Sleep training thus far

I am completely blown away by how smoothly this has gone (thus far). I anticipated a fight from Logan in lots of the little details she has requested from us to do with him (maybe because he has fought us the whole way when we've made the attempts in the past?) Anyways, the more i've had time to dwell on why that is, I think it's just the sequence of how she has asked us to do the steps.

The basic plan: Move Logan back into a crib (sleep training in a crib is a 3-4 week process while if we had done it from his bed - in a noncontained location - she said it would take 6+ months, or not work at all even at that point), teach him to fall asleep without a bottle, then do the sit next to the crib for so many days, then move farther away, etc.

Week one: I called this week 'prep week'.
-We had to spend a few times a day playing in his crib to allow him time to know it really isn't as traumatizing as he made it out to be.
-We had to put him down (still in his bed at this time) without a bottle to go to sleep. I was BLOWN away that he didn't fight this one. She (Dawn is her name) said we could still give him a bottle, but we had to do it before bed. So our bedtime routine has turned into watching a cartoon downstairs while he has his bedtime bottle, then when he's done  Michael or I takes him upstairs and puts him to bed. It worked phenominally!
-We had to ensure he never slept passed 2:00 if we wanted him in bed by 8:00. Dawn said that before bedtime you must have them awake 5-6 hours or they will fight you or not go down on time. This has been interesting, not in a negative however! So I used to put him down for nap anywhere from 11:30-12:30, depending when he was ready. Well he was seeming ready between 12 and 12:30 all the time, but when 2:00 rolled around I always had to wake him! I decided to try putting him down earlier, which in past has never worked as he always would just drink his bottle and be awake afterwards, but now he just goes to sleep - it's weird! So I actually put him down at 11:30 now - and STILL have to wake him up at 2:00! There hasn't been a time in the past 10+ days since starting this process I havent had to wake him up. It's crazy. (and it's really humerous waking him lol)

3 Nights after the first week of prep:
-Dawn told us that Michael should do the first 3 nights and I should not be in the house when he goes down. The reasoning is that babies tend to have a different emotional attachment to daddy's than mommy's, and in Logan's case if he knows i'm in the house he is very difficult to be put to bed by Michael as he has a very strong attachment to me. This worked out great as I was in my Bowen all weekend so I wasn't around anyways!
-Michael was to sleep in the room these 3 nights
-Michael was sitting right next to the crib and could touch and talk to Logan (but his speech was to be restricted to specific words and phrases only) for comfort.
*We were both blown away that he didn't fight this process at all! Michael has done outstandingly phenominal - I am positive he's done better than I could have! So Michael goes in, lays him down, has him cuddle his puppy, dog and baby, and then within 10-15 mins Logan is out like a light! Can you believe that? I surely can't.. He wakes up in the night usually for a drink of water (like truly a sips worth) and then usually wakes up 1-2 other times. During those wake ups michael sits in the chair, and usues those key phrases and can hold his hand, pat his back, etc. Michael has embraced using those stuffed animals and it's working great.

As of last night we're starting the next phase. He has moved his chair away from the crib and can no longer console with touch, just speech, and he no longer sleeps in the room. Michael chose to sleep upstairs in Logan's bed across the hall last night (and probably tonight) so he can hear him when he wakes. He still was just as easy to put down and just as easy to console without the touch.

I have not done a night myself yet with Logan. I was going to try but Michael is doing so well that I thought i'd let him take this one. Dawn told us that whenever I do my first night to expect more tears than Michael does, so we talked about it and will allow Michael a chance to really instill the training before I step in.

So as I said in the beginning of this blog, I think that my past attemps have failed because I just didn't combine all the prep work, and the proper steps and such with what I was trying. And of course, it failed because I didn't have anyone to be accountable to, and being that I have to email Dawn every day with how the night went, it's much easier to keep on track. Also, i've read this same sleep training theory that she has given us in books, and people have told us about it,etc but it's not the same until you read it with Logan's name right in the sentences, and your specific issues written in the plan.

Well that's my update! We're pleased with things, but Logan's also being really easy on us (well Michael). I am not sure though that I can keep up the 'hiding' at bedtime thing.. I don't like doing it, but for the next few days it's necessary for Michael's sake more than anything - makes the process that much easier on both of them.

