![]() By: Sarah Nitsch Guess I picked a bad year to quit caffeine. Yes, we have a new baby in this house; my 2nd son was born this past August, and yes, we expected to be surviving on less sleep, but it seems as if this lack of sleep has become an epidemic among a lot of Cape families. Our first born will be turning 3 at the end of this Month and has an on-again off-again habit of waking up before dawn. The times have varied but generally it’s been between the hours of 12 and 5am. What has changed? He has mostly stopped napping daytime, he does get some quiet time in his room when he’s home and sometime he does even fall asleep. He falls asleep in the most adorable places and poses; on the bathroom mat, on the floor of his room, halfway off his bed, behind his giant stuffed gorilla named George, you name it. We are lucky to be a two-parent household so we can take turns with each kid, Mom can sleep while Dad tries to coax the older one back to bed. Getting him back to sleep is the struggle, where does this energy come from in the middle of the night and can I have some of it?! Seriously. We talk about how if it’s dark outside its still bedtime. We lay with him, stroke his back, night-lights, singing, ignoring him. Finally he has passed the hurdle, but what are the tried and true methods to keep little ones in bed. My Mom talked about my brother sleeping at the top of the stairway, by the refrigerator downstairs with a pillow while they had dinner parties. She did say I was an amazing sleeper, so I definitely blame my husbands side of the family. (Kidding) ![]() The baby sleeps amazingly, much of the time through the night or at least 8-9 hour stretches. He wakes has a quick bite and is back to bed much of the time, I’m lucky I know and his older brother was actually pretty similar. At around 6 or so months we sleep trained him using the Easy Sleep Solution and I swear it has been almost perfect every night since. My husband recently asked at what point does he learn to use the remote for morning cartoons! That will come a little later, and I’m happy now that my husband is a morning person, I’m the night owl. Going to bed early now though has become a necessity and habit to have the energy for our now four-person household. I am truly amazed at how we can all survive on small amounts of sleep, yes I have had to eat a frozen pizza here and raid my pantry for odd pasta concoctions on days when getting to the store was the last thing I thought of while trying to run everything smoothly. But sacrifices, even that small are what having a family is all about. I guess sacrificing sleep for that matter too is fine as long as my family is happy and healthy. I know a whole lot of Mom’s out there that are going through lack of sleep with new babies, and changing toddlers. We often share stories, tips, what works for each other and what doesn’t. It’s nice to have others to lean on during any and all parenting struggles. I’m amazed at the patience we all have, how we can all cook, (somewhat) clean and keep the households running while some of us additionally have jobs to do outside the home. I can see it in the future, maybe not the near future, but I see sleep somewhere down the road, maybe when as teenagers they will sleep until 2pm we will be able to get up do stuff then nap before they even see the light of day. Maybe on a childfree vacation we will sleep more than anything else. It will happen, but who knows with the addition of exercise and tossing the frozen pizzas, the sugar fix and junk we will have more energy and say f*ck the sleep we don’t need it. Maybe we will start getting the kids up for sunrises and early morning jogs. Haha. Maybe I’ll just start drinking caffeine again. Whatever happens I know I have around me a group of Mom’s going through it with me and no matter the struggle we are kind of loving every minute of seeing these amazing little people grow up before our very eyes. Loving the journey. What challenges have your little ones given you in the sleep department? What has worked to resolve these challenges?
