For some reason, yet to be determined, we decided to also pull the cork, so to speak, and take away all of Isla's binkies last Wednesday. It needed to happen but this might not have been the best time. Did I mention that she's cutting two molars AND seemed to be suffering from a minor cold? Or that we'd just finally gotten her back into a beautiful sleep routine? Graham reassured me that "there's never going to be a good time" and so we forged ahead. I'm proud to say that she hasn't sucked on a piece of plastic since! But, she also is waking hours earlier (including some overnight crying) and basically hasn't napped at all for a week and spends almost the entire time sobbing in her crib which has been so hard on me. At this point, she never asks for the binky so I think we're experiencing more teething symptoms than binky withdrawal as she more or less is acting like they never existed.
Graham has been SO busy this week, finishing up numerous papers and projects before the quarter's end on Saturday. Last Saturday, he disappeared at about 9:30 AM and I didn't really see him until the next morning. He spent the entire day writing a long research paper that he successfully submitted 18 minutes before the midnight deadline. He's such a trooper! And the rest of his days he's either working or off finishing other school stuff so I'm sorta flying solo with an extraordinarily cranky kiddo who is crying at the drop of the hat.
Phew, but I didn't intend this to be a sob story. Actually, I more wanted it to shed light on some of the strange ways I'm coping. And some of the little joys I'm finding along the way. Like the closet for instance. It definitely wasn't on today's agenda to pull out the tool box and create the organized bliss pictured above. But oh boy does it make me happy! I've been opening that closet for far too long only to be met with feelings of panic related to the piles of shoes lying in disarray before me. It looks so much better now! Oh and then the day before yesterday, I was overcome with stress due to the cease-less crying coming from the wee one so I did what any sane mother would do: I sanitized and scrubbed the inside of the kitchen trash can. Some may call this nesting, others....OCD??
Anyway, there have been a few precious and memorable moments this week that I continue to savor as we push ahead to make it to Saturday. The Lord continues to bless and sustain us in the midst of our weariness. Last Thursday night, after an especially hard day, my dear brother and sister-in-law came over to watch Isla so Graham and I could run away to The Barking Frog in Woodinville for a much-needed date night and dine around Seattle deal. I ate the best meal I can recall in quite some time: Truffled Celeriac Soup, Wild Boar Ravioli (it came as one giant ravioli!) and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Ice Cream. Then on Saturday morning (before Graham's paper-writing marathon), we went out to The Brown Bag Cafe as a family for breakfast and it felt so wonderful to all be together sharing a meal. Graham came home Saturday night to work on his paper which allowed me the freedom to get out of the house. I felt a sudden "need" to shop and so donated Target a few of my dollars by purchasing some adorable clearance clothes for Isla. She doesn't have a lot that fits her right now and I haven't really gotten to shop much for her since we've been blessed with so many hand-me-downs. It was really fun to go buy some girly stuff! I even splurged and bought some belly cream for me and some natural sunscreen for Isla (in hopes that the sun will soon be here to stay). I came home with milkshakes (ok, maybe that was the REAL reason I went "out") to finish up the day.
I'm so thankful for my beautiful family and cherish every minute we have together in this busy and challenging time!
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