When I had my daughter, I discussed with my husband some of the things we would never ever do, for me, it was : I will never let my little princess "cry it out".  For 19 months, we stuck to that decision, if she cried one of us would go in and comfort her, but this weeks we had to let her "cry it out".   At 19 months, toddlers have already started testing the rules and limitations that we set, that is what Katelyn was doing, she started waking up in the middle of the night, she started refusing to go to sleep at bedtime, for two weeks we tried everything, we took her from the crib b/c we thought she started hating her crib, we let her sleep with us, b/c we wanted her to get her rest, but when she had a tantrum at 4am and nothing would soothe her, we realized she was overtired and none of the solutions we were trying worked... we discussed, should we let her cry?  We decided we would, the first night we gave up after five minutes, we felt too guilty about it, the following day Katelyn was so over tired she was having tantrums about everything, she wouldn't eat properly, she was a completely different child from the one we knew...  that night we decided we had to stick to the plan of letting her cry for a bit and then going to sleep... she cried for about 10 minutes (it wasn't a "I'm hurt or I'm in pain cry") it was her I'm really tired cry, I started going up the stairs about five minutes into her crying and when she heard me coming up she stopped crying, so I started back down again and she started crying again, at one point she stopped crying to listen if we were still there and then started crying again - it was at that point that I realized she was just crying so that we would come in and get her.

Our choice was, do we try to make her feel better at this moment, but she will still not sleep and still be overtired tomorrow or do we let her cry for a bit, go to sleep and then be rested tomorrow.  We decided it was better for her health if she went to sleep and got a good night rest and it worked.

The first night she cried for 30 minutes (which was heart breaking for us, mostly b/c we felt bad about it, will this affect her emotionally, (From what I've been told by her doctor and York Region Public Health - it will not affect her b/c we are not neglecting her - we followed the guide in the "Secrets of the baby whisperer".  She slept 12 hours, which is her usual amount of sleep before the change in schedule.

The second night she cried for 10 minutes ( we already saw the huge improvement in her mood, her eating and her ability to enjoy her toys again from just one night of rest, we didn't feel guilty anymore), she slept 12 hours

The third night she cried less than two minutes

Last night she didn't cry at all. 

So now, I saying "never say never"...  For us, we could see that our daughter was over tired, we could see that she needed to sleep and even though it broke our hearts to do it, we had to think about what is best for her in the long run and we had do something we didn't feel good about, but that is a part of parenting, sometimes we have to make the right decision, even if it doesn't fit into our picture of what we would or wouldn't do.  If you are having issues regarding sleep, and you would like more information on a variety of solutions, send us an email at info@lifewithababy.com and we will forward you some resources.

What have you said you would never do and then decided to do afterwards, share your stories whether it be letting them watch TV, letting them cry it out, putting them in daycare, using a pacifier, letting them suck their finger, co-sleeping, etc. 

Hi Fellow Mommies,

We are looking for an organiser for the Thursday Meetup at Promenade mall.  Please reply to this post or send and email to info@lifewithababy.com if you are interested.

We really want to keep this "coffee & chat" event at Promenade mall going, but my daughter is now 18 months and this event is more for moms with babies 0-12 months.  So if you have a baby 0-12 months and you interested we can change the date and time of this event to fit your schedule.

Thanks so much,
Alexia

Hi Moms!

I have signed up for baby sign language classes with Wee Hands. The classes are to be held 11:00-11:45 at Toys R Us @ Vaughan Mills for 8 weeks beginning Friday, January 23.

Unfortunately, I had a call from the instructor today saying that not enough people have signed up and she may have to cancel the class. If you are at all interested, come join me! We can have lunch and/or go shopping afterward! The classes are $140 per family and include the manual.

Click here for her website - you can email her directly from there or register online. Be sure to mention that I referred you and we'd really like the class to run.

Thanks!
- Sarah 

Hello my name is Amanda Herrington. I have a 7 months old daughter Rebecca. I am new here and I have created a mississauga / oakville group as per Alexia notice.

