I Don't Want No Stinkin' Hat!

Absolute Cuteness

What is this on my head?!
It Moves!

Where's Carli?

There she is!

Get it off!!!

Oh Wait - what is this?

Sheeze - what's the deal?

The two handed approach works better

See Mom - no hat!

What is a hat?

A New Toy?

**Couldn't resist! The whole process took 15 minutes! She seriously worked hard at it!

Me & Mini Me

Carli's Birthday Gift to her Daddy...

Happy Birthday Keith!

To Keith -

Words cannot express the words I'd like to say - but thank you, blessed, happy and lucky are just a few that come to mind when I think of you. Thank you for all you have done for me and for the wonderful, absolutely amazing daddy you are to Carli. We love you very much!!

Taking it easy with Chuy

So excited to meet his daughter...

It was love at first sight!

Totally inseparable

What Wkd?!

Actually, we had a very good weekend. Saturday we did not feel guilty for leaving the house all day since it was raining outside. It was good to get out! We headed out to Longview to catch up with some old college friends. First, we had lunch with Brandon and Sara. Small world, he just bought a dentist practice in Hallsville and they are settling it. It was really neat to see them and catch up! Then it was off to meet Mr. Parker Spiess - who is about a month old. He is the son of Keith's good friend Steven from ACU. Keith spent the afternoon with them comparing Daddy stories while Carli and I headed off to the baby shower for Sophia the soon to arrive daughter of my good friend Erica. All in all it was a good day of visiting!

I wish I could say the same about our night as Carli decided that sleeping really was not on her agenda. The child is a stubborn one, I will grant her that. I think I may have gotten 4 hours of combined sleep - but I held strong. I didn't give in b/c I definitely did not want to sit us back from the progress we had made!

Talking to Daddy after eating some dinner

Sunday was great for the most part. Carli did awesome in church. We didn't have to go to the cry room at all. Although we did step out toward the end of the sermon b/c she was ready to get to singing - but she really did awesome. She was a big girl in class and sit at the table with the other two little girls (4 months and 6 months). They sang songs and had a grand time. Daddy was in charge on Sunday afternoon while I tackled the bushes in the front yard. Poor things got neglected all last year b/c of me being pregnant. Boy were they in need of a trimming. I thoroughly enjoyed being outside and Keith and Carli had their father/daughter time. Carli did not want to take her afternoon nap and managed to accomplish the feat of crying, no screaming, the whole nap time. But other than that little episode, the day was good.

Talking to Naggy and Pappy on Skype while we eat supper

I was kind of dreading bedtime - but was prepared for another battle. It was a late bedtime b/c Carli had fallen asleep going to the grocery store (after all, screaming 1 hr will wear a baby out!). So she got a good power nap in and was not ready for bed until 8:30. So we did the routine - and I laid her down and guess what...She went to sleep! No kidding and we did not hear a peep from her all night! I one the other hand probably woke up 6 times to check the monitor - ha!

Sleeping with her Caterpillar and Frog

So we start another week and we are going to try our best to stay on the same schedule all week. We plan on getting her up at 7 am every day so that feedings and napping all should be about the same time and that should also put bedtime at the same time every night. That's our plan anyway. If anyone knows my family though - plans are made to be broken...maybe Carli hasn't gotten that memo yet though!

The Quest for Sleep

So at the beginning of this week, Keith and I were dreaming of the days when we were struggling to wake Carli up to eat.

From last Friday through this Wednesday this is what we were dealing with all night long...

Actually, she was a lot more grumpy and clingy - but occasionally we would get that big grin and it would just melt your heart!

Anyway, after more than three nights of simply not sleeping b/c my daughter took after her Grammy and sleeps diagonal in any bed you put her in. This is a problem when she ended up in our bed - I had a corner, the dogs had a corner, Keith had a third of the bed and Carli enjoyed the other two thirds when she wasn't insisting on sharing my pillow. Anyway - Carli had won the battle of insisting on sleeping with us and screaming her little head off if you even got close to her bed. At first it was cute, b/c for the first time she wanted us to hold her while she slept. But that quickly got old when she wouldn't even let us put her down after she fell asleep! Then when you added on the night issues - it just wasn't going to work. I could not deal with a 6 month old in my bed (I simply did not sleep) and could not fathom doing this for the next 5 years...

So I went on a mission - I had tried Babywise but honestly the cry it out thing was really hard and with no sleep it was even more tough! So I didn't know what to do but I needed to do something. I posted our dilemma on this website called Mamasource and got a few suggestions. One lady offered to send me an ebook called The Sleep Sense Program. It was 198 pages and you better believe I read it in one day and got to work. Basically it does say you have to let the baby cry - otherwise they will never figure out how to soothe themselves to sleep. It also told me to take away her paci at night - made sense since if she lost it it would mean I would be getting up in the middle of the night to find it for her. I still had a hard time with the crying, but the book did an amazing job of helping me deal with that. So after weeks of random napping and a week of not sleeping - I was ready to go!!