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![]() Q: My daughter is 15 weeks old. My husband and I stopped swaddling her at about four weeks, but when we moved her out of her bassinet to her crib at eight weeks, we realized that she still needed to be swaddled to sleep. Without it, she doesn't stay asleep because she flails her arms and pulls her hair. I'm using a velcro swaddler so she doesn't kick it off, so it's safe. But, how long is it okay to swaddle her? Am I doing any harm to her development by continuing to swaddle? She has plenty of tummy time during the day and can already hold her head up well and roll over from her tummy to her back, but my mom keeps insisting that my daughter needs to figure out how to sleep without the swaddle. A: Dr. Harvey Karp recommends swaddling as it mimics “the snugness of the womb” and limits the Moro reflex (startle reflux). He recommends swaddling w/ flexion in the legs and abduction of the hips for safe development. Swaddling is safe until they roll from back to front - that can be as early as 4 months and some are later, but most are rolling by 6 months. As she is progressing in age, look to transition out of the swaddle - either by leaving one arm out and then once she handles this well, swaddle just the torso and legs. You may also use a sleep sack (sew the arms closed up to start with and then one by one leave an arm out). There is also a product called a "magic sleep suit" which can be used up to 9 months of age safely for those babies who need that input from swaddling. Tell your mom she has plenty of time to learn how to sleep without a swaddle. Right now your focus is on getting her to sleep well, develop those self-soothing skills and learning the skill of independent sleep! Congratulations on your lil one! Michelle is a Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Certified Gentle Sleep Coach who offers parents a gentle and loving approach to their sleep problems. Through her years as a therapist, a mother and a sleep coach, Michelle’s approach offers tired parents an alternative to the cry it out method. Her proven solutions are medically and developmentally appropriate and look at all aspects of your child to gently get them the sleep that is so important to the entire family. Michelle Donaghy, Pediatric Sleep Consultant – Certified Gentle Sleep Coach Cell: 714 651 5116 ~ Fax: 267-382-2070 Making Sweet Dreams ~ Sleep Coaching for Children gentlesleepcoach@gmail.com ~ www.makingsweetdreams.com I used to think that happy people were weird. Seriously! I thought there was something wrong with them, that they must be fake and superficial and even a little bit dumb. Yep, I was a hater, peeps. A true Kafka reading, Cure listening, no smiles kind of gal. Hard to believe, right?? Well, I’ve figured a few things out since then. Like smiling is good for me. And laughing is like an instant internal massage. And happy people aren’t weird or stupid, we’re just…happy! Oh and best of all, I am now one of them! So now that I’ve accepted that fact and sent it out into the world, I can go ahead and allow my Self to feel good and be happy whenever and as often as I like. Pretty cool, right?? Psst…Newsflash: SO CAN YOU. Right here, right now, as you are mapping out your 2013 with fresh goals and fresh resolutions, think about this: How do you want to FEEL? I’m thinking “GOOD” is probably going to be the most popular answer to that question. So I’ve put together a short list of 8 tips for feeling good NOW: 1) Smile and laugh as often as possible. Do whatever you can to make that happen! Watch comedy on TV or at the movies. Play with your kids and/or pets. Start a tickle fest!!! Read the Sunday comics if all else fails. Laughter = internal massage. Instant feel good moment. 2) Say thank you when you receive a compliment. Don’t pass it off, don’t instantly turn it around, don’t swat it away like a fly. Absorb it. Feel it sink into the part of you that was complimented. Feel its truth. Accept it. Believe it! Now, say thank you. Didn’t that feel GOOD?? 3) Keep a Gratitude Journal and/or a Success Journal. Write about your achievements and blessings daily. You can also write on slips of paper and keep them in a jar or a box instead. Go back and read them whenever you hit a wall. There is nothing quite like written proof that you are awesome for lifting your spirits! 4) Connect with a good friend. You all know that friendship keeps us not just sane but ALIVE, right?? Right. So pick up the phone, get on your chat line, start texting, meet for coffee or drinkies TODAY. Our friends are GOLD. Knowing we are valued and understood by our closest friends and demonstrating the same for them is one of the best feel good tonics on the planet. 