If anyone has any ideas and so on please let me know!

Written by Suzette:

Hi there ladies I have a lovely 7 month old boy and would like to start hosting some play dates for 12 months and younger starting in January. I was thinking we could include some storytelling with hand puppets as well or anything else you would like to recommend. I'm looking at 2 options:

1) Lunch to be included for moms ($5.00 cost to cover cost of food and party room) from noon - 3:00 pm
or
2) Play only from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

I live on Beecroft Road which is in the Yonge/Sheppard area.

I would like to get an idea ahead of time in the level of interest so please respond to this post if you would like to participate and which of the above 2 options you would prefer.

Cheers and wishing you and your families a wonderful holiday season!

Hello ladies. I have a lovely 7 month old boy and I am scheduled to return to work in 5 months. I have been searching for daycare but most places only accept at 18 month+ or are full with waiting lists. I'm looking into possibly hiring a nanny to come to my home at Yonge & Sheppard and was wondering if anyone else would like to share a nanny and split the cost. I am only looking for one other person to share the service. Preferably looking for a child similar in age so by spring 11 months to under 2 years old.

If you are interested and would be willing to drop your child to Yonge & Sheppard please contact: Suzette at 416-221-0522 (home) or 416-697-5296.

This is just information I am sharing but it is up to you if you wish to consult your pediatrician first.  I tried it on the soles of my baby's feet covered by socks and worn inside his sleeper.  He definitely slept better than the previous night.  See article below.

Some interesting info for your children and maybe worth a try.  Perhaps you have heard it before.
Subject:   VICKS VAPO RUB INTERESTING

During a lecture on Essential Oils, they told us how the foot soles can absorb oils. Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within 20 minutes you can 'taste' it.

Some of us have used Vicks Vapo rub for years for everything from chapped lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. But I've never heard of this. And don't laugh, it works 100% of the time, although the scientists who discovered it aren't sure why. To stop night time coughing in a child (or adult as we found out personally), put Vicks Vapo rub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime, then cover with socks. Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. Works 100% of the time and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly.
Just happened to tune in A.M. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good, due to the chemical makeup of these strong drugs so, I listened. It was a surprise finding and found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bedtime, in addition to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly.

My wife tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant and  persistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100%!   She said that it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a few minutes and believe me, this was a deep, ( incredibly annoying!) every few seconds uncontrollable cough, and she slept cough-free for hours every night that she used it.


DON'T SHUN THIS ONE.. TRY IT THE NEXT TIME YOU GET A BAD COLD

After Liam turned 6 months, my interest in grains has all of a sudden peaked, even though I have always attempted to avoid them. How will he get nutrients in his food? What are some good recipes? What new foods do I introduce to him?

The mom of a beautiful 6-month old shared her recipe with me - Quinoa. Having never heard of it, I turned to my recipe portal - Google. Turns out, Quinoa is a Super Grain.. Driven by excitement, I made a trip to Ambrosia (on Doncaster) the same day. With a great selection of organic grains (sold in bulk), and friendly staff, who opened the store binder and showed me nutrition information and cooking directions, I am now one step closer to having an idea of what to feed Liam in the coming months.

So to those mommies who are wondering the same question, here is some information:

Quinoa is a wonderful grain that just in the past few years has been rediscovered. It was a staple in the diet of the ancient Inca Indians. Actually, quinoa is not really a grain. It is the dried fruit of the herb family Chenopodium. However, it looks like and acts like a grain, and so is used that way.

Quinoa is truly a "supergrain" because of the wonderful nutrition it offers. For minerals it contains more iron than other grains, has high levels of potassium, riboflavin, magnesium, zinc, copper and folacin. It is a great source of protein. Unlike other grains it contains plenty of the amino acid lysine, as well as the other essential amino acids, so it provides complete protein. It is a great kid food, not only because of these nutritional benefits, but because of its light flavor.

Some delicious ways to serve quinoa are in a pudding such as rice pudding, or as a hot cereal in the morning cooked in fruit juice. Add it to soups or stews at the end of the cooking time, or make a cold grain salad out of cooked quinoa by adding raw or cooked veggies and herbs and tossing with a light dressing. Make quinoa pilaf with raisins, carrots, onion and garlic.

