Colin the Carnivore

Tuesday marked Colin's 8-month birthday! I know it's hard to believe, trust me! He is growing by leaps and bounds and is learning fun new tricks every day. He is still learning the crawling concept. He has all the pieces but hasn't figured out how to put them all together. He gets up on all fours, rocks, moves his legs, but then falls backwards. Then he lays on the floor and uses his arms to pull himself in the direction he wants to go (imagine a military crawl). Now if he could just put the two concepts together, he'd be a crawling machine! He is also starting to not-too-subtly tell us what he wants. He'll pull himself over to us and hover on our legs or at our feet, lay on his belly and flail his arms and legs like, will you please pick me up?! He also has his patented grunt, as if to say hello, don't you see me down here?

According to our pediatrician, 8 months marks an important milestone. This is the stage where Colin gets to join the ranks of the big kids and become a carnivore! Wes is much more enthused and adamant about this than I am. I think Wes is ready for him to delve into a whole chicken, plucking off the feathers one by one. I, on the other hand, would be perfectly content with him becoming a vegetarian. I somehow think I'll lose that battle so why even try? Thus, the introduction of boiled chicken, egg yolks, and whatever other poor, unsuspecting animals that are allowed, will begin. Finally, those sharp as dagger teeth will get some use. Yes, for those of you that don't know, he has 2 very sharp, blood drawing teeth in the bottom of his mouth. Did I mention that I'm still nursing him once a day?! No blood has been drawn to date though - as much as I love him, the day that occurs is the day he gets cut off!

Hopefully all will go well and he'll love the adventures in meat. He is much like his Daddy so I have no doubt he'll love it and adapt just fine. After all, the kid LOVES to eat and hasn't turned his nose up at anything thus far. Here's a current picture of him in his new booster seat. He didn't care for it at first but now he likes it. He's not big on change but accepts it after a day or so.

Shrimp Salad

I love the feeling of cleaning out the fridge knowing that nothing went to waste. I tend to make it a personal challenge to create as many concoctions with leftovers as possible and to make them tasty at the same time. Now Wes will tell you that I will eat just about anything so it wouldn't be uncommon for me to "create" something that a normal person would totally turn their nose up at. The concoction that I made this weekend was very tasty and I think most people would not only try it, but would actually enjoy it. I realize you may not have these items readily available in your fridge, but just keep it in mind for when you do! You can always improvise and create a concoction of your own.

Shrimp Salad

10-12 medium-sized shrimp, cooked, deveined, and shelled
1/4 cup fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 of a stalk of celery
1-2 fresh basil leaves
2 tsp. dijon mustard
2-3 T. mayonnaise (I used Vegannaise for health reasons)

Dice the shrimp, tomatoes, celery, basil leaves, and combine (try to drain the tomatoes as much as possible but don't worry if you get some juice in there because it will add to the flavor). Add the mustard and mayo and mix well. Serve on a bed of spinach as a salad, or put it on toasted bread for a sandwich (which I did).

This makes enough for 2 rather large sandwiches.

Banana Cake with Caramel Icing

This cake is from the newest Bluegrass Winner's Cookbook. I have the honor of making birthday cakes for my coworkers and one lady chose this one for her birthday today. It was SO easy to make and it was SO yummy. It tasted like a moist banana bread, a little sweeter, with a nice caramel glaze. That was my only point of contention with the recipe - it says frosting but it's really more of a glaze. So don't wait around all day and all night waiting for it to take on the consistency of an icing because it never will. The frosting recipe makes a lot, so you might want to consider halving that part. Or do what I did, and use the remainder to garnish each slice as you cut it. The pictures are what was left of the cake after the first cutting. Don't let that fool you, I only work with 11 other people and only 8 people had a piece today. It will be gone tomorrow! This one is a keeper. Enjoy!



Banana Cake with Caramel Icing

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon (or 1-2 tsp lemon juice concentrate)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 2 large)
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup buttermilk

Icing:
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup milk
1 (1-pound) package (or 2 cups) of light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar. Add lemon juice, zest, and eggs and mix well. Add bananas and mix well. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add flour mixture to banana mixture alternatively with buttermilk, stirring until just blended. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9x2 round layer-cake pans (or 2 10-inch). Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes (I had to turn the heat down to 325 after about 20 minutes because of browning). Cool in pans. Then invert the pans to remove cakes onto wire racks to finish cooling.

