Okay, I'm a little behind :) but here are some cute Christmas pics. Kate got some wonderful presents. She also really enjoyed the ribbon. We are very blessed to have such an amazing family.
Pursuing Dreams
5 months ago
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
High Ho, High Ho,
it's off to work I go!
Today I'm still in the Miami sunshine, but in a few weeks I'm starting a job. I'll be doing business consulting for a small company in Cincinnati called Seek Consulting. It's only about 30 people (it was 3 people just a few years ago.) I'll be their Marketing Director, a role similar to the kind of work I did at P&G, and I'll do consulting for corporations (including P&G, PGA tour, Jim Beam, whoever) to help them solve their business challenges.
I have to admit I have some weird emotions about it. I'm looking forward to trying something new - it will be interesting to be consulting vs. actually being the client. This type of work is a way that I express my creativity. It's part of how God made me, to figure out problems. But I'm also cautious - part of why I left P&G was because work had become my identity, and I'm not going to let that happen again. This will be a good test to see if I've matured enough to do it in a healthy way. I'm going to do part time, which is also key. And, it's super flexible, which is important to me. I'm also excited because the culture of the company is fantastic. The people are really awesome. So, we shall see!
Also, the thing I'm most excited about, is that one of our friends, Tara Dill, is going to take care of Kate. That is truly an answered prayer. I was asking God for someone we knew and trust to be available and interested in taking care of her, and Tara was feeling like she wanted a change to be with her girls more, so it worked out perfectly. I know this will be awesome. I love the way God works things out!
Today I'm still in the Miami sunshine, but in a few weeks I'm starting a job. I'll be doing business consulting for a small company in Cincinnati called Seek Consulting. It's only about 30 people (it was 3 people just a few years ago.) I'll be their Marketing Director, a role similar to the kind of work I did at P&G, and I'll do consulting for corporations (including P&G, PGA tour, Jim Beam, whoever) to help them solve their business challenges.
I have to admit I have some weird emotions about it. I'm looking forward to trying something new - it will be interesting to be consulting vs. actually being the client. This type of work is a way that I express my creativity. It's part of how God made me, to figure out problems. But I'm also cautious - part of why I left P&G was because work had become my identity, and I'm not going to let that happen again. This will be a good test to see if I've matured enough to do it in a healthy way. I'm going to do part time, which is also key. And, it's super flexible, which is important to me. I'm also excited because the culture of the company is fantastic. The people are really awesome. So, we shall see!
Also, the thing I'm most excited about, is that one of our friends, Tara Dill, is going to take care of Kate. That is truly an answered prayer. I was asking God for someone we knew and trust to be available and interested in taking care of her, and Tara was feeling like she wanted a change to be with her girls more, so it worked out perfectly. I know this will be awesome. I love the way God works things out!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thanks, peeps
I wanted to thank everybody for the responses to the "Please help me" post. You have, well, helped me, so thanks! She's not sleeping better yet, but I feel lots of encouragement. There is no substitute for great friends. I can't tell you how helpful this has been to me.
Some big picture things I've learned so far -
1) Mary Senff reminded me that I need to have faith and hope that Kate will sleep again. Kate is a great sleeper. She's in a bumpy patch, but we'll get out of it soon.
2) Tricia McClain helped me realize an interesting irony - I was very PROUD that Kate was a great sleeper for the first 6 months. Now that she's not, I'm angry at myself. Pride is an ugly thing, and performance is something I've struggled with in the past (as you all have observed.) I will not turn Kate into a report card - that's disgusting. I want to love her and make sure she's getting what she needs. That's it.
3) I have amazing friends, and when I need help, you are there!
4) It's cool to hear how everyone approaches this differently. I love that. Several of you sent me your thoughts via email, and what I loved was, particularly from the emails, people are doing all sorts of different stuff. There are some family bed peeps, some strong cry it outers, some eat in the nighters, and more. And you know why I love it, because you've all got different kids so of course there are all different approaches. Sweetness.
Related to Kate, my current hypothesis is that she is overtired and not getting good naps. So, my current focus is getting her good rest so I lay a good foundation. I'll let you know how that goes. Keep any thoughts coming on the other post - I really appreciate it!!!!!
