Finally Friday

Mom Win of the Week: I don’t know what is happening, and I don’t want to say too much about it because I’m overly superstitious about nothing except sleep, BUT Isla slept in her own bed, by herself three nights in a row. God willing, that number will be higher by the time I publish this post. Please don’t misunderstand, she is still waking at night, but she is putting herself back to sleep and isn’t hysterically crying. The lollipop the size of her face as an incentive helps, but there is definitely a change happening. It’s like she is just now realizing/remembering when she wakes up that Mom and Dad are always there and she’s always safe and there’s no reason to panic. I’m cautiously optimistic because of her track record with sleep, BUT this really truly feels different with how she’s waking.

I also wanted to clear up a few things, because this came up a lot on Instagram- We’ve had that lollipop as an incentive for her to stay in her bed for almost a year. That girl doesn’t do anything unless she wants to, so it definitely isn’t just for the lollipop! We have been working on improving her sleep pattern with our ABA therapist for over a year and a half. We have done everything from interrupting her sleep cycles, sound machines on, sound machines off, hall light on, night light, weighted blanket, diffusing lavender- I am not kidding when I say we have tried it all. She just was not developmentally ready to do it and the fact that she did this on her own (I really hadn’t done anything different to try and initiate this change).

Also, to anyone who thinks a lollipop is a bribe, you are half right. We prefer to think of it as an incentive for altering her behavior. It’s not much different than an adult getting a bonus at work for increasing sales or you see improvements at the gym because of harder work outs. Kids need those tangible rewards for their efforts. Everyone has their currency and hers was a lollipop. Using candy/food as a reward is straight off the “When I Have Kids Ill Never…” list, but, we have been working so hard for so long at this, I knew we needed a slam dunk incentive and that is what she chose. And you’re only wrong if something doesn’t work, so looks like we were right!!

Mom Fail of the Week: I gave my kid a lollipop that was almost a year old. I really didn’t think anything of it until I typed it above. I’m sure it’s fine, right? Right. Whatever. It’s candy. It’s totally shelf stable.

Currently:

Listening to: I started the podcast The Dropout. It’s about Elizabeth Holmes, the first self made female billionaire, who started the company Theranos. She claimed to have made a device that could run hundreds of blood tests from a single pin prick. She was able to get crazy amounts of money in venture capital funding, exceeeept her tech didn’t work and now she’s being prosecuted for fraud. It investigates her story and if she’s a genius or a fraud. I just started, but the whole thing is crazy!

Watching: I’ve been sucked into Vanderpump Rules and am almost current. God, it’s so terrible, but what kind of Bravoholic would I be if I never watched this gem?

Wearing: Brittany was not lying about these leggings. This is going to be controversial, but I like them more than the Athleta version! I also just bought this sweatshirt and it is the softest thing I’ve ever put on my body. It’s super lightweight which is perfect for spring, but warm enough for those chilly mornings.

Looking Forward To: Brittany and I are going to a live taping of our favorite podcast, Bitch Sesh. Cannot wait!

Planning: Vacation! We’ll be going to San Diego for a family trip at the end of April. We’re flying with kids for the first time, so it will be interesting to say the least!