Icing: Place butter, milk, and brown sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add baking powder and vanilla. Mix well. Let sit until cooled. Frost layers and refrigerate cake. The icing will setup a little after it has set in the fridge.

One Bowl White Chocolate Blonde Brownie

Two things I love, desserts and white chocolate! Yes, I am one of probably 2 people in the whole world that doesn't really care for chocolate. I know, I am strange. Perhaps I am but these little delights (really nothing "light" about them) are really tasty. The recipe says to remove them from the oven when you insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out with fudgy crumbs. Although this is not an exact science, I can tell you that it's very important. The brownies may appear to not be fully cooked, but never fear they will still be tasty. You actually want them somewhat gooey so that they remain soft and chewy. I love that these use only one bowl AND no mixer, since Colin tends to be afraid of kitchen machines that make loud noises. Oh and I suppose I should give credit where credit is due - these are courtsey of Kraft Foods website. Enjoy!

1 pkg. (6 squares) BAKER'S Premium White Baking Chocolate
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup toasted PLANTERS Chopped Pecans

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan (or use parchment paper like I did). Grease foil; set aside. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs. Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. Stir in nuts.

SPREAD into prepared pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan. Lift out of pan onto cutting board. Carefully remove brownie from foil. Cut into 16 squares to serve.

Happy Valentine's Day

I know Valentine's Day was last week but it's all relative! As you might have read in my 100 things about me post, I'm not generally a fan of V-Day. I don't like the commercialism that has enveloped around this holiday. Why do we need Hallmark to set a date for us to tell our loved ones how we feel about them? Why can't we do that on our own, everyday? Of course since I'm a cheapskate, I also don't like how places jack up their prices so these poor men have to spend who knows how much just to compete with the next guy. I have always told Wes no flowers. If he wants to get me flowers, buy them on March 24th or some other random day and spend 1/2 the amount you would on Valentine's Day. Thankfully I don't work in an office where the women all get flowers or other gifts on Valentine's, or I might have a slightly different outlook on the holiday. As is with so many things in life, it's all about wanting what someone else has and trying to keep up with the Jones'.

With that said, I am a HUGE fan of surprises and I'll take those whenever I can get them. Wes has mastered the art of surprise but he does still need Hallmark to dictate to him when to conjure one up. So about a week before V-Day he sends me an email telling me he had V-Day taken care of. What? We are doing something? I thought we were just staying at home because of Colin. You see since my dear Mother watches Colin 2-3 times a week, we feel so guilty asking her to do anything more. Apparently she had asked Wes what we were doing and he took that to mean she was volunteering to watch Colin. Knowing her, that's exactly what she was doing. So on V-Day, I get my first clue via email. Yes! I love nothing more than a puzzle, riddle, or scavenger hunt! The first clue was concerning where we'd be spending the evening. I had to get this one correct before I could get the next one. The clue went like this:
On what street/road does our destination lie?
Here are your hints:
- You won't find a rifle there. (You may have to ask a hunter in your office.)
- I wouldn't give a nickel for it.
- It's not the road where wealthy people live.
- It won't be a problem if you find yourself up there without a paddle.
- A British person might try to shop there.

Ok, so needless to say he's quite good at writing clues. I didn't figure it out right away so he told me the first 4 clues were roads it was not and the last clue was the road it was. A coworker helped me with the first one by telling me that Winchester was a brand of ammunition for guns. So it's not Winchester Road. Now I got the hang of it. The second one was NICHOLasville Road, the third was RICHmond Road, the fourth was Tates CREEK Road, and the final one was HARRODSburg Road.

The second clue was ridiculous! I never did get it. It was, "The place we're going can be found at this location: 1) The first half of the name is someone you'd find in Hazzard County. 2) The second half of the name is also found in a state's name. (This one is "very" easy.)

