December 2015 Update
I’m so glad this month has finally settled down. There were about 2 weeks straight where we had something to do every single night. We were exhausted!
Skylar spent the week after Thanksgiving in Birmingham and I spent my time attempting to potty train our new dog, Baron. We’ve previously been very successful with potty training. Our first dog, Easton, was trained after 2 days. Skylar was the same way. 2 days and DONE! I really thought we had a good system. This pup has defied all the odds. We are now a month into this gig and he still hasn’t quite gotten the hang of it. Oiy! He’s also ALL puppy (read: killing me slowly). For starters, he’s a full-blooded German Shepard and he’s going to be gigantic (~120 pounds). His paws are massive. And those feet come with tiny little claws that are practically eagle talons. Then there are the teeth. Just imagine a mouth full of razor blades and you get the picture. He isn’t mean or malicious in any way. In fact, he can be rather sweet. He’s just super playful, enormous, and has an attention span of a nanosecond. I may or may have not googled the following queries in the past two weeks.
- how long does the puppy stage last
- when do puppy teeth fall out
- how to potty train a german shepherd
- tips for surviving puppyhood
- when can I train my german shepherd
I’m not a fan of this little fella but, despite my adamant (understatement of the year) protests, I’ve been told we can’t send him back so I’m trying my darndest to put my head down and just survive. Everyone keeps promising it will get better. They said that about Skylar too and it took her over a year to sleep through the night. Basically, my outlook isn’t hopeful. However, after having a high needs baby, I went on to declare 2 my favorite age. It’s possible I will say the same thing about Baron when he turns 2. Goodness that’s a long time away. Until then, these ARE my monkeys and this IS my circus. Bless. But I don’t have to like it.
Skylar has a love-hate relationship with Baron. He is technically her dog and that’s the part she loves. She likes playing and snuggling with him too. Unfortunately, her little legs and ankles have taken the brunt of the razor-sharp nipping and that’s the part she hates. As a mama bear, I don’t like it either that my baby is getting hurt. Despite our best efforts to be consistent and teach him what is acceptable, he is really having a hard time getting with the program. I could say so much more but let’s move on.
On the work front, Mike has been helping out at Opryland because it’s insanely busy over there this time of year. He has worked every weekend in December and will work the first one in January too. I’m thankful that is coming to an end soon, especially because we are headed into basketball season.
My doula schedule is now full through June, which is really exciting! I’ve also been doing more overnight postpartum shifts and, this past month, I completed the final step to receiving my neonatal resuscitation certification. Yay! I have a couple of new VA clients I’m starting with in January so things will be very busy. I’m so thankful for how the Lord has provided my income since leaving my job in August. That was truly the best decision and I feel like we are on the verge of being able to get ahead.
It’s hard to say what my favorite Christmas tradition is. We’ve gone to see the lights at Opryland every year since Skylar was born. I also love the Christmas Eve service at TDF with the candle lighting at the end. On the other hand, I love spending Christmas at home in our PJs or hanging out with our friends playing games. I’m such a homebody. We kept the gift giving pretty simple this year too. I finally got on board with the want – need – wear – read gift plan and loved it. Plus I gave stockings, which is tLG’s favorite party anyway.
Speaking of simple, Amazon Prime, Shipt and Home Chef saved me this year. I only had to venture out for 1 or 2 quick retail trips to finish up my shopping for Christmas. Everything else was brought right to my door. Even the groceries. Funny story. Last week I popped into CVS for a book of stamps and the cashier who knows me said “WHERE have you been? I wondered where you have been shopping.” I laughed. The truth is I don’t shop anywhere anymore. Everything I need gets delivered. I’ve got all my ducks in a row to be a complete hermit this year. Although, the weather hasn’t been too frightful just yet, but I know it’s coming.
We spent New Year’s Eve with sweet friends and their kiddos and had an awesome time. I’m looking forward to the fresh start of a new year. Stay tuned to see what my resolutions will be for 2016. Click here for more December photos.
