We’ve had quite the week, but I want to end it by acknowledging a couple of great blessings amidst the naughtiness and unpacking and stress… First of all, now that the next stage of teething seems to be over, Tommy is adjusting really well to his one nap schedule. He’s stayed in bed happily until 8 am all week, and today he actually slept in until 8:45! (Of course this happened on the one day when Daddy was up and planning to entertain him at 7…) I’m starting to think that maybe I can still have my quiet time and shower in the morning, after all. I’m also wondering about how much the teething affected my boy’s napping. This (new-tooth-free) summer he was napping 5 hours a day. Cutting back in the past month to an hour or 90 minutes was brutal. But this afternoon he napped for two and a half hours. That’s the little sleeper I know and love! He is in SO much better of a mood when he’s slept well. Thank you, Lord, for the schedule adjustments.
Tommy has also decided that he likes playing in his pack-n-play. We haven’t tried to use it as a playpen since he was about 5 months old, but I’ve discovered that if I throw almost all his toys in there, he’ll actually stand outside it and try to climb in. (Or cry, “Up! Up!” until I put him in.) My readers may notice a direct correlation between Tommy’s affinity for the pack-n-play and the increased number of my blog posts and answered emails…it’s true! I hate using the computer when he’s up and around–it invariably ends in having to put an entire roll of toilet paper back on the roll or gathering up scattered diapers or something worse. With Tommy happily contained, I’ve been able to steal ten minutes here and there for my class prep, blogging, or getting my inbox back under control after a month of neglect. I even have half of next week’s lecture (Dueling, Gambling, and other Regency Vices)* done already! Yay!
*[For those who are wondering what duels and gambling have to do with Jane Austen, we’re reading Cecilia this week, arguably the model for P&P, but with a lot more dueling, Jewish money lending, gambling, suicide, heroines running mad or bursting blood vessels, and general melodrama. 941 pages. Have I mentioned that my students are delightfully hard-working and responsible? Maybe that’s three things to be thankful for this week!]
Those are grand developments, indeed!
Um, can I sign up for your literature class?
glad things are going so well for you in Chicago!!!!! have fun, your house looks adorable!