Are you kidding me?! I had no idea. I'll just skip the first one altogether and work on the second one. There are only 50 states so how hard could this be?! Except wait, how do I narrow those 50 states down. I had to plead for help again. He told me that very was in quotes because that had something to do with the state. Part of the word very was in the state's name. So I proceed to sing the states song that I learned in elementary school and came up with 4 states - New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Yes, I left out VERmont! That was the one that would have helped me. I guess the restaurant to be Azur based on the first clue of Harrodsburg Road. I think Wes was a little frustrated with me but explained his clue. It was supposed to be Beau ("Bo" Duke) and mont (VerMONT) Center. Then there was to be another clue but I messed up those plans!

I think what we can learn here is that Wes's clues are too complex for my tiny brain. Perhaps I should tell him to pretend he's making clues for his 7-year old sister. Maybe then I'll be able to figure them out. But don't worry, his birthday is coming up in just over a month and I plan to stump him. I've already started thinking so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to share. Oh and in case you were wondering, our dinner was FANTASTIC! I might just write a review of Azur in the near future.

When we got home, Grams had left us Valentine's from her and Colin on our bed. She had secretly dressed Colin up and taken pictures of him in this adorable outfit. Those pictures were laying out on the bed too. What a great gift. I'll post those pictures later.

Colin sent a few of his own Valentine's too. One of those was sent to his girlfriend, Sidney Hiltz. Below is a picture of Sidney with her card. She loved it so much that she cried when her mom tried to take it away from her. Sidney's Dad is not so sure how he feels about this. When I told Colin, he got the biggest grin on his face. Ah, puppy love.

100 things about me...

