...and a Happy New Year!

We have had a blissful week of vacation here at home, just the four of us.  It's been a long, long time since we've had a break like this with M home and completely available.  It has been heaven and I would prefer that it didn't have to end, but that's what happens with vacations unfortunately.

We arrived home from Grandma and Grandpa's house the Tuesday after Christmas.  We had a wonderful time with family; it was the first time the four of my brothers and sisters have been together in a while.  The girls enjoyed a lot of quality time with aunt, uncles, and grandparents, and M and I even managed to get out to see a movie while we were there (thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!)  We extended our stay an extra day because of the big east coast blizzard.  We arrived home to find our second car buried in a foot plus of snow.  Here's how the girls and I entertained ourselves while Daddy shoveled out the car and the front steps:



The main project we've been working on during the vacation week is beginning the process of moving L out of our bedroom.  Our end goal is to have the girls in a room together, but we felt we shouldn't do that while L was still waking in the night.  Up until this point I had been taking the "easy way out" and nursing her to sleep during night wakings, because whenever I had tried other methods of getting her back to sleep, things had not gone well.  However, on Tuesday night when we arrived home, we moved downstairs to the sofa bed, and M agreed to take the reins soothing her back to sleep at night, so we could give her the idea that no milk would be involved.  We also decided to supplement with a formula bottle and some solids right before bed time, so we could be assured that she wouldn't be waking up hungry.  I did not have high hopes for success.  This girl likes her milk.  M steeled himself for a rough couple of nights.  I told him that if he could hold her off until at least 3 AM, I would be happy.  But lo and behold, we put her to bed at 7 with a formula bottle, and even though she woke twice that first night, all M had to do was give her a binky and she went right back to sleep.  She didn't nurse until 6:40 the next morning.  !!!!!  I can't even tell you what a relief that was to me.  Even though my sleep was still interrupted, I didn't have to get out of bed and nurse a baby for the first time in nearly seven months.  I was so proud of my little L.  She gave me the best Christmas gift!  She has done very well every night since then-- she's never had to nurse before 5, and she's been a champ at putting herself back to sleep in the night with very little help from us.  I'm sorry to ramble on about this, but for this Mama who enjoys her sleep, and misses it very much, this is a monumental event!

So the rest of the week passed by, with some small projects accomplished, and many more peaceful moments.  On New Years Eve we decided to visit the Children's Museum of New Hampshire for their Family New Year's Eve Party.  They handed out noisemakers at the entrance to the museum and counted down to "midnight" each hour (celebrating with whatever part of the world was ringing in the new year at that time).  There was a big disco ball and confetti in the center of the museum that dropped with every countdown.  N really enjoyed this experience, so much so that on our way home in the car she suggested we decorate her purple bouncy ball and use it as our own New Years Eve ball at home.  So we did.  Here's how the ball turned out:

We also made this sign:

Obviously, we dropped our ball at N's bedtime instead of waiting for midnight.  Auntie Bethie (M's sister) joined us for our little party.  Even with a slight ball malfunction (you'll notice the camera shaking as I try not to laugh following our countdown), throw in some Daft Punk and a homemade party horn, and you get a pretty rockin' New Years Eve:



New Year's resolutions?  M and I were talking about that this afternoon, and I said that I was afraid to make any resolutions because it sometimes seems impossible to accomplish anything other than meeting the needs of my children.  M's job has been quite demanding this year, and that has been a tough adjustment for me... getting used to all those long, lonely days.  As I was lamenting the end of our blissful vacation when he goes back to work on Monday, M said to me, "Let's make it our New Year's resolution to be happy... no matter what."  I think that's a good plan.  Keep that chin up, and always, always remember our blessings.  That's enough for me right now, I think.

And so I begin 2011... with a spirit of gratitude.  Happy New Year, everybody!