Baby Snack Paw

Rowan and I went to Portage on Sunday after church to watch Derek's baseball game. I almost had a heart attack when we got there and I realized the ladies in the church nursery accidentally kept Rowan's wipes after her diaper change. Um yeah -- not a good thing to be at a baseball field with a messy poo-er like Rowan! Thankfully we made it thru afternoon without any mishaps though. Whew.

Rowan's been doing really well in the church nursery on Sundays. This week she was playing with Janelle (Goetz) Lautenbach's little baby boy...his name is Luke. He is soooo cute! He has the biggest, most gorgeous blue eyes. I think Rowan might have a crush on him :) I know I do.

She's been doing this new thing where she walks around with her snack cup stuck on her hand. It's funny because she'll walk all over and forget she has this crazy cup on her little paw. She'll pull her hand out to eat when it's necessary but immediately returns her fist to the cup and continues to play. Here are some random pics from our baseball outing...(snack paw included)

pretty girl

I just ordered this pic in an 8x10 and it's now hanging on our living room wall -- it's so cute! It's a photo the photographer took at Jenny's wedding. This is when Rowan was 8 months old...

Derek and Kyle = crazy babies

Last night I took mini videos of Derek and Kyle playing with their baby girls. I think it's pretty certain that Rowan is going to be a wrestler and Haley a dancing queen...

I still can't believe these two nuts are actually daddy's now. It's going to be so much fun watching the girls grow up together. It's funny to think that this is how God had it planned out all along...

mmmmm peas

Rowan loves eating peas! She gets mad at me during dinner time if I don't let her feed herself in some fashion...usually I give her snacks or chunks of food. But a few weeks ago I decided to try a baby spoon and she actually stuck it in her mouth. So now at dinner time she usually demands the opportunity to shovel it in. Here is her 1st "messy" attempt...

Colorado pics

Rowan getting her "laps" in on the train ride...Daddy is balancing her. You need to click on the pic to make it bigger -- it's so worth it to get a closer look at her mischievous grin :)


Daddy and Rowan posing after our day at the Hot Springs


Derek's family tradition...posing with the Vail bear

Colorado Trip

We just got back from our vacation in fabulous Colorado. It's so relaxing and beautiful out there! Now I know why Derek has such fond memories vacationing there as a child. We did a lot of sight seeing and shopping - and we definitely got some use out of our stroller. We took Rowan with us everywhere we went (except for the one afternoon that we went golfing) so it was a lot of work! She's so heavy now so getting her in and out of strollers and car seats was beginning to be a chore by the end of the week :) Plus I think she was getting sick of it. She just wanted to run around...literally!

Rowan also started walking 3 weeks ago, right after she turned 9 months. She started off a little wobbly, but is cruising all over the place now. She practically runs -- it's so cute. She usually has one or both arms straight up in the air too...I'm thinking for balance? Also very cute!

Her walking adventures sure made for a busy vacation. Since she was so mobile, she was into everything. All she wanted to do was open cabinet doors (she was amazed that they actually opened, unlike the baby proofed ones at home) and she also really really wanted to stick her fingers into the box fan. We had to watch her like a hawk!

Here's a video of her favorite place in Colorado - the Denver airport! She LOVED all the open space. She was walking up to strangers and yelling at them. So funny.

and the answer is...

Well, I'm finally happy to report that tonight is Thursday, 6 nights after the start of hellweek and we can happily report that YES THIS BABY FINALLY SLEEPS!!! We started letting her cry it out on Saturday night and it took 4 bad nights and 1 mediocre night and she's finally falling asleep awake in her crib without a hassle. So far she hasn't made it an entire night w/out waking up and crying...but we'll see what tonight brings. Things are looking good!!

Praise the Lord. I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I can't explain the frustration and helpless feeling I carried around knowing that each night was going to be such a battle with her. I'm so very thankful that we went ahead and had those tubes put in. It's a miracle -- really. We tried this before and we had screaming 14 nights and she never caught on. I'm so relieved! Whoooooo-hooooooooo!!! Victory is so sweet.

I'd run in and take a pic of her sleeping right now to commemorate this milestone...but it's SOOOOOO not worth the chance that she might wake up :)

Instead here's a pic of her playing with her Mimi last week after her surgery...I think she looks like a little old lady with a walker

will this baby ever sleep?

Rowan finally had tubes put in her ears on Friday and her adedoides removed. We've been hoping that this would be the answer to our prayers...and that this baby girl would finally be able to sleep through the night. Yeah right! Maybe I'm being pessimistic...it's only been two days since the surgery. We'll see I guess. I'm sticking to my guns though and she's going to have to tough it out in her own bed!

I can't believe she's 9 months old now and refuses to sleep alone. It's so frustrating for us. Seriously. I haven't been able to sleep through the night since she's been born...except for the two times she's stayed overnight with my mom (thanks mom). She's been grabbing at her ears to crazily that she makes them bleed...so we've been moving her from her swing, to a bouncy seat, to a propped up pillow. You name it! We've tried white noise, soft lullabies, a fan, a toy that makes music, sleeping her on her side, her tummy, her back, giving her a bottle and putting her in her crib, giving her bottles laced with large amounts of formula and baby cereal, lots of praying, a warm bath before bedtime with sleepytime bubble bath and lotion, tylenol with codeine (just this week after surgery...but didn't work either!)...I honestly could go on and on.

It's funny whenever I talk to someone who has a baby who sleeps thru the night because they tell me you HAVE to try this -- it will work. Nothing works!

Tonight we're kicking off "hellweek" a day early and starting tonight (Saturday) by forcing Row-Row to sleep in her crib. We're going to let her cry for 15 minutes, then 25, then 35...we'll see how it goes. I'm planning to wear ear plugs to make it thru the night, and I'm setting my alarm on my phone to vibrate so that I'll wake up and check on her at those intervals. It's the only way I can do it!!

Swimming at Grandma's

We were over at Derek's parents today just sitting by the pool and enjoying the sun. We had planned to maybe take a dip in the pool but it was way too cold and I'm way too big of a wimp for that. Baby Rowan showed me up big time though -- the icy water didn't bother her a bit! I was shocked!! Seriously, that water was FO-REEZING and she just thought it was a blast. What a nut.

yeee hawwwwww

Rowan has been helping Mommy get ready for Aunt Jenny's bachelorette party...
hmmmm I wonder what's in store?

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