blogging

I started this post two days ago.

Noah's sleeping schedule has been really weird the last couple of days. Just when I've got it down to a science, he decides to shake things up a bit.
Saturday, he took a 3 and 1/2 hour nap. He didn't wake up until 5:30. I assumed this meant we'd be staying up extra late. But no, he went down around 11:30. Not too bad, considering.
But then? He woke up at 4am. He'd soaked through his diaper (poor baby). So I got him all changed and clean. Put him back down. He wasn't having it. Gave him some water. That soothed him a little, and I went back to bed. But all I could hear was shuffling and grunting.
I tried to feed him, thinking maybe he was hungry. He ate a few sliced grapes, but that was it. So I did the only thing I could think of... lay on the couch while he watched a Curious George episode. :)
After it was over, I stuck him back in bed, and he went back to bed.
Then for the last couple of days, he's been going to bed anywhere between 10:30 and 11:30, then sleeping almost 12 hours. Yep. This is one well rested mama. For the most part.

I've officially hit Christmas panic mode. And as I type that, I realize how ridiculous that sounds. As if Christmas will be a total disaster if someone's gift isn't perfect or isn't right on time. As if Jesus' birth means less to us if people don't get their Christmas cards asap. Trying to stay focused.

I had to get some Christmas shopping done for Brad. So after Noah's almost 3 and 1/2 hour nap yesterday (he woke up around 5:30), we headed out on a mission. I won't say where we went or what we bought (spies...), but I will say that shopping with a toddler isn't easy. Noah is absolutely awesome. He doesn't fuss or get restless. He loves to people watch (wonder who he gets that from?) and smile at total strangers. Oh, did I mention how Noah has street cred? Yep. We'll be walking along, and a couple of big guys covered in dreds and tattoos will pass by, flash Noah a big smile, and say something to the effect of, "Wat up, little man!" My one-year-old is cooler than me.
Anyway, we happened to pass by a small concert in the mall put on by some kids at a local school. Noah was totally fascinated by the drums. At home, he walks around with a spatula or wooden spoon and taps everything to figure out what kind of noise it'll make. So the song comes to an end, and the small crowd starts clapping. I felt my heart drop and immediately felt stupid that I didn't see it coming. You see, Noah has a weird fear of crowds clapping or cheering in unison. It freaks him out. Needless to say, people were trying to figure out what happened when I suddenly grabbed my sobbing boy out of his stroller. He was okay after a minute or two, and I tried to explain to him that clapping is a happy thing, not a scary thing. And then they clapped again. His lips make the perfect frown; his dad's does the same thing when he's sad.
I also spent most of the night purposely avoiding the escalators. Noah loves them. A couple of weeks ago, we let him walk around a little in the mall (in a calm area). He wobbled his way around. We followed, and it wasn't long before we figured out where he was going... the escalators. They fascinate him. If you think about it, they are pretty fascinating. And fun. You magically move higher without actually walking. It was tricky trying to avoid them, but the end of the night, he finally got his escalator ride. It made his evening.

After the mall, we went to Target. I should've known better than to go to the mall and Target on a Monday, the day after the weekend. There wasn't much left. Even the grocery area looked sad. I always feel bad for Target employees, particularly the Hardlines and Logistics Execs ("hardlines" is just everything on the tile floor. Target lingo. Don't you feel all cool now?). The poor people who work electronics get the worst of it. Brad was the Hardlines Exec (aka "manager") his first year with Target, and he handled electronics on Black Friday. He said this mass of people was literally running towards him like a stampede. But he did awesome, and his coworkers still mention how he saved that area that day. Uh-huh. I'm married to a Target legend. Be jealous.

Sorry, I'm rambling.
It's late, and I tend to have some weird blog posts late at night.

All of this was to say that my blogging is having to take a back seat for a couple of days. I have got to get these Christmas cards mailed, preferably before Christmas. I still have a couple of personalized projects needing to be finished. Noah has yet to visit Santa. Still not sure how that's going to go this year. He also is getting super clingy lately, which I love, but of all moments, he picks now? Brad won't have a weekend off until Christmas, so it's been tough trying to schedule stuff around him.

I thought about blogging this afternoon to de-stress myself. What did I do instead?
Sat on the floor, turned on a Martha Stewart Holiday episode, and wrapped presents. Because if Martha can't relax you with her talk of felting and homemade traditional European something-or-other soup, well then I don't know what to tell you.
For some reason, watching Martha makes me feel like the rest of the world's problems just don't exist. The only issue I may face with Martha is the tail on my sheep being crooked. Google it. They're really cute.

I hope everyone's having a great week. I may be quiet, but I'm still finding some time to read (and comment if Noah is taking a nap or is busy).