How did I get so lucky?

Okay...so I'm going to post something that will probably bug the crap out of a lot of mothers. There is nothing worse than reading peoples' blogs about how wonderful and perfect their lives are. Seriously, you know the ones. Moms describing their delightful children and how they could do no wrong. Organized homes without an ounce of clutter anywhere. How the children ALWAYS put away one toy before pulling out another (that one really gets to me!). Firecracker moms who get a gazillion things done in one day and still have time for their cutsy little hobbies, PTA, church activities, sports, make a gourmet dinner, and then, just for the heck of it, paint the house while the kids sleep. (I had a neighbor like that...seriously...I thought she was a robot...kinda scary.)

Anyway, blogs like those bug me. BUT, I do want to share something that falls into one of those annoying catagories. Don't hate me...but Piper is the most perfect baby EVER. Now, don't get me wrong, I love all my children dearly! But lets face it, some are easier or harder than others. And I feel I can blog about my angel baby because I have put in my dues people!! I deserve an easy third child!!

Now, I have heard stories about how some children/babies willingly take naps, and willingly go to bed at night. No fuss occurs, they just are ready and wanting to sleep. I just didn't believe that could actually happen! Haley was my first and she was all I knew. And let me tell you people...she was a fighter for EVERYTHING!! Still is for that matter! Many nights Ryan and I listened to her wail for hours while she fought her bedtime. When I tried to lay her down for naps she just cried the entire time in her crib. BUT, little did she know, I'm a pretty stubborn girl myself and I was going to win the sleep battle no matter what! I'm a firm believer of the "cry it out" technique and I'm not one for sharing my bed with a baby...works for some people...not for me. So, I had a lot of rough times with her. It was hard...I remember a lot tearful calls to my mom sitting in my hallway listening to Haley "cry it out". And I won't even begin to share my potty training horror stories I had with her...I'll leave that for some other time.

Morgan was a little different. She slept a little better which was nice...but she hated everyone! Kid you not, if it wasn't me or Ryan she pretty much hated you. "Don't look at me, and don't touch me" were her rules. So, it made it very difficult when we were out and about because she was extremely clingy to me. The first time she finally gave her own grandparents a hug was a freakin' miracle! Luckily, that didn't last and she's very affectionate with others. Now she'll even say "Love you, see ya!" to the UPS man as he's walking away from the house. Talk about a complete turn around!!

So, back to those children who willingly take naps...yeah, the really annoying stories that I never could believe. Well, Piper is one of those babies!! She is a dream sleeper! When it's time to take a nap, all I have to say is, "Are you ready for your nap?" and she heads for the stairs and goes straight up for her room. I lay her in her crib and she cuddlles right down with her Pooh bear and pacifier and goes to sleep! She does the same at night too. Rarely, does she cry. And to top it off (or for you to hate me even more...which ever) she sleeps for looooong periods of time. If I have her take one nap during the day, she'll sleep up to four hours. Or on days when I have her take two naps (yeah...she can still take two naps...I'm a lucky girl), each nap will be 2-3 hours long! Plus, she'll still sleep 11-12 hours at night. Again, she's my angel baby!

So, there you have it...my annoying post. But like I said, I know I'm lucky, and I'm grateful because I know how bad it can be too! Remember...I've put in my dues!!