Alarm-ing

Well first of all, good morning. And second of all, I wish I could say good night and crawl right back into bed. Today was one of those dreadful mornings where you curse your alarm for remembering to do its job. Why, oh why couldn't it just malfunction and let me sleep more? Why couldn't it magically add 2 more hours into the night? I found I have a tendency to rush through getting ready in the morning because once I'm totally ready to go, I'll hop back in bed for 20 more minutes and set my alarm for 5 minutes before I'm supposed to be out the door. That way I can get some extra ZZZs but I am ready to walk right out the door when my alarm goes off.

I tried once to make the whole alarm experience more pleasant by choosing a gentle, soothing ring tone for my alarm (I use my phone as my alarm). The tone I choose had a soft melody with water trickles and birds chirping in the background. Peaceful and calming. I was sure this would help me wake up and start my day in a positive way. It worked for about a day. Then even the water trickles and birds pissed me off. Funny how something so nice by itself, when put in the context of an alarm, can become grating.

I found some ways online to help people wake up feeling refreshed.

-Go to bed happy

-Splurge on a quality pillow

-Meditate or pray before bed, generally calm yourself down

-Don't eat right before bed

-Have a glass of water when you wake up

-Exercise in the morning

-Let natural light in

-Have something to look forward to when you wake up

These are just a few suggestions. You can find explanations for these at this website as well as this website. Or you can do your own Internet searches for ways to help you sleep better, wake up feeling refreshed, and generally be a morning person.

Best of luck.

Kate

Previously On...Keeping Up With the Kardashians

There is one thing that my boyfriend really can't stand (okay, well maybe more than one) and that is the fact that I watch and enjoy Keeping Up With the Kardashians. I recently started watching the show on Netflix and then began to tune into E! to see current episodes. I think it is safe to say it falls under the heading of trashy T.V., but (like most trashy reality shows) it's super addicting.

Andy hates that I watch it because he seems to think I want to be like the Kardashians or live their lifestyle. Newsflash: I have no desire to be a Kardashian or have such a lifestyle. I watch the show because it's a release. It is mind-numbing and therefore fantastic to watch on a study break or late at night when you don't want to think about what's happening. You can just watch.

Despite the fact that I don't want their lifestyle, I find it fascinating because it is so far from my own. Anything that is different or I would go so far as to say polar opposite from the life and world you know is bound to make you curious. I think that is probably one of the reasons why I like the show so much. Their life is so far removed from my own that I want to observe how the other half lives like an anthropologist studying a foreign culture.

Don't worry, Andy. I promise not to wear fake eyelashes, too much mascara, or start saying "Bible" when I am telling the truth. I won't spend absurd amounts of money on clothes, cars, remote-controlled helicopters, or vacations. I am still me. I just like trashy T.V. Is that so wrong?

Breaking Bad....Habits

Sorry if the "breaking bad" caught your attention...this has nothing to do with the chemistry teacher turned meth maker. Once again, my apologies. What I do want to discuss today is breaking bad habits. As a parent we are our children's first teachers and often the biggest and most prevalent role models in their lives. Thus, our actions, especially when they are babies and young kids, pack a lot of punch.

A realization that I have had recently is that I might have already passed some bad habits on to Alex. It's not anything major or permanent, but in an attempt to soothe his every cry I have start both Alex and I on a dangerous road.

Now no mother wants to hear her child cry, and it is instinctual within us to want to soothe or fix or remedy whatever situation or circumstance might be bringing tears to their eyes. The only problem is that as our babies grow, they are going to encounter situations that cannot be helped and frustrations that cannot be fixed. They need to learn how to be patient and calm as well as how to deal with life's little obstacles. Thus by picking up Alex every time he fusses or popping a NUK in his mouth whenever he whines I am stomping out these chances he has to learn how to deal. I am a firm believer that a child or baby, no matter how small, is intelligent and can understand things on some level. He may not be able to verbalize his thoughts and feelings in words yet, but I do believe that pausing and giving Alex a chance to fuss for a minute and work things out on his own is beneficial.

I'm not advocating for mothers to let their children scream for endless stretches, but just pause and step back and observe your child. I have found myself surprised at how often Alex calms himself down after a minute of fussing. He's a smarty-pants even now and is learning how to fix his own problems because let's face it, no matter how badly we want to squelch every possible problem for our child, they need to learn how to do it for themselves because we can't and won't always be there for them.

So my goals lately have been to try and get Alex (and more importantly, myself) off some of the bad habits we've developed such as picking him up the minute he fusses, giving in to the ear-piercing screams and shrieks, and scooping him up as soon as he makes a peep at night. I think that Alex will learn a little patience and self-soothing and I'll get a little more sleep and eventually a more independent child.

Here's to hoping,
Kate