So, no its not March Madness basketball I’m talking about…..its McCool March Madness! The month has started out great. I won’t go into details JUST yet, however, things are happening and God is at work. We took the month of February “off” in a sense of looking under every rock to find out what the heck we are supposed to be doing with our lives. Well….the search I believe may be over. Just last week, things began literally POURING in with opportunities to Chris and I. It was pretty comical. But again, nothing is official, but very much on it’s way. Let’s just say it has to do with: Summer getting a new job, Chris getting an offer for a new job out of state, but turning it down, new ministry opportunity, and more sleep with Tatum.

Tatum can’t be forgotten in this madness b/c the girl is hilarious. I love her! She is getting big (chunky)….she has her daddy’s checks. She loves to laugh, giggle, and act like you are coming after her while she crawls frivolously down the hallway. We’ve reached a few milestones that are pretty exciting as a mommy.

1) Tatum is about to walk. I bet it will happen in the next month. I can just sense it. Am I ready for that? Well, I guess we’ll just have to see. I have no idea what to expect. But she loves to stand and walk around anything she can; tables, walls, chairs, even Brodie.

2) Formula. Two bottles a day she’s on formula….no more pumping at work!!!!!!!!!!!!! For all you girls out there, this is a big deal. I was SO tired of pumping at work, but lasted for about 8 months and finally decided to begin weening her off. I’ll nurse until she’s 12 months, but for now, she’s got supplemented milk for two feedings with her food. Thank GOODNESS. I feel like a new woman.

3) She’s started drinking from a sippy cup. How annoyed I was two months ago (we’ve been trying this since she was 5 months…she’s now 9 months) that she would NOT drink from it. URG. So, I would stop. Give it several days, then introduce again……and still nothing. Miss Amanda today told me that Tatum drank 3 oz of apple juice all by herself. She wasn’t too impressed with her bottle, but loved the cup. There’s always a new adjustment to something.

4) I heard from a friend that if you put your little one down earlier in the night, they are more likely to get into the “rims” sleep…I think that’s the word. So, starting last Sunday I put Tatum to bed at 7:30 pm. I was SO nervous that by midnight she would wake up crying and need me to put her back to sleep. She hasn’t really been a “sleep through the night” kind of baby. She’s able to sleep about 6-8 hours, which is good, but never a 12 hour night in our time as parents. You just get used to it, and learn how to deal with it. BUT. She slept until 5:30 am (which is when I nurse her before getting ready for work), and then sleeps again until 8:00 am. That’s 12.5 hours! This is a huge milestone for Chris and I. I actually haven’t been able to sleep well b/c I have my own little alarm clock that wakes my body up at 2-4 am, just waiting to hear her cry….but nothing! She’s sound asleep. Wow. I may be jinxing myself with writing about this…..but I hope not. Sucks for our personal life having to have her in bed by 7:30 pm….you can’t go out to do anything, but we’ll adjust. Having a baby is all about new adjustments, right?

I’m sure there are other milestones that have happened, but those are the most “true to my heart.” More to write in the coming days/weeks about Chris and I and our new journey we are embarking on. I can’t wait to share it with all of you.

~Summerella

Categories: Thoughts