5) Practice a little Self care. Take a hot bubble bath and use the fancy soap. Get or give your Self a pampering mani and/or pedi. Build time to exercise into your daily schedule and move your body regularly. Eat clean, nutritious food — nurture your body with healthy yummy stuff that fuels your muscles and your brain. And ladies, do your Self a favor — put on a little lipstick before you head out the door. It’s amazing how it can brighten your face and your mood! 6) Hug someone! Your partner, your parent, your kid, your pet or even your Self! We all need love and the healing power of touch, every day. Hugs are often welcomed and appropriate, especially among relatives and friends. Your Dad doesn’t like to hug? Are you sure? Try it and see, you might be surprised! 7) Listen to your favorite music. Music makes the world go round! Listening to your favorite songs counts as one of the most popular ways to boost your mood. Whether your feel good music is techno, pop, rock, punk, classical, reggae, hiphop or Gregorian chant (yeah, you heard me right), get it spinning and get your smile on! Check my “Be Your Self” playlist from April 2012 for some of my own suggestions. 8) Visualize your dreams. Since I’m a word person and visualization doesn’t happen easily for me, I’ve been making vision boards ever since I was a kid. I love choosing words, phrases and images from magazines, cutting them out and using them to design my pieces. I choose a theme or an idea and then start gluing, placing my biggest word or idea first and then adding as I feel like it. This process takes care of two things for me: 1) it gets my creative juices going and 2) it helps me to solidify my goals. Bonus: I get to look at my finished piece as often as I want and be reminded of the dreams that spurred me to create it. Playful manifestation! Here’s one more bonus (Rated A for ADULTS…): Have sex! Grab your mate or your fave toy and enjoy your Self! Empty your mind of the mundane, release your inhibitions and just have some fun. BTW, it’s okay to laugh in bed. That way, you get simultaneous internal AND external massage! Now go and Get Your Sizzle On!™ About Pamela
As your Confidence Coach, it is my mission to guide you from darkness into the light of feeling strong, confident and sexy so you can Get Your Sizzle On!™ The boring stuff: I earned my Certified Professional Coach (CPC) credential from Fowler-Wainwright International and my BA in English Lit from Georgetown University. I’ve been writing and teaching professionally for over 20 years and currently publish my own weekly blog and eZine.The FUN stuff: I am currently an Expert on the following awesome websites:LawofAttractionKey.com LifeBusinessGrowth.comSoulwoman eMagazineI’m also a Speaker for B.I.G. Women’s Network in Massachusetts. (Fun fact: I’m also a choreographer for community theater in my spare time! ;) My newest workshops, “Master Your Stage Fright” and “Brains + Beauty = YOU!” are scheduled forearly 2013 at various locations on Cape Cod, MA. Contact me at info@pamelawills.com for deets. Book a FREE Spark Session with me at www.PamelaWills.com/schedule-session/ so I can help you build your courage, grow your confidence and Get Your Sizzle On!™ My intention is to see you push through your fears, move into that shimmering light of confidence and really SIZZLE with reawakened charisma! Find out how to feel strong and confident about being your true Self, a unique and powerful woman at www.PamelaWills.com. Are you an avid reader? Is there nothing you love more than cozying up with a brand new book? In Tip Hero's latest giveaway, we're teaming up with a bunch of fabulous blogs to offer you the chance to expand your library. One lucky reader will be the winner of a $150 Barnes & Noble gift card, delivered electronically for immediate use! This giveaway begins on January 16th and will run for 2 weeks, closing on January 30 at 11:59pm US Eastern time. Open to United States & Canada, 18+. Enter below for your chance to win this very book-y prize by filling out the PromoSimple form below. Be sure to come back daily for more opportunities to enter. Good luck! ![]() If you have never tried Swedish Buns, you have been missing out! These tasty little treats go great with your morning coffee or really any time of day and it is impossible to only eat 1, especially right after they come out of the oven! This is a great treat to prepare up on the weekend, preferably a nice lazy Sunday morning. Maybe enjoy a nice tea while the dough rises and the kids lounge about. Then you are set to go for the week and all stocked up! One final little secret... Cardamom is not only a great spice to use because of it's health benefits, but it is also a powerful aphrodisiac for both men and women!!! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! If you make these, I would love for you to share your pictures and thoughts with us on Cape Cod Mommies!!! There are a lot of pictures below. The first section explains how to make the dough followed by some pictures and then the final section explains the filling and final preparations! Enjoy!
