Mum’s birthday
Today I turn 28 years old. My first birthday as a mom. I told little Asher Henry that I only wanted one thing for my birthday: for him to have a good night’s sleep, thus giving us a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, he did not deliver. Instead, he woke up at 2.45am and continued waking up on and off until his final wake up around 8.30am. The little guy just has a hard time getting to sleep and staying asleep.
While I fed Asher his morning bottle, Collin made quick work of whipping up some yummy blueberry pancakes! They were delicious and reminded us of Cracker Barrel. :) Collin was too cute. Apparently he had snuck downstairs last night to get all of the pancake ingredients measured out and ready to go. Sweetest.husband.ever.
This afternoon we were going to walk into town to get a sandwich for lunch, but it started raining so we jumped in the car for a drive. We joked about the lack of drive-thru places in England and I suddenly wished we were living in America with our small boy. Drive-thrus abound in middle America… food, drinks, the bank, pharmacy, post office, just about any errand you need to run can be done through your car window, with your sleeping baby in the back. Alas, we could only find one drive-thru and it happened to be McDonald's. Collin said he never thought he would see the day when I wanted to have McDonald's drive-thru for my birthday lunch (because I don't like McDonald's and it happens to be just about the last place I would ever choose to eat), but what's a girl to do with such limited options and a fussy baby falling asleep in the car seat? Whip through, order a diet coke, and get the show on the road so her sweet boy can nap, that's what.
I’m sure some of you more practical types might be thinking we could have just stayed at home and put Asher Henry down for a nap. Well, yes, yes, we could have, but he isn’t really into sleeping these days. More specifically, he isn’t into going to sleep. The car is what they call a sleep ‘prop’, which you’re not supposed to use. I’m going against my normal let’s-follow-the-rules mindset and embracing the do-what-it-takes motto. :)
We drove around a bit after the McDonald's stop and saw a lot of farmland outside of Cambridge. It was really calm and quiet and just lovely to ramble along the bumpy roads, whispering with my love as my baby love snoozed in the back.
Looks a lot like Oklahoma, doesn’t it?
Collin and I joked about what Facebook status updates we could use today:
For me:
McDonalds drive-thru for my birthday lunch. #spoiled;)
Or for Collin:
Taking my woman to the drive-thru at McDonalds for her birthday. #bigspender
I’m enjoying a quiet night at home with my boys.
Yeah! Happy Birthday! And we totally used the car as a prop. Oh, the miles we put on Matilda after 11pm. Owen had colic and it was one of the only things that seemed to calm him down. Hope you had a fantastic day and enjoyed your McDonald's! :) xoxo
ReplyDeleteI figure that if it gets you a few minutes peace... then do it! :) Especially on your bday! Curby and I have been praying for Asher Henry's sleep and will continue to!
ReplyDeletehappy bday my sweet friend!! sounds like a perfect day to me:)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday mama! The do-what-it -takes approach is often necessary to do-what- it- takes to stay sane! It's convenient that you guys enjoy the drives too! My sister in law would alternatively put my niece in her carseat and set it on top of the dryer. If you have a laundry day and want to stay in maybe you can try that option :)
ReplyDeleteHave you guys tried letting him cry it out at all? It didn't work to actually get Vera to fall asleep on her own until she was about 6 months old, but if we let her cry for about 15 minutes in her crib she would wear herself out and fall asleep almost as soon as we picked her up. At about 6 months she flipped a switch and suddenly wanted to be put down awake and fall asleep on her own. Crazy how they change. Just keep trusting your instincts and doing what works. Those "guidelines" and "rules" are often idealistic. I don't know about you, but I live in the real world where going crazy is a very possible and tangible reality. :) Love you guys. Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday. Miss you both. If you come home I will drive you all around and you can all catch a snooze....just as long as when you wake up we can go somewhere that I can play with Asher. :)
ReplyDeleteCheryl