Ok, I so don't have time for this but I've been wanting to do it ever since I saw it on Cara's blog, so I'm making time! It's easy to put off the things you don't want to do to make time for the fun things! So what this is is a list 100 things that you may or may not know about me. Without further ado, I present my top 100 (in no particular order).
1) I have a precious son named Colin.
2) I never thought I wanted a little boy. I have 1 sister and 2 nieces, so boys were foreign to me. Now I don't know what I'd do with a little girl!!
3) I admit that I love when Colin is sleeping (see previous post to fully understand).
4) I love to rock him to sleep and watch his precious face as he smiles or sucks his thumb in his sleep.
5) I honestly can't remember that much about child birth. That should give you soon-to-be-moms a vote of confidence. That's God's way of allowing us to have more children!
6) I have a wonderful husband, Wes, who stays home with Colin 2 or 3 days a week.
7) My wonderful mother stays with Colin the other 2 or 3 days a week. She also cooks 1 meal a week for us. We are so fortunate - no, not spoiled, fortunate!!
8) Wes and I had our first date on Valentine's Day 1997. He waited until a few days before to ask me - some things never change.
9) Our first date was a double date with Courtney and Brandon Justice. We both ended up getting married and were all in each others wedding.
10) I used to be a very picky eater and now I'll eat just about anything. I'm not a fan of raw meat, but I do like other kinds of sushi.
11) My favorite food is anything sweet.
12) I love to cook.
13) I'd love to go to culinary school and don't count that out as a possibility some day.
14) I "need" a house with a bigger kitchen.
15) I love when Colin smiles and shows his 2 teeth.
16) I love to travel but I don't like to go back to the same place twice. There's too many places I want to see to repeat places I've already been. That doesn't mean we don't go back...
17) We're taking a family trip to Charleston, SC this summer. And yes, I've been there about 4 times. This is one exception to my rule because I love Charleston.
18) I'd love to live in Charleston or maybe just have a beach home there.
19) I also could visit NYC over and over again because of the shopping and restaurants.
20) I love to go out to eat in Louisville. They have so many wonderful, local establishments. It really makes me realize how few we have here in Lexington.
21) One of my favorite Louisville restaurants is Seviche.
22) When I was little I was a VERY picky eater. I would only eat macaroni and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches. Wow, I've come a long way. So if your kids are picky eaters now, don't despair, there's still hope.
23) My favorite color is blue.
24) My favorite number is 8. I refrain from calling it my lucky number because to date, I'm not sure it's every truly been lucky.
25) I'm afraid of spiders and snakes. If there's a bug in the house I make Wes kill it. I will if he's not there but I prefer not to. I used to think if I smashed a bug that it's babies would squish out and then there would be dozens of them running around.
26) Math was my favorite subject in school and I still enjoy it to this day. I love word problems and other puzzles.
27) I LOVE to be surprised! I've taught Wes the element of surprise and now he's quite good at it.
28) I generally don't like "Hallmark" holidays like Valentine's Day. I think the person you love should show you that they love you each and every day, not on some designated day.
29) My Granny will be 94 this year and she's still as spry as can be. I hope I inherited some of her good genes! She's a remarkable woman and I love her dearly.
30) Colin is scared of my Dad. I'm not sure why but when my Dad is around, Colin cries. He doesn't like him to hold him but will tolerate looking at him if I'm holding him. That better change because Grandpa is getting his feelings hurt!
31) Are you kidding, I'm only on 31! I have an addiction to food related blogs. I never thought I'd be a blogger but now I'm addicted. I wish I had more time to cook the recipes I find but maybe when Colin is a little older...like 25!
32) I don't drink any soda and haven't in about 20 years.
33) I try to eat very healthy and have at least 5 fruits and veggies a day.
34) I think I could be a vegetarian.
35) I need to start exercising again because I can't get rid of my mummy tummy. I've lost all my baby weight but my stomach won't go back in. Could it be all the desserts I make and eat?!
36) I am a reality show junkie. You name it and I either have watched or am watching it. Right now I'm watching Project Runway (Heidi Klum is just adorable), Make Me a Supermodel (Tyson Beckford is so handsome), American Idol (of course), and I just finished watching Dance Wars. I feel like there are more but I can't think of any right now.
37) I would like to have another child but wonder if I'll ever be ready for it! I would really like more than 1 but I don't see that ever happening.
38) Surprisingly, I like my job and always have. I've been here since I graduated in 1999, so I guess that speaks for itself.
39) I'm very fortunate to have a wonderful family.
40) My 2 nieces are the cutest kids around - and no I'm not biased!
41) My sister is a natural beauty and I envy her "natural" state. She's prettiest when she has no makeup on, hair however, and wearing anything.
42) I was always the shortest kid in my class and Megan was always the tallest. Now I'm right in the middle but some people might even say I'm tall! I probably stunted my growth by not eating anything but the mac'n'cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches!
43) I have some awesome friends! My oldest friend is Mary Farris.
44) My friend Brooke and I have children that are 6 days apart. See my other posts about their upcoming nuptials!
45) I'm not a very good swimmer because I never liked to put my face in the water. I used to wear a nose plug because I didn't like to get water up my nose and I couldn't figure out how to only breath out under the water.
46) I used to wear glasses that were WAY too big for my face. Why my mom allowed me to choose those I'll never know.
47) Fall is my favorite season. It used to always be spring but since we don't get much of a spring anymore, I've changed to fall. I love the leaves, the pumpkin patch, the cider, football, and everything else associated with fall.
48) I LOVE anything pumpkin. Some might say I have a slight addiction to it. I guess it could be worse.
49) I never thought I was a good writer but this blog has shown me a new side. I think it's a great outlet for all the goings on in this crazy head of mine.