![]() After punching down dough following its first rise, remove from bowl and knead lightly on floured counter until smooth and shiny. Divide dough into two halves. Roll each half of dough into a 12” by 18” rectangle. Brush each rectangle well with melted butter. Combine 2/3 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp. cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over the 2 rectangles. Roll each rectangle crosswise, like a jelly roll, to form an 18”-long cylinder. Using a sharp or serrated knife, cut each cylinder into 20 equal slices. Place each slice into a paper cupcake wrapper and place on baking sheet. Cover with towel and allow to double in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 425º. Brush risen cinnamon rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar and / or almonds. Place in the middle of a preheated oven and bake for 7 minutes, or until done. Yield: 40 cinnamon rolls. 10 Helpful Tips!1. Cut out 20% of the TV watching (100% of the shows depicting violence, disrespect of parents, dummying down of fathers/husbands, and those that portray women as sex objects).
2. Reduce “electronic time” (computers, texting and internet phones, video games) by 40% (100% of games depicting graphic violence or any level of sex). 3. Clean out 60% of the sweets and processed foods in your house. 4. Find a way to stop 80% of the strife between the adults in the home. Seek professional help if necessary. 5. Fill these voids with “family time.” Get your children interested in the hoards of toys they have that are buried in a closet or under their bed. 6. Wait one month. If you are still concerned about your child, consider what you (the adults) need help with to build a stronger family and support the child you are concerned about. 7. If you are still concerned about your child, interview therapists. Always consult with the therapist prior to bringing your child in for a session. 8. Gain as clear of an understanding as you are able about how the therapist works; a. What is the therapist’s experience with issues that you are concerned about? b. To what degree does the therapist involve parents? There is a large spectrum of views, from the therapist meeting behind closed doors with the child, wherein everything is confidential between therapist and child, to family sessions where parents are present during all sessions. c. What is the plan? Is it a“let’s get started and see what happens” approach, or are there goals and a review date set at the first session. d. Just what does the therapist do with the child in sessions? Do they play games? Draw? Free Play? Role Play? Work on worksheets and specific skill development? Meditation? Music? In a recent case, I began working with a child who came from a therapist who “played games” during all of the sessions. Upon further inquiry, the games were on a Wii. Therapeutic? Maybe. Therapy? hmmm. 9. Be sure to understand what will be required of you as the parent or guardian. Will there be homework? How exactly are you support the progress? 10. Ensure that you, as the parent or guardian, know some of the background of the therapist. There are many controversial issues in our culture today. Some believe the therapist is supposed to be a“blank slate.” Some therapists belief they are a “blank slate.” No one is a blank slate. Some therapists are able to be very professional in the way in which they approach issues that are in conflict with their own beliefs. Some are also very honest in letting prospective clients know that there may be a conflict, wherein their child may be better served by a colleague or another therapist. I could present many different scenarios here, however, let me just say, you must not assume, for example, that a therapist is not, under any circumstances, going to talk to your child about a sexual issue, or a political issue, or any other controversial issue. In the event that there is a degree of difference between your family view of the topic and the therapist’s view of the topic, you may be creating more of an issue for your child. *In circumstances where something sudden or out of the ordinary has come to light with a child, particularly if the child has experienced a trauma, demonstrated serious emotional symptoms, made statements indicating that they may be thinking of hurting themselves or someone else, or there are suspicions of abuse, a parent or guardian should consult with a professional immediately. Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS www.tracylamperti.com By: Gabrielle Hathaway M.S., IBCLC
