I still don't know that I feel like a grown-up, but I have decided there are signs that adult-hood is sneaking up on you. Even Ted and Jaden notice them sometimes. Things like, you'd like to take a nap. You have to save that $20 for gas. You can eat ice cream for breakfast...but do not. Special "adult points" if you eat raisin bran for the fiber instead of ice cream.
Since becoming a parent I notice that I can't watch anything where their are kids getting hurt or in danger without tearing up. I was pretty bad before, but nothing compared to now. I'm not going to be a helicopter-parent or a "smother", but my kid is definitely not going to be doing anything blatantly dangerous like riding their bike without a properly fitting helmet or roller blading without knee pads or skate-boarding without wrist braces. There's only so much pain you can keep from your kid and so much you can keep from them without hindering their growth. I'm going to do all the non-growth hindering pain keeping away I can.
I find it surprising how proud of myself I am that I've gotten Desmond on a nap schedule. Thank you Melissa Hammond for unknowingly helping me out there. Liberty never seems cranky, but she naps well. I started putting Desmond in his play-pen crib when he was cranky and low and behold he would sleep! I paid attention to when these naps were taking place and wouldn't you know they were about the same time everyday! It was so easy and it took me so long to figure out. He doesn't always sleep for long, but he naps at 11 AM and about 3PM. He eats at about 9 AM, 12 AM, 4 PM, 7:30 PM and goes to bed by 9 PM. Of course there are days that we go out and so things don't follow that schedule, but that's the natural schedule he's set for us. I can definitely handle getting up about 9 AM and the new naps are letting me get some house cleaning done and lunch eaten.
Today, Desmond woke up and visited with family that was waiting to head out on a trail-ride and was cheery and friendly even though he hadn't eaten yet. He ate, did his tummy-time, sat in his rocker for me while I cleaned the kitchen, then took a nap while I showered, swept, and folded clothes. When he woke up I fed him and then he went back to sleep and napped for another 30 minutes in my lap. When he woke up I carried him around a bit then let him play in my lap and then in his rocker until was tired again, and then put him down to nap. He's currently sleeping right now. When he wakes up it will be time to feed him again and then I entertain him until Daddy gets home and then I am supposed to get a break while he gets Daddy time but it doesn't always work out that way. Then Daddy puts him in jammies and I feed him at 7:30 or 8 PM and then he goes to bed. We can stay up a bit and go to bed later. He sleeps all night unless his nose gets plugged up and I have to use the sucker thing on it.
Yesterday, we were at Grandma Dee's because she is teaching me to sew. He took his afternoon nap there. I wasn't sure how he'd do napping at someone else's house, but he slept about 30 minutes. Not as much as I hoped, but the minimum for his having a pleasant evening.
He's awake playing with his stuffed donkey now, but still quiet. I can see him twisting its ears from the living room. He has taken to the donkey and his beanie baby dog. We take the dog in the car and that helps keep him happy in his car seat. If he has that and his pacifier he stays cheerful in the car about 90% of the time.
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