Getting slack for using the "cry it out" method

I just watched a mom's vlog where she describes how "crying it out wasn't for her" and how "she just wouldn't do it"

Sometimes when you give an opinion, your tone sends the real message of how you feel about something, no matter how many times you say "If it works for you that's fine...." which is like saying "I don't mean to be rude but...."
I think the quote that got me was:

".....I feel like if a baby is crying, it is crying for reason, they want their mother or father, or comfort or need to feel secure"

Okay, so how about a baby manipulating you to get what it wants? Like a kid who cried until they get their way. Is it right to make your child completely dependent on you for comfort? What about self soothing and building independence. How long to you cater to this behavior? I babysat for a family with a 3 year old who couldn't sleep without someone in a bed with her. As soon as you tried to sneak out after she fell asleep she would instantly wake up and start screaming. She got this way because her parents slept with her since she was little and was completely dependent on them for comfort all night long. You're telling me that this is a healthy behavior?

I love my child more than anything-literally. I think that I did a good thing by helping Mimi get accustomed to sleeping on her own. She sleeps so much more soundly in her crib by herself. We put her to bed awake and she rolls over and just babbles to herself before going to sleep, or she just goes to sleep.

This being said, I dont' believe on using the "crying it out method" before 5 months. Before 5 months children don't have the ability to self-soothe, so letting them cry (and I mean cry themselves to sleep not just fuss for 5 minutes) could be really upsetting for a baby.

Hey there moms--when you give an opinion on "crying it out" try not to make us feel like horrible mothers because we let our kids cry themselves to sleep for a night or two. I'll try not to make you feel like a horrible mom for screwing up your kids sleeping habits for life.

Bad wife?

So today my husband left for a 4 day road trip he takes every year up to Tennesee. I was actually supposed to go with him this year (and Mimi), but with my new job it is difficult to take vacation only having worked 1 month. So this morning he left at 7am and I let out a sign of relief. I felt kind of happy actually. For the next 4 days I have one less person messing up the house to clean up after. One less person demanding my time and attention. I love my husband, but a break sounds kind of nice. I am envisioning this evening now....I put the baby to bed and can walk around in my pajamas ans tidy up and check email, watch a girly movie, eat cheerios for dinner if I want. Sounds relaxing. lol

So am I a bad wife? lol I know I will miss him after 3 days. But for now, I'm looking forward to my "vacation."

10 random things about myself

I've been tagged a beautiful blogger award by Jess Craig and now I must share 10 random things about myself!

1. I eat ice-cream for breakfast sometimes.

2. I am embarrassed to tell people that know me in real life that I blog and vlog

3. I think people who don't want kids are weird.

4. I have hairy toes (I know gross right?)

5. I used to speak french.

6. I watch A&E's Pride and Prejudice once per year (6 hour movie)

7. I feel like after having Mimi i've neglected my beloved lab Buddy.

8. I like doing laundry, just not putting it away.

9. I won't let any else load my dishwasher

10. I bite my nails and don't even realize it.

I don't tag anyone. I usually don't do these. But I don't have to do work tonight AND my house is clean, so I had some free time, and I like Jess, so I did it for her :-)

Have a great night ladies!

How about a rando

m old photo of Mimi to top off this randomness?

Overdue Mom Blog and Update

I had to put this one in--we both have pink on, I actually hate pink lol!

She's starting to push the truck around and make noises, so cute.

Here she is building her immune system....

The flash looks awful, but his is grandma feeding her icecream

Mimi with Daddy on Father's Day--I love them both so much!

Hello ladies,

I say hello ladies assuming that you are all women, but I did get a random message from some guy the other day who watches my youtube videos--I was like, okay creepy.

Anyway, I am looooong overdue for a proper update! I have been reading yall's blogs and watching your updates while I pump in the morning and while I each lunch. I haven't had time to upload new photos from my camera or make blogs or vlogs.

So we have been a busy little family this month! I have been working full time for a month now and officially hate my job and am actively searching for something else. I don't like the fact that the job i'm doing is NOT what I was hired to do and that I work with a boss I'm afraid to even talk to. Life is too short to feel anxiety and stress like this. If I am going to spend 40+hours away from my Mimi I want it to be for a job that I at least enjoy and a job that doens't cause me to feel like this. So, enough said about horrible job.

Mimi is truckin' along, almost to her first year! One more month until Mimi is 1. She is wearing size 18M clothes and is almost walking. She has taken a few steps here and there by herself without realizing it, but gets scared and won't keep going. All in good time. She has been loving all the beach and pool trips we've taken. I never had time to sign up for the Mommy and me swim classes, but who knows maybe if I switch jobs I will have a more flexible schedule. This week my husband is on "Staycation" with her until Wed when he leaves for his yearly manly road trip to Tennessee to drive "the dragon."

