The Colby Chronicles

This past week I went out to Utah, for the bridal shower for my lil' sister, Raleigh. She has a pretty cool fiance, Will, in whom we got to get to know a little better too. Luckily for him we LOVE him and we LOVE his family.  What a blessing for cool people who find cool people to get hitched to.   Thought I'd share the screen shot photo show of the awesome shower!(thanks to Brekk for her instagraming genius) Our friends, Jenni, and and her daughter, Brooke, threw a killer party.   It's parties like this that make a girl want to get married again.  That, and the wedding dress shopping.  Oh and the VEIL!!!!  grrrr...

I kind of thought is was a fluke.  I was running on Riverside drive in the ol' hood, Washington Heights, in Manhattan, trying to get back in shape after baby.  You know how it is... all weak and wobbly and uncoordinated.  As I jogged past two men I caught a lip in the sidewalk and landed on the ground right in front of them.  Full on body check with the cement... bloody hands and knees... the men asked if I was okay and graciously pretended it wasn't that big of a deal.  I just couldn't believe it!  Not like kind of tripping.. but full on biffing.  Surely a once in a lifetime-weird-postpartum-exercise thing.....

So now I'm in a little better shape.  I run a couple times a week, ya know? And I think you may know by now that I listen to mormon radio for a little ME time while I run.  I was listening to a great talk by President Uchtdorf and ironically he was talking about running.  When he was in flight school they had to run and run for training.  He said he was constantly being passed up by men who didn't obey the word of wisdom- they drink, smoke, stay up late, eat terribly, etc.  He began to wonder if the promises of the Word of Wisdom were true.  Wasn't HE supposed to run and not be weary?  He began searching for answers and the answer didn't come right away....


cue another raised sidewalk lip.  SPLAT.


I don't know when President Uchtdorf's answer came or what it was.  Are you serious?  I'm ON THE GROUND and I'm 26 years old!?  The sidewalk?  I messed up my thumb pretty good, bruised the heal of my other hand, and have some sidewalk burn on my knees even though I didn't rip my pants (you wouldn't understand what that means if you don't fall ALL THE TIME like me).

did anyone see me?  I can't really confirm because I didn't want to look around... a little embarrassed over here.  But a Uhaul truck was driving pretty slowly by and they all might have been looking at me with a silly smirk on their faces.  nice.



Well, maybe it was a wake up call to start blogging again.  Hello blog.  I'm here again.  Did you HAVE to throw me on the sidewalk to make material fun enough to blog about?



Or my husband suggested maybe I get distracted and don't pay attention.

Well, let us ask Olive if mommy ever gets distracted..

Today it's in the 70s!! We went outside, went to the park, played sidewalk chalk... and truthfully, we're kinda cold....

My dear and lovely NYC pals... remember when I was moving away and I was so sad and the only upside was that when Jan and Feb rolled around I'd be living it up, while you NYCers are FROZED to the bone?  Remember how I invited you to come vacation to take your freezingness away??

Well, shall you come now????? My schedule is wide open! Jan?  Feb?  I've got 4 rooms!  Bring the kids!  can you do it?  COME VISIT ME!!!

come on... you know you want to... you're FREEZING and SAD!

and plus, I miss you!


that's all.


just think about it.


love, me.

Christmas Greeting From the Colbys from Erin Colby on Vimeo.

Ok Bloggy friends... get ready for some controversy here!  I've ALWAYS felt guilty about the cry it out method.  With the first I fought it pretty hard core with the Mr., and with the second we were so desperate for sleep and we didn't know what to do.  So do my girls sleep?  I guess.  They're different.  Olive sleeps pretty well, on and off.  Madge never sleeps through the night. NEVER.  We sleep trained her for a long time and to no avail.  I've always said that we basically sleep trained ourselves to be desensitized to her crys and taught her to CRY to sleep, and not SOOTHE herself to sleep. I've said these things a little jokingly because I know they say sleep training is the best- for kids and parents.  But I can't shake my feelings of guilt...not then, and not now.   And NOW!!!!..... read this article.  Here comes the science (and I KNOW, don't get ME started on believing everything scientists say... you know I'm not a fan...but in this case...)  I mean doesn't it make sense?  Didn't our mother instincts tell us this was not natural? Mine were SCREAMING!  But, everyone was doing it, and again, we were DESPERATE!  


Ok. Read this article HERE.
  Here's a few things the article says... just to get you excited (NOT) about reading it...


"crying it out sets kids up for stress-related problems, trust issues, anxiety disorders, reduced brain function, and a lack of independence..."


"The lack of nurturing, and the prevalence of parents who put their own needs in front of their kids', may be to blame for the mental and physical health problems that are plaguing the United States now. "  (talking about ADHD and other issues.

"If we want a strong country and people," she writes, "we've got to pay attention to what children need for optimal development." 


please, PLEASE don't let my children be messed up.  Now if they have anything wrong with them EVER, I'll only blame myself.  No I'll blame my husband:)...... (just kidding babe...kinda!)




Cue the HEAT and the ARGUMENTS here.....


Don't hate me. Let me say this:


While my motherly instincts always told me NO SLEEP TRAINING, I firmly BELIEVE in the instincts of motherhood!  And that is different for every person!  I know some mothers feel their babies NEED sleep training, and for those motherly instincts, those mothers must have felt peaceful about that decision.  right? And I'm all for that. I'm for mother's choices in birthing, in mothering, in nurturing- so long as she is choosing to follow her motherly instincts for her specific child.  There is no ONE SIZE fits all.


But I have to say... I almost DIED when I read THIS article called ' The Opposite of a Tiger Mother: Leaving Your Children Behind'   This one pained me.  See... this is where I don't think she followed her true motherly instincts.  She had them, the reality scared her, and in my opinion she was selfish.  Oh... is that me judging?   sorry.  I don't want to judge, but....


I'll repent later.  

we also let her sleep with the cat... and on her stomach... and with extra blankies... so be careful who you get your parenting advice from, will ya!?

Did you read The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother??  hmmm.... I liked it, in a sick kind of way:)

Yay!! Life is filled with so many firsts... and we always think 'we should have written that down or documented it'.... well we did it!  It's a pretty humble job compared to what I aspire to (see my instagram to see what I mean) but we just love it. It took us a while to get them up because the Mr. has NO TIME at all.  But he graced us with his service for about an hour or two and look what happened!

Next step:  wrap the garage doors!  right!?  I got that idea from the crazy house (see on instagram... I already told you)

We are glad to contribute to the neighborhood lights and say "Hey!  We celebrate Christmas!! We believe in Christ!"  Cuz we do.

And speaking of that, I've had some great scripture study lately (thanks to my handy personal progress book from my trusty Young Women calling) and you can check out my posts above, under "the Hand in my life" if you're wanting some spiritual talk today.  It's personal, which is why it in not on my main page, but it IS out there.


Merry Christmas!!