SAS and Crankiness

As in SAS, I don't mean the kind where you talk back to your mom. I mean the kind (Statistical Analysis Software) that makes you curse at your computer, curse at yourself and curse at the data. That's a whole lotta cursing going on! SAS is a very powerful statistics program and it's generally used by people in sciences. Unlike doing statistics in other programs, i.e. Excel, Minitab or possibly SPSS (I'm not exactly sure about how this program is run), you have to write the programming code in order to get the data. Like old school web page design where you had to write out all the HTML code. It's not a "point and click" kinda thing and small syntax errors cause huge problems when trying to run data sets.

The past 3 days I've been muddling my way through data from two experiments that concluded last fall. Both were projects that spanned multiple growing seasons and there is some dissension among collaborators in regards to how the data should be handled. I've struggled to get my ideas across to others; struggled to get the stupid program to run how I want it; and struggled just to find chunks of time where I can actually work on it. Unfortunately, SAS is the type of program than in order to be proficient in it you really need to work with it routinely. More routinely than I do. Plus I always need 10-15 minutes to get my mind back into what I'm doing. So when I only have chunks of 30-45 minutes here and there to work on stuff, it isn't very efficient.

As for the crankiness. Holy cow! KT has been a bear the last few days. So bad that last night C remarked that he didn't know how I dealt with her all day -- he'd only had 2 hours with her last night before bed and he was at his wit's end. She's still sleeping for 45 minute stretches at a time. But that's only when I can get her to sleep. She'll usually take a quick morning siesta, but then fight naps the rest of the day. Going from 9:30am on with no naps does not make for a pleasant KT or a pleasant Mommy! Yesterday was total hell. She screams when you try to lay her down but you can tell just by looking at her that she's so tired. I've tried everything I know to do and she just won't sleep. I'm unsure if it's just a phase, if it's teething or if it's an ear infection. Her 6-month checkup is tomorrow so we'll see what the doc says when we're there.

How come babies don't come with an LCD display that tells you what's wrong before they can talk??



By the way -- between the SAS and the crankiness -- that's why I haven't been "around" much the last few days.

No Way, Jose!

Today we had planned as a family to do the March of Dimes Walk in honor of Katie's friends, Victoria and Avery. I woke up an hour ago to hear the wind howling and see the snow blowing.

Yup.

SNOW!

The first weekend of May! Sorry guys, but this baby girl isn't gonna be walking today. We'll still send C in to submit our money. I think though we'll have to find another way to have fun on Cinco de Mayo!

Reversed Gender Roles

I'm sure that last night solidified the fact that most of our neighbors think we're nuts. (I'm sure they also think we're irreverent heathens, but that's besides the point.) Why do they think we're nuts? Because after C got out of work last night, I was outside mowing the lawn while he was "parenting" the baby. Most people would think this was backwards. That I should be inside tending kids while the man of the house is outside doing manual labor. Not how it works around here.

And no. I didn't lose a bet. I asked to mow the lawn. He gladly conceded the responsibility (C hates to do the mowing/trimming). Part of my desire to mow lawn stemmed from the fact that I didn't mow at ALL last summer because of the pregnancy, hyperemesis and modified bedrest.

I've always really enjoyed doing yard work -- even if I didn't show it as a kid growing up. Must have to do with that whole "being one with nature". I think it also has to do with being able to see tangible results of your hard work. When you start, the yard is a mess; when you finish, the yard looks pretty.

Both of my parents have big yards. The kind where it takes a good chunk of the afternoon and you have to use the riding mower, the push mower and the trimmer to get it all done. I always found that time so relaxing. I loved being by myself with my own thoughts. Being able to sing at the top of your lungs and no one could hear you over the engine of the mower/trimmer. Seeing the results of your hard work when you were done. Last night I just really needed some time by myself with my own thoughts. I also needed to see immediate results of my efforts.

I feel like lately I'm spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere. I also have a ton of things bouncing around in my head that need to be sorted out. I'm not sure if I got anything sorted out, but after two hours the yard looked fantastic and I was too tired to care.

Correlation?

KT's been rolling over like a madwoman today. 5-6 times for me this morning; twice for Cris at lunch; 2 more times for me just after he left. Anyone know if there is a correlation between developmental milestones and sleep regression? I thought I had read somewhere that there was...

The Tables are Turning

(Nah -- she's still not napping well. Almost got ya, didn't I?? *wink*)

Over the last 8 years that C and I have been together, we've slowly been purchasing "good" furniture. Not the kind you'd find in a dorm room or college apartment but real, expensive furniture. It's been piece by piece and has slowly come together. Moving into the house last fall pushed us into purchasing the furniture for the office and buying a new dresser for the master bedroom.

The only major item we had left to buy was a new kitchen/dining room table. We don't have a separate dining room so we just have one table. No need to have anything fancy. The table we had was quite a piece of work. We had bought it at a garage sale back in the summer of 1999 when we were living in Wisconsin. The couple we bought it from were older and were selling their house and moving to an apartment. They'd had the table for years, so there is no telling exactly how old it is. It's in pretty sad shape too. The dogs (while in their destructive puppy years) chewed on the legs of the table and the chairs. So everything has teeth indentations and scratches. Of the four original chairs, only 2 are still "alive". The table top also has those white marks on the wood -- the kind that develop from having something too hot placed on it. Years ago when I was canning one fall I put my hot canning jars on the table to cool. I had 3 layers of heavy bath towels on top of the table but it still left nice white rings from the jars. At one point I had discussed refinishing the set so that it looked nicer but quickly decided it wasn't worth it for a table we bought before we were married for $50.

With our tax return this year, I made the executive decision that we would finally buy a new table. This would complete our furniture collection (with the exemption of a couple of end tables and night stands that are needed) and bring everything in our house up to date. And up to our taste. After being on order for four weeks, this is what we now have in our kitchen!

At some point too, we can finally host family dinners as it extends out to 96". All we're missing now is enough family to fill all that space!

Nap Regression

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday all ended up with the same results: one morning nap that lasted from 1 1/2 to 2 hours, the rest of the day's naps were about 45 minutes each, occurring about every 2 1/2 hours.

Yesterday and today, we're back to our old schedule. No more than 45 minutes of sleep at a time. There has been no change in anything we've done. Bedtimes are the same; morning wake up times have slowly been creeping earlier and earlier. She was wide awake at 6:15 this morning.

I'm totally confused and out of ideas. I thought that maybe we had set a pattern and we were on the right track. Guess not. Looks like we're back to square one and we'll start all over.

This must be one of those "trying" times of parenthood that people talk about.

*sigh*


I know, I know, if this is the worst I have to deal with, I'm lucky. Still stinks though.

In Remembrance

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.

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!

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...