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February 11, 2003
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another edition of Jennifer's Diary. We have a great show for you today, so grab a snack and settle in for some fun! And now, here's your host, Jennifer!!!!!
Thank you, announcer! Well folks, we do have lots to cover today, so let's get started…
LOL.
*THE ONGOING SLEEP SAGA…
As most of know from my numerous posts on the topic, we have been going through a difficult time with Sarah's sleep behavior. We've debated over whether to switch her over to one nap per day instead of two. We've questioned her bedtime routine (particularly, nursing to sleep). We've even fretted over night waking and sleep refusal. I am now happy to inform that things are (mostly) back to normal. After much research, seeking other's experiences, and taking cues from Sarah, I have decided that she still needs two naps. So, as of Sunday, she took two naps, and slept through the night, as per her normal self. The trick? We remembered that she was having side effects from a vaccine, and gave her Infant Tylenol. Ahhh, sweet relief!
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and support. Rest assured you have not heard the last on this topic. I will soon be begging for ideas on how to "night wean" and how to transfer her from our bed into a side-car type arrangement. =)
*LIBRARY STORYTIME…
As I was reading an entry from a fellow diary writer (please for give me, but I can't remember who!), she was discussing the "Music Nazi" at her child's storytime meeting. I found this piece particularly amusing, and it reminded me to share my own experience…
Yesterday, I took Sarah to the library storytime. Apparently, "Time for Toddlers" is a very exclusive club, accepting only the crème de la crème of semi-verbal tots. They have rigid guidelines by which you must abide:
You have to get tickets to this prestigious event. They begin distributing them at 10:30am. The doors close (and LOCK!!) at 11:00am, no exceptions. (I am not kidding on this one. Last time, I was late and they wouldn't give me a ticket. They said I could "absolutely not" go in!)
Naturally, I was eager to see what so special that made it worth going through such ridiculous nonsense!
So, anyway, yesterday we followed all the rules to the letter, arriving on time and securing our tickets. We proceeded upstairs to Meeting Room A, where we were met by a gaggle of toddlers in various states of dress. We unbundled and abandoned our shoes as required, handed over our tickets to the "story lady" and sat down on the colorful foam puzzle mat. There were about 10+ kids all together, Sarah being the youngest one. You could tell most of these kids had been attending for a while by the way they felt at ease in their surroundings; running around and terrorizing various items in the room.
Sarah just sat quietly in my lap, taking it all in. Since we only have one car, and DH takes it to work, we don't get to be around other kids much. Most of the time, it's just me and her.
The class itself was noisy and disorganized (not the fault of the story lady, but of the kids. What else can you expect from the "under 2" crowd, though?). She led us in songs, she told stories using a felt board, and we even got to shake tambourines and maracas! (Hello, Tylenol!) I think the highlight for Sarah, though, had to be the beanbags. She loved them, and didn't want to give them back! LOL. All in all, I'd say it was okay. I think most of the marching and dancing escapes her at this age, but I'll probably go again, if only to let Sarah interact with other kids.
Now, a question: Anyone have any ideas on other things to do with a kid Sarah's age? (She is almost 14 months.) We play with toys, she LOVES books, and sing songs…but I am getting a bit bored. LOL I think we are in a rut, and would love some suggestions. Anyone?
*ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS…
There are people who will tell you that money isn't everything. That is because they have it. I used to be so foolish… I would plead with my husband to play hooky from work so we could spend time together. He, being a man of very high work ethic, would always say no. I would say those famous words to him, "Money isn't everything, you know." I now realize that it wasn't that he didn't want to be with me…on the contrary, it was out of love and commitment that he faithfully did his job every day. These days things are very tight. He works harder than anyone should have to, and we're still in the red. I know he is beyond stressed, and I feel just awful. I wish I could help bring in some cash, but since I am not a citizen here, I am not permitted to work.
I feel guilty for even admitting this, but sometimes I dream of money. Dream of the things we could do if we had it. Simple things that other people may take for granted, …like take Sarah to the zoo, go to one of those fun pottery painting places, have a nice "date night" with out having to worry if we are totally screwing up our budget, get my haircut (do you KNOW how long it's been?? I won't even say…)
So maybe the saying should be, "Money isn't everything, but it sure is hard to live without it…"
*FINDING DIRECTION…
My life as a "grown-up" began at a fairly young age. DH & I were engaged when I was 19, married when I was 20 (he was 24), became pregnant when I was 21, and had Sarah when I was 22. Now I am 23, and considering TTC #2 this summer, which would mean I would be 24 when he/she arrives. As you can see, my life has been kind of a whirlwind for the past few years. DH & I recently celebrated 3 years of marriage. 3 years!! That may not seem like a lot to some of you, but I can't believe it's been that long! When I was growing up, I never imagined I would be where I am today at such a tender age. I thought I would get married at 23, and start having kids at 25! I'm not saying I am not thrilled; I have a wonderful man and a daughter who is more precious to me than gold! It's just that I've been thinking…
What now? What is my calling in life? I love being a SAHM, and I truly believe there are some people for whom, their sole purpose on this earth is to be a great wife and mother. And I think that is great! I'm just not one of those people. I know that God has other plans for me. There's something more I'm meant to do. I've known it for a long time. I can't explain how I know, it's just something deep in my spirit that keeps tugging at me. It won't let me be. It pushes me to go forward, to find out what God wants for me. It isn't always easy, and there have been SO many times when I wanted to quit. Too many other things vie for my attention: my family, the house, the bills, just…life, in general. But I know that all of these things are temporary, and I have to focus on what really matters.
One of my very favorite music artists is Ginny Owens. The word that always comes to mind when I think of her is: humble. She has been blind since the age of two, and she is a true inspiration to me. I want to end my entry by quoting from two of her songs.
From "Something More"
Every morning meets me with a list of all I have to do
Every evening greets me with the knowledge that I'm never through
Every taste of success makes me vow to never fail
Feels like I just chase my tail…
There's gotta be something more than running circles for a living
Gotta be something better than just trying to survive
Gotta be some important puzzle piece that I am missing
Gotta be something more to life
From "With Me"
I cannot measure
The pain and pleasure
That life has up its sleeve
My joys and sorrows
Todays and tomorrows
Offer me no guarantees
But there's one thing I know for sure…
The good days come
The dark days call
But every day You're with me, with me through it all
I will embrace what every moment brings
'Cause You are with me
'Til Next Time,
Jennifer
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