I've caught the blog bug

Well, I have very little free time these days, but I've found myself (now that we do not have cable) reading our neighbors' blog site for fun. They adopted a darling little girl and the story continues to be facinating. I've seen others who write about their children and the daily joy they bring. And, as I have always been a journaler, this seems a natural way to log their development.

So, today began off already at 4:30. Audrey woke early and wanted to nurse, which was going to throw her schedule off a little. I stayed up and managed to get a shower in before she woke again, her brother, Colin, coming in ten minutes later. He has slept all night long in his toddler bed, again. We were so proud of him!

The day progressed fairly well. He now sits at the kitchen table to eat breakfast and Audrey sits in her bouncy chair while I make breakfast. We are doing pretty well together, the three of us. It is sad, I often think, that Clayton misses so many of our little rituals. I do the morning, nap, and bedtime routines with them just because I am the one constant parent. It isn't his fault, though I think he kind of likes being able to sleep in and stay up late knowing he won't be up with them before dawn. As often as I long for more sleep, I think that I wouldnt' give those times up for anything. Those 2 a.m. feedings with Audrey, reading books at night while Colin winds down to sleep. Priceless moments with them that will be gone too soon.

Today was a trying one, though. Clayton left early to do something with his uniforms. So, I had both children for naptime. This has been difficult because Audrey tends to want to eat right when he needs to go to sleep. While I am nursing her, he tends to get wound up and plays and then doesn't go to sleep easily. Today he wore me out and I gave up. I let him stay up the entire day for the first time in his life. He was fine until about three when we took a walk. I could tell he was winding down. Even so, he was able to run and run and run! He loves to run! Audrey slept like a good baby. Then, during dinner I would see him stare off and his eyes got glassy. He made it to 7:45 and then, after a really long and kinda boring book, he fell asleep. Not sure what I'll do for tomorrow. He needs to nap so I can attend a baby shower. Toddlers are trying, but then they do something that breaks your heart. For example, I was about to explode with frustration after a hour of trying to get him to sleep and holding fussy baby and just sighed as I sat on his bed. He looked at me and said, "Poor Mom." It was as if he understood, but that didn't stop his behavior. He is a very loving boy and loves his mother. I know he is trying to figure things out, but sometimes...