Every so often, I will get a call from a frantic mom whose baby (usually 3-6 months old) has suddenly and inexplicably stopped nursing. Mom has tried coaxing, cajoling, and even begging baby to nurse, but she is adamantly refusing the breast. What’s going on?? What is probably NOT going on is: Mom had onion soup for lunch or the baby is ready to wean (younger than 9-12 months). Nursing strike We often call this a“nursing strike” and there can be a variety of causes. Assuming that your milk supply is adequate and baby was nursing well up until now, here’s what could be happening. · Teething: Is your baby drooling, fussier than normal, chomping on her hands, and might even have a diaper rash (excess saliva can cause a more acidic output)? Babies can start teething as early as 2-3 months and not even get their first teeth until much later. Teething is uncomfortable and your baby will want to nurse for solace, but can be frustrated if nursing hurts her gums. Try comfort measures like a cold washcloth to gum on, a teething ring, or if your pediatrician approves, some teething gel. Then, try to get baby back to the breast. You will find that teething is an ongoing process but hardest with the first teeth (gravity – they are on the bottom, and the newness of the sensation). · Ear Infection: If your baby has a fever, is tugging at her ear, or is crying more than usual (often high pitched), she could have an ear infection. Breastmilk has been shown to reduce the risk of ear infections, but they can still occur. If you suspect your baby has an ear infection, consult your pediatrician for their recommendation. In the meantime, try nursing in an upright position so your baby isn’t laying flat. You can also massage the breasts so that she doesn’t have to work as hard to stimulate let-down. · Thrush Does your baby have white patches in her mouth that don’t rub off? Are you or she on antibiotics? Thrush is caused by an overgrowth of yeast and can affect both baby’s mouth and mom’s breast/nipple area. Some babies can have thrush and it doesn’t seem to bother them, while others are very uncomfortable and won’t want to nurse. Thrush is easily treated by your health care provider and nursing can continue during treatment. There are other reasons your baby may be “on strike”. Older babies with teeth sometimes try biting mom and the resultant response (“AHHHH!!”) scares the baby off the breast (Pavlov, anyone?). Babies may also react negatively to a new perfume or lotion or may have a stuffy nose from a cold (try some saline and a nasal aspirator before nursing). In most cases, you have to gently encourage the baby to return to the breast. If pain is the issue, relieving the discomfort before nursing should help. If there is a psychological cause, try nursing in the bathtub (you would be surprised how well this works!) or when baby is sleepy and calm (often nighttime). **Two Important Notes *If your baby is not nursing at the breast, you need to pump! Sometimes babies will take the pumped milk via bottle – if your baby is older than a month, she should return to the breast once the ‘strike” is over. *Offer the breast frequently rather than trying to wait the baby out – this will keep baby familiar and you are more likely to catch her when she’s ready. If none of these suggestions work, check in with your pediatrician or lactation consultant, especially if you have a young baby (under 3 months). Take heart, though –strikes are often short-lived and baby will return to the breast with gusto. Keep up your supply and don’t give up! The Internal Revenue Service is issuing a warning about a new tax scam that uses a website that mimics the IRS e-Services online registration page.
The actual IRS e-Services page offers web-based products for tax preparers, not the general public. The phony web page looks almost identical to the real one. The IRS gets many reports of fake websites like this. Criminals use these sites to lure people into providing personal and financial information that may be used to steal the victim's money or identity. The address of the official IRS website is www.irs.gov. Don't be misled by sites claiming to be the IRS but ending in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. If you find a suspicious website that claims to be the IRS, send the site's URL by email to phishing@irs.gov. Use the subject line, 'Suspicious website'. Be aware that the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us and be sure to report any unsolicited email that appears to be from the IRS by sending it to phishing@irs.gov. ~ Meghan Happy New Year friends! 2013 is here and we are going to rock it! No, seriously, I have big plans, BIG, HUGE! Did you know that the day the world was supposed to end, December 21st, was actually a really important day of rebirth for the Mayans? They didn’t think the world was going to end, they thought it was a giant opportunity for everyone to assess their lives, figure out new paths for themselves, and be reborn as a better self. Phoenixstyle baby! Out of the ashes of 2012, let us be reborn into the awesomeness that we will embody in 2013. We can’t let the Mayans down, right? Interestingly enough, my mom’s birthday was December 21st. My siblings and I decided to throw her a surprise party. We were so sneaky; we invited her friends, family, and her coworkers. We figured out a totally, non-suspicious way to get her to the party site. We all jump out and say “SURPRISE!”