Choices...

You know that point in your day as a mother of young children when you can either curl up in a ball and cry, or eat an exhorbitant amount of chocolate? Been there. Done that. I go for the chocolate (almost) every time.

On sleep

Have you ever googled "Cry It out?" It's interesting. I did so today, hoping to find some solution to my 7 month old's sleep problems. OK, I should mention she is a happy baby who has been sick a lot the last month. She used to sleep 4-6 hours straight consistently, and now she never sleeps more than 2 hours straight at night...I'm am BEYOND exhausted!

Back to the point: Cry it out. With DD1, we finally let her cry it out at 9 months. It took 3 nights of crying for several hours. After that, she mostly slept through the night. She is a wonderful sleeper now, but even 6 months ago she would often wake up at 4 am wanting to watch a movie and freaking out at me when I said no. I don't really like letting my babies cry.

Therefore, I googled "cry it out" hoping for someone to tell me that it won't traumatize my baby. That's not what I found. The first 5 hits were sites that put forth reasons NOT to let your baby cry. Then I stumbled across this site and found this:

Begin today by contemplating these questions:

•Am I content with the way things are, or am I becoming resentful, angry, or frustrated?
•Is my baby’s nighttime routine negatively affecting my marriage, my job, or my relationships with my other children?
•Is my baby happy, healthy, and seemingly well rested?
•Am I happy, healthy, and well rested?
•What is a reasonable expectation for my baby at his/her age?
•What naptime and bedtime situation would I consider “acceptable”?
•What naptime and bedtime situation would I consider “pure bliss”?
•Why do I want to change my baby’s sleep patterns? Is it truly what’s best for me and my baby, or am I doing this to meet someone else’s expectations?
•Am I willing to be patient and make a gradual, gentle change for my baby if that means no crying?
Once you answer these questions, you will have a better understanding of not only what is happening with regard to your baby’s sleep, but what approach you will feel most comfortable using to help your baby sleep better.

I guess we'll deal with lack of sleep for a little while longer. In the meantime, here is what EVERY sleep book has in common (from Babywise to No Cry Sleep Solutions)

1. Have a consistent bedtime routine. (Done. Hasn't worked)
2. Put your baby down awake but drowsy. (How do I do this? She's either awake and crying because she's ready for sleep, or asleep. I guess we'll work on this one.)

That's it for common motifs in sleep books, but a couple of other things I intend to try are:
1. Observing my baby closely for any signs of sleepiness and putting her in bed RIGHT then.
2. Comforting her when she cries, but not bringing her to bed with me anymore.
3. Giving her simethicone drops (gas relief, she often wakes up crying, and then releases lots of gas 30 minutes later and goes back to sleep. I don't know why she's so gassy.)
4. Going to bed at night as soon as she does. That's the only way I'm going to get more sleep at this point.
5. Keep a perspective...someday she'll be a good sleeper like her big sister.
6. Ignore all those people that are incredulous that my baby doesn't sleep and think it must be because I'm "caving in" or am not a good mom. I am a good mom.

Ambition!

On Monday, I will begin tending my friend's two little boys while she student teaches, for about 10 weeks. Her boys are the same ages as my girls, so it will be like having 2 sets of twins. I can't say I'm not a little nervous, but I worked up a schedule so that I can cope and try not to lose my mind. (Don't worry Alyssa, I'm pretty sure we'll all be fine!) ;)

Do you have a schedule, or is complete flexibility your rule? How do you get everything done? I'd love to hear ideas!

*All the preschool activities are from here.

Two for one!

Here is a super easy recipe for 2 quick meals:

Day one: Easy Parmesan Chicken, rice, and steamed veggies.

Make twice as much as you need to feed your family. (for me and DD1, it was 1 piece of chicken and 1 cup of rice)

Chicken:
Coat boneless skinless breasts in parmesan cheese, and saute over medium high heat in 2 TBSP Olive Oil. about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. You don't need to cook it all the way through. Place chicken in 9X13 pan and cover with foil. Cook on 375 for 15 min or until juices are clear: DON'T overcook. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. (This lets the juices redistribute so the chicken is tender and juicy!)
Rice: I used brown rice. It's healthier.
Serve your chicken, rice, and veggies however you like! Cut up your leftover chicken into cubes, and store with the leftover rice.

Day Two: Easy chicken fried rice
Heat 3TBSP oil in pan. Dump in your leftovers with some onion powder (or onions) and a little garlic powder. Saute. Add in 1-2 cups frozen peas and carrots (defrosted). Stir fry for 2 minutes. Push to side and cook a scrambled egg. Add 1-2 TBSP soy sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil.
Mix, and serve. (You can add green onions, or spice this up any way you like! Very versatile!)

Hiatus

I didn't mean to completely abandon this blog. But life happens. I plan to start posting more regularly at some point. In the meantime, enjoy this thought from Julie Beck, General Relief Society President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints:

A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important. A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently.

Good women always have a desire to know if they are succeeding. In a world where the measures of success are often distorted, it is important to seek appreciation and affirmation from proper sources. To paraphrase a list found in Preach My Gospel, we are doing well when we develop attributes of Christ and strive to obey His gospel with exactness. We are doing well when we seek to improve ourselves and do our best. We are doing well when we increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help others who are in need. We know we are successful if we live so that we qualify for, receive, and know how to follow the Spirit. When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us.9 Peace, joy, and hope are available to those who measure success properly.