Day 272: Thankful

I have mentioned this before, but to catch up any new or hit and miss readers -I saw an idea on a friend's Facebook to do a gratefulness challenge everyday up through Thanksgiving. I thought it was a good idea for me to spend this November, a rough month for me with Chad gone for our anniversary and the holiday, focusing on all the wonderful things in my life.

I know I get sappy during the holidays, but doing this has helped me spend at least a few minutes a day focusing on being grateful. I also have tried to not write a lot of complaining status updates. I think focusing on the positive has helped me be more positive, something I kind of forgot for awhile.

The first couple of months of this deployment, I was so overwhelmed that I literally had days when I thought I was going to have to quit my job because I wasn't holding my stuff together very well. I feel like I at least have gotten a handle on much of the daily things which helps me deal when stuff goes awry.

I think being grateful once a day has made me more aware of the blessings that abound in my life all the time. In America, we have a day where we are supposed to focus on these blessings and give thanks. In a nation where we are so rich, I wish more people focused on giving thanks.

We are so focused on consumerism and finding the best deals on Black Friday that we don't really realize how much most of us have. Most people in this country live better than so much of the world. Even some of the poorest people here live so much better than the average citizen of many countries. We have such an abundance of wealth. The more I pay attention to being grateful, the more the expression "an embarrassment of riches" makes sense.

I look around my house and see warm cozy furniture, two rooms I don't even use most of the time, a pantry full of food, plus a chest freezer full of meats and meals, a closet stuffed with clothes, a baby who has everything a baby might need, more clothes than she can wear, two vehicles that are relatively new and in good condition, three computers, iPods, iPhones, cable television with DVR, and the list goes on . . . I really have to ask myself how much of what I have is even necessary.

Plus I have money to travel to see family, buy whatever we need or want most of the time. I know that God has truly blessed me with a healthy family, beautiful children and so much more than I can ever use. While I may not have as much "stuff" next year if we decide I can stay home with the baby, I will still be tremendously wealthy in all the ways that matter.

I hope  this blog finds you as blessed and grateful this year. Happy Thanksgiving.

Day 301: Wet and Cold

I don't really know what to write about today. This has kind of been a nothing day. Although it didn't start off so wonderfully. Lil Bit woke up at 1:45 a.m. soaking wet and freezing cold. She went to bed at nine with a fresh diaper and by 1:45 had leaked pee pee everywhere. This did not make momma happy!

Why can't someone design a way to change crib sheets easily. In order to change the crib sheet, I have to follow the protocol below.
1. Pull crib out from wall, so I can get behind it to untie the less visible half of her crib bumper, which has two sets of ties every four slats or so.
2. Remove the mattress at an angle around her crib toys and mobile.
3. Pull off the wet sheet and throw it into the hamper
4. Fetch and stretch the clean sheet snugly around the mattress. Because the sheet is supposed to be very tight to decrease the chances of a child smothering on it, this is a little tricky.
5. Slide the mattress back into the crib, pulling the sections of attached crib bumper back up and over the mattress enough to be tight and still protect her from bashing her head into the side slats.
6. Straighten the bed skirt
7. Then retie all the teeny tiny little ties around the bumper so she can't grab a handful and put it over her face.

This process took twenty minutes - anyone else think this is ridiculous? Every time I have to change her sheets, I think this is crazy and wonder why someone hasn't designed an easier system for securing crib bumpers. I keep running this through my mind and wonder if I could invent some new amazing way to customize crib bumpers that are attractive and easy to attach and remove. As often as I want to change her sheets, this ridiculous struggle with the sheets just makes me want to scream.

Luckily, once I got her cleaned up and gave her a bottle, she was less upset. Although trying to wipe her down in lieu of a bath in the wee hours of the morning,  made her very angry. She absolutely hates being cold and wet, so anything that is cold AND wet is on her very short list of obnoxious things. Most of the time, Lil Bit is content and patient, at least as much as is reasonable for a healthy infant. But try to wipe her face with a damp, cold washcloth ~ holy smokes! Better watch out. She gets so angry!! Anymore, I heat a damp cloth in the microwave for a few seconds, get it nice and warm even to wipe her up during "dinner." Peas and carrots kind find their way all over her cute clothes if I am not vigilant.

I always try to find some deeper meaning in what is happening with me each day. Today is to be grateful for the little things. Despite all the middle of the night drama with the sheets, I was able to give her a bottle which I used a stuffed turtle to hold, while I worked on the bed. Between the turtle and her newly dexterous fingers, she was able to eat WHILE I changed her sheets which meant I was able to get back to sleep sooner. I still lost 30 minutes of sleep, but was so thankful that she could eat a few ounces while I changed her bed.

I can't imagine what I would have done if she had not been happy with my makeshift solution. I wouldn't have had anywhere to put a fussy baby while changing her sheets and would have had to hold her while she ate and calmed down and then faced the crib. She ate, got new pjs and was ready to go right back to bed. Other than not having it happen at all, it couldn't have gone any easier.

I am sick with a cold, feel wiped out and exhausted. I am just glad for the little things today. I was invited out for dinner with a friend, but just don't think I can marshal the effort. I hate to decline any invitation because developing and maintaining friendships is so important, but I can't breathe through my nose right now and need a nap. I think I am going to have to do dinner another night, I never know when I will have another crazy night. I think I just want some soup and something warm to drink. Maybe I will mull a bottle of red wine, mmm that sounds good. Check out my wine blog for tips on mulling wine. http://affectionatelywiney.blogspot.com