Go With The Flow

Good morning!

I had an orthodontic consultation at 10:00 this morning.  Long story short, I have a couple of missing molars that I need *dental* implants for and the spaces need to be opened before I can get said implants.  Since we are working toward debt freedom, the consultation was just to give us a ballpark idea of how much we need to save.  Which is a lot...

After my appointment we came straight home for Ayden's morning nap but his naps have been all over the place lately.  I have been torn between letting his needs guide his nap schedule and fighting the fight to keep things consistent.  In the end I feel like if he is happy I'm okay with not forcing anything on him.  When he is tired he falls asleep easily and willingly so we just go with the flow.  This is the exact opposite of how I thought things would be while I was a daydreaming pregnant woman...  Funny how that happens.

I had a couple of errands to run so I gave myself an hour to eat lunch and tackle a couple of chores.

Freshly stuffed and stocked!  

I am so productive when I set "deadlines" for myself.  In that hour I stuffed/stocked Ayden's diapers, put away some of our clothes, vacuumed our upstairs and fed us lunch.  Then we were out.  I returned a couple of the items I had purchased at the consignment store last week.  Ayden was napping in the Ergo while I was there before so I wasn't able to try on the shirts that I purchased.  When I got them home I didn't like them as much as I thought I would.  Next stop was the mall for a new garlic press and a small visit to Forever21.  I used the cash that I got back from the consignment store to buy some black, $10 skinny jeans and this headband:

So delicate and feminine!

I had pinned this inspiration hairstyle recently

source

and thought that this headband would be perfect for replicating it myself:

Love it!

It seriously took 30 seconds and looked elegant. The headband was only $3.80 and I just might have to go back for a couple more!  I have fine, thin hair (postpartum hair loss is no joke) so it is hard to find hairstyles that actually are easy and look nice.

We ran our last couple of errands and then returned home for an evening alone.  David was out for his second hunting trip of the season and wasn't coming home until after Ayden's bedtime so we had leftovers for dinner and spent some time outside.

Enjoying the fresh, Fall air!

 Then it was bath and bedtime.  Bedtime has changed a little.  It has been interesting to step back and observe what happens as we let Ayden's needs lead the way.  Now that he is filling his tummy at dinner and we have a super consistent bedtime routine, Ayden has been sleeping longer stretches in his crib where he sleeps from around 8:00 - 10:30 or so, until David and I are ready for bed.  I nurse him to sleep and stay with him until he unlatches and rolls over which seems to be the key.  When I would *think* he was asleep and unlatch him myself to sneak away, he would always wake up after 30-40 minutes and he wouldn't sleep well until we were all in bed together.  Over the past few nights, he now he seems to be doing better with sleeping on his own.  It makes you wonder...  What did mothers do before societal pressures and baby trainers?  I'll bet they just observed their babies and let their own instincts and their babies' needs lead the way.  In our house we are all happier when we just go with the flow.

~Sarah