Love ya - K
Some big picture things I've learned so far -
1) Mary Senff reminded me that I need to have faith and hope that Kate will sleep again. Kate is a great sleeper. She's in a bumpy patch, but we'll get out of it soon.
2) Tricia McClain helped me realize an interesting irony - I was very PROUD that Kate was a great sleeper for the first 6 months. Now that she's not, I'm angry at myself. Pride is an ugly thing, and performance is something I've struggled with in the past (as you all have observed.) I will not turn Kate into a report card - that's disgusting. I want to love her and make sure she's getting what she needs. That's it.
3) I have amazing friends, and when I need help, you are there!
4) It's cool to hear how everyone approaches this differently. I love that. Several of you sent me your thoughts via email, and what I loved was, particularly from the emails, people are doing all sorts of different stuff. There are some family bed peeps, some strong cry it outers, some eat in the nighters, and more. And you know why I love it, because you've all got different kids so of course there are all different approaches. Sweetness.
Related to Kate, my current hypothesis is that she is overtired and not getting good naps. So, my current focus is getting her good rest so I lay a good foundation. I'll let you know how that goes. Keep any thoughts coming on the other post - I really appreciate it!!!!!
Love ya - K
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Always on message
I thought Michelle Obama looked amazing on Inauguration Day. Both outfits were incredible. The lemongrass / gold coat outfit was regal, royal, phenomenonal. So functional and fashionable to not just wear a coat but a coat / dress combo. Great. I thought the ball gown was excellent as well. So good for her tall, thin stature. It almost looked like it had feathers. I loved it.
I also thought that it was no accident that the designers were not well known names you knew, but were unknown, representatives of Change, if you will. As a marketer, I'd say that's not an accident. If you were to script the designers, which of course you could and I'd say did, they were both American, one from Cuba & one from Taiwan, one young & one older, both names you don't know. To me, that makes a statement about the possibility of the American dream vs. the establishment (say if she would have picked Oscar de la Renta. Excellent choice to always stay on message.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Please help me
We are having a sleeping crisis. I need some help please.
Kate was a great sleeper until month 6. Then, it all sort of fell apart. She wakes up in the middle of the night occasionally, and I can't figure out what to do. I've tried to follow the 2 highest rated sleep methods - Ferber and Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Baby (last one also endorced by resident baby sleep expert Alli Patterson.) Ferber is basically cry it out and learn how to soothe yourself baby. Weissbluth is very elaborate but basically stresses having a strict schedule of sleep. I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong, so I'd love for anyone who has a suggestion to throw it out. And, also, I'd love to just hear what you are doing that is working because I may just copy that and see if it works.
Here's what's happening - I've put her on the following schedule: nap 9-11am, nap 1-2pm, night 7pm - 7am. If she naps longer than that, I have to wake her up because then she wakes up in the middle of the night. If she naps less than that, she also wakes up in the middle of the night. We let her "cry it out", but that means that she can cry up to 4 hours from 2am - 6am. So, if we can stick to the schedule exactly, we're usually okay. But, sometimes she doesn't want to nap from 9-11am. She won't sleep, and I can't reason with her. Anytime she wakes up, from a nap or at night, she is screaming (and for the 2 hour nap, that's like 30 mins in the middle.) Mostly what our nights look like are that she wakes up at some point, maybe 5am, sometimes earlier, and just cries until we come and get her around 6:30am. I don't know what we're doing wrong. I'll basically do anything if she will sleep from the hours of 9pm - 6am (although I'd certainly love longer :)
Please help. The worst part is, the middle of the night is very frustrating for me. Brett can sleep through the whole thing, but I can't. I get angry at myself, like what am I screwing up. I get angry at God, like you could stop this so why won't you. Getting angry at Kate is of course what's next. I'm not interested in this anger and bitterness. Please help me, friends. Love ya - K
Kate was a great sleeper until month 6. Then, it all sort of fell apart. She wakes up in the middle of the night occasionally, and I can't figure out what to do. I've tried to follow the 2 highest rated sleep methods - Ferber and Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Baby (last one also endorced by resident baby sleep expert Alli Patterson.) Ferber is basically cry it out and learn how to soothe yourself baby. Weissbluth is very elaborate but basically stresses having a strict schedule of sleep. I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong, so I'd love for anyone who has a suggestion to throw it out. And, also, I'd love to just hear what you are doing that is working because I may just copy that and see if it works.
