prodigal paci's and the incredible ikea

i think it may have a lot to do with paci- cole's best friend upon leaving the hospital after he was born, paci was never far from sight or reach. until a few weeks ago. all of a sudden, paci was shunned with a sudden scowl and we thought that it was then end for paci. maybe it's unfair to label paci as 'prodigal' since cole more or less pushed it away, but it make for a good title. anyway, at my wits' end this morning, after several hours of cole dozing for a few minutes and then waking in a vicious, sleep-depriving cycle, i decided to give paci a try. i have no idea why i thought it would work...it did. oh mommy of little faith, sometimes old habits come to the rescue; just when it seemed certain that paci was a goner, we all witnessed a great come-back. from here on out, only time will tell if paci's just passing through or if it's once again a revered member of the brotzman household. i'm hoping for the latter- i need sleep!

as it turns out, this cool place called ikea really is cool! yesterday afternoon, we all headed over to chandler to the ikea with andy and casey- we hit up applebee's first and then to see the marvelous wonders of ikea. i was pretty impressed, cole just stared and kelvin was bored out of his skull. he was alone on that one, since andy seemed to be having a good time... it was like walking through a museum...all these little 'rooms' decorated and stocked with the wonderful wares ikea has to offer. wow- my head was SO full of ideas! and the prices were great- just in our budget! unfortunately, if we do happen to make a purchase or two, it will probaby have to be on-line and after we get home. kelvin says there's no room in the trailer...bummer. but, i found what i like! so, i am proud to say i have been to the ikea store and will definitely be going back- they even have kitchen cabinets, just like the ones i've always pictured in my head (they DO exist)! and we didn't leave empty-handed- we got a wooden pull-toy that lookes like a frog for cole. the package said 18+ months, but it works as a chew toy too, i guess.

today is baby-food day. this is a lengthy process because i like to make double batches and freeze most of it into funky looking ice-cubes. i only have 4 cube trays, so it can take quite awhile to get everything done. today it's green beans, carrots, peaches, pears and bananas. one of these days, i hope to find some zucchini (it would be easier if walmart would label all their produce because not everyone likes guessing games) so that cole doesn't think that the world is made of carrots and beans....there's more out there, baby! i guess it would be easier to go buy jars of baby food, but when you can make almost 3 cube trays of green beans (a total cost of less than $2), making it at home has it's advantages. plus, the sound of the blender is beneficial in that it temporarily masks any screaming coming from the bundle of personality that is my son. actually, though, he though it was pretty hilarious when the blender was still going and mommy took the cover off...not much of a mess, but cole thought it was great. :) he's almost out of cereal too, but i think i will skip the rice cereal and do oatmeal or mixed grain cereal. i read an artical about how rice cereal may be the easiest thing for babies to digest and all but since rice is a starch, it causes major flucuations in babies' insulin levels as it digests. hmmm...could this have something to do with our night-time issues? we'll see...anyway, oatmeal is a bit more filling and has more fiber. i think it's time to ditch the rice cereal.

tomorrow is cole's 6-month visit and vaccinations. finding a doctor down here was a real process thanks to our insurance's lovely customer un-service. i'm hoping we like this one- i wonder if dr houlihan would like to temporarily relocate to sunny arizona...! anyway, i can't wait to see where he's at with his growth and developement, and i really can't wait to ask the dr about cole's sleeping issues. i've read all kinds of stuff- the ferber method, letting babies cry it out, using a transitional object, even an article on cafemom.com that it's not normal for babies under a certain age to sleep all the way through the night. i beg to differ, but some good arguements were used on that one. (thanks ashley for the recommendation for cafemom!). with all the opinions and advice out there, something is bound to work for us...any suggestions from anyone would be great...just post it in comments along with your email address so i can thank you profusely if your advice works :)