50) Phew, half way there. My Dad taught me a lot about different models of cars. I could tell you what just about every type of car is on the road. I'm not so good with the classics though - not like he is!
51) I like R&B and rap music, among other types.
52) I played basketball in middle school for 1 year. That is until I tried to score in the opposing team's basket! No wonder I only lasted 1 year. What can I say, I wanted to do everything my sister did.
53) When I was younger I wanted to be a clown. I seriously wanted to join the circus and become a clown.
54) I met Britney Murphy when I was a senior in high school but was so embarassed it took me 30 minutes just to say hello. I asked her if she was the girl from The Torkelson's and she said yes. That used to be my favorite show!
55) I like to scrapbook but wish I had more time to do it. I wish I were a little more creative with it but maybe that will come with time and practice. I enjoy copying other ideas right now.
56) I would love to open my own business someday. I have several thoughts - a bakery, a cute little sandwich shop, a clothing boutique, or a gift store.
57) I am a bargain hunter and could be considered cheap.
58) I like to play board games and am a little competitive, ok a lot.
59) I used to play the piano because my mom always wanted to learn to play so she made us instead.
60) I like watching UK sports - football, basketball (girls and boys), and baseball. I have Wes to thank for that because pre-Wes I could have cared less.
61) Wes has made me a football fan. I didn't know the first thing about that sport prior to Wes. I still don't know a lot but I'm learning.
62) I don't like to read. I used to subscribe to US Weekly and that was the only thing I would read because hardly any of the articles were longer than 1 page. Wes loves to read and read a book a week, so this is very foreign to him.
63) I would love to raise a vegetable/herb garden but I'm too lazy to water the plants on a regular basis. It just gets too hot in the summer.
64) I cannot wait to go on vacation this summer. We haven't been on vacation for 2 1/2 years so it's way overdue. Oddly enough, our last vacation was also to Charleston.
65) I go to bed at 9:15. I know that's ridiculous but I get up at 6:30ish and I require a lot of sleep. That's the only way I can get all my sleep in.
66) Breakfast is my favorite meal. I especially love pancakes!
67) I totaled my first car in Fayette Mall's parking lot. I ran over the median in the dark and tore out the underside of the car. It took me a while to want to drive again.
68) I love to shop.
69) I love to come home from work and see Colin and give him a big hug.
70) I love the feeling I get driving home on Friday knowing I don't have to go back to work for 2 days.
71) I love the movie Clueless (see number 54 and my affection for Britney Murphy).
72) I had long hair until I was in college. When I was younger my mom wouldn't let me cut it because she thought it was too pretty (see number 59 for another example of how my mother tried to live vicariously through me!). I had short hair up until about a year or 2 ago and then I let it grow out - partly because I was bored and partly because I wanted to see what it would look like. Truth be told, I'm bored again so it could be getting the snip.
73) I love Colin to death but I also love my time to myself (which I don't get much of).
74) Wes has made me a better person and I hope he can say the same.
75) I am very non-confrontational and do whatever I can to avoid a fight.
76) I don't stay mad for very long. Someone once said that when they get mad they always step back from the situation and think about what they are mad about and usually realize it's something silly. Ever since I heard that, I've adopted that as my personal mantra and it works. If you get mad a lot, you should try it.
77) I am a very impatient person. I try to relax but it's very hard!
78) I didn't have a pet until I was in high school. We got a black poodle that we named Zachary. He now lives with my Granny. She did have his brother, Sunny, but he died last year.
79) My Dad once disected a fetal pig on our kitchen counter. Please know that my Dad was/is a teacher and had them for science class at school. Megan and I wanted to see one so he brought it home.
80) I have a sister-in-law that is going to be 7 this summer and another one that is a freshman in high school.
81) That makes my mother-in-law, well very young.
82) Wes has 1 brother and I have 1 sister. Wes and I share similar traits and Megan and Kevin (our siblings) share many of the same traits.
83) I don't know how to ride a bike. I never had one growing up because we lived on a big hill and my mom thought they were too dangerous. I would say that I could probably ride one today but I haven't tried.
84) Wes has 2 webbed toes on his left foot. Colin inherited the same feature.
85) I love to hear Colin laugh.
86) I might be crazy, but I look forward to Colin becoming mobile. I think that will release some of his energy - at least I'm hoping. I realize I could be terribly wrong and be eating my words in a few short months!
87) I hate to drive in the snow, and I usually don't if I can help it.
88) I have a lead foot and probably drive way too fast.
89) Both of my parents are teachers and I used to think I wanted to be a teacher too until I realized that having the summer off didn't quite balance out the terrible pay! Some days I do wonder what it would be like though. I still miss those Christmas breaks and summer breaks.
90) Ok, this is slim pickin's here. I can't believe I've come up with this many useless facts about myself! This doesn't count so another fact is that I've had braces 3 times. The first 2 were planned but the 3rd time was because I didn't wear my retainers and my teeth moved.
91) I am legally blind without my contacts or glasses.
92) I am a natural blonde.
93) I'm so not in the 21st century with my cell phone. I don't text, I don't have a camera phone, or a Blackberry. It's not that I don't know how, it goes back to that cheap thing.
94) I look forward to eating out on Saturday nights.
95) I thoroughly enjoy the few occasions when Wes and I get a dinner out alone.
96) I look forward to the day when Colin will take a nap without a fight. Please tell me that will happen.
97) I have been called to jury duty one time and I served on one case. I thought it would be fun but it turns out that I was a nervous wreck because I thought the guy would hunt me down.
98) I hate to watch people fight (physically) or get hurt.
99) I was afraid of needles until I got pregnant. I'm still not a huge fan but I can tolerate them without passing out now. I still don't like to watch other people be poked, or be in any kind of pain.
100) Whoopie, I'm on the last one! I'm grateful that you took the time to read this. Thank you.