Our first day, she won round one of the naps and cried the whole 1 hr 10 minutes. Our second nap, it was a split decision as she cried for 30 minutes, slept for 20, cried for 10 and slept for 1 hr 15 minutes! I can't even tell you the last time she did that. Then it was time to deal with bed. The book said her bedtime should be 7:00-7:30ish - which would not work the day we started b/c it was Wednesday night. She ended up taking a cat nap on the way to church and did fine. We did our new bedtime routine when we got home, eat, bath, 2 books, 2 songs, prayer and night-night. Oh my goodness. The child simply went to sleep! I'm not kidding! Keith agreed to handle her during the night for up to 30 minutes so that she would not get the idea to nurse for comfort. We had decided it was time to drop the night feedings too. So that night, he only had to get up once and she was back asleep in 15 minutes. She slept until 8 am!

Day two - nap number 1 was amazing - she slept for an hour 15 minutes again but with no fuss. Nap two, not so much and she only managed 30 minutes, so we went for an hour long walk so she would at least rest. I think she kind of needed a power nap around 5 b/c she was so tired, but she didn't think so and screamed at us for 30 minutes. But at 7:30 we started our bedtime routine and she was in bed, asleep before 8!!! I thought for sure I'd be up at 1 or 3 or for sure by 5 with putting her to bed so early. We heard only one whimper at 1 am and nothing else until 6:15 this morning! Woohoo!!!

Day three - we started a little earlier than planned, but not bad. She went down for her first nap at 8:20 and has been snoozing for an hour. I am very plsd. I have not figured out that third nap issue yet. She isn't quite ready to rely solely on two naps if she isn't going to sleep longer than 1 hr 15 minutes. If she makes it to two hr naps, I think we'd be okay with two naps.

Anyway - such are our adventures this week and thus the lack of posting. Keep praying for us as I'm sure we will get another curve ball thrown at us soon!!

Who Needs Sleep...

When you are this cute?

Compare and Contrast

What Carli does when Daddy's in Charge...

What Carli does when Momma's in charge...

The Battle

She is winning the battle today. Naps are not to be and will not slow this child down. Despite the obvious fatigue and all that I try she will not nap. I'd nap - let me nap! :) Send up a prayer today, tomorrow and the next day - I got a stubborn child on my hands!!

To My Dad...

Long nights, long days. Hard work, hard play. Once you start, you don’t quit. Put God first, your spouse next, then your kids – then comes you. Lead by example. It’s okay to cry. Pray. Go to church. Enjoy what you do. Learn all that you can. Never say never. If someone tells you can’t, you can. If you give your best, that’s all you need to do. Just b/c they do, doesn’t mean you need to. If you need me, I’m there. Work never comes before family.

I could keep going. Those are just some of the things that come to mind when I think of my Dad. I know that I am one lucky girl to have such a wonderful Dad. He has supported me wholeheartedly in everything I have done. I am in debt to him for all that he has done for me and for my family. It was a great honor to name Carli Lynn after my dad. Really, it brings a smile to my face to know that she will always have a piece of him with her. My Dad is a hard worker. He always has been. Honestly – he is someone that I have the greatest respect for because he has always been open, honest, God-fearing and loving. He loves my Mom. He loves his kids. He really loves his grandkids! My dad is just fun.

Dad – thanks for it all. For the sacrifices you have made for me. For the sacrifices you continue to make for me. Thanks for putting that HUGE smile on Carli’s face. For being a strong shoulder to cry one. A good listening ear. A true friend. An amazing Godly Man. Thanks Dad – thanks for it all.

We Love you!

Work then Play!

Hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday. We had a great time this wkd. After working hard all day on Friday our backyard was finally freed from the huge rock pit! With the help of Andy and Dad, we were able to get of the rock pit, railroad ties and regain more than a third of our yard back! Right now we just have a huge mud pit, but no worries perhaps it is all downhill from here! Thanks Andy and Dad for all your help on Friday!

Saturday we played! With the help of Uncle Danny we got a cabin out at Lake Palestine and just had a good time. Grandma, Pawpaw, Uncle Danny, Aunt Carolyn, Uncle Johnny, Billy, Gina and kids, Aunt Genell, Uncle Bill plus all our family were there. It was quite the reunion.

Carli and Logan just loved each other all wkd. Michelle was able to capture just a little bit of one of their conversations on video. It was priceless. They gave each other hugs and kisses and just played all wkd. So cute. Below are some pictures from our wkd.

Also - Grammy had bought Logan a ball to play with out at the lake and Carli enjoyed it just as much as he did!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Also - a big thanks to Logan's NeNe for sharing Aunt Chelle with us this wkd. We thoroughly enjoyed having them all here with us! We hope you get better really soon and that your men took real good care of you!

Until later -

To All My Fans....

HAPPY EASTER!!

LOVE,

CARLI