Here's what's happening - I've put her on the following schedule: nap 9-11am, nap 1-2pm, night 7pm - 7am. If she naps longer than that, I have to wake her up because then she wakes up in the middle of the night. If she naps less than that, she also wakes up in the middle of the night. We let her "cry it out", but that means that she can cry up to 4 hours from 2am - 6am. So, if we can stick to the schedule exactly, we're usually okay. But, sometimes she doesn't want to nap from 9-11am. She won't sleep, and I can't reason with her. Anytime she wakes up, from a nap or at night, she is screaming (and for the 2 hour nap, that's like 30 mins in the middle.) Mostly what our nights look like are that she wakes up at some point, maybe 5am, sometimes earlier, and just cries until we come and get her around 6:30am. I don't know what we're doing wrong. I'll basically do anything if she will sleep from the hours of 9pm - 6am (although I'd certainly love longer :)
Please help. The worst part is, the middle of the night is very frustrating for me. Brett can sleep through the whole thing, but I can't. I get angry at myself, like what am I screwing up. I get angry at God, like you could stop this so why won't you. Getting angry at Kate is of course what's next. I'm not interested in this anger and bitterness. Please help me, friends. Love ya - K
Sacrificial Love
I've been reminded that there is a lot of sacrifice with an infant. I have just accepted that we eat dinner out at 5pm or not at all. That's my normal. My parents and Linda and Dick Boggs, who are all retired and living each moment of their lives in total freedom, do not eat dinner at 5pm usually. Of course they are totally flexing to me and Kate, but I had almost forgotten the new world of sacrifice I live in.
Then I started reflecting about sacrificial love. I never understood what that could mean until Kate. I would never have chosen sacrifice, and now I don't do it because I want to. But that's part of being a mom. You give up your body in pregnancy. Then you give it up some more in breastfeeding. You give up sleep (this is proving my most difficult challenge - more on that later.) You give up dinner after 5pm. You give up more things than I could list.
Then I started reflecting about sacrificial love. I never understood what that could mean until Kate. I would never have chosen sacrifice, and now I don't do it because I want to. But that's part of being a mom. You give up your body in pregnancy. Then you give it up some more in breastfeeding. You give up sleep (this is proving my most difficult challenge - more on that later.) You give up dinner after 5pm. You give up more things than I could list.
And of course you get so much, her smiles are priceless to name just one thing. But a lot of it you don't see the reward for quite a long time. One thing's for sure - being a mother gives you a more crisp picture of sacrificial love than you would have otherwise.
Kate's first flight - SUCCESS!
Vacation is the best. I'm in Florida again this year and am loving it. Nothing like escaping the Ohio cold for the sunshine.
Kate was amazing on the plane! She LOVED it! I got lots of good tips from Andrea Roberts and the Schlaudeckers. I had the whole airport experience mapped out in my head step by step. It went so smoothly I was shocked. I was blessed to have a wide open flight so we had a whole row to ourselves. I gate checked the stroller and took the car seat on the plane. Kate ate on the way up and way down to help her ears, and she didn't cry one bit. She slept for an hour, and then just played and explored the rest of the time. So great.
Kate was amazing on the plane! She LOVED it! I got lots of good tips from Andrea Roberts and the Schlaudeckers. I had the whole airport experience mapped out in my head step by step. It went so smoothly I was shocked. I was blessed to have a wide open flight so we had a whole row to ourselves. I gate checked the stroller and took the car seat on the plane. Kate ate on the way up and way down to help her ears, and she didn't cry one bit. She slept for an hour, and then just played and explored the rest of the time. So great.
Friday, January 16, 2009
I'm still here
I just want to let you know, I'm still going to blog.
Discipline. I need more rigor and discipline around many things. It appears this is one of them. I'll get back to you on my thoughts on that and commitment to this. I am committed to this, so I'm going to show it by adding some discipline.
Love ya!
Discipline. I need more rigor and discipline around many things. It appears this is one of them. I'll get back to you on my thoughts on that and commitment to this. I am committed to this, so I'm going to show it by adding some discipline.
Love ya!
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