08.10.10

The past few days, Mackenna has been a little more irritable than usual and has not been napping well at all. She had finally gotten into a good napping schedule and I could pretty much count on a 2.5 hour nap every morning and an hour nap in the afternoon. Well, she must be growing or something because her internal clock has changed once again and I am left to figure out her new biological rhythm. But, I am so thankful that I am able to be home with her and learn how to take care of her at each new stage.

So, today we're trying a longer wake time with lots of exercise! Dustin put together her Fisher Price Jumperoo on Sunday evening and she loves playing in it. She'll keep herself content for about 10-15 minutes. That's pretty good! She doesn't particularly like it when we turn on the lights and sound though. She's content just jumping and playing with the colorful toys that shake, rattle, and roll!

Learning how to effectively take care of an infant and keep a household running has been quite a challenge for me. In my mind I envisioned that once I was at home I would have oodles of time to cook, clean, coupon, grocery shop, do laundry, and maybe even bake some bread! Reality is that it's a good day if the toys are cleaned up and the bottles are sanitized before I go to bed. I am faced with the truth that I thought WAY too highly of myself, thinking that I would be able to perfectly execute being a stay-at-home wife and mother. One thing I will admit is that I have been guilty of laziness but I cleverly mask it by saying, "I am so tired and Mackenna's a high-maintenance baby... I deserve to just relax!" There is some truth there. I am very tired. And Mackenna is a relatively high-maintenance baby and also has some pain issues with Acid Reflux which makes her slightly more fussy. But, I still am called to be a godly wife and mother. I am very thankful for a husband who is so understanding and encourages me daily. He doesn't expect me to be perfect and he is very quick to remind me that he thinks I am doing a great job. Nevertheless, this is an area I need to grow in. If I know that Mackenna will nap for two hours, I need to be vigilant to make the most of those two hours!

Speaking of naps... the monitor has just indicated that my precious Mackenna has decided to wake up earlier than usual. Until next time!