Munchkin Slept

Last night was a glorious return to normalcy, and Hubs and I hope it will be the routine rather than the exception.

We met Hub's dad in Gettysburg yesterday evening for dinner, and Munch fell asleep during the hour-long ride home. Of course waking up upon me putting the car into park. (It was ultimately good because he was so sweaty from his day and running around the Outlets.)

After bath and bottle, Hubs took him up to sway him to sleep. I received a text 25 minutes later that Munch was quiet but with eyes wide open. Arms were commencing to fall off. I went up to try my share, and Munch was asleep in about 20 minutes, so around 10:40pm.

First wakeup was right in line with Munch's routine--about 1:10am (the good thing about NBC's Olympics coverage is all-night programming, at least til 4:30am!). And, bless him, Munch let me lay him back in the crib! He cried out twice at 5am, but stopped, and then didn't cry full out until 6:15am. At which point he finished the night in our bed and woke up smiling, as did we.

Yay for Munch! Yay for solid sleep for all!

Definitely Not in my Top 10

I finished Definitely Not Mr. Darcy on Friday night, a book that was too long for its own good and much better in concept than execution. I wish I had come up with the idea of a reality show based in 1812. I feel I could have written it better than the author; the writing had some weird tics that annoyed me throughout, and also there were some real holes in the story.

I also hated that the author constantly referred back to the 1995 A&E adaption of "Pride and Prejudice," a miniseries that did indeed inspire much swooning on my part as well. It was clear the author was basing her setting and the main hero's looks on this series.

And, as even my beloved Deanna Raybourn is wont to do, the heroine sometimes acted like an outraged female just for the sake of drama in the story. In the end, the heroine was annoyed she'd been lied to, but it was a product of the reality show, not the hero's personal failings. And the "I can do this all by myself" conclusion at the end felt forced and contrived.

So, it's a beachy read with not much substance. Three stars--so recommended, but not with raves.

Weekend Wrapup: Varied But Relaxed

A weekend on the homefront, which was needed by all.

The Highlight:

• A wonderfully quiet Sunday with lots of tiny highlights: Munch turning his face up to me after I put him in his high chair, his eyes closed and his lips turned in a smile; Munch playing in the church nursery and chasing bubbles; and Munch nursing quietly to sleep last night for the first time in a very long time.

The Good:

• Eating Nando's chicken on Friday night (although it was sticky and warm in the restaurant), complete with Portugese wine.
• Going on an afternoon double date with Adam and Jamie to see the gloriously stupid Ted.
• Playing "Where's Monkey?" in Munch's room, as I put the blanket over Monkey and Munch tore it off him.
• Lots of Munch-style dancing, with his head bent to one shoulder.
• Jersey Mike's on Saturday night.
• Increasingly fun bathtimes, as Munch eats the bubbles despite my best efforts to stop him, throws the toys in himself, and says "bye-bye" to the water afterwards.
• Panera on Sunday night, with Munch eating a good dinner, then walking around the thankfully empty room, and our walk around the neighborhood afterwards.
• Reading a creepy, well-written thriller, despite that it did keep me up a little on Saturday night.

The What???

• Feeling stressed over planning issues.
• Feeling on edge during my first time in a movie theater since the CO shooting--but I made it through and that is good.
• The same sleep problems (but hearing from Dr. H that all is normal and what we're doing is not going to damn Munch to a lifetime of sleep difficulties--this was good).
• Still not cleaning up the house as much as we should.

Weely Goals #2

Food:

Goal 1: Write down everything I eat at least 5 times this week.
Goal 1a: Do not eat anything after dinner at least 5 times this week.

Activity:

Goal 2: Do a video 2 times this week.

Well-Being:

Goal 3: Do not ask about conversations that I don't need to know about.

Weekly Goals #1: Lessons Learned

Goal #1: Pretty much a fail on this one. I did exceptionally well Monday to Wednesday. I have a Thursday problem, something I've realized over the past several months. I always go off-plan on Thursday and then it continues through the "party days" of Friday through Sunday. Trying to figure out how to fix this.

Goal #2: Technically accomplished this. Last night, Hubs and I took a walk with Munch through downtown, though it was quite leisurely. I learned that I feel really good when I've done rigorous exercise, like my video, but it still is not a priority. As in, yesterday Munch took a 2 and a 1/2 hour nap and I read for an hour and slept for the rest.

Goal #3: Accomplished. And 100 pages into my next (much better) book.

High-Pitched Scream

Well, I'm taking Munch to the doctor tomorrow morning to see if we can identify any physical symptom that could be causing his sleep difficulties.

We stayed the night at my MIL's last night after Hubs and I got back from Wolf Trap at 12 midnight. (Of course, Munch fell asleep on his own, on the couch next to his grandma around 9). Munch slept til 2:10; nursed; then actually allowed me to lay him back down in the pack n play. I counted this as a victory.

4:39am. Hubs and I are awoken by an ear-piercing scream. I grabbed up Munch and he settled, but then he kept arching his back and screaming periodically, even when I put him in bed with us, and then even when he nursed. We tried Advil. Of course, by 5:15, he was awake and pointing at the light switch and the doorknob.

So, I took him downstairs and sat with him while he played, watching the blue light of dawn grow brighter out the back patio door. It was quite peaceful, actually. Munch was in a very pleasant mood, and he alternated between sitting nicely on my lap and playing.

Around 6, he sat on my lap on the floor and played his "iPod" over and over and I think started lulling himself to sleep. I rocked him and sang "Angels From the Realms of Glory," kind of, of all things, and he fell asleep. I laid him up in the bed between Hubs and I and slept until 8.

Though I was tired today, I cherished the quiet pre-dawn time I shared with Munch. It was calming and peaceful.

Weekly Goals Check-in

Goal 1: As usual, my food goal has gotten lax as I hit Thursday and Friday. Mon-Wed I was very good about it. Thursday, Hubbaland and I went out to see the National Symphony Orchestra play music from "The Legend of Zelda," and we went to the Maplewood Grill beforehand. I had my first martini (peach with cranberry juice); and we split yummy crab and shrimp "poppers," a 4-cheese pesto pizza (tasty and oily of course), and steak with blue cheese. And of course finished it off with a trio of creme brulees. BUT there are still 2 days left til the new week.

Goal 2: I'm on track to be active 3 times this week; only need to do one more thing either tomorrow or probably Sunday.

Goal 3: Accomplished--I finished "Definitely Not Mr. Darcy" tonight.