. Guess what the woman does? Pulls out FAVORS that she’s brought for all the partiers. Apparently my mom was reborn on the 21st as a telepathic, surprise-party ruiner. It sucks having a mind-reader for a mother; you can’t get away with anything! But back to you and me. We are reborn too, onto new horizons and all that. Okay, so what does that entail? Making lists, right? You know I love a good list (reference blog 1 and blog 2)! So, without further ado, 2013 rebirth list of awesomeness: 1. Create Routines That Bring Order To My CrazyI feel out of control. I do. A lot of the time, I make lists to try to counteract that feeling. But in the end there’s just a pile of lists and not much control. So here’s my deal for this year. Stop making the damn lists and start actually doing things to bring order to my life. No, really, this is the year it’s happening. You know why? Because big changes are afoot in my little household. My husband is taking a leave of absence from his paid job to student teach full time until May. My youngest has joined her older sister in pre-school (sob!). And I have hopes of career growth of my own. We are incredibly psyched about all of this, but it does mean a bunch of changes for us: 1) A greatly reduced budget for one! I think I’m going to have to start (gasp!) couponing! 2) A new weekday schedule for our family (school for the girls, husband working different hours, me working different hours). 3) Expanding my income opportunities (yikes!). 4) Dear God, I’m making a list, you see, I just can’t help myself! Here’s my real plan, I need to create routines for myself and my family that can help us get through this time of change and feel comforted by order amidst our chaos. I just found thisamazingly helpful little blog post from Alissa at the Creative with Kids blog. She makes creating routines feel do-able. I am inspired. If you, like me, need help jumpstarting this process, check her out. Ok, enough boring stuff, onto awesomeness rebirth item number two: 2. Go Out On Dates With The HusbandSeriously, we have been together for nearly 13 years. That’s kind of a long time. Well, not to the Mayans, but to us. Since having kids, we have been horrendous about taking time for our relationship. And that’s not fair. It’s not fair to us and it’s not fair to our kids. I love this dude so much, he’s hysterical and sweet and generous and loving and I really like spending time with him. Just him. So how come we haven’t made time for each other in this way? Because it’s really flipping hard, right? Our kids don’t sleep, babysitters are hard to come by, it costs money; the excuses go on for days. Not in awesome year 2013. This year we are going on a date every month. That’s right, 12 whole dates! Woot woot! During the past lame-o year of 2012, I squirreled away gift cards, bought cheapo deals on Groupon, Limelight, and other deal sites, and wrote down any good date idea I came across. I put them in twelve envelopes and gave them to the husband for Christmas. We will open each envelope the first of the month and go on our prepaid date. Now we just need to find the babysitters and we’ll be set. If I have your number, watch out, you’ll probably get a babysitting exchange request from me soon! You know what? There are only two items on my rebirth list. But they’re kind of big ones, so I’m going to leave it at that and tell my list making alter ego to simmer down for now. So friends, share with me! What are your awesomeness rebirth plans for 2013? Any tips for creating routines ∕order in our lives? How about hot dates? I’ll take ideas for those too! Until we have reached our truly awesome selves, I wish you all a happy, healthy, peaceful, and calm 2013! And just for fun, here are gratuitous pictures of my adorable girls on the first day of pre-school this week.
![]() By: Sung Bin One of my favorite activities to do with my little one is baking at home and we have been trying to make a weekly ritual of it. Especially during these colder months there is simply nothing better than the smell and warmth of fresh baked bread that envelopes the house to make all my cares melt away. So recently I added to my collection this book, "Baking Bread with Children" by Warren Lee Cohen. Filled with some really great tips and recipes for yummy breads, it is also full of creative stories, songs and verses to get children engaged in the tender art of bread making. I love the author's phrase in the foreword of the book, To bake is to live-to share bread is to love. I plan to try the gingerbread men recipe, yum!, this week so I'll have to follow up on how it came out. I am reminded when mixing and working bread about how quite therapeutic it can be and how it entails a great deal of patience. There is also well, letting go the few occasional oops of spills or messes that is common when baking with an enthusiastic child such as mine who is quite adamant about doing things herself. You would need to take extra precautions when near a working oven but I leave the tendering of bread into the oven for the grown ups and clear of any little hands, of course. The mixing and kneading is always fun. The best part of baking is watching my child's eyes open wide the moment she sees the bread rise in the oven or as she loves declaring, "it's cooking!". It's even better when I sample a bit while it's a tad too warm before it has a chance to cool (I can't help it). The way she says, "thanks mom" as she sinks her teeth into the doughy goodness when it is ready warms my heart. Whether or not she becomes a master baker or just has an appreciation for foods made from the hearth with awe and reverence is all the thanks I need. What are some of your favorite bread or baking recipes for children? |
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