P-free

We are officially pacifier free! Brady has not had it since Wednesday night! Hooray!!! Bedtime is a little more drawn out and loud nowadays, but at least he isn't screaming for his "bite" anymore. Now he's just screaming in general because he doesn't want to go to sleep. I think once I go back to work (in a week - boo hoo) it may get easier because we'll be getting up earlier and he'll be taking a nap earlier so maybe he'll be more tired at night. He's just a night owl. If I let him stay up he would probably never go to bed.

I can't believe I have to go back to work in one week. I am depressed about it. The past three days I've been having my good old stomach problems again. My mom said it's probably due to stress of trying to find a new babysitter and thinking about having to go back to work. I think she's probably right.

Good grief. There's a crying chorus in the back end of the house tonight. I put Brady to bed a while ago and he was crying and carrying on so much he was about to hyperventilate so Jeremiah went in and got him out and put him in bed with him. Of course Brady thought that meant play time and he just sat in there and talked about anything and everything. "Bark," he said when the dogs barked outside. "Sissy, Mommy, Daddy," whatever he could think to say he said. I put Mackenzie down a few minutes ago. She was almost asleep when I was feeding her, but then, of course, she heard Brady talking in the next room and it woke her up. Oh well. They'll fall asleep eventually! Brady's in his room now saying, "Nose running, nose running."

For my last week off I don't have any big plans. We've got Mackenzie's 2-month doctor's appointment Thursday. I can't believe it's been that long already. This visit will include shots. Yuck. I've got the infant Tylenol on standby already! At least they do it fairly quickly there. They usually have two nurses do the shots. They pull her legs to the end of the bed and let them hang down. Then they pin them down with their bodies and then count to three. On three they put in the first shot. I get the honors of holding her hands and letting her look at me. If she's anything like Brady by the time we get to the appointment desk she will have forgotten all about it!

Oh my, they are both still having meltdowns. I am half tempted to get Mackenzie and put her in the swing because I know she will fall right to sleep. On the one hand that would be great because then I could transfer her to her bed in 20 minutes or so and then I could go to bed. However, on the other hand that might start a new trend and I don't want her to only be able to go to sleep at night in the swing. Brady seems like he is starting to slow down.

I'll give them both 15 more minutes. Usually that's all it takes. Mackenzie is still not sleeping through the night. I'm hoping she starts that soon since I will have to get up early soon. She is pretty much eating at 2:30 and 5:30 and then waking up for good at 7 a.m. Sometimes when she wakes up at 7 she'll go back to sleep if I change her, but most of the time she's up. Then sometimes if I'm still really tired I can take her out to the living room and we sit in the recliner and we both fall asleep.

Wow, one minute of quiet! I think Brady's out. Mackenzie is still grumbling a bit, but she's getting close. Uh-oh, I spoke too soon, Brady's back! Ah, the drama of bedtime. I was telling Jeremiah earlier that we were spoiled for so many months with Brady. From about 14 months to 20 months all we had to do was take him in his room, put on his pjs and drop him in his crib. He was out like a light in two seconds. Not anymore. And now they're both back full force.

Well, here's one more minute of quiet! Hopefully Jeremiah is getting some rest. He's getting up early to go turkey hunting with a couple of the guys from work. He was supposed to have a jury trial to testify at, but on Friday the guy took a plea bargain so he doesn't have to go anymore. I could not be a cop or a lawyer because I would get so ticked off and probably thrown in jail for contempt because I would tell people what I really thought. This guy was arrested for his fourth DUI. Fourth. How is that even possible? Our justice system is kind of stupid in some ways. Jeremiah said he's got some other stuff he's in trouble for and he'll probably spend some time in jail, but he's not sure how long. I think that is completely ridiculous. He should already be in jail. What does it take? ... For him to kill someone while driving drunk before something more than a slap on the wrist occurs?
When I was in college one of my friends from high school who I worked with during the summers at the amphitheater in St. Louis got killed by a drunk driver. I'm sure the guy's back on the streets living it up.

Well, it seems that peace and quiet has finally taken over the Waters house for the night! Ginger went back to Brian and Aubrey's yesterday so we're down to two doggies and a cat. They're all asleep too, so I guess it's just me left. I'm really not all that tired which stinks because I know I will be when Mackenzie wakes up to eat! I think I'll try to go to bed anyway. I'm sure I'll fall asleep eventually!