Ferberizing

Alright, so Savanna has been HORRIBLE during the night for about the past 2 weeks - waking up crying 5, 6, 7 times at night. Quite a few nights I just gave up and brought her in our bed because I was just tooooo tired to rock her or deal with it - but I hate having kids in my bed because it makes me too nervous to sleep well, plus it can become a habit super fast. I thought it was just a stage she was going through and she would go back to sleeping well again soon.

She really still has yet to 'sleep through the night', but at least before she would only wake up once or twice at night - eat -and go right back to sleep. I could handle that - but I could not handle the constant waking up and fussing. So Friday I said enough is enough. I spent the whole day researching different 'sleep training' methods - mainly the extinction method and the ferber method. I decided on the ferber method (letting them cry for 5 minutes - going in - comforting them quickly, and leaving for 10 minutes, going back in, then leaving for 15 minutes and so on - only rule is - you cannot pick up baby and the visits have to be quick and short) I remember doing this with Joey and it only took 2 nights before he slept through the night without a problem.

I was all gung ho and went over the 'plan' with Kris. I went upstairs to lay Savanna down. I fed her and put her down and said good night and left the room - knowing it was going to be a long night - I hate hearing her cry. I left the room and came down stairs and watched a TV show with Kris. At the end, I realized I hadn't heard a peep out of her. I went and checked on her and she was out cold. YAY! But I knew it was only a matter of an hour or so before she would be waking up and fussing. We went to bed and I woke up this morning at 4 to realize she STILL has yet to wake up - of course I had to check on her to make sure she was still breathing - which she was - so I went back to bed. then at 6:30 she woke up pleasently - I woke up to happy coos on the monitor. Can you believe it???

I guess she over heard me talking about the ferber method and knew I was serious! ha ha! That is the first time since she was born she slept for 10 hours straight! I was in heaven!!! We'll see tonight if it was just a fluke or if she really has given up her fussy night ways!! If not, ferber method, here we come!

Joey Chatter

Thought I'd liven things up with some Joey Chatter...

This one occurred when I was explaining that Great Grandpa had passed away...

S: Great Grandpa died. He went to live with Jesus.
J: Why did he go to live with Jesus?
S: He was really sick, but he's not sick any more because he went to live with Jesus and He made him all better.
J: He was sick? Did he go see a doctor?
S: Yes, but he had to go live with Jesus to get all better.
J: Oh - so when I get sick I go live with Jesus?

(needless to say... he didn't understand at all what was going on)

When we went to the viewing and we went up to see great-grandpa in the casket:

S: Joey - do you want to see great-grandpa?
J: Mommy! Shhhhh! Great-grandpa is sleeping!!

I found this kind of humorous!
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This one happened when we were reading a book about firefighters and it mentioned if you see a fire 'call 911 or tell an adult'

J: Are you an adult, Mommy?
S: Yes I am (though I'm not real sure when it happened....)
J: Is Daddy an adult?
S: Yes - and so is Grammy and Grandpa and all the grown-ups.
J: Am I an adult?
S: No silly - you're only 3 - you're still a kid.
J: So you are 9?!?

Ha ha - 9 years old is an adult to him!

More info

If you are interested in more info about my Grandfather and his life, check out my sister Amanda's blog. She was there with him last night when he passed and she has some neat pictures of him on there.

Goodbye Grandpa

Sadly, my Grandpa, James Lester Slack, died tonight after fighting a battle of very aggressive leukemia for the past 3 months. He was an amazing man and lived a long and honest life. He served amazingly in the Navy as a young man. He was on the USS Anderson during WWII. He was a great husband to my grandmother for over 60 years, was a father to 3 children, a grandfather to 7 children, a great-grandfather to 11 children, and great-great grandfather to one.

I have wonderful memories of him from my years growing up. I know often I would get to go stay the night at his house and I remember how he and Grandma would spoil me rotten. I remember his sense of humor, but also his sense of humility. I remember the great love he had for his family, and his pets alike. He was a very strong man, but very soft hearted. He will be greatly missed.

The funeral will be later this week, and I will post more about this amazing man then, but for now, here are the pictures I have of him with my children. Unfortunately these are the only ones I have on my camera of him. But I am glad I got these. These were taken shortly after Savanna was born. (yes.. the date stamp is wrong on my camera...) He was nervous when we took these pictures, because this was the first time he had held a baby since his stroke 4 years ago - He was so proud to be able to hold Savanna - and she just cooed and smiled at him. I am sad my children will not remember him as I did, but I hope they always know their great-grandfather was amazing.

For now, please pray for my grandmother, whom I am sure is greiving for her groom of 60+ years... I can't imagine how hard must be for her. He was always her rock.

