Catching Up

It's been a while since I've posted, and to be honest I just haven't felt like it. I've been busy and stressed, and my thoughts weren't exactly flowing in a manner that would make it easy to write! I'll just make a list of a few things going on. It may turn out longer than I really planned, and if it does I'm sorry!

1) Grace still isn't sleeping well. I don't think there was a day last week that I was in bed before 2 am. She would either be too wound up when I got home from work to go to sleep at a reasonable hour, or she just wouldn't let me lay her down. I've been very worn out, not only from not sleeping but also because I've completely stressed myself out over the whole situation. I ended up in tears pretty much every night because I was so frustrated with her and with myself. It's not been good. Yesterday Grace and I were out at Mom and Dad's house and they sent a twin mattress home with us for her room. We have a twin bed in her room with a box springs, but we didn't have a mattress. Now we do, and as soon as I get paid again and can go get some bedding for it we're going to start working with her on going to bed on her own. I think it will be better, because she won't feel trapped in her crib and if she does wake up in the middle of the night I'm not going to get her. I know she'll eventually crawl back up in bed and go back to sleep. We went through this a few months ago, before she learned how to crawl out of her bed! She would wake up in the middle of the night and the first couple of times I went and got her, but then she figured me out. From then on I just let her cry and she put herself back to sleep. She only did that about 3 times after that! I just hope it works out, because I'm tired of not sleeping.

2) I'm so ready to put my Christmas stuff up! I'm holding out until next weekend though because Gene is going to the hunting cabin with some friends so he'll be gone all day and out of the way so the boys and I can get it all put up! Mom has already told me I have to be at her house Friday to help put her stuff up since things will be in different places this year with her re-decorating! I imagine the boys and I will start on ours Friday night, and if not then for sure Saturday! I have some new lighted garland to put on my firelace mantle and new stockings that I bought last year! I've also got some new little things to put out. I'm hoping to go get a new tree I found at Lowe's and fell in love with!! We'll see about that though.

3) I'm working on Thanksgiving. Not necessarily one of the perks of working in law enforcement. Unfortunately crime never takes a holiday! Actually, I've been at the pd almost 4 years, and this is the first Thanksgiving I've had to work. I've always had Thursdays off until just a few months ago when I switched to Fri/Sat. So, I have to work it this year. Before my days off switched I was going to have all the big holidays off, but it's ok, I'll have them all off next year! I do only have to work 2-6, instead of 2-10 though. My supervisor is letting the people who normally have lunch with their family come in late at 6 and the people who normally do dinner get to leave at 6 since we have enought people to work it out like that. Gene, the kids, and I are going to Gene's parents house for lunch then I'm going in to work. We didn't really do Thanksgiving with them last year, so this year we will and then I'll get off early on my Friday! Early start to the weekend. Teresa (my supervisor) is also leaving at 6 and we're going to see Australia together! I'm really excited about it!

4) I've got some of my Christmas shopping done! I'm actually making a lot of my gifts, and it's been a lot of fun! I still haven't figured out what I'm going to get Gene or my brother, or for the boys but I'll figure something out!

5) There are a lot of things coming up. Thursday morning I have to be at Arvest Stadium and 6:30 am to help with the Turkey Trot (a 5k run we've set up as a fundraiser for the benevolent fund and shop with a cop. Then of course Thanksgiving. The Christmas committee at work that I'm on is putting a float in the Springdale Christmas parade Saturday night. We are selling chances to win a big playhouse! It is so adorable, and it's huge! It's more the size of a little shed, but looks like a house. Some of the guys at the pd made it, and it's one of our fundraisers. I'll have to post a picture of it on here, and if you want to purchase tickets to win it let me know. They're $1 a piece or $5 for 6 (I think!). Anyways, we're putting it on a float and making it Santa's workshop to advertise it and sell tickets! I know for sure that Grace, Corey, and I will be on it and I'm not sure yet about Colt. If you don't have plans you should definitely come check it out! Then the next weekend Teresa is having a surprise birthday party for her friend Peaches in Eureka Springs and I think I may try to go over there for that. Then the next weekend is the pd Christmas party that I have to work at and of course attend with my family. Then my wedding anniversary is Dec. 14th and Corey's birthday is the 15th! Then after that is Christmas. It's just going way to fast! It'll be 2009 before I know it, then Grace will be 2 shortly after that! Ahhhh! Really?! Can someone please figure out how to slow time down?!?!

6) Even with the stress and frustration of my toddler not sleeping, I've had baby fever. BAD! When Gene and I got together and knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, we talked about having a couple of kids. Obviously, he already had 2 boys, but he was wanting more. I, of course, wanted 2 kids of my own! That has always been my dream...2 kids! Well, right after I had Grace and realized how incredibly painful and hard child birth is I decided I didn't want to have any more! I started taking birth control as soon as I could and took it for 2 months before it gave me a blood clot in my leg. Not good. I had to stop taking it immediately and will never be able to take regular birth control again because of the risk. So, Gene and I talked about an IUD. Dr. Cole (my gyno) recommended Mirena, and we had decided yes. Our insurance was going to cover 90 percent of it, but we had to pay for it up front. $635. Yikes! So, we never followed through with that. Plus, you can leave it in for up to 5 years unless you decide you want another one and they can take it out. But, I was afraid we would pay all that money and then 2-3 years down the road decide we wanted another one and that money was not worth spending. Well, the past 4 months or so, I have really been wanting another one. In actuality, I really don't want another one until Grace is at least sleeping again in a big bed, and really until she's potty trained, but all these women I know are pregnant and having babies and I miss it soooo much. The 9 months I was pregnant was one of my happiest times. Pregnancy is such an amazing thing, and next time will be even better because I won't have to deal with the stress of building a new house and living in a little bitty trailer. So, I'm wanting another baby. We'll see!!

Ok, there's what's happening and I'll post pictures after we get our Christmas stuff up!!