Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Josie!

I'm happy to report that after tears shed from every member of the family for seemingly endless nights of crying and feeds, Josie is finally sleeping through the night : ) To those of you have come to know our little Josie over the course of her 6 months of life, you will know that she has been a challenge to say the least. I like to say she has a sparky (and highly particular) personality. She knows what she wants and when she wants it.

It started about 2 weeks after she was born. Fussing and crying incessantly for 2-4 hours in the evening, unable to be soothed unless she was being driven around the Snoqualmie Valley (which was a blessed time for Greg and I to talk about the day in quiet). We found that swaddling helped a great deal, but there seemed to be no way to prevent the evening terror episodes...that is until we stumbled across a parenting forum on our church's website that dealt with colic and strategies to help relieve it. At 6 weeks of age she was "cured": we moved her to her own bedroom and crib and put her down at 7:30 pm, in a tight, double-blanket swaddle. However, it wasn't until last week that our little Josie (5 1/2 months old) slept through the night. For months Greg and I have gotten up every 3-4 hours to soothe or feed our little angel. We praised God when he gave us a blessed 5 hour break! The true help arrived in the form of a book, one that came highly recommended by several friends. Although it's a little technical at times, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, M.D. is a great source for information on how to prevent and fix sleep problems in infants and children. More importantly it helps the parent understand why sleep is so important.
Josie is still very particular. She really only has one cry...maybe two...that tells us she's unhappy. It's a little over-dramatic, she only gives me a 10-20 second fuss before it's an all-out scream in "pain" from hunger or wet diaper. Once I've figured out (and corrected) the problem, she's full of precious giggles and grins.
So what I have learned from this sleepless situation besides the importance of an early bedtime? I've learned to pray for my daughter. This experience has helped me value the prayer of a parent. There are times, and certainly will be times in the future, that I am unable to give my daughter what she needs. I will be unable to soothe her and comfort her to the extent that she needs. It is at these times that she and I must lean on Christ for comfort, knowing that only He provides ultimate peace and comfort. Hopefully, we will both grow in our faith enough to not only call on Him in desperation, but throughout each day for every situation we are in. I am learning to pray for her every night when she goes to bed (sometimes with selfish motives that she will sleep for mom and dad), but mostly for her comfort, well-being, and most importantly, her faith in Christ.

Will eat squash for smiles...please, no peas

Greg and I started Josie on solid foods 6 weeks ago, when she turned 4 months old. She loved the rice cereal right from the start (we've posted some pictures of the first experience). She did well for a few weeks until we started green veggies. The green beans were tolerable, but once I gave her peas she started a "strike" against solid foods, protesting anything that came from a spoon. This was certainly frustrating to say the least. We tried the airplane trick, the funny faces, the noises...nothing seemed to help. Grandma attempted to give her a bite followed by a quick mouthful of binky, which seemed to work, but Josie caught on to that trick. Needless to say, after weeks of protesting, her and I came to agreement tonight! She just needed a little squash...actually a lot of squash! I'd say 90% of the bowl went in her tummy, 6% on her bib, 2% on her hands, 1% on the highchair straps, 0.5% on her sleeve, 0.25% on her forehead, and 0.25% on her nose.
So what I have learned from this experience? I've learned that children can be stubborn and particular in doing things according to their own timing and under their own circumstances, despite the loving motivations of their parents to follow the "healthy" path of green veggies. Reflecting on my own life, I realize I am no different towards my Father. Sure as a baby I probably acted like that towards my dad, but I never changed (although I do like green veggies now). As an adult, I'm still as a stubborn now towards my Heavenly Father. I realize that I still want to try to time and plan my life according to my own will, despite having realized time and time again that Christ knows my life and future. He has planned it out perfectly long before I was born according to his perfect will. Who am I to argue with his perfect will? It takes faith and trust to be reassured that I am safe in my Father's arms, and I am ever thankful for those gracious gifts. Like Josie I accept the blessings of "squash" openly and readily. In the future I hope to act like this with all things that come my way...even the green veggies.

Purpose of table talk

What is table talk? With the help of Dictionary.com...

Table talk [tā-bəl to'k]

–noun

1.	informal conversation at meals.

2.	a subject that is considered appropriate for conversation at meals.

We have decided to start a blog to keep our family and friends updated on our lives and the many transitions the Joines' family is going through. Table talk is a suitable title for our blog, since we want to keep it as personal, open, and comfortable as possible. Unfortunately, we aren't able to meet with everyone over an occasional meal to share our lives with one another, so this just seems like the next best thing without food : ) Please check back regularly as we will keep you updated with Josie's newest tricks, life changes, and the lessons God is teaching us.

a little more background...

Dolly was born and raised in California, and moved to North Bend, Washington when she was 14. Greg has lived in Western Washington for most of his life. After joining the Army Reserves in 2002 he spent one year in Kuwait. We spent the first 5 years of marriage living in and around Seattle, WA. Currently, our family resides in Charlotte, NC.

Where we met: We met in high school, specifically Ms. Lighty's math class. Dolly was 15, Greg was 16. We knew after 3 weeks of dating that we would be married someday.

Where we've been: We got married in 2004, half-way through Greg's deployment to Kuwait. We finished getting our college degrees in 2006. Dolly went to Seattle University and graduated with a bachelors in nursing. Greg received his bachelors in biblical studies through Moody Bible Institute. In Sept 2007 he began his pursuit for a Masters of Theological Studies from Northwest Theological Seminary. We became parents to our first daughter, Josephine (Josie) Leigh, on Oct. 4, 2007. Our second daughter, Maribelle Mae, was born July 16, 2009. In August 2009 we stepped out in faith and relocated to Charlotte, NC, away from our family, friends, and church.

Where we are: We are living in Charlotte, NC while Greg attends Reformed Theological Seminary full-time. Dolly is working full-time as a pediatric nurse. We also are full-time parents on the side : ) Josie is actively growing and changing faster than we all could have imagined. She is almost two years old! She is a big talker, she loves Elmo and Winnie the Pooh, and is already praying at night to "Jeezees". Belle is a good-natured baby who sleeps through the night and has the most adorable crooked smile. We'll keep updating!

Where we're going: After years of wondering if God was calling us outside of Washington, he finally led us across the US to Charlotte. We had planned this move several years ago, but waited for his timing. Greg will finish his Master of Divinity at RTS and hopes to plant/replant a church here in North Carolina. For a short time, Dolly will work full-time as Greg completes school. She then plans on homeschooling both Josie and Belle if it is found to be a suitable training method for their personalities.