Day 122...schemes

May 21

My cousin Caleb got married today. I wish I could have attended his wedding, I have a feeling it was a blast. I am so proud of him! When I was in San Diego in March, I visited him and his family and I just couldn't get over the idea that he was getting married...I kept saying "Caleb, you're getting married!" He is 5 years younger than me, and when I lived in San Diego, he was one of my best friends. He will always hold a special place in my heart, even when we are not in contact with each other for a long period of time.

I feel like he finally has grown up, and that's super cool. A person is not grown up just because they get married, or have kids. But I feel like Caleb is grown up now, and I'm looking forward to more good things for him and his new wife. Very exciting!

Martyn woke up right on time this morning, and needed a diaper change. That boy has just been full of poop lately. I had a fleeting thought of being concerned that he was sick, but he's still peeing diapers, and that's a good sign. Just clearing out a lot of room I guess....Eli pointed out that he does eat a lot, so it makes sense that he would need to poop a lot. It's true.

He was wide awake after that. I tried bringing him back to bed, but it was to no avail. So I just got up with him. I was kind of awake anyway. Made some coffee, and had a bagel. About an hour later I brought him back in the bedroom and laid him on the bed with Eli so I could go to the bathroom, and Martyn could gently wake Eli, which he did. He was all surprised that I had been up an hour and already had coffee, ha!

It was a good day today. We went to the store and were home by 1:30, and Eli got a hair cut. He is so handsome! This is the best haircut I think I've seen on him. Came home, had some lunch and Eli reluctantly got started on the cropping of the back yard jungle. It's a pretty major undertaking, even if you have kept up the mowing all year....we have not done that, so it was a serious ordeal. Some of the clumps of grass were thigh high for me. He had to weed whack first and then mow. I think he only got about 3/4 of the main part of the back yard mowed, and didn't even begin to touch the way back. Sheba is funny, she will just walk along behind him while he's mowing, not really sure what do to....just walking. Her little paws were all green when she came in tonight.

I made Martyn take a nap, with out being rocked to sleep, for the first time today. Actually I think my baby sitter was doing that too, but it's the first time I've done it. He was super tired, so it didn't take all that long for him to get the picture once I had gotten the bassinet all set up for him, with a little pillow. I gave him his bear, and tucked him in, and gave him the pacifier, which I figured he wouldn't want, but he took it for a little while until it fell out when he fell asleep. He had cried for about 5 minutes before I put him in the bassinet, and then for a few more minutes until I gave him the pacifier. After that, it only took him about 2 minutes to pass out.

I felt kind of triumphant. It was hard for me to not pick him up when he was crying, but I think it's time to start teaching him gradually that when it's nap time, it's nap time. Especially when I know he's super tired. I don't even want to kick him out of the bed at night time, yet. But I've been thinking about it here and there. He still needs night time feedings, so until he is sleeping through the night, I want him in bed with us. Before I went back to work, he was sleeping 6 hours at a time at night, but got all messed up from not being able to nurse on demand in the day time. So he wanted to nurse a lot at night. He would want to nurse pretty much ever two hours in the night, which was hard to adjust back to, while adjusting to being at work, after getting spoiled to sleeping 6 hour stretches at night. He's back up to about 4 hours at a time, at night now....so he's getting there.

I like having him in the bed, but I miss having space to move around a bit more, or being able to just turn over to my other side with out having to put him on my other side at the same time....I don't ever have my back to him, if I'm laying on my side, I'm always facing him. I can lay on my back, with him at my side though. Which is nice.

He's also gotten to where I can put him to bed, and he only needs to nurse a bit before he falls asleep. I can get up and come back out of the bedroom, and then come to bed a little later and not wake him up. It feels good that it only takes about 20 minutes tops, to put him to bed now....and usually it's only half that, or less. It used to take up to an hour! I guess I'm learning.

I've been scheming plans for my birthday celebration today, which has been kind of fun. I'm excited to get to celebrate birthdays with my sister this year, and that my mom is going to be here too. Rachel and I always try to celebrate our birthdays together if we can, but usually we just have a family dinner/bbq since it's summer time. It occurred to me that this year is my golden birthday....the day of the month that corresponds with the age you are turning. So I figured why not have a fun party? We haven't really had a good bbq in this house since we've lived here a year and half, and it would be fun to have all our friends over, along with family. So I just went crazy and invited a bunch of friends. It's still a month away, it will be interesting to see who comes. Either way, I think it will be fun.