I've got lots to do this weekend...

1. I have made two different toddler bed rails this week...it was much more difficult than I expected.

2. I lost 7.6lbs this week and I am really enjoying eating healthy. I also got a Nike Fuel Band and it motivates me to move more.

3. I am posting this now because I am excited about going downstairs and pimping out my sewing machine. I didn't want to get to involved and forget to post.
(Pictures will be posted!)

4. Now I'm wondering if I should have pimped my sewing machine out first so that I could post the pictures.

5. I need to call and check on my Dad.

6. I have major spring fever today. I went out and cleaned up all of our planting bins and was super excited to see baby leaf lettuce.

7. I'm in Mandie's room and I can hear Paul snoring from here. (Both bedroom doors are open.)

8. I made a peppermint lotion mix. Not only did it get repinned a ton, but my hands are soft and supple and smell minty fresh.

9. My Nugget did so well sleeping in her big girl bed last night.

10. Paul is making Quinoa salad and Tilapia for dinner...YUM.

Hardest thing to do as a parent is let them grow up...

So for the last 14 months I have spent my nights cuddled up with my sweet sleeping little Nugget. Her precious face usually just inches from my own. My arm her pillow as we snuggle close.

I never intended for her to sleep in our bed. I was adamantly against it before she was born. Several weeks of very little sleep will adjust your priorities.

It was supposed to be temporary. We kept saying that we were going to get her into her own bed, but quite honestly it was convenient to have her in our bed and we enjoyed being so close to her.

We made some half assed attempts but our heart wasn't really in it.

So what changed now? You might ask. If you don't, then I'm not sure why you are still reading this.

What has changed is that she has gotten bigger and more independent. Sometimes she snuggles and is sweet. Other times you get kicked in the face while you are sleeping and she is rolling around like an alligator.

So since she isn't sleeping well and we aren't sleeping well, it is time for her to sleep on her own.

In many ways we regret that we didn't do this sooner when it would have been probably easier on all of us...but we didn't. So now as she has just discovered how to throw a tantrum we are trying.

For real this time.

It is 4 in the morning and I am in a chair in her room writing this. She is in her bed sleeping. She went down just fine at her bed time, then at 1am she woke up. I tried to comfort her and even rock her to sleep, but each time when I got her to her bed she woke up and screamed. If she were just crying I would probably have given in, but she was throwing a fit and we are trying hard right now to stop her screaming fits.

Finally I went all SuperNanny on her. I did just like I had seen on the show. I laid her down and told her "night night" then turned my back to her. She got up and screamed and only when she would try to climb out of bed would I get up and lay her back down without speaking to her. Very quickly she figured out that she was not going to get her way....and she laid down and went to sleep.

I feel terrible as I do this, but I know in my heart that I am doing the right thing. I am teaching her to be independent, giving her structure, and also giving her a better nights sleep. I will miss her sweet little face when I wake up in the morning, but it was time to let go.

Friday

1. I joined Weight Watchers and I do not like their new plan...but that is a whole blog in itself. (I did find a resolution.)

2. Mandie has been all kinds of fussy this week...she seems to do this every few months when she is going through a big developmental change.

3. Between Mandie being fussy and me being hungry before I got my Weight Watchers fixed, I'm surprised that everyone in my house survived this week.

4. Seeing as I am on Weight Watchers I am obviously not a small person, and yet I somehow manage to sleep on 3 inches of bed each night after Mandie takes over.

5. The other day Mandie decided she wanted to get creative with her outfit and brought to Paul what she wanted to put on.... and this is how that turned out <3

6. We might be hiring one of my former co-workers to work with me on data entry and I am excited.

7. I am going to take Mandie to hang out with 2 little girls who belong to a girl I grew up living next to. It's exciting and neat because now you don't really get to know your neighbors, and I've known this girl since before she was born.

8. I'm in Mandie's room as I'm writing this, because Paul is trying to put her to sleep in our room. She is going through a phase where she only wants me...which is very sweet but not very practical.

9. I was going to type something interesting here but wasn't sure who my audience was going to be.

10. I'm enjoying this little bit of quiet time to myself. :)

It's been a loooong week!

1. We have spent all week but we have everything set to make all of our pets happier!

2. I don't know if it is just my mood today or what but I am really aggravated by people being mean to other people.

3. This is probably what triggered my last comment. Today I saw an article about Daniel von Bargen and his failed attempted suicide. TMZ actually posted the audio. This man is already at a low point and now his misery is being displayed as entertainment. This disgusts me.

