Stages

2 weeks ago last night we separated the kids into their own rooms and from the second night of that transition they have both been sleeping through the night.  Wonderful!

For the past week Xander has been screaming before bed, trying everything to get out of bed.  I have to say that I caved in and gave him his "wan-more" item (snack/drink) for 3 nights.  Last night I decided to just give him a snack/drink before even putting him in his bed.  Didn't work.  He still screamed at the top of his lungs.  I had to go in and remind him that it was night time and time to go to sleep until morning.  Didn't work.  He throws everything out of his bed.  Nothing new.  After 30 minutes of screaming, I go in, lay him back down and tell him that everyone is going to bed and that he needs to be a big boy and stop crying and fall asleep.  10 minutes later, he's asleep.  Wonderful!

I can remember when he would do this before he turned a year.  So I told Nick that we're going to have to let him figure out his issue on his own and we have to stop going in there.  I have 2 problems with this though.  First, I'm terrified he's going to wake up Sterling and then she's not going to go back to sleep.  Second, he likes to throw everything out of his crib and then he'll be cold.  He'll learn, I know, but that seems so harsh to me?  I would go in after he falls asleep, but when I've done this in the past, he wakes up.  Not good!

Who's the sweetest baby ever?  Sterling!  She is constantly laying her head on us (and the dog) and cooing/babbling something.  All I have to say is "sweet-baby"!  LOVE!!!

Who hates sharing?  Xander!  I think to myself, "how in the world am I going to teach these kids sharing?".  This past week we have been working on not throwing balls in the house.  Yesterday was my limit.  Xander threw a ball smack in Sterling's face.  Not nice at all!  I know it was an accident, but he's got to start listening.  Since having the balls in the toy room is not working in eye sight, the balls will be removed and put away in the Armoire today.  I will conquer this challenge.

I went 4 days without a Pepsi.  Yah me!  I'm a Pepsi addict!  No joking.  I could have one for every drink I drink.  I only drink 2 max a day, but would have more if it wasn't so bad for me.  So I decided to try to kick this habit, cold turkey.  The first 2 days were horrible and I had the worst headache a person could ever have.  The next 2 days weren't bad, but last night I had a craving, no headache, just a craving for one.  So I had one.  Why do I do this to myself?  I want to stop.  I need to stop.  It's just to darn hard!  I tell myself to cut it down to one a day, it works for awhile.  Honestly, I see myself creeping back to them.  I've been looking at the Soda Stream thingy thinking this will help.  I don't know.  I don't want to waste money.  Then I think, I'll just switch to Diet Coke.  Some people/magazines say it's better for you than a regular soda, but then the other critics say it's worse for you.  How in the world am I supposed to decide which one is better?  I know which one tastes better...ha!  But, that's about all.

Getting help from a spouse is another stage challenge we're in.  For me, I feel that I could use some extra help when hubby gets home.  I'm usually in the kitchen cooking up some dinner and the kids are usually at my legs screaming or holding onto them so I can't move.  I wish I had a gate at my kitchen entrance!  Anyways.  I also feel like my job is more exhausting than his job.  Do you feel me?  Watching two kids until 21 months IS exhausting.  I do know and understand that hubby wants some down time to unwind.  But.  I can't process that when the kids are at my side screaming, wanting something, needing a diaper change, whatever it is they are screaming for while I'm trying to cook.  Could I use some help please?  Hubby is typically a GREAT helper and taking the kids away from me so I can get things done, but those "other" days are frustrating.  Let's take last night.  I guess hubs had a rough/long day at the job and wanted to rest without being bothered so he was on the computer.  I'm in the kitchen rolling out dough to make soft wrap bread to go with our turkey bacon ranch club wrap we were having for dinner.  Chopping up romaine, dicing up tomatoes, cooking bacon...that's splattering everywhere.  This is where I get upset because both kids are at my side fussing while hubs is sitting on the couch surfing the web.  Help please!  I don't enjoy having the kids in the kitchen when I'm cooking because the contents are hot (especially splattering bacon!) and if they start going crazy they could get injured.  I'm not interested in seeing that happen or taking that chance.  (Hopefully we'll have a normal sized entry into the kitchen that I can block off at our next home!)  Hubs finally gathers the kids.  I'm able to finish up dinner and get it served.  We enjoy dinner.  After dinner is another area I like the kids away.  I enjoy cleaning up the kitchen at the end of the night and having it clean and ready for morning.  Bath nights this is usually not a problem, but non-bath nights, the kids are full of energy.  It probably takes 20 minutes of uninterrupted cleaning to get things put up.  I guess I feel that if the other spouse IS around, why can't I do things without being overwhelmed with all the tasks and the kids?  I do it all.  Every day.  Nothing new.  But.  Keeping the kids entertained away from me while do things would be much appreciated.  I could use that "break" too.

Tomorrow I get it!  I'm going to be gone ALL day (only 12 hours of it)!  I'm so excited.  My bestie and I are taking a tour to the Mosel Valley.  How exicting!  Drink me some wine and take my worries away.

Have a great day!