I applaud you if you actually took the time to read all 100 things. Hopefully it didn't take you quite as long to read them as it did for me to write them! I started at about 11:30 this morning and now it's almost 5pm. Granted, I did work in between but it did take a long time to rack my brain of these random thoughts. Luckily, my brain has been on random mode since June 26th of last year!

On The Road Again

Why does my son hate to sleep so much?! How it is possible that I could produce someone who fights sleep, when I love it so much? Colin has never been what I would consider a good sleeper. Sure, some days he does sleep through the night and some days he even manages to take TWO whole naps, but rarely both! In the beginning, he was decent at napping every couple of hours, but then would also wake up every couple of hours at night. Now he's sleeping through the night but refuses to take more than 1 nap a day! I guess beggars can't be choosers but a girl can still dream, right?!

Partly because of the sleep issues and partly because we haven't had a free weekend, we just now were able to visit Wes's family for Christmas. I have to admit, I was dreading the trip, not because I didn't want to see them, but because I was leery of the sleeping situation for Colin. We took the pack'n'play, but Colin has never slept in it. We tried when he was a new born and he screamed his head off. I prayed the same event would not transpire and that perhaps he would get a few hours of sleep. Be careful what you wish for because that's exactly what I got, a FEW hours. Let me back up for a minute. Not surprisingly, he refused his late afternoon nap, which made him exhausted by 7pm. So down he went without much of a fight. We had to put the pack'n'play in our room and shut the door. When it was time for me to go to bed I was leery of having to open the door to sneak into the room but I managed. I failed to mention that this door could use some WD-40! Colin is still asleep. Next comes Wes about 11pm. We couldn't be so lucky to escape the squeaky door 2 times in a row. He no more gets into bed when Colin begins to cry. Up he goes to tend to him. He gets him out and there is no room to walk, rock, etc. So he sits in the papasan chair (You know the kind you don't sit in, you sink in? And then just imagine trying to get out of that chair, holding a sleeping baby, while trying not to wake him). Somehow he manages to get him back to sleep and back in the pack'n'play. 1am rolls around and here we go again, only this time it was my turn. I get up, trip over my suitcase, stub my toe on the pack'n'play, jab my hip into the end of the bed, and oh I forgot to mention that I had forgotten my glasses so I couldn't see a thing! I manage to get him out and then I just stand there like now what do I do. He was wide awake - even in my blind state I could see those big blue eyes starring back at me! He's no dummy, he knew he wasn't at home and wanted to check everything out. There were a few lights from various clocks, on/off switches, etc, that Colin found quite interesting. I brought him to the bed with me because I knew I wasn't stealthy enough to maneuver in the papason chair. A few minutes later, he fell asleep right next to me. Please note this is something I never thought I'd do, but desperate times call for desperate measures! Surely he will be content laying close to Mommy for the remainder of the night. WRONG. Up again at 3 and thank goodness it was Wes's turn because I seriously couldn't move. Wes follows my lead and stays in the bed with him. Back to sleep again, only for him to wake up at 5:45 ready to eat. I manage to hold him off until 6:10 and I feed him. Normally he would go back to sleep until about 8, think again! Nope, he was up and raring to go. Wes was none too pleased with the series of events and proclaimed that we wouldn't be repeating this trip anytime soon.

Now I'll be the first to admit that I don't like to have my sleep patterns interrupted, but in this case I just don't think it's fair to Colin. He has his set routine and clearly doesn't like to have it interrupted. Does this mean we can never leave our house?! How will we manage on vacation this summer for a week in a foreign location? Can anyone provide some much needed insight? Please tell me how I was able to function in the beginning of his life when we were up every 3 hours! Can you say adrenaline?!!

If you have a baby/child/offspring that sleeps well, consider yourself lucky! Give your child a big hug and kiss tonight and thank them for allowing you to sleep. This is something you shouldn't take for granted!