Whatever Wednesday: Thinking ahead

So. Halloween is almost here, and over with. My mind is already on Christmas.

People think I'm nuts, but I'm the type of person who likes to have things over with. It's funny because I'm one of the least organized people I know, but that doesn't mean I'm not a planner. I've already started my Christmas shopping, and I hope to have it all done by the end of November. It'll help that we've told everyone this year that we'd rather focus on my son, therefore not expecting a lot of gifts from others, nor are we buying a lot of gifts for other people. I already have most of my Mom's gift done, my brother's gift is done, and I at least know what I'm getting everyone else. I've ordered and gotten my Christmas cards, and I made my son a stocking out of some of his old baby clothes... I am on it.

But, once again, for one of the presents I need your guys help. One of my friends just bought her first house, and will hopefully be engaged by the end of this year. She's been in a really domestic mood, and has really gotten into cooking, baking, and making things. I wanted to make her a little cook book, I guess I would say. I'm going to put in some of our family favorite recipes, and I was wondering if you guys had any? Also, any crafty things, like she's been into making her own candles and stuff, so. I was planning on going back into the 15 miles blog, because I know she posted some neat crafty things.

If anyone would also like me to forward them the recipes when I get them, let me know. It would probably be easiest to email them to me (nothingmorethanlaura@gmail.com), instead of leaving them in the comments, but I would REALLY appreciate any recipes. I know you guys have 'em!

I have to mention swagbucks again. If you haven't joined, you should. If you want to know what it's about, or get my referral link, either email me or check the last whatever Wednesday. I really REALLY appreciate all the people who joined last time, I got like, 20 swagbucks over night, which is a super big help with Holiday shopping as well. But I have to remind you again, I don't get anything just for you signing up (it sucks, I know). You actually have to use swagbucks in order for me to get anything, so if you aren't going to use it, I wouldn't sign up. But, I just got my 4th 5 dollar amazon card, soooo I would say swagbucks is worth it! (My giftcards are going towards Christmas shopping, nice way to save some money!)

Also, I didn't get too many blog suggestions, so I wanted to remind you guys, if you want your blog, or a blog you love to read, up on the side links, just email me the link. Also let me know the blog title, and if it's fiction or non fiction. I've gotten a few people who have emailed me blogs, but I wanted to remind you guys, any blog is fair game (but also, click links at your own risk, because I don't always read all of them, and can't tell you the content!)

We've been really busy with fall activities, as I mentioned in the last blog. I'm ready for Halloween to be over, we've been running around so much. Last week we did the pumpkin patch, Thursday we hit up the Pumpkin Show, which was a lot of fun (they had these creepy pumpkins with faces in them. I mean like, uncarved. They grew them in a mold, they freaked me out.) And we ate a TON. Pumpkin doughtnuts (they made them fresh for us. I'm not a huge pumpkin fan, but these were SO good), pumpkin sloppy joes (yeah I know, it was gross), apple cider slush... The best were probably the pumpkin buckeyes. Does anywhere else make buckeyes besides Ohio? If not, I'll have to pass on that recipe. So tasty.

Saturday we then went to this program called Boo at the Zoo. Our Zoo sets up trick or treat stations, and they do enrichment activities with the animals (they gave the animals pumpkins this time. I'm not sure if there was anything in them. I know sometimes they stuff objects with treats and the animals have to figure out how to open them.) It was a blustery day, windy, chilly, and we kept getting hit with random rain. It wasn't a great day, I was pretty annoyed. We were supposed to meet some friends there at one. We called them at 1:30 only to find out that not only were they not coming, they hadn't bothered to call to tell us either. I hate when people do that. I don't have a problem with canceling, but it's like, give me as much notice as possible, ya know? It's just rude to me.

