Updates! And...I have my life back.

So. It's good to be back! I've had so much buzzing through my head, I'm not even sure where to start. :)

I would like to say that my family is completely well. But we're almost there! Down to one now...Kenna got diagnosed with RSV on Saturday. She was having some trouble breathing, coughing really bad, sleeping all the time (which was definitely not like her!), and not eating much, so we took her to the dr. to be safe. The dr said at that point she would either start to get a lot worse or a lot better--thankfully, she started to get better!! We had been praying for her as a family, and we were so happy to see her get better. None of us wanted her to have to be hospitalized, as is frequently the case with babies who get RSV.

Though we're happy she's on the mend, we still have to stick around the house this week so we don't spread these nasty germs to any other babies. I was moping about that at first, but it's turning out to be a blessing. I'm getting tons of stuff done and getting to spend lots of quality time with both kids.

On the sleeping front, it seems that Kenna has finally turned a corner in that department, too. It's been a long, hard road. And I honestly wish I could say that I had a hand in helping her learn how to sleep. But I can't. I did nothing different. One night, she just slept all night long. And the next day, she took three 2-hr naps....and slept through the night again. I held my breath...and she did it again. And again. For the last week now, I've gotten at least 6 hours of sleep each night. Most of those 6 hours have been uninterrupted. That hasn't happened since around January 1st, 2008--449 very long nights ago. :)

It's been hard for me. I can honestly say I have tried everything to get her to sleep. Every suggestion from every well-meaning friend & family member, every book (yes, Babywise!), every technique, every trick. Everything. And still, she woke up. And then, suddenly, one day, she just slept. All I am is thankful. Boy, am I thankful!

I feel like a new person. I'm enjoying all this time I finally get to spend with Zachary while Kenna is sleeping, and enjoying how happy my baby is. She's mostly over her RSV, almost done cutting her first tooth, and life is good. It's about the first time since she was born that I've truly been able to enjoy both my kids at the same time.

I'm hoping to get back on the blogging wagon, post more videos & pictures, and maybe even do a blog series on how I save $$ on groceries & some of my meal plans & recipes. I know that a lot of other blogs do this, but I've had a lot of my friends ask me how I do it (not how anyone else does it), so I'm thinking about this. If Kenna keeps up her sleeping habits....well, the sky's the limit!