So first I will say, I know I have not kept up with my 3-4 times a week goal, but I do have a very good excuse. I have been working very hard at trying to get Ainsley to sleep in her crib for the past two weeks, and it takes a lot of time. Between that, trying to keep my house clean and my class, I have not had much time for blogging. Plus I'm exhausted, so my creative juices just haven't been flowing. Ainsley is still not sleeping in her crib very well. We can usually get her to go down around 8, but she's up every 20-30 minutes. So if anyone has any ideas that I haven't already tried, I am all ears. Today we spent 2 hours just trying to get her down for a nap, and guess what, no nap. I'm willing to build my day around her naps and bed time, however, it makes it very difficult when it takes a better part of the day just to get her down for a 20 minute nap. So again...any ideas...anything...I'm willing to try just about anything. We've been doing this for a week and a half now and I actually think it's getting worse. Anyway, most of the time I just think she looks so tired...see above photo. I just want to help her sleep, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to get her to sleep without holding her.
Well, on to other topics. Today was my first mother's day, and it was very nice. I had cards and gifts when I woke up this morning...a great way to start any day really. Then Clif, Ainsley and I went to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Clif and I got married at the gardens and we hadn't been back since. Ainsley slept in the stroller for most of the adventure, but she still seemed to enjoy it when she was awake. It did rain on us a little, but it was really only a light drizzle. We spent about 2 hours there, just wandering around, taking pictures. It's really beautiful. They also have a children's garden there. I can't wait to take Ainsley there when she's older. Motherhood is such a dilemma of emotions. On one hand, I want her to stay little for as long as possible, and sometimes I look at her and I can't believe how big she is. How have I not just video taped every single moment. How do I not just sit and stare at her for weeks on end, not missing one single change. On the other hand, each new milestone is so exciting and I can't wait until she can do the next thing. I can't wait until we can play together in the children's garden, I can't wait until she is running around the yard. But there's always that worry in the back of my mind that she'll grow up too soon and I'll wonder where all the time went.
After the gardens we went to Short Pump to try and eat at The Cheesecake Factory. We thought that since it was only 4, we'd beat the dinner crowd. No such luck on Mother's Day. There was an hour and a half wait. That would have been fine had we been able to walk around the mall while we waited. But no, the little vibrating pager does not allow for that. You must stand within ten feet of the door. Seriously, someone smarter than me needs to invent something like that. A roaming pager that will work at farther distances. No more complaints about waiting for tables. Problem solved.
We ended up eating at Tara Thai, which we love and which was not jam packed. The waitresses loved Ainsley. She was making friends all over. Good thing they weren't busy, because these girls barely left our table. Ainsley was laughing and talking to them...trying to feed them rice. It was very cute, and Clif and I got to eat our dinner without her crying to be held. Also very nice...we'll have to go back there more often.
And introducing Ainsley's newest trick...climbing stairs. Ainsley discovered the stairs a couple of weeks ago, but until yesterday she really never paid them much attention. Now she's fairly obsessed. The moment she's free from me or my sight, she makes a mad dash to the stairs. Last night she climbed all the way to the top, don't worry I was right behind her. It's amazing how quickly she learns a new trick and it's even more amazing when she realizes she can do it. She just giggles and giggles all the way up the stairs. It's the funniest thing in the world to her. She has such a personality. Crazy how quickly she went from staring at ceiling fans to making herself laugh. It makes me wonder what kind of person she'll be. Will she be shy or outgoing? A tomboy or a princess? Will she like sports or music or both? It's so strange to think that all of that is just inside her little head just waiting to jump out. I can't wait to see it all unfold.
