Diamonds and Caviar

Nathan had to go to Europe on a business trip.  At his old job, he traveled a lot.  And by a lot, I mean he has been to every continent except Antarctica for work.  Usually, he asks if I'd like something from whatever country or city he is visiting which leads to a conversation of what products are famously produced in that area.  For example, when he went to Paris, I asked for some perfume I knew he could only get there.  Or when he went to Belgium I suggested chocolate.  This trip was through FOUR countries:  England, Sweden, Finland, and Norway.  He's been to these countries before, and every time he's gone to Amsterdam, I've casually remarked, "Isn't Amsterdam known for diamonds?"  He always shrugs off my obvious hint and says he's never heard of that.  That has been the exact conversation every time.
"Isn't Amsterdam known for diamond?"
"I've never heard that" (which isn't true after his first trip there as I had clued him into that information already).
"Yes, I'm pretty sure it is."
"Hmm."
Every time.

But Nathan is not a normal person. He's good at surprising you when you least expect it.  So, there's always the hope that he's not really as uninterested in that nugget of information as he is acting.  He loves surprising people with great gifts.

As we lovingly welcomed him back to the Bluegrass, he announced he had surprises for everyone.  And indeed, everyone got something.  Chocolates and humorous foreign oddities.  And then hours after everyone had gotten their little souvenirs and most of us were winding down for the night, he said, "Have you ever had caviar?"  Man, I was getting excited.  "Yes, I have.  Why?"  I just knew he was going to do the ole switcheroo, "Well, Amsterdam is known for caviar but I brought you a DIAMOND!"

He walked in and handed me what looked like a sample size tube of toothpaste that had Caviar written on it with a drawing of a smiling blond-headed boy.
"What is this?"
"Caviar.  Look at it."
"Am I supposed to squeeze this on to my toothbrush?"
"If you want?"
"Do I squeeze it on to toast points?"
"If that is how you like it."
Heaving a deep sigh, "I tell you Amsterdam is known for diamonds and I get caviar in a toothpaste tube?"

"You know, I told the guys I work with, 'Every time I go to Amrsterdam, Nancy says it's known for diamonds.' They said that was quite a hint, and I told them I never realized it was a hint before."

A likely story.  Nice try Mr. Brown.  Nice try.

That's One Small Step....

Just when she started sleeping through the night on a regular basis...  Just when she actually started eating without throwing a fit...  Just when I actually felt rested for the first time in I don't know how long... She goes and starts this:

Untitled from Nancy Brown on Vimeo.

And miles to go before I sleep... and bad losers.

Last weekend I realized I have not slept through the night in over a year.  Nathan raised an eyebrow and questioned my math, "Arabella is not even a year old."  I reminded him that in the last month of pregnancy, I had to get up to go to the bathroom every night.  He quickly jumped on board my pity party and validated my grumpiness.  He tried to empathize and say neither had he slept through the night in that long.  Now, I know he is a light sleeper and wakes easily when he's here.  And I also recognize that he stays at his new job very late, often past midnight.  However, I had to pursue it a little further.  "You didn't sleep the whole night through since you've been staying at the Hilton in Indianapolis?"
"Well....uh...I have to get up and go to the bathroom..."
"Oh.  I didn't realize you didn't sleep well there. What about when you went to Asia?"
"No, I uh had jetlag and my sleep schedule was completely off."
"Oh right.  Well, what about when you went to San Diego."
After a wide, moony grin wiped across his face, he said, "Yes.  I did sleep very well there.  It was pretty great."
"Must be nice."

She could sleep in Italy

The thing is Bella used to be my sleeper.  She took naps easily and slept soundly.  She would go to sleep in the evening and only wake once in the middle of the night and then once really early in the morning.  I felt like the Lord was finally blessing me with a child who liked to sleep as much as I do.  However, she is like her brothers now.  She no longer needs sleep.  Or rather wants it.  She is clearly growing out of her morning nap, just like her brothers did.  Neither of them took two naps much past the 12 month old mark.  Currently, I'm lucky if she sleeps 45 minutes in the morning.  Her afternoon naps can still be considerable, if we can get her to sit still long enough.  Also just like her brothers, she has given up the pacifier.  All three of them reached a point where they would yank it out of their mouth, or my hand if they saw it coming, and throw it to the other side of the room.  They would look at me with contempt as if to say "DON'T STICK THAT THING IN MY MOUTH AGAIN!"  While it's nice to not have them need a pacifier any more, the flip side is that all three are then inconsolable. 

Me by Thursday morning

The worst has been this last week; even worse than her newborn weeks, .  She has awakened about 4 times a night.  I don't know if she's teething.  I don't know if her belly is hurting her.  I don't know if she's hungry.  What I do know is I can't go much longer living like this.  I can barely function, especially parenting alone for most of the week.  The poor boys must think I've lost my mind and I kind of feel like I must look similar to Cruella DeVille.  Naturally, my patience is thin and my temper is quick.  I have been praying about it and I hope God will resolve this problem easily and painlessly.  Did you just laugh?

And now, let me tell you about some poor losers.  UK just suffered a heartbreaking loss to UNC.  Carter could not eat dinner because he was lamenting.  He took it really hard.  Will tried to make him feel better and encourage him.  But nothing worked.  Then Carter sat bolt upright, he ran to the supply shelf and returned with a light blue sheet of paper.  He wrote UNC on it.  Then he violently crumpled it up and said "THIS IS NORTH CAROLINA!"

Then he ripped it.
He chewed it up and spit it out.
Then he threw it out into the snow.
It's awaiting to be run over with the car, so he made another one.
The stabbed it with needles.  They punched it and jumped on it.
(Notice the pronoun has changed - that's because his dad and brother joined in on the satisfying action)

Then they microwaved it.  Stuck it in the freezer.  Then...unbeknownst to others in the house, he threw it in the toiled at urinated on it.  Now I think they are going to flush it.  At least, I hope that is the plan.

Just be glad it wasn't Tennessee.  I'm sure armed weapons and worse bodily functions would have been involved.

***Post Script:  The night after posting this, Arabella slept for 6 uninterrupted hours for the first time in her life.  After this mother had that much sleep, she was full of frenetic energy the next morning, and speculated this must be what one feels like after 3 or 4 espressos.  But first, she praised the gracious Lord - seriously.  Thank you, Lord!