Grandpa Slack, Joey, Grandma Slack, and Savanna (this is the grandmother whose maiden name is Austin, where Savanna recieved her middle name from. It's funny, but my grandma refuses to call her Savanna - to her she is Austin. I love it. :-) )

Grandpa loving on baby Savanna

Baby Savanna smiling at her Great-Grandfather!

Goodbye, Grandpa Slack. I will miss you. Thank you for teaching me the value of Family and for just being you. You have done so much for me and I will forever be indebted to you.

Milestones

Today Savanna 'sat up' all by herself - from laying down on her stomach to sitting up. Yay! :) Although then she promptly bonked her head on the coffee table, so she wasn't too happy about it...

Also, today made 1 week that Joey has been wearing 'big boy' underwear to bed and no accidents yet!! Double YAY!!

I just love watching these kids grow up....

Photo update

Well we have been busy busy busy in the past couple weeks! I know I haven't posted pictures in a while, so I figured I'd finally put up what I have accumulated in the past little bit. We have been to the zoo, to COSI, and to AHA in Lancaster. I didn't get any pictures from the zoo because unfortunately I forgot to put the card in my camera - bummer!! But Kris' little brother got some good pictures, so hopefully I'll get those off of his camera soon.

Anyway - first is the pictures from COSI - we went with my sister and her twin girls who are 2.

First we had to see the new FROG exhibit - it was quite interesting!! I do not like frogs in the slightest, but Joey quite enjoyed them. This picture is of his favorite frogs - I forget what they are called, but they are very small, very brightly colored, and very poisonous!!

These are my sister's Amanda's twins, Meghan and Ellen. Aren't they CUTE?

After we enjoyed the frogs, we spent the rest of the time in the kid zone in COSI. It was huge and had just about any toy you could ever want! This is a picture of my cutie enjoying it - can you believe that hair??

Here is Joey rolling balls down the ball thing - a favorite of his!

This is Joey... just bein Joey!

Here is Joey at the water table.

And Savanna at the baby water table - she loved it!!

And then Savanna spent quite a while playing with the baby in the mirror. So fun!

Joey being the baby kangaroo he's so good at being.

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Next are a couple of pics i snapped at home:

I forget why, but Joey was VERY tired - he almost fell asleep on the table!! ha ha

And this is Savanna's new trick - no she can't crawl yet, but she's started doing this 'yoga baby' move lots - like the downward dog! She thinks it's pretty cool.

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Next are some pics from AHA - it is a child's museum in Lancaster that is aimed at children 7 and younger. I got to go with my sister Amanda's columbus mother of twins club - they had a 'private play date' there last week - discounted admission! yay!

Joey spent almost the first hour at the water table building these... water things. He loved it! But got SOAKED!

Savanna also enjoyed the baby water table - she got soaked too, and I forgot an extra outfit for her! But thankfully the AHA place had a dryer available!

Joey thought the cash register at the shopping station was cool

And he enjoyed the vet station

Here I thought it was cute - he was 'shopping' and meghan was 'ringing him up'. I love the pretend play!!

And I had to snap this one - It cracked me up that the ENTIRE parking lot was minivans!

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Last but not least, here are some easter pics..... I still need to scan in their professional easter pictures - hopefully I'll get those on here soon!

These are the cupcakes Ethan and Joey made - they didn't turn out like I was thinking, but that is green icing and coconut to look like 'grass' with jelly beans as the 'eggs'

Here is the Easter plate Kris' grandmother made and painted and sent for Savanna's first Easter. She makes ceramics - she used to have a shop when she lived here in Ohio. She has sent Joey and Easter plate, too, for his first easter, and has made him some christmas ornaments and stuff. Pretty neat, huh?

This is what the 'Easter bunny' brought Savanna - since she's still young, she didn't need much. Kris' mom got her the glow worm and she LOVES it!

This is what the 'Easter bunny' brought for Joey - he really made out in the couch potato realm! He's watched Bolt twice already - and it's only been 2 days.... Unfortunately the Diego game didn't work and we had to return it, but we just ordered a new one on line, along with the Diego dinos game. He'll like those! So fun!

Hopfully the professional Easter pictures will soon follow.....

Joey Chatter

Here's some more cute things Joey's said recently...

Joey was outback playing when he stuck his head in and said:

J: MOM - you need to mow the grass!!
S: Tell your dad! (it's his job anyway, right?)
J: Daddy!
K: What?
J: Mommy needs to mow the grass!!

what can I say... he told his dad! LOL! Guess I need to get mowin!

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The other day I was at church for a meeting and I let Joey play in the gym - he knew where I was and I told him to come get me if he needed me. He came in and this is how it went...

S: What's wrong baby? You need me?
J: I misseded you Mommy! I was all alone! (and he gave me big hug)

talk about cute!!

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Lorenzo the Flying Frenchman

I can't tell you how many times I've watched this video. I can't tell you what I would give to see this guy perform or to meet his horses! It's AMAZING!!