Irwin Acres,

Bron and I are officially parents of a 5 month old- so unreal! It's been almost half a year since she was born.

Alot has changed within this past month. Some fun things- like Emmy growing in cute-ness and zany-ness. She is rolling over like crazy- we had to move her pack/play down to the next level. And she is reaching for things, and for us- which melts our hearts.

But a much less fun change has come, and it's basically been the theme of the month- she has become a really bad sleeper! I know this is normal for babies, but it's a whole new world for us. From about a month old, Emmy would sleep long stretches every night from about 10pm till 6am. It was glorious. Now I realize how spoiled we were. You may have heard my laments over her naptimes- and those are getting alot better. But the nights haven't changed. She is up EVERY NIGHT, at least twice. Lots of ladies at church comforted me that she is probably going through a growth spurt. That would make sense.

It is hard for me, but the Lord is giving me grace. And Bron is giving me grace too.

She always wakes around 4:30, I feed her, and go back to sleep. Bron's alarm goes off at 5. He comes back at about 6:30/7 and asks me if I'd like to start my day. I am faced with the decision each morning, to sleep in with Emmy till about 10 or 11- which is always my gut reaction of course...
or to wake up and have a few minutes with Bron before he goes to work, and then to have coffee and my quiet time before Emmy is up.

I am realizing that getting up at that point is the best option!( I don't like being a slave to coffee,-I haven't been drinking coffee at all for the past couple years, but it is a necessary evil in my life right now.) I can take a nap later in the day with Emmy if I need to.

I am just a happier person when I start my morning before her;when I can be with Bron before. .Most of all, my soul needs to be refreshed in the Lord. 'The joy of the Lord is my strength'- so true to me these days. Especially this past week, when the world seems like such a dark place. I am writing now on a day where I did sleep in. And I'm typing this out as 'a note to self'.

I have memories of my mom, always up before all of us, with her coffee and Bible at the kitchen table. And I can remember my Dad using his break time on the train to read his Bible, while his conductor took a nap.