When cooking ground quinoa "powder" for homemade baby cereal, use about 1/4 cup of powder per 1-2 cups of water - more or less as you see fit. The key is to whisk whisk whisk as you are cooking to avoid clumping! Add pureed fruits and vegetables to baby's homemade quinoa cereal - ensure that you have followed the 4 day wait rule!

Most grains will need to be combined with complimentary proteins such as nuts, beans or dairy. However, another grain that will provide you with a complete source of protein is spelt. It is very popular in Europe, and in the U.S. it is now found in many breads. It is especially popular among those with a wheat allergy, since although it does contain gluten, it is extremely fragile so many wheat-sensitive people can tolerate it.

Quinoa (1 cup cooked)

VITAMINS:
Vitamin A - 0 IU
Vitamin C - 0 mg
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) - .33 mg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) - .67 mg
Niacin - 4.98 mg
Folate - 83 mcg
Contains some other vitamins in small amounts.

MINERALS:
Potassium - 1258 mg
Phosphorus - 697 mg
Magnesium - 357 mg
Calcium - 102 mg
Sodium - 36 mg
Iron - 15 mg
Also contains small amounts of manganese, copper and zinc.

PROTEIN:
Protein - 22.27 g

Hello New Mommies to New Moms that have joined lifewithababy.com. I just wanted to give a shout out to those new moms and welcome them to this blog. Thank-you for taking the time to join our group! I am an assistant organizer for working Moms in the Markham area. I am also a proud Mom of a beautiful little girl named Alexis.

Please take a moment to introduce yourself and your little ones on this blog thread........Thanks!!!!

Since I started writing this blog, I’ve been getting the following question: is your husband okay with you writing this stuff? What if someone he knows reads it?  Well,  my hubby and I are very honest with each other – sometimes to the point where I wonder is honesty is really the best policy, but that is why we are so compatible and he knows my feelings about pretty much everything, so if I was to complain about him, he would be okay with it. I don’t think any husband really believes that his wife never complains about him.  We are secure enough with our relationship and our commitment to each other that anything I write or say about our struggles during the first year of parenthood will be honest but respectful. 

With that in mind, the next reason not to divorce your husband in the first year is that perspectives become skewed and we no longer see things the same which affect the way we communicate with each other.  Love is blind and when you have a baby, the rose coloured glasses come off and you see your world in a whole new light…   a personal example,  my hubby is a perfectionist, he expects the best from himself and he expects the best from me … before baby, no problem, during the first year of new baby, big problem, now that our daughter is 17 months, again no problem. It took me 16 months to be okay with my husband the perfectionist. He has been a perfectionist for 30 years. He tried really hard to be understanding and accept the fact that I was no longer the same - but it was hard for him. It is hard for all new dads, boyfriends, husbands to come to terms with how different things are once the baby is born. We had almost a year to get used to the baby, so I figure we should at least give them the same amount of time to get use to the changes.  In the first few months, one of the things I used to love most about my husband became the thing I hated most about him. I knew I had to do something to get the closeness we had before our daughter.   So we go out together every Saturday night (date night), we schedule a talk & watch TV together on Wednesday nights, basically we’re trying to spend more time together, we are falling in love with each other the way we are now, ( not the way we were before)  we are both different now, we will never be the way we were before, but we can be better, so give yourself and your husband the time to fall in love with each other.  

If you were happy before the baby and you really think that you are compatible and right for each other, do whatever you have to do the get the relationship back on track, invest in counseling, go to support groups, talk about your issues.  You are not alone, all new parents go through this… give yourself and your husband the time to adjust to the new dynamics of your relationship.

 

Why am I writing about what we (moms) can do, well for one thing, we cannot control what anyone else does, but someone has to make the first move, the first compromise, the first effort in order to get things back on track – in the end, it really doesn’t matter who makes the first move, the important thing is that the relationship gets better.