April 30, 2007
April 28, 2007
Friendships
There are times in your life when you sit back and ponder the friendships that you have had through the course of your years. For me, I take the time to think about all the wonderful people who have walked along next to me through my life. Although I don't show it nearly often enough, I'm incredibly grateful for the friendships I have been blessed with.
Some friends have walked for a few steps and have now gone another direction.
Some friends have walked for many steps and have now gone another direction.
Some friends have walked in the past and are now walking with me again.
Some friends have walked for only a short journey.
Some friends have walked around the block and back many times.
Some friends only walk when the weather is nice.
Some friends walk no matter how beautiful or ugly it is outside.
Some friends quit walking due to something stupid I said or did.
Some friends continue walking but chew me out as we go.
All of these friends are part of me. They're part of my life. They make me who I am today. And for that I will always be grateful.
So -- to my friends (including those who are forced to be my friend because you're family *wink*):
I thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to share my life. I thank you for the support, the companionship, the laughter, the tears, the heartaches and the joy. I thank you for sticking by me when I've said or done something stupid. I thank you for sticking by me when I had little or nothing to say. I thank you for comforting me during times of sadness and celebrating alongside me during times of joy.
I thank you for being who you are. For being my friend.
Some friends have walked for a few steps and have now gone another direction.
Some friends have walked for many steps and have now gone another direction.
Some friends have walked in the past and are now walking with me again.
Some friends have walked for only a short journey.
Some friends have walked around the block and back many times.
Some friends only walk when the weather is nice.
Some friends walk no matter how beautiful or ugly it is outside.
Some friends quit walking due to something stupid I said or did.
Some friends continue walking but chew me out as we go.
All of these friends are part of me. They're part of my life. They make me who I am today. And for that I will always be grateful.
So -- to my friends (including those who are forced to be my friend because you're family *wink*):
I thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to share my life. I thank you for the support, the companionship, the laughter, the tears, the heartaches and the joy. I thank you for sticking by me when I've said or done something stupid. I thank you for sticking by me when I had little or nothing to say. I thank you for comforting me during times of sadness and celebrating alongside me during times of joy.
I thank you for being who you are. For being my friend.
April 27, 2007
A Solid 121
I'm beginning to think that I might only get one long nap out of KT per day.
She slept again this morning from 8:45 until 10:46. Today wasn't quite so easy to get her to sleep but there was plenty of "happenings" in our neighborhood at 8:45 this morning. Lawn mowers, kids and airplanes to name a few. With the window open in the nursery it provided plenty of distractions.
But I digress...
So I got two SOLID hours of sleep out of her. She was out within about 10 minutes of laying her down (she went down at 8:38) and didn't make a sound--after she fell asleep--until she woke up at 10:46. The one thing different with today is that this was the first nap she had since she woke up at 6:45. Usually she falls asleep after nursing. Either immediately after or within 45 minutes of finishing but only catnaps for about 30 minutes. This morning she didn't go back down right away; I tried keeping her up until it had been 2 hours since she first woke. Maybe that's the secret to a two-hour nap in the morning.
Granted, the rest of yesterday afternoon and so far today have followed a pretty "normal" schedule for her. Right after lunch and then again around 3 or 3:30 she's gone down for naps again. I've tried doing the same routine but she'll only sleep for about 45 minutes or so. When she wakes up I'll let her entertain herself for a little bit in her crib to see if she falls back asleep or is truly awake. Within about 10 minutes she's crying for attention and I know that naptime is over.
But that's okay. Even if she only takes one long nap during the day, I'll take it! It's definitely a huge improvement over where we were before!
In between naps today we tried a new hairstyle. As cute as it is--you can see from the progression of pics--Katie didn't like it for very long!
She slept again this morning from 8:45 until 10:46. Today wasn't quite so easy to get her to sleep but there was plenty of "happenings" in our neighborhood at 8:45 this morning. Lawn mowers, kids and airplanes to name a few. With the window open in the nursery it provided plenty of distractions.
But I digress...
So I got two SOLID hours of sleep out of her. She was out within about 10 minutes of laying her down (she went down at 8:38) and didn't make a sound--after she fell asleep--until she woke up at 10:46. The one thing different with today is that this was the first nap she had since she woke up at 6:45. Usually she falls asleep after nursing. Either immediately after or within 45 minutes of finishing but only catnaps for about 30 minutes. This morning she didn't go back down right away; I tried keeping her up until it had been 2 hours since she first woke. Maybe that's the secret to a two-hour nap in the morning.
Granted, the rest of yesterday afternoon and so far today have followed a pretty "normal" schedule for her. Right after lunch and then again around 3 or 3:30 she's gone down for naps again. I've tried doing the same routine but she'll only sleep for about 45 minutes or so. When she wakes up I'll let her entertain herself for a little bit in her crib to see if she falls back asleep or is truly awake. Within about 10 minutes she's crying for attention and I know that naptime is over.