On the mom front---I officially left the house today without leaving enough breastmilk for Mimi. I have exhausted my back up freezer supply and only pumped 6 of the 10 ounces she will likely eat today. You know what though? I'm okay with it. I bought a 1/2 gallon of organic whole milk yesterday and I gave her 4 ounces in a cup not mixed with breastmilk just to see how she liked it and how her body handled it. She chugged it like it was her job. So we know she likes it, but we don't know how her digestive system will. She does eat a fair amount of other dairy products without a problem, so I think she'll be fine. I told my husband to keep an eye out today for any weird tummy issues. If she has no digestive issues, or rash on her face, I plan to top off her breastmilk bottles to 5/6 ounces with the whole mix over the next few weeks then switch to whole milk at 12 M. I plan on nursing in the morning and at night after that if she wants to, but I won't be bringing my pump with me during the day anymore. I really want your feedback on this "topping off the bottles" with whole milk thing. Am I doing something really wrong here? I still give her her poly visol supplement each day (Iron + Vitamin D supplement), and she's still getting over 10 ounces of breastmilk, out of the 15 she drinks. Let me know your opinions or links to any resources that might help me. Thanks!

News on me? I am still around 199 lbs, BUT I must share something delightful---I went to Target the other day with my friend Kim to get a birthday gift for someone, and I saw some cute dresses and cute linen drawstring pants. Just for fun I'd thought I would try some one--so I grabbed size XL and L. I have been wearing XL for as long as I can remember, but I though, hey i've lost some weight, maybe i'm a larger. I tried them on and the L was TOO BIG! I was so psyched. SO...even though I haven't dropped weight in awhile, i've maintained my weight and gotten smaller. I am going to keep at p90x and start running more often if my knees can take it. The extra calorie burn is one of the reasons I've kept pumping--I think that has helped me lose a lot of this weight. So the target thing was exciting.

Well I have to go to a meeting, breaks over. I'll put in some cute photos and update again soon! Hope you all are having a great summer!

A good resource on CMPA (Cow's milk protein allergy)

I hear a lot of moms talk about how they decided their kid has a milk allergy, so they took it upon themselves to switch their kids diet and/or formula to soy-based formula. I am an open-minded person and I do take advice from other mom's a lot, especially since Mimi is my first baby. However, as a parent you should realized all kids are different and you need to educate yourself before you make decisions about your child's health. So with that I share the following......

An exerpt from Cow's milk protein allergy in children: a practical guide

Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) affects from 2 to 6% of children, with the highest prevalence during the first year of age [1]. About 50% of children have been shown to resolve CMPA within the first year of age, 80-90% within their fifth year [2,3]. The rate of parent-reported CMPA is about 4 times higher than the real one in children [4]. So, many children are referred for suspected CMPA based on parent perception, symptoms such as cutaneous eruption, insomnia, persistent nasal obstruction, sebhorreic dermatitis or positive results to unorthodox investigations. Moreover, parents often put their children on unnecessary diet without an adequate medical and dietary supervision. These inappropriate dietary restrictions may provoke nutritional unbalances, especially in the first year of age. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of CMPA is important in order to avoid not only the risk of rickets, decreased bone mineralization [5], anaemia, poor growth and hypoalbuminemia, but also that of immediate clinical reactions or severe chronic gastroenteropathy leading to malabsorption.

1. Host A: Frequency of cow's milk allergy in childhood.

   Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2002, 89(6 Suppl 1):33-7.

2. Wood RA: The natural history of food allergy.

   Pediatrics 2003, 111:1631-1637.

3. Host A, Halken S, Jacobsen HP, Christensen AE, Herskind AM, Plesner K: Clinical course of cow's milk protein allergy/intolerance and atopic diseases in childhood.

   Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2002, 13(Suppl 15):23-28.

4. Rona RJ, Keil T, Summers C, Gislason D, Zuidmeer L, Sodergren S, Sigurdardottir T, Lindner T, Goldhahn K, Dahlstrom J: The prevalence of food allergy.

   A meta-analysis J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007, 120:638-46.

5. Black RE, Williams SM, Jones IE, Goulding A: Children who avoid drinking cow milk have low dietary calcium intakes and poor bone health.

   Am J Clin Nutr 2002, 76:675-680.

Luna Bars

My friend has me addicted. I love all of them EXCEPT peppermint chocolate. The caramel brownie was my afternoon pick me up today, oatmeal raison has been my on the go breakfast, and the lemon was my lunch (complete with water and an apple) the other day. I'm hooked. 180 calories and full of protein and vitamins and wait for it......IT DOESN'T TASTE LIKE SH*T LIKE MOST PROTEIN BARS! So thank you good pal :-) for getting me hooked on those 99 cent wonders.

Go get some--tomorrow I try white chocolate macadamia nut!

Oh--peanut butter cookie was awesome too--made me want a big glass of milk just like a cookie but better for me!

I am so proud of myself this week. The house is clean, the dishes are doen, laundry is a work in progress, I even did p90x two days in a row! My new boss like something I worked on today, things are looking up. I hope I didn't jinx myself by writing that.....

Mimicans was a dreamboat today. She wants me to hold her all the time--I totally give in out of guilt for working full time--today I held her while vacuuming---

Talk to you guys later!

Jess---get some uninterrupted sleep and piss on anyone who pressures you not to cosleep!