Sunday we had a great day. It was supposed to be super busy. We were supposed to go do yard work at my in laws, stop by a birthday party, run by boo at the zoo again (we're members, so it doesn't cost anything to get in, and my Aunt works for Target and was supposed to be handing out candy, so we were going to stop by and see her.) And then go see friends and meet their new baby. Well, my Mother in law called Saturday, she's "sick" (I personally think she's just trying to get attention since my FIL has this heart thing now. I find it funny that he was talking about scheduling his test, and all of a sudden she's "sick". But, she did say the doctor took cultures, so, I wasn't risking bringing the baby around her. Plus, it meant I didn't have to see her, so, score one for me!) My Aunt ended up having to cancel going to boo at the zoo, and our friends had gone to a wedding Saturday night, and got back later than they planned on Sunday, so they canceled too. So, we got to spend more time at the birthday party, which was fun.

So, now on to two scheduling notes I have. My Father in law scheduled his test to see where his blockage is (again, I don't know what it's called. I think they inject him with some dye, and stick a tube up through his groin...) He scheduled it for the 12th. I'm trying to be able to go to the hospital with my husband that day and wait, but it depends if my sister can get off work and watch the baby, as well as a few other things. Anyway, I'm not really sure what's going to happen, I don't know if I'll be able to go, and I don't know what to expect after. They made my Uncle stay there and have surgery asap (well, I dunno if it was after this test, or after the stress test, but after he had one of the tests, they refused to let him go home, and said they needed to do the surgery NOW.) They are moving awfully slow on all of this, so maybe it's not as urgent as my Uncle's situation, I don't know. Basically, you may or may not get a post on the 12th. You may or may not get a post the day after. I'll try to let you know what's going on as soon as I know.

Secondly, I try to post when I first get up in the morning, while my son's eating breakfast. However, that may start being later morningish. My son has reverted back to his newborn sleep patterns, he seriously got up every two hours last night. I don't know what his deal is, but I'm done with it. I don't know if I've mentioned before, my son sucks at sleeping. He slept through the night for the first time at 3 months old. He did it for a few nights, and quit. It was as if he was showing me: I CAN sleep through the night, I just don't WANT too. We tried a lot of the doctors suggestions, and I've tried several books. The thing is, I hate letting him cry it out, because most often, he's hungry at night. The books and the doctors told me to up his calories during the day, feed him more... But the thing about Cayden is, if he's not hungry, he won't eat. So while I would try to give him more bottles during the day (and now, more regular food) if he doesn't want it, I don't care WHAT I put in front of the child (cake, cookies, candy, steak, whatever) he won't eat it.

Anyway, he FINALLY got a little better around nine months, but still really wasn't sleeping ALL the way through the night. He'd get up once, maybe twice, and I could deal, because usually one of those times fell when I was still awake. But Sunday night he was up a bunch, and then last night, no joke, every two hours, if not more. I'm so at the end of my rope, it's not even funny. And even more annoying is I have to listen to my Mom say things like "He'll sleep through the night when he's ready. He's just a baby, blah blah blah." If he does back to waking once or twice a night, whatever, I'll deal. But my 13 month old (which, he turns 13 months today, yay!) should NOT be getting up that much.

So, my point. We may be going back to crying it out. We started doing this when he was 9 months, and it's what helped improve his sleeping. We stopped doing it, and maybe that was our big mistake. Now, no lectures on crying it out. I don't like to do it, and I did try other methods before this. I only tried this after two separate pediatricians told me to do it. I think I mentioned before with babies and advice, different things work for different babies. This is what works for our baby, though I do wish something else worked. I hate doing it. Cayden and I tend to lose a lot of sleep the first couple nights, but he does catch on quickly. My whole point is, because of this, postings may be a little late (as in, later in the mornings.)

And lastly, I've been feeling a little disconnected from the story lately. I've having a few family issues right now, it's nothing major, just a bunch of little annoyances or minor things that keep adding up, so I don't know if I'm stressed or what. Plus, I'm trying to move on to the next big drama, so. I'm not entirely happy with tomorrow's posting, but I also don't know if I'm going to have the time/desire to fix it. I'm hoping that once I'm past this transition, I'll be back to feeling normal, but, if not, I may have to cut down the posting schedule just to kind of focus on other things. It's not a definate change yet, just wanted to let you know that if tomorrow's posting seems like I'm a little off my game, it's because I am.

Alright, that's all that's going on with my life. What about yours? Are you guys getting ready for the holidays?