But that's okay. Even if she only takes one long nap during the day, I'll take it! It's definitely a huge improvement over where we were before!
In between naps today we tried a new hairstyle. As cute as it is--you can see from the progression of pics--Katie didn't like it for very long!
April 26, 2007
101 and Counting
Much to my surprise (and pleasure), KT slept for 101 minutes in her crib this morning!
Yup.
101 minutes. In her crib. By herself. No rocking to sleep. No crying.
I laid her down when she started to get tired. Gave her the pacifier and her blankie and she was out within minutes. She slept for about 45 minutes without a sound, then woke up. I could hear her rustling around for about 5-10 minutes and she went right back to sleep for almost another hour! The best part was that she woke up the wonderfully happy little girl that I love!
At 1:00, she started to get tired again so we tried it for a second time. This time she fussed a little when I laid her down. I had to go into the nursery and put her pacifier back in once, but within 10 minutes she was sound asleep. I came back to the computer at 1:08 and haven't heard a peep from her since.
We're on 29 minutes...I'm holding my breath to get at least another 31 more...
Yup.
101 minutes. In her crib. By herself. No rocking to sleep. No crying.
I laid her down when she started to get tired. Gave her the pacifier and her blankie and she was out within minutes. She slept for about 45 minutes without a sound, then woke up. I could hear her rustling around for about 5-10 minutes and she went right back to sleep for almost another hour! The best part was that she woke up the wonderfully happy little girl that I love!
At 1:00, she started to get tired again so we tried it for a second time. This time she fussed a little when I laid her down. I had to go into the nursery and put her pacifier back in once, but within 10 minutes she was sound asleep. I came back to the computer at 1:08 and haven't heard a peep from her since.
We're on 29 minutes...I'm holding my breath to get at least another 31 more...
April 24, 2007
Makeover
Obviously, some changes have been made around here in an attempt to spruce things up a bit. A spring cleaning of sorts. If something doesn't look right or some of my links aren't working, please let me know. I'm trying to make sure everything is set up correctly but could easily overlook something!
April 20, 2007
Controversy
Wow! That got kinda heated in a relatively short amount of time! I certainly didn't mean to start a debate over my last post. Honestly though I don't believe there was any malice in anything that was said. At least I hope there wasn't.
I think it's obvious that parenting styles and choices can become a very hot topic, and very quickly. Parenting is easily one of the most difficult things that I've ever had to do. I'm continuously asking myself if I'm doing things right; if I'm making the right choices for KT and our family.
Cloth vs. Disposable diapers?
Bre@stfeeding vs. Formula feeding?
Co-sleeping or not?
CIO or not?
Babywearing or not?
Return to work or stay at home?
You can spend an incredible amount of time questioning if you're a good parent and all it does it cause you to lose time. I am a firm believer that everyone needs to make their own choices. These choices are based on what they are comfortable with and what works for that specific child. If it works, that in itself makes it the right thing to do for your family. (Clearly as long as it isn't putting the child in danger.) Every child is different and needs a different parenting approach.
I think it's important that we all remember that. What works for one family may not work for another. And just because we choose to do things differently doesn't make us bad parents.
I think it's obvious that parenting styles and choices can become a very hot topic, and very quickly. Parenting is easily one of the most difficult things that I've ever had to do. I'm continuously asking myself if I'm doing things right; if I'm making the right choices for KT and our family.
Cloth vs. Disposable diapers?
Bre@stfeeding vs. Formula feeding?
Co-sleeping or not?
CIO or not?
Babywearing or not?
Return to work or stay at home?
You can spend an incredible amount of time questioning if you're a good parent and all it does it cause you to lose time. I am a firm believer that everyone needs to make their own choices. These choices are based on what they are comfortable with and what works for that specific child. If it works, that in itself makes it the right thing to do for your family. (Clearly as long as it isn't putting the child in danger.) Every child is different and needs a different parenting approach.
I think it's important that we all remember that. What works for one family may not work for another. And just because we choose to do things differently doesn't make us bad parents.
April 17, 2007
General "Stuff"
I'm here.
Plugging away, day by day.
Nothing monumental happening.
Just life.
To catch everyone up to speed...here's the rundown...
Katie
- 5 months old last week
- will only fall asleep for naps if she's held/rocked
- started on sweet potatoes last weekend
- shrieks just to hear herself make noise
- hasn't rolled over yet
- loves to chew on her toes
- successfully made the transition to sleeping in her crib in the nursery.
Me
- project for work has flopped, has to be totally redesigned
- issues regarding my salary have arisen
- sleeping better at night now that Katie is in her own room
- getting little done around the house
- trying to plan (and plant) a garden
- struggling to find stuff to post on my blog
- way behind on phone calls and emails to family and friends
- acting as a single parent this week with C in Florida
- crossing my fingers Katie's batteries in the swing don't die this week.