Showhomes

Last night Michael, Logan and I went to look at some showhomes in the Riversong area (a new development in Cochrane) just because. They are 3 bedroom homes starting at 279000 which is potentially in where we'd like to be as far as a home purchase goes. Anyways, certain elements of the homes were beyond wonderful (like it seems they really focus on the kitchen/dining area in all of them which is crucial in my future home) but I actually was overall disappointed in every single one of them. My favourite ones were the larger ones of course and they are 320K at 1600sqft which isn't -awful- BUT they all come with unfinished basements! I have HUGE issues with unfinished basements. Frankly, it seems that the unfinished basement is the most commonly used area of the home!

Let me explain that.. so there are 3 bedrooms upstairs and then on the mainfloor there is a kitchen, dining room, sitting room and bathroom. Okay, did anyone see where I mentioned playroom space? or space to put toys? How about where do I put my computer? Or my piano? The rooms are too tiny to fill with all their toys, and I definely do not want toys in my living room because then it just looks cluttered and for me, clutter is EVIL. I could put my computer in a corner of the living room, and I suppose my TV, but then there's no space for a piano, etc. 1600sqft is plenty big but I don't feel they've maximized these starter homes to fit a -family- lifestyle! So, my favourite one was 320K (already going over budget), which I don't think included all the taxes, then on top of it all we'd need to finish the basement. The builder quotes 30-33K to finish it but said that if we're handy pepole it's possible to do a basement for 12-15K. But even still, that's 12-15K more than I don't have!

So as lovely as it seems to buy a brand new home, I personally think that I would still want to find an older home. For one, I know this sounds crazy but I want a 4-5 bedroom home! I want 3-4 bedrooms available for kids should it be needed, then I would want an office room to set up my sewing, my Bowen and my computer, then it'd be realy nice to have a spare room! Who doesn't have guests over? In those starter homes they'd be put in... you guessed it, THE BASEMENT! sigh.. I just don't understand why a tiny little home costs so much and is incomplete.

Anyways, that's my little rant :) I've been watching MLS and Kijiji, and there are older homes in the same price range that meet my criteria which is hopeful for the end of the year when we are actually serious about buying a home. Oh and another reason I would want an older home is that then it's in a nicer neighborhood! I have huge issues with these 'cookie cutter' neighborhoods. I love the neighborhood i'm in because it doesn't feel so squeezed in, it's got nice wide streets, lots of developed parks and not every house looks the EXACT same.

The home we are in is WAY better then the ones looked at. We fit lovely in here, we have TWO sitting rooms, all three rooms are huge and it's just all around wonderful. My only complaints is I would really love that 4th room space without having to cut down our living space in the basement portion of the home, I'd like an updated kitchen and I would like a front hall closet. It's interesting this smaller space is more functional then the showhomes which have an entire basement space that we don't have..

Ode to High School & life

Last night I was lying awake in bed at 3am because Logan was tossing and turning (he was fighting off his fever which seems to have gone away by this morning), and I was thinking that I have been graduated from high school 8 years this coming spring. It got me to wondering if someone is actually going to plan a 10-year for our grade. By all means I do NOT want to be involved in it - unless someone asked me to bring food for a meal or something lol but I would absoluetly love to see where everyone is and what everyone looks like 10 years later! It's partially selfish because frankly I want to show off what I've become as well! lol.. married, kid(s), healthier body, etc.

As I lay in bed I got to thinking more about my life and decided that my life can fairly easily to this point to be broken up into different phases. Childhood (phase 1), school age/ high school (phase 2), single life (phase 3), dating life (phase 4), married/family life (phase 5).

I've blogged about this stuff before but as I consider homeschooling Logan I constantly am thinking back to my school experience. Elementary was ok - I was extremely shy, and extremely uncomfortable most of the time - the shyness really aided that. I'm not sure that I would say that it really was beneficial to me or not - being home may have actually helped me more than the actual public system. Junior high was hell. Yup, I gained a crazy amount of weight, lost all my friends to them venturing down different directions, and suffered every amount of emotional pain possible! High school was when I found a huge transition in my and my peers lives - meaning people were starting to grow up a little. I was ever so lucky to meet my bestest friends Jade, Delaney & Tina! If it weren't for them I am not sure what I would have done! 

