TTT: Season 2, Episode 44

1. Feeling kind of 'blah' this week. And it's quite easy to pinpoint the culprit. Sleep! I'm sure this is the story of most peoples' lives, right? It's amazing how sleep can factor into so many aspects of life. If I don't get enough sleep, I feel bad physically, seem to have a much shorter fuse, and just tend to get that 'stressed-out' feeling way more often. It's funny, because after a baby is born, all those natural hormones kick in and getting up countless times in the middle of the night is no biggie at all. But at some point that all wears off. Grant had gotten to the point where he was sleeping pretty soundlessly through most of the night. Like asleep by nine or ten and out until five or six. But over the past few weeks he's gradually gone to waking more frequently throughout the night. And this past week it's been the exact same routine every. single. night. Dead asleep at eight...can't do anything to stretch it out longer...awake at one and awake again at four. Like right on the hour. And we're not talking the 'I'm kinda hungry, feed me and I'll go right back to sleep'. It's the full-on, baby babbling, hey-mom-how-ya-doing awake. I think this started happening with Reagan but it was more around eight months instead of four. Anyway, my goal is to try a few tactics this weekend and see if we can fix the sleep situation before I come down with the inevitable sleep deprived cold or flu or lupus flare up. Snore.

2. We celebrated Kolbe's fourth birthday yesterday! FOUR years old! I can't believe it. Have I really been doing this mom thing for four years? Like a lot of monumental things, it seems both longer and shorter. I remember much of that day like it was yesterday. After all, it was one of the best days of my life while also being the most physically painful day of my life. But when I glance across all that has happened since, it seems like we've lived a whole lifetime since that day. I can't even imagine how we'll feel four years from now when he turns EIGHT! Kolbe is a fantastic little boy. He's so smart and clever. And man, does he ever have a mind of his own! He's definitely a boy to the core. He loves sports. Especially baseball. Give him anything physical to do and he's happy. He also loves to color, cook, and read. That is, when he's not busy bossing the whole house around. He literally gets upset over things like Rudy not finishing his lunch. Such a 'big brother.' I see him being class president some day. Or heck...United States President! But only if his goal of being Albert Pujols falls through. He's still itty-bitty teeny-tiny but has more than enough personality to make up for what he lacks in size! We sure love this boy. More and more every single day.

3. If you're like me, every year you have grand aspirations of being on top of the holiday season. It seems like early every October I start thinking of all the stuff I want to get done before Thanksgiving and before Christmas. And then as the days and weeks pass, I begin to panic and I realize that I'm failing miserably. This year is no exception. Have I done any of the little things around the house that I wanted to get done before Thanksgiving? Nope. Not a single one. And Lord knows I haven't tackled a single Christmas project either. Maybe everyone will understand if I don't come through with my typically creative ideas/projects/gifts this year. But knowing me, I'll somehow figure it all out in the eleventh hour. One of these days I'm going to manage to make it happen in, oh, say the eighth or ninth hour. But something tells me that will be at least eighteen years from now when there aren't more important matters to tend to.

My little napping Rudy...he always has at least two items in the bed with him. This time, a football and a sword. You know, just in case he gets to play catch or slay a dragon in his dreams.

Time to bathe the shar pei.

Kolbe has become quite the fierce Memory player. He can legitimately beat me at least once a week in our quite-time matches!

The boys have definitely gotten used to having baby Grant around...except for when Dada has him. Then a little jealousy kicks in and they have to go vie for his attention. I'm sure Mark loves having all his boys to cuddle with!

Opening birthday gifts! Kolbs got lots of baseball themed gifts...an Albert Pujols shirt, a real T-stand, bases for the yard, and the much desired PF flyers. But in this pic, it's his super cool new grill that they're tearing in to.

The boys stepped foot in a Disney store for the first time ever yesterday on Kolbe's birthday. (Pinkie and Pa took them.) They were SO fascinated with everything and managed to walk out with these sweet new pajamas.

My four-year-old boy. I'd be thrilled if he stayed just this way forever.