Friday, January 25, 2013

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: News & Updates

Hey Humble Readers...

Well, I'm back.  Beauregard the laptop is back in my posession and is actually running better than what it did when I first got it.  I got the computer back a couple of days ago, but because they had to completely wipe the hard drive, it's taken me some time to get things back to the way I like them.  Thank heaven I had backed up all the pictures on Picasa.  And the computer tech guys were able to save the files that I was most concerned about losing from my writing and my plethora of lists!  Yay!

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My Beloved's first few days at his new job have gone well.  He says it's a much more professional environment than he's been accustomed to.  And it's a rather posh office... a newly built building with granite countertops in the bathrooms and a water feature in the reception area.  Still in the dark on the medical benefits (which is one of my main concerns) but all in all, he seems happy and excited about his work.  A couple of little bummers... he has to leave a half hour earlier in the morning, and he can't come home for lunch any more.  I miss that little bit of adult conversation in the middle of the day and he misses seeing the wee-lings.

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My mom has had a bit of a health scare.  (Just a reminder that my mom is a 6 time cancer survivor - cervical, uterine, lung, melanoma, lymphoma, lesions on her brain)  One of her past cancer issues was a melanoma on her forehead by her left temple.  A month ago she found a small spot on her forehead on the right temple.  Given her history, her doctors didn't want to mess around, and so yesterday they removed the spot.  It was a little over 4mm, and it was sent for further testing.  I've been able to keep my concerns in check until today, because I found out that her main doc wants to see her on Monday morning.  Part of me knows that it's likely just to check on the incision and possibly remove the stitches, but I'm still anxious.  I know that she absolutely doesn't have the emotional reserves right now, with everything going on with the divorce, to deal with a full on cancer battle again.  DOESN'T SHE DESERVE A BREAK?!?!

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I'm hesitant to say this, but I think we may be past the sleep regression situation.  At least for the time being.  We changed up the bedtime routine a bit.  Ginny and Pippin both go to bed at the same time now.  We do teeth brushing, stories, and prayers together now, whereas before we would put Ginny down first and then put Pip down an hour or so later.  We are doing a modified version of Ferber (I think that's the name of it anyway), where one of us will go in and comfort him a bit every 10 or 15 minutes if he's fussing.  In the last couple of days we've only had to go in twice.  I was just so hesitant to do that, because I didn't want his crying to upset Ginny's sleep (and I really don't like CIO), but my Beloved was adamant that we give it a try... and it's worked.  And it seems like Ginny's settling a little quicker now too. 

QUESTION:  Have any of you found that your baby had a tough time learning to self soothe if they didn't learn to suck their thumb?  (we don't use pacifiers either) 

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Goals for 2013 Update:  I'm well into my third book of the year already.  I'm very happy that I've gotten such a good start on my reading goal for the year.  Other goals have been very slow to start.  I have been better with my line-a-day journal, but my weightloss has plateaued at 19.6lb down (since November).  Workouts have been pretty much non-existent (hence the plateau), but I have booked an appointment for a hair cut tomorrow (my first since last April).  And I'm planning on colouring my hair next weekend.  Potty training... oh heavens... I am so lame.  I am going to get on that on Monday.  My daily to do lists have remained unaccomplished mostly for the last couple of weeks, but I'm allowing myself some slack there because of Pippin's sleep issues for the last two weeks. 

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What's been the highlight of your week so far?

4 comments :

  1. Raegan has been able to self soothe for a long time. She doesn't always do it, but she can. She has never really sucked her thumb, though recently she's taking to chewing on it, and she gave up pacifiers when she was 2 months old. She was self soothing at 5-6 months and usually can get her self settled back in. Good luck with the sleep thing.

    I've worried a bit about this if we do ever have a #2 since the 2 will be sharing a room, at least when the baby is 5-6 months old when we put the new baby in a crib. Things to think about in small house living.

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  2. I got a hysterectomy last Friday!! After 6 months of bleeding and anemia I am so glad to have it all gone. The downside is that I have to wait 6 weeks to work out and I was on a good routine. I am also on my final semester of school and will start internships next month.

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  3. Oh I hope there's nothing going on with your mom... praying that it's just a stitch check. I've never done anything close to CIO, so I don't know if this helps or not... but my first child didn't suck his thumb or use a paci... and he slept like a champ, and was super laid back, and seemed "soothed." So when little Miss E came along... every ultrasound showed her with ther thumb in her mouth, she sucks her thumb CONSTANTLY... even when she's hungry, she has a hard time deciding between food and thumb.... and she is HIGH maintenance. She doesn't self soothe at all. Not a stitch. She screams and demands more than I thought a baby would be able to. LOL. So, for what it's worth, I don't think it matters in the slightest. It's all personality. Glad the new job is working out! Hoping the health benefits are in line for you!

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  4. Wow. You have a lot going on. Congratulations on your weigh loss, on your husband's new job. I am sorry to hear about your mom. What a tough lady. I will be finding out about self soothing soon. I have a lot of reading to do on sleep and newborns.

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