Officially 20 days (and believe me, I'm counting) until Samantha Jane's 1st birthday!!! I have been planning for months, sitting at the computer getting "duck theme" ideas and scoping out the best prices for the best goodie bag trinkets- all ducks of course! And Caleb has been shaking his head at me the whole time. He's excited too, though. By the way, if anyone is in the market for a great party planning website, check out www.centurynovelty.com. I only looked at the duck things, but I got great, and I mean GREAT deals. The quality was impressive, too. I definitely believe that the first few birthdays are more about the parents, at least the mommies. I want everything to be perfect, and she won't even remember it. But it still matters. You mommies out there understand!
Sammy J has really changed over the past month. She will finally hold her own cup! Not her bottle, but since we're 3 weeks from being done with the bottle, that really doesn't matter much. She has not objected to the gradual switch from formula to whole milk...she never cared about the switch from nursing to formula, either. After all my pain and suffering! Motherhood! We survived our first "sickness". Just sinus mess and a low grade fever, but pitiful nonetheless. I had caved in and put her in bed with us while she was under the weather, and was afraid that would come back to bite me, but I think she'll go back to the crib alright. Last night, I decided to do a little Ferber Methodology, made a pot of coffee and stayed totally patient for 4 hours while she and I battled about sleeping in her bed. I don't really get points for the being patient part, since it was my own doing. From 9pm-1am she fell asleep, woke up 15-30 minutes later, mad as a wet hornet that she wasn't in bed with me. So I would lay her down, pat her back (while she continuously pushed my hand away :)) and left her to cry it out. Repeat about 8 times and the poor dear didn't have the energy to complain. So far tonight, she has woken up 3 times in the past 2 hours, but no attitude and straight back to sleep. And speaking of attitude, how is it that almost 1 year olds get so much of it so quickly?! I love her spunky personality, but not so much the hitting, yelling, etc. Oh, well. Enough for now!