In Withdrawal

For several months in 2012 I was in withdrawal from chocolate, just like I was with my earlier pregnancies. It would help with my weight loss goal if I totally avoided chocolate, but I'm not willing to do that right now although I have been limiting my sweets. I am in withdrawal in three regards - first of all over my calendar. For more than 20 years I have carried a weekly calendar in my purse - one that was about the size as a checkbook. I have only tried to buy a 2013 one at two stores (CVS and Walmart), but they only have monthly ones that contain 2013 and 2014. I think the squares are two small. Thus far this year I've gone without a paper calendar. I'm using Google's calendar instead. If I had a smartphone, I'm sure it would be easy to ditch the paper calendar, but I'm still missing my calendar since I don't carry around my laptop. Hopefully I'll eventually get accustomed to the digital calendar and not miss the paper one any more.

Secondly, I am in withdrawal as far as holding a sleeping Oliver in my arms. When he sleeps at home I am not tempted to let him sleep in my arms because I can always think of something I can do with my time while he's sleeping whether it's teaching Nadia to read, cooking, cleaning, etc. At church on Sundays though I used to enjoy him sleeping in my arms, but between me teaching Sunday School again as well as the fact that he sleeps better in a crib or pack and play rather than my arms, I have been putting him to sleep in a pack and play at church. After having Ian sleep in my arms All The Time, I do know it is a big blessing that Oliver sleeps so well in cribs, car seats, and pack and plays, but holding a sleeping baby in my arms (every now and then) is a blissful experience. I miss it. I also have started to let him spend a little time in the nursery. This is always a hard transition for me, but he's starting to get too noisy to keep in church with me. Around 6 months old was when I started putting Nadia and Ian in the nursery, and that seems to be when it will be happening for Oliver also.

Third, I am missing wearing earrings. For the past 27 years I have worn earrings almost every day. Just like I feel naked without a watch around my left wrist, I feel very odd without earrings in my ears. I already stopped wearing makeup and nail polish a few years ago (because Paul prefers that I don't), and it's been even longer than that since I wore perfume. It's much harder for me to give up earrings, but this is a temporary thing. The problem is that Oliver takes my right earring out of my ear multiple times a day if I am wearing earrings. I am afraid of losing an earring or worse him tearing my earlobe. Hopefully he'll grow out of this habit in the near future.