel's dedication at church on Sunday.
The funny thing... this house is really God's house, our money is His money, and the weather is at His command. I'm just not sure why God chose to flood His brand new beautiful basement!! :)
This week is turning out a little differently than I thought it would - but it will all sort out in the end.

an insider's guide

(Thanks for all the comments on the previous 2 posts - and keep them coming if you have any other ideas! I'm stewing over tactics right now, and will let you all know how things go.)

Today, I'd like to introduce you to the place we call home - a small town that claims just over 7000 residents. There's a lovely little downtown area comprised of four "city" blocks that surround the county courthouse (pictured). We were first settled in the 1840s and incorporated as a city in 1865 (using the term "we" rather loosely here).
Without this insider's guide, I'm sure you'd be pretty much at a loss as to how to spend your time taking in the sights... fear not. I'm here to lend a hand.

Favorite places to eat:
Breakfast: The Depot - a fabulous little diner in what used to be the train depot. The pancakes are the size of your head, so only order one. (I'm partial to peach & blueberry, my hubby likes him a good peanut-butter-banana pancake). He's also had his favorite omelette combination listed on the marker board as a "Special."

Lunch/Dinner: Baja Grille - located right downtown. Yummy food in a family-owned diner with just a touch of edge... at least for a small town. I'm partial to the sandwich wraps and the nachos, personally.

Treats: Turtle Tom's Ice Cream is right downtown (can you tell now why Mark and I often enjoy walking downtown for entertainment - even if it is a 2-mile round trip?). Great hand-dipped ice cream (I love Muddy Sneakers!) and other treats (we're partial to chocolate malts and red raspberry slushes).

Favorite Places to Hang Out:
Bestseller's: A little coffeeshop/bookstore located downtown. The hours are a little restrictive (I think they might close by about 7:00 or 8:00pm, and only recently opened at all on Sundays) - but it's a great place to sit.

Biggby Coffee: Just this spring, we went big-time with a coffee chain! (Not a big chain, and many of you probably won't recognize the name...) The building used to be a bank, so there's still a vault door and the drivethrough has been put to good use. Another nice place to escape for a bit with a book.

Rayner Park: A little local park with a fabulous castle-like playground (can't wait until Hazel is big enough to enjoy it!), lots of picnic tables and open fields, sand volleyball court, softball diamond... and a great view of the 4th of July fireworks.

Kean's Store: Just celebrated its 80th anniversary - this store has almost everything: toys, baby clothes, cards, kitchen stuff, fabric/patterns/yarn, knick-knacks and other kitschy items, and an old-fashioned candy counter. It's best for me to leave my wallet in the car, though.

Favorite Events:
Pretty much any parade - and we do it up right for 4th of July, Memorial Day, the day after Thanksgiving (Santa makes an appearance)... it's good stuff. Lots of tractors and fire trucks and school busses - and you're guaranteed to run into just about everyone you know.

The Mason 5K - run every year on the first Friday of May - LOTS of people turn up for this event. Serious runners right down through the stroller-pushing crowd (that's me!). Proceeds go to the schools.

Bulldog football games - once again, you're pretty much guaranteed to see almost the whole town turn out in their Bulldog gear (and yes, we do have a little t-shirt for Hazel). Junk food, lots of friends - oh, and a little football too. What's not to love?

Really - it's just a good place to live. Walking around downtown is always fun (except in the dead of winter), I can't go to the grocery store without running into someone I know, and we feel safe leaving our doors unlocked when we walk around the neighborhood.

If you're ever in mid-Michigan, give me a call!

update to previous post

Here's the bedtime/naptime specifics (since a couple of people have asked):

Hazel does not like (and has never liked) being rocked to sleep. I think it may have worked twice in the history of her life - and only once she was totally exhausted and her parents were completely worn out. Almost any bedtime "trick" sets her off - it's as if she knows what you're plotting and pulls out everything in her baby arsenal to thwart you.

She will doze off in her carseat or a stroller occasionally, but she will not stay asleep, and any attempt to transfer her to bed results in her waking up (and generally not happy about it). Same thing goes for when she falls asleep while nursing. So although she cries when she sees her bed - the crib is really the only place she does sleep well. The trick is getting her to sleep.

She will eventually cry herself out. But it's been about 3 or 4 weeks of us trying to let her gradually cry longer and put herself to sleep, and the period of time it takes her to settle down has not really diminished, nor has the intensity of her tears.

We've tried waiting for her to be really tired (lots of yawns, eye rubbing, etc.) before putting her down. We've tried putting her down at the very first sign of sleepiness. We've tried variations in between.

Here is our normal routine (for bed):
Nurse - bathtime - play quietly until some signal/trigger of sleepiness (this doesn't take long usually) - go to bedroom where it's dark and quiet - nurse again - turn on white noise - sing a song or two - say prayers - lay baby down.
Naptime works pretty much the same way, but without the bathtime and the second nursing.

She sleeps fairly well once she falls asleep... right now, I'd just love love *love* a break from the tears.