Just when we thought...

'daddy's good at balancing me'

We had this kid figured out, she goes and throws us a big fat ole loop. 

oh no, someone found their
thumb

So we have worked pretty hard over the last few weeks to establish a routine for Mayla.  Mayla would wake up slowly around 7:30/7:45 (ish), after sleeping for about 12 hours (with a feed in there around 2 or 3 then another at 5 or 6). We would all then slowly, gently, and calmly, begin our day. Keri and I would have breakfast together and take care of random morning stuff perhaps, all while Mayla enjoyed some playtime by herself on her mat. Around 9:15-9:45 Mayla would go down for a nap, that lasted anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour,  but she typically would wake up around the 45 minute mark. Then some more hang and play time before lunch about 11-11:30 (ish). After lunch it's time for a long nap of 2-3 hours or so. Then more food around 2:30-3ish. Then some more playtime by herself before another relatively brief nap before gearing up for bath time around 6. After the bath is dinner and then the evening bedtime ritual of holding and rocking her while listening to hear little music box. Once the box stops, we pray over and for her, then she gets laid in bed along with a single pull of the music making bear/rabbit stuffed critter guy. Then we bail. Sometimes we have to force a pacifier in her mouth if she is fussy before we bail, but that is a negligible process and takes a minimal amount of time. Then Keri and I enjoy dinner together, maybe a shower, and we have some nice hang time or off to bed ourselves. Mayla is usually up around 11ish for a brief feed, and by brief I mean like seconds before she is zonked out. Then back to bed and we find our selves sleeping until around 3 and start over again. 

We had worked pretty hard to get to this point and like I said, we feel like we had a pretty solid routine down too and it was so nice to wake knowing what the day had in store. That is until a few days ago anyway.

All smiles during play time

The theory thus far is that she is going through a growth spurt which screws up her sleep patterns and increases her requirement for foodal intake. Additionally, this has raised her awareness of fussy while heightening her displeasure of being held by others, by like 10 fold or something.

The end result? Mommy and daddy looking at each other asking, "what happened to our little girl?" It's like we've digressed back to young, challenging, unhelpful Mayla, albeit cuter with her smiles, cooing, laughs, and supposed talking. Needless to say, the last few days have been a bit out of the norm for us and really has us scratching our heads and covering our mouths (we're yawning).

Mayla is still an absolute blessing, our precious little lady, a miracle no doubt, but the last couple weeks sure were nicer than the last few days. Don't get me wrong, we know this stuff is going to happen. She will go through phases where she is not exactly cooperative (though I was hoping we were done with that for the next 14 or 15 years), and doesn't want to hang with other peeps, and doesn't want to sleep, and goes through feeding fads, but we were enjoying our "child holiday". Granted, I'm sure we'll have another after she goes through this funk of a phase so for now I guess will just shake our heads, smile, and offer the most loving, "Oh Mayla" possible.

No need to offer tips or suggestions or the infamous "it's just a phase", we got this, for now.... We are sure everyone has been through it, and compared to what we went through in the hospital and the first weeks out of the hospital, this is smooth sailing and we are enjoying all the joys and trials that each day brings and the continued refining that The Lord is doing in our lives. 

And now, the next installment of So Sad Yet So Glad...

First and foremost, it's important to note that we had a long list of things in a word document that we planned to write about, yet in all of our genius (mine/Will) we neglected to save the document and lost all of it, macs... Subsequently we are trying to go from memory, neither of which is very good for the both of us, but here we go.

One of the things we are terribly sad about is missing out on bakeries with fresh baked goodness each and every day, along with the smell of those goods as we walk, run, or cycle past the bakery in the mornings. Sure, there are bakeries in the US and sure we can get some freshly baked products, but it's different. There are as many bakeries here as there are Christian Reformed Churches in Grand Rapids, Michigan, maybe more. AND, most do cool designs in their breads, little people, snakes, turtles, and all kinds of other things. Additionally, the vast array of breads, sweets, and sandwiches is almost incomprehensible. FINALLY, I will miss my favorite gipfeli (croissant) ever, buttergipfeli, from my favorite bakery, Gnädinger, affectionately known as "blue bakery". We both have grown to really enjoy these gipfeli and have gone to the extent of using them as buns for hamburgers, oh so good, believe you me. Best burger buns ever! So, we will be taking advantage of all the baked goodness we can while we still can, then it's on too "real" American donuts...

Something we are soooo glad about is leaving the land of smoke. Not really sure why, but seems smoking to be one of the more popular activities of the Swiss, maybe it's a European thing. Either way, regardless of the time of year, it can not be avoided, ever! Everywhere you go you are bound to walk through someone's puff. Whether it's outside a restaurant, because it's now illegal to smoke inside restaurants, entering or exiting a train, waiting at a train, tram, or bus stop, hanging lakeside, bicycling, sleeping, or just chilling in your own place, there is a good chance you will get hit by the second hand smoke bug. Sure, there is smoking in the US and it could very well be everywhere, but neither of us seem to recall smoking being as prevalent in the States as it is here. So, Lord willing, we'll be able to add an extra year or two by not inhaling so much second-hand smoke; or at least exchange the shortening of life with something more enjoyable to us, like falling from barefoot water-skiing backwards...

Til next time, ciao!

Bible story time with mommy

Our happy little train traveler