So, that's about the extent of it. I wish that I had something more exciting to post but lately the days are running together with little differentiation. I also struggle to find the energy, motivation or topics to post about on this blog. I'm sure people don't want to hear about potato fields and poopy diapers.
Plugging away, day by day.
Nothing monumental happening.
Just life.
To catch everyone up to speed...here's the rundown...
Katie
- 5 months old last week
- will only fall asleep for naps if she's held/rocked
- started on sweet potatoes last weekend
- shrieks just to hear herself make noise
- hasn't rolled over yet
- loves to chew on her toes
- successfully made the transition to sleeping in her crib in the nursery.
Me
- project for work has flopped, has to be totally redesigned
- issues regarding my salary have arisen
- sleeping better at night now that Katie is in her own room
- getting little done around the house
- trying to plan (and plant) a garden
- struggling to find stuff to post on my blog
- way behind on phone calls and emails to family and friends
- acting as a single parent this week with C in Florida
- crossing my fingers Katie's batteries in the swing don't die this week.
So, that's about the extent of it. I wish that I had something more exciting to post but lately the days are running together with little differentiation. I also struggle to find the energy, motivation or topics to post about on this blog. I'm sure people don't want to hear about potato fields and poopy diapers.
April 3, 2007
The Saga Continues
I still hate my job. I take that back. I don't hate it per se, it just frustrates me incredibly. I told C the other night that when the grant that pays my salary runs out that I will seriously weigh my options at that point. The ideal thing would be to convince the department to hire me on with University funds and have me be on staff for all the faculty. Anyone who needs my help with grant writing or general research items could use my services. But we all know that things don't always work out the way we hope.
So, anyways...my newest problem...
I'm trying to find potato growers to work in collaboration with us for this research project. The big project that pays my salary. We need to identify fields that grow potatoes every 2 years and fields that grow them less frequently than every 3-4 years. After identifying them, we're going to collect soils from their fields and run our own research study on them to see how the different length of time between potato crops affects the soil fertility, the weed seed populations, the disease pressure, etc. To best duplicate field conditions, we'll put the soils in 7-gallon containers and plant the containers in a field for the season. Our original plan was to grow them in a field by my boss' house, so that he could keep a close eye on them and manage all aspects of production -- irrigation, fertilizer applications, etc. When he left, that option disappeared so the plan was to put them in a research field at the experiment station.
Somewhere along the way, it was never specifically asked if we could do this. Yesterday the official word was given that this was NOT an option. These soils could be brought into the greenhouse, but not out into the fields due to contamination issues. Now we're struggling to figure out how to handle this major problem. The best solution we have is to move the container study down to where my boss is in Utah. Problem with that is it's a 5 hour drive for me and my coworker who are supposed to manage/coordinate this project. Our boss will now have to hire someone to run the project on a daily basis and will have to do a good portion of the work himself. Another big issue is how we're going to physically transport 560 7-gallon containers of soil almost 300 miles. Not going to be an easy feat. Not easy at all.
Why am I not surprised that we're facing more hurdles? It seems like everything has been working against this project from the start. Now I just hope that the USDA doesn't decide to pull the funding completely because we're changing the project, again. Because IF the funding goes, there goes my job.
*Sigh*
So, anyways...my newest problem...
I'm trying to find potato growers to work in collaboration with us for this research project. The big project that pays my salary. We need to identify fields that grow potatoes every 2 years and fields that grow them less frequently than every 3-4 years. After identifying them, we're going to collect soils from their fields and run our own research study on them to see how the different length of time between potato crops affects the soil fertility, the weed seed populations, the disease pressure, etc. To best duplicate field conditions, we'll put the soils in 7-gallon containers and plant the containers in a field for the season. Our original plan was to grow them in a field by my boss' house, so that he could keep a close eye on them and manage all aspects of production -- irrigation, fertilizer applications, etc. When he left, that option disappeared so the plan was to put them in a research field at the experiment station.
Somewhere along the way, it was never specifically asked if we could do this. Yesterday the official word was given that this was NOT an option. These soils could be brought into the greenhouse, but not out into the fields due to contamination issues. Now we're struggling to figure out how to handle this major problem. The best solution we have is to move the container study down to where my boss is in Utah. Problem with that is it's a 5 hour drive for me and my coworker who are supposed to manage/coordinate this project. Our boss will now have to hire someone to run the project on a daily basis and will have to do a good portion of the work himself. Another big issue is how we're going to physically transport 560 7-gallon containers of soil almost 300 miles. Not going to be an easy feat. Not easy at all.
Why am I not surprised that we're facing more hurdles? It seems like everything has been working against this project from the start. Now I just hope that the USDA doesn't decide to pull the funding completely because we're changing the project, again. Because IF the funding goes, there goes my job.
*Sigh*
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