4. On a happier note we have a new addition to our family. Paul and I have had bearded dragons in the past and really like them...last Saturday we got a new bearded dragon that is really pretty. We named her Kimchi!

5. I think inanimate objects in our house are mad at us. My husband was installing a baby gate and the door swung open and busted him in the nose. I got punched in the mouth by my headphones. Not feeling very fung shui.

6. So now that the gate is installed Nugget can run around free and she has actually been very well behaved. So far when I ask her not to mess with something she has stopped.

7. This has been a very long week, but during a conference it was nice to hear that people were impressed with my mad data entry skills.

8. Paul and I have shows we like watching together, so when he is working I try to watch shows that I don't think he would want to watch. I am now hooked on Grey's Anatomy.

9. I think it is adorable that Mandie knows what a microphone is and will sing into it.

10. My sister and I were messaging each other on FB the other night and I was trying to type that Mandie had sleep farts but typed sleep fats and my sister thought maybe it was a new pajama brand! I lol'd.

Here is a pic of Mandie looking steam punk!

I almost forgot to post today!

1. I am so proud of my dog ...we had kept her confined because when we had 2 dogs they kept getting in trouble but now we only have one and we forgot to put her gate up and went out for the day and she didn't destroy anything! Now she gets to be free all of the time.

2. I am drinking a Kahlua Mudslide right now and it is the second drink I've had in over 2 years. (I didn't drink because of the Nugget.)

3. I am super excited because tomorrow I'm picking up a real slot machine that came from Atlantic City! You never turn down a free slot machine! (Especially if you're Asian.)

4. My husband slacked and didn't do anything for Valentine's day so he has been making up for it by putting a gift at my desk each morning so that when I come down to go to work I have a surprise. (I hope this goes on the whole year!)

5. I think if people heard some of the conversations my sister and I have they would commit us.

6. I found a picture of baby platipi wearing fedoras and I sent the link to my husband who called me silly. I responded by explaining that I was not silly because I was not the one who put the baby platipi in hats I was merely admiring them.

7. I think Wil Wheaton is very funny and seems like a nice person.

8. I pre-ordered the Bloggess book in hardback and audio because I think it will be funny to hear her read it.

9. I didn't know why "See you next Tuesday" was so funny until I Googled it...then I LOL'd

10. This week Big Mandy came over and I forced Little Mandie into her arms and got the first picture of the two of them together! It's not a great picture but considering Big Mandy has a baby phobia it went well.

laoaierowhanndklsnzodfjwes,,,;... <---Those are to fill in any letters or punctuation that I may be missing in this post. You can add them where you see fit.

Sip

It's Friday ...and though this week didn't seem to drag on ..today really did.

1 - nung - I bought a girly shirt this week. I generally don't dress very girly but because I work at home now and I am in pajamas most of the week I feel like if I do go somewhere I should try a little.

2 - soong - We went to the mall this week and found nothing we wanted to buy ..so either we have really adapted to our budget OR we're old and nothing appeals to us. Either way that is money saved.

3 - saam - I am excited about a Valentines project I want to make.

4 - sii - I have not been playing my ukulele ...it probably misses me.

5 - haa - Paul, Mandie and I all need new shoes...I love shoes but I haven't found many that I like lately. (Also for Mandie - they carry sneakers for boy's year round but we tried to get her shoes and they said that the girl's sneakers were out of stock because it was time for sandles to come in - that is some crap.)

6 - hok - I'm trying to be more positive in my interactions with people.

7 - jet - I like getting free t-shirts. One came in the mail today from Northwest Federal Credit Union....I don't even bank with them. :)

8 - bat - Two weeks ago I accidentally dropped the tv remote on Mandie while she was sleeping and she cried. She didn't cry more than 20 seconds and fell right back to sleep, but I still felt guilty.

9 - gaao - It has been two years since Paul and I have smoked.

10 - sip - I cut the super long tuft of hair Mandie had last Saturday ...I was sad cutting it. She still looks super cute though.

Hucha Hucha Hucha ...Lobster!

Conversation that just happened...

I'm eating grapes doing my work...

Me: I almost choked on that grape.

Paul: Lobster.

Me: What?

Paul: Like lobster.

Me: I didn't know that lobsters choked on grapes.

Paul: No, people choke on lobster. You almost choked on the grape, like people choke on lobster.

Me: ....

Eddie Izzard makes all of this make sense.