What's the Secret??

When Logan started sleeping well through the night (I'm talking the 10-12 hour shifts) on January 9th (yes, it's been documented in the baby book I was so excited!), I was asked by a parent in my preschool class "What's your secret?" I hesitated at first, she has a 6, 3, and 1 year old. "What, did they not sleep through the night that early?" I said. "My youngest still gets up a couple times a night, and she's constantly kicking me in her sleep." was her reply. Wow, I thought, I can't imagine still not sleeping through the night at over a year old. Truthfully though, I know that Logan might be a little restless sometimes and move around in his sleep, and I know he makes little noises in his sleep too, so he might wake up sometimes. He's just a real pro at putting himself back to sleep and not waking us up. If he was in the same bed as us, I'm sure it would wake me up a couple times a night though. I'm not about to get all preachy about parents that let kids sleep in their bed with them, to each his own, but I thought "I don't have a secret. This is just what we've found works best for us, and I'm really happy it's working so well, but I definitely didn't find some crazy trade secret that's the cure all to sleep problems."

Then, twice this week, people in the grocery store commented on how quiet and content Logan is in his carseat, walking around while I do shopping (which takes a little longer than most people's shopping trips since I'm couponing and constantly making sure I'm getting the best deal). Then they asked me the same question, "What's your secret?" I laughed at this both times, because for one, there's obviously still no secret, and for two, I've asked my mom this several times in the last 8 months, so I'm still looking for it too!

I have flash backs to my childhood every so often (usually good ones, I just realized that sounded like I'm having PTSD flash backs to my childhood which is not what I was trying to say). I had a wonderful childhood. We did a lot of family things together, and although I remember some pretty crazy fights with my sisters, I remember some awesome times too. When I think back to my memories as a child, my thoughts at the time were often directed toward my own feelings and what was going to make me happy. But now when I picture those memories, I think more about what my parents might have been thinking or doing in those situations. That was pretty vague, let me try to explain it better with an example. A big one for me is actually the grocery store. After just telling you that my son is very well mannered and content while I'm shopping, I still have to say that I think my mom was crazy for bringing 5 girls under the age of 10 to the store with her. Although my Logan does well at the store, I still feel like I should hurry, I lose half the space in the cart just getting him and his diaper bag in there, and occasionally, he does get upset near the end. What's funny, is my actual memory of going to the grocery store with my mom and sisters is loving the attention we got from other people who thought it was such a sight to see 5 sisters. "Wow, 5 girls!" "Oh my gosh, they all look alike!" "How cute!". I loved that stuff! Now when I think back on it though, I think "Why would my mom ever take all of us to the store, and how did she get anything accomplished?" Nowadays, I see kids that need an iPad or something in front of them to sit through any kind of mundane errand type of activity. Why do they need that so badly now when we didn't need it back then? When I brought this whole scenario up to my mom she said it was a game for us at the store, we'd help her find things on the list, and that the older ones often took care of the younger ones. Again this still makes me want to ask her the question of "What's your secret?" Getting 5 girls to work together and behave (I'm sure it didn't happen perfectly everytime, but still, relatively well enough for me to not have any PTSD memories come back to me about the store!) seems near to impossible. But nevertheless, it happened, and I'm here as a witness to it. It can be done, and without a secret, I'm told. If that's how they grow up, knowing that this is something we do for the good of the family and we can make it fun, then it can just happen that way. Parenthood is amazing that way, isn't it?

I'm still going to be picking my parents brains for their parenting secrets, because I still think there are some in there. As for the answer to what my secret is? Well in all honesty, it has nothing to do with me. I haven't done much of anything to create this peace and calm that is usually my little man. It has everything to do with the fact that God has blessed me with an awesome baby. And if he does start to go through a phase of not sleeping well at night and not doing well at the grocery store, I will still say that God has blessed me with an awesome baby. I know that this period of good behavior is probably not going to last forever, and so I will just enjoy and bask in it as long as he'll let me. His accomplishments so far also have everything to do with a wonderful extended family that has let us pepper them with constant questions, sometimes at all hours of the night. It comes from also having a pediatrician for a father who also let's me ask him all kinds of questions, but who is also very calm and laid back in his answers, so I at least know there's no reason to panic. I don't think he knows how much he has truly been the driving force in helping me calm down, which I'm positive has helped Logan calm down. And last but of course not least, my "secret" is a wonderful husband who takes care of Logan all day, listens to my constant ramblings about what I read lately and think we should change about our parenting, and loves both of us unconditionally.

(Sorry, no pictures!)