YEAH!!!!

Here is a rundown of our last 2 nights with Bellaboo in her own bed:

After her last crying episode at 9:15 last night, she slept until 4:30 in the morning. She woke up crying and Jeff went to change her diaper. A few minutes later, he appears in our room with her in his arms. I did not want her to hear my voice, so I grunted and he figured I did not want her to come to bed with us. He brought her back to her bed and came back asking why. I told him I did not want to start training her to wake up in the early morning to get in our bed. It would defeat the purpose. She cried for 27 minutes and then fell asleep until I woke her up at 6:30 to get ready to leave for work!!!

Tonight: Jeff brought her into her room and she instantly started to wrap her legs tightly around his waist and hug his neck tightly, all the while shaking her head empahatically no. He put her in her crib and told her he loved her and "night-night". She cried and screamed and 7 minutes later it stopped instantly. I cracked the door to see what was going on and she was sitting down with her "dolly" loving it. Then she laid down on her other baby doll and put her cute little bottom in the air and actually went to sleep!!!!!!! I was amazed. 7 minutes!!!!

It is 2 hours later and I am pleased to report that she is still asleep! Now, I am not foolish enough to think it will always be this easy, but I will say I am truly at a loss for words that the first 2 nights went as smoothly as they did. The only difference between the first time I tried this a month and a half ago and now is that I am not going in to her when she cries. Of course, if she were to cry for more than 45 minutes, I will go reassure her that I have not left her. I really think that her seeing me and not being able to have me, made her REALLY mad and made it last longer. She has quite the temper!

Now, you may be wondering how it affected her interaction with me today. Well, it was actually much better! She was a lot happier and more content and did not get as irritable. I think she is sleeping so much better. I, too, was less irritable and much happier! :) Sounds like things are going to get a little easier around here.

I still can't post pics. FRUSTRATING!!!! I had some to post from Valentine's Day when we took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. It was great. It is our family tradition to take Jake there every Valentine's Day Night and it was wonderful to have Bella with us this year! She has a blast and hopefully, I will be able to prove it with my cute pics one day. Also, back in January, there was snow in the next state of Mississippi one Saturday and so we decided to pack up Jake and Bella and go to the snow. That's right... we traveled a little over 1 and 1/2 hours to play in the snow for about 20 minutes and then turn around and come home. We stopped in a church parking lot and made snow angles and a 3 foot snowman. It was a blast! I will post those pics as I am able.

That is the latest in this household... stay tuned for more of the bedtime saga...

I know... it's been a long time!... again

Well, I know it has been a long time since I posted anything, especially pictures. Let me tell you, working full time as a kindergarten teacher and having 2 children has been difficult for me to learn! Can I tell you how much I am ready for summer vacation!!!!! Add to it the fact that I have a husband that has been battling bronchitis since we got home from Guatemala in October and Bella got a fever virus 2 weeks ago and then Jake had it last week, while Jeff was home sick with all of his crud. The only reason I am not sick is because there is no time for me to be!!

Bella is doing well! She is running everywhere and starting to say alot more. She now says "Bye" to everyone that leaves any room she is in. But she does not just say "Bye"... no, she says it like a true Cajun girl with a country drawl. It is so cute and if you do not acknowledge her, she will only get louder until you do! She started saying "Uhoh!" when she drops something. And she started calling me "Mom Me" (phonetically spelled) this week. It is SO adorable and melts my heart every time. She has begun to pull the chairs away from the kitchen table and sit in them like she is THE STUFF! The best thing yet, though, is her newest thing. She will see me while she is playing and stop and come up to me with her lips puckered. When I bend down to kiss her, she kisses me with this loud "Muh!" sound and then will hug my neck tight and touch my cheek to hers!!! Or she will stop playing and run up to my legs, wrap her arms around them and just pat them in a loving way and smile really big up at me and run off. Yes, I am reduced to nothing when those 2 things happen. We also found out she is really possessive of me. Jake came to sit by me yesterday afternoon while I was on the couch. He put his head on my shoulder and wrapped his arms around me. Well, Miss Priss did not like that one little bit! She went to screaming and grunting and pushing him. He loved it! It was pretty funny!

I am so proud of my Jake. He had many speech issues when he was younger. He has had 4 sets of tubes and because of the chronic ear infections, it caused speech problems. At one time, his speech therapist told me she did not expect him to ever become intelligible or learn how to read. Well, my baby proved her wrong. He prayed every night for Jesus to "help him with his words" and He did! My little man is a true man of faith!!!! Jake has been on the honor roll ever since starting school! Well, second grade ABEKA phonics has given him a run for his money this year. The weekly phonics tests have kept him off of the straight-A honor roll. Even though his speech is corrected, he still struggles with hearing certain sounds correctly. His goal this year has been to make an A on one of them. I am proud to say that after many weeks of hard work, Jake pulled it off this week and made a 93 A- on his test!!! Can we say PROUD!! We took him to celebrate at one of his favorite places to eat... Buffalo Wild Wings. He has also started coaches pitch and is practicing 3 times a week. I am quite proud of him.

I tried to post pictures, but every time I would get one posted, Internet Explorer would shut it down, so I will try again tomorrow night.

Here is the big news at our house...
We started Bella in her own bed tonight! I tried it before, but felt guilty and quit. I am determined to do it this time. Part of the reason I am posting it this time is so that I will have some accountability, so to speak. I know that sounds silly, but if I have to report how we are doing, it will help me continue. I must say, she did better than I expected tonight. I made Jeff do it, of course. ;) He put her in there at 8:15 and I left to go walking with my friend. I called him at 9:00 to see if it was safe to come home yet and he said she was asleep by 8:35. He then called me at 9:15 to tell me she was up and screaming. I came home (only for moral support, not to cave in) and she cried until 9:21 and then laid down and went to sleep. It is 10:08 and she is still sleeping. I am going to do it this time... we will all be happier for it. So... pray for my strength and for her heart. I haven't met a parent yet that told me it messed their child up, so I am trusting Bella will join the ranks of them that are okay from it. I will keep you all posted... hope I sleep tonight! :)

I hope everyone has a great week and I will try to post pics tomorrow night!