Phase 2 - Ode to my friends: We had SO much fun together! We went to my church's dances once a month, once I was driving we would regularly go to Edmonton (Rock&Rides! and of course shopping), we just would hang out at usually my home or Jade/Delaney's home, we did the online thing together, and since Jade at the time was dating long distance a guy in Florida, we would entertain ourselves with making home videos to send to 'our boys' down there! (lol Jade - "this is a ga-zee-bo, can you say ga-zee-bo?"). We truly had a great time! We didn't fight, we didn't hold grudges, we had fun, we were all just best friends! I could blog and blog and blog and blog about the good times and inside jokes we share. These people I met and spent time with in highschool were a huge building block in helping me become who I am today.

    

     (Tina, Delaney, Me, Jade)

                                     

Phase 3 - well after high school we all went our seperate ways. I'm sad to say we didn't really keep in touch for a few years. Jade and I have since talked about this and really it comes down to I was indugling in my church life and my friends were experimenting where they wanted their lives to go. So I continued on with where I was going. I full-throttle went into the single's ward and dated, partied, did the school thing, and just enjoyed the single life!

(me and Niki)

Phase 4 - I met Michael :) Best May 11th of my life hehe. Dating/engagement is a completly different ball park then single life. It was also extremely fun and entertaining and enjoyable.

Dating: we took a camping trip to Thunder in the Valley

Yup, he proposed in a snow bank!

Time & All Eternity

Phase 5 - currently in. AMAZING!

My family

One of my most prized blessings in life

As much as I have stated how much fun and wonderful the different phases are, I would never want to lose any of them. Each phase I have felt like I know everything (and of course in the moment I did right? lol), but wow the learning experiences we are faced with are phenominal. When I look at people in their different phases of life I always think that despite how wonderful they were, I would never want to go back because the more we grow the more we learn. I know that means 'aging' but frankly in the last 8 years specifically, the aging process hasn't really been that terrible! And I look at my own mother and she seems excited about life even still - grandbabies, watching her children succeed in various activites, etc. So that gives me hope. As my 10-year mark from graduation high school comes closer I look forward to it because it allows me to look at my life and truly see how happy I am/have been, and how lucky I am with all I have been blessed with.

Adoption Process

I finally feel ready to blog about this 'publically'. Michael and I (and of course Logan) have been pursing the adoption process since August. It's been a fabulous journey and so interesting along the way!

It took a long time to gather all the information. They give you a few pages of information and a list of things they require, which in the end isn't all that 'complex' but just time consuming! Our biggest hold up was Michael's criminal record check. No, my husband is not a criminal, but there are pardoned "offenders" in this country, and the police station do not have any personal information on those people except for things like birthdates - really just no names. Anyways, Michael's birthday falls on the same day as one of these people and thus he had to go downtown Calgary to be fingerprinted. They then send the fingerprints to the federal gov who confirms or denies if Michael is the offender in question. Does that make sense? It truly was a pain as there was only specific days and times he was able to go, first come first serve basis. Thankfully with prayer and inspiration on our side we chose the day and time that allowed him to get in and out quickly.

It's been an incredible journey. We weren't sure how we were going to financially cover the cost of adoption but again, we have the Lord on our side and it hasn't been a problem at all. In fact we've had occasions where things have ended up costing half or less the full cost 'just because'.

We recently finished our home study. We had a wonderful lady meet with us about 3 times (twice in our home) and she evaluated us and grilled us thoroughly. Thankfully Michael and I dont' have any secret ghosts in our closets and we have a fairly normal relationship - which resulted in a great written up analysis of us! I am very very pleased with the study.

As of monday (should the printing/copying process go as planned) I will be dropping off our profile and a cheque at LDS social services in Calgary. We are finished the paperwork side! At this point our file goes to be reviewed and eventually when the time is right our profile will be placed with the other profiles for adoptive parents to look at and choose from.

What a wonderful experience this has been, and Michael and I are very excited what the following years will bring us. Adoption can take years, and we anticipate this as we hope to have an addition to our family one way or another - if we have a biological baby then our account is put on hold until after the baby is born - no additional cost thankfully, just put on hold. My inspiration to get the process going was in my opinion strictly to get into 'the system'. My case worker had told me the rules were to be changing soon, which i'm not sure that they are changed yet or not, but the rules will allow only infertile mothers an opportunity to adopt. I'm sure this is supply and demand based. My own mother said this goes in and out of the rule book all the time, and apparently right now it's going in!

Anyways, looking forward to whatever comes onto our plate in the future :)