it's the little things

*caution* this post is going to be heavily baby-related.  you can turn back now, or keep reading...i'll even have pictures of the little monkey!

the past two weeks have been the hardest since matthew has arrived.  at the beginning of his life, we KNEW that he wasn't going to be sleeping well....in fact, we had to wake him to eat for the first week or so.  but on the eve of his 2 month "birthday," he slept through the night.  as in, did not get up for many hours in a row.  mark and i rejoiced, after i freaked out, thinking something was wrong.  

all was right with the world for almost two months....until the dreaded "4 month wakeful period."  holy lord, the past two weeks have been horrible at night.  mark and started to dread the nighttime, recognizing that we both would not be getting a full night's sleep, as we had become accustomed to.  the "4 month wakeful period" is also known as sleep regression.  sleep regression happens typically at 4 months and 9 months--both are periods when babies grow and develop in HUGE ways.  

*here he is in his new jumperoo. look how hard he's concentrating!!!

during the day time, matthew was fussy....but not that bad.  we realized that not only was our precious baby getting two more teeth, having reflux issues, as well as difficulty sleeping.  when he wasn't fussing, he was having a great time--trying to roll over, grasping at toys and belly laughing.  i was so happy during those times, i almost forgot that eventually night would come, and i wouldn't sleep.

last wednesday was especially difficult, and it was mark's night.  after a bit of the baby's crying and hearing the husband's frustrations, i got up to see what i could help with.....i wasn't up long, just enough to see that my boys were ok.  but, it meant a lot to the husband.  it must have, b/c here's what i got on thursday:

they were completely unexpected, and it meant so much that the husband sent them.  i told him later that he didn't have to send me anything, that i was just doing my job as a wife and mother.  of course he said that i didn't have to get up with him in the middle of the night, either.

so, what have i learned here?  it's really the little things that matter when times are extremely difficult.  (cliche, i know) although it was hard to get up every hour, seeing matthew smile and laugh during the day was more than enough to keep me going.  the husband's gesture of flowers meant so much, that when i had to get up at 5 the next morning after a super long day, i didn't even mind.  

last night, matthew slept through the night....and i woke up panicked.  is something wrong?  why didn't he wake up 2, 3, or 4 times?  it was like he was 2 months old again...had I not grown at all, even though he has????  in times like these, it really is the little things that make the hard times bearable.  the two people i love the most make my life both trying and extremely joyous.  i'm just lucky that the joyous times outweigh the trying ones by A LOT.  and getting flowers every once in a while doesn't hurt either!