Grandma, Papa and Alligator come for a visit

Goodnight Sweetheart, continued

So we're still trying to get Gabe to sleep through the night in his new room and bed. He was great when his grandparents were here this weekend but its been downhill since then. Take last night for example: 2:10am Gabe runs into our room: "Wake up, Mama!" 2:11am Turn over, hoping this is a bad dream. 2:12am Realize this is happening for real, give Gabe the choice of going back to his bed or to his crib. He chooses a write-in candidate: coming to bed with me. 2:13am Dada's pillow is not good enough, so Gabe and I are sharing a pillow. This can't end well. 2:15am Gabe gives me a kiss and starts playing with my hair. The sweetness is making up for any loss of sleep. 2:16am Gabe kicks me in the back, temporarily eradicating all goodwill. 2:17am Glance at the clock, vowing to give Gabe until 2:30 to go to sleep. 2:30 Too lazy to get up; maybe just another few minutes 2:59 Enough is enough. Grab pillow, blanket and33 lb monster and go back to his room. Pull out trundle bed and settle in for the night. 3:11 Woken up by Buzz Lightyear. Realize Gabe has annoying toy phone in bed. Confiscate phone, issue warning of sleep or sudden death, and roll back over. 6:03 One little monkey, jumping on my bed. Good morning to me! Again.

Goodnight Sweetheart

Tonight I'm conducting a new experiment called Gabe Stays In His New Bed Until 7AM. So far its going pretty well, but then again 7am is a good 10 hours away.

Since the nursery will have a new occupant in February, we've been trying to transition Gabe to his new room and bed for a few weeks. It wasn't going too well until this weekend when I volunteered to lay down on the trundle bed beside him until he went to sleep. The flaw in my strategy was that it is extremely difficult to lay down in the dark at 8pm and not fall asleep - so I've been going to bed ridiculously early too! The second flaw in the big-boy bed concept is that Gabe comes running into our room the minute he wakes up - this morning at 6am. In his crib at least we could entertain the idea he'd go back to sleep, but no more!

Poppa Jack and Ca-Ca come for a visit

I need this!

Gabe's newest phase is "I need this", a byproduct of 26 months of my saying "what do you need?" in response to every cry, whine, pout, or point. It usually comes out as a prolonged yet insistent "neeeeeEEEd" this, with lots of emphasis on the need and little to no indication of what "this" might be. I've started responding with my own list of needs for Gabe, which in no particular order include: - a potent and irreversible potty training syrum - a body clock set to a later wakeup time - amnesia about that time I accidently let him see a certain purple dinosaur - a love of books that manifests itself prior to 8pm - a magnetic attraction to his car seat As far as needs for Mommy, the list is too long to type. I think a martini would be a good start and end to the list! Maybe in March...

Update from the First State

It occurred to me this weekend that I haven't updated the blog for a while. It took me a while to think of why - after all, work hasn't gotten any worse than usual, we haven't been traveling, and generally life wasn't any more or less hectic in September than during the summer. Then it hit me - it's The Wire that's 100% at fault for my blogging lapse. Yes, The Wire, that critically acclaimed HBO show on a few years ago that apparently no one but the critics watched. Well, after going to Blockbuster maybe twice a year since we met, Ryan and I now find ourselves at the local video store at least twice a week renting The Wire. The owner knows us, knows Gabe and even knows Maggie (and has treats on hand). Yes, the couple that travels to an average of 3 cities a week between us, has found an extra 6-8 hours a week to dedicate to not one, but 5 seasons of a show about the Baltimore drug trade. Yes, it's that good. Consider this a direct endorsement and go start renting right away. UNLESS you rent from Classic Video in Wilmington - in which case, stay away from our store! So, I'm taking a break tonight from The Wire and catching up on politics and blogging instead. I'm watching the VP debate from last Thursday (go Biden!) and downloading pictures from our trips to local farms this weekend. Enjoy!