Where did July go???

So I will try to forge through my technology issues and give a summer update.  Through a series of unfortuneate events I lost my Galaxy and then the replacement Galaxy Ryan secured for me broke.  It is getting fixed but it will take a month or two to get it back.  The good news is I still have a phone for calls.  The bad news is it is this phone:

I really miss having a camera and GPS at my finger tips but it has been nice to sort of pull back on my technology usage.  During Isaac's soccer practices I have actually been reading books instead of just mindlessly refreshing facebook.  Texting is very laborious so I have really been MIA from most social connections.  If you need me, your best bet is to call me.

Anyways, I worry soon will be the insanity that is September and I won't get on here again until Thanksgiving.  This blog has been a personal and family journal for the past five years or so, so I need to try to muddle through on the tablet.   So here is an update on the Stephenson-Horne happenings.

We have been spending loads of time at our YMCA's awesome outdoor pool facility. We have discovered it is the perfect activity when we have Ryan's kids with us because it really is just as fun for Hannah as an infant as it is for Allison as a middle schooler.  There is a snack bar and a huge playground so it keeps everyone busy and happy.

The other day we happened to take the whole crew there and we discoveres it was the membership appreciation picnic.  They had a DJ, games, prizes and free hamburgers, hot dogs and icecream.  It worked out perfectly and the kids all had so much fun.  We even made the YMCA facebook page.

The other major happening around here is we finally have this little lady on a decent sleep plan.  I have blogged before about how the past few months or so have been a real struggle with Hannah getting up hourly.  Sleep deprivation was truly taking it's toll on me: I felt depressed, I had a minor accident with my car, I lost my phone and I really felt like I was losing my mind.  I have been getting by on cat naps and sleeping in and the thought of returning to school with her sleep habits being such a mess had me totally panicked.

  A facebook friend (the friend of my college roommate) recommended a book with a sleep training method.  I have read all of the No Cry books and had really gotten no where, so I decided to give it a try, really out of complete desperation.  The first night was rough, as Hannah did have plenty of tears.  She still woke up frequently that night but using the methods in the book she was able to settle herself back to sleep without my help (ie, I could stay in bed!).  It didn't take her long to understand what the new deal was and she improved rapidly.  I hate to jinx anything but less than a week later Hannah has been sleeping through the night and has put herself to sleep with no tears at all the past two nights.  The only thing is she now wakes up at 6 (whereas before she would sleep as late as 9).  I am thinking this is due to her going to bed at a more reasonable hour and also the fact that we cut out night feedings.  We have had good luck giving her a bottle at 6 and bringing her into bed with us for another hour or so of sleeping.  Then we still get our cosleeping snuggles in.  I really do consider it to be a tender mercy that we have gotten a few good night's sleeps in.  I hope our upcoming vacation doesn't undo all our progress.

In other sleep related news is Ryan and I finally traded out my old full sized mattress for a queen bed.  It was long overdue.  Of course, nothing is ever simple and after we got it home we discovered the boxspring was too large and inflexible to make it around the tight curve in our stairwell.  We ended up having to force it through the sliding glass doors off the kitchen on the second floor which was quite an ordeal.  Not only did we get a new mattress, box spring, bed frame and nightstand but we also got new bedding.  Of course, within 24 hours Hannah had a blowout leaky diaper right on the new bedspread, proving yet again that we are not in the stage of our lives to have nice things.  Oh well.

Anyways, there is nothing too exciting to talk about.  Next week we leave for our vacation-- a few days at the shore with my parents and then onto a few days at Busch Gardens.  I am looking forward to it, although traveling with an infant is rather intimidating.