The American based company, Fridababy, provides unique products for both parents and babies. Their merchandise solicits approvals by doctors and nurses, doulas and midwives as well as other medical professionals. The tried and tested device on the chopping block today is the remarkable Nosefrida The Snotsucker.

If you are a parent of a newborn or small baby, you know the difficulty of fighting off those tiny colds that pack punch. The sneezes, the coughs and stuffed noses that impair breathing. You may be found crib side, watching your little one like a hawk. Lucky for you, the Nosefrida eliminates stress and promotes sleep during illness.

Safe
Most hospitals will send you home with a bulb syringe and it just isn’t as effective as the Nosefrida. With the Nosefrida, you place one end in your babies nostril and you suck on the other end. Pleasant, huh? Despite the repugnant nature of this item, the safety is something you can stand behind. The strength of the bulb syringe has the possibility of bursting blood vessels in the nose.

Effective
You wouldn’t believe the amount of snot you produce with this product. It’s quite amazing, really. You would never procure the same results with the bulb syringe. Just two times on each side and your baby can breathe easy.

Inexpensive
At a cool $15, this device can be yours. While it’s a bit more expensive than the bulb syringes, as said before, it’s much safer.

The sounds of my grandaddy whistling Jackie Gleason play in my head, the tune I listened to after my sister passed away is forever in my heart and the last song played at my wedding reminds me to dance. Music, it’s been there for me in those special times.

It’s important for anyone to have a special room in their house, a room that’s been catered to their needs (emotionally). My husband claims the garage, when you can’t find him… look for the guy with a glass of whiskey and a cigar, admiring his toys. As for me, I lose myself in sweet melodies.

The record room was my personal project, I created a calming ambience that allows me to sink into a glass of wine and surrender myself to The Beatles, Alabama & Phil Collins. When I need a moment to shut out the world, i recline here. The doors shut, the cell phone is tucked away and I pretend its 1970.

Hunting for records is part of the fun. The artwork, the wear and tear and the “wow” factor you feel when you’re touching the 1940 Glenn Miller record. My collection consists of music from the 40s – 70s with a few modern day pieces (the ones I can find). What I love about the earlier music is its honesty. Artists wrote about their feelings, the harshness of the world and that one love who touched their soul. I can relate to them, I can close my eyes and see where they were… their transparency is beautiful and auth
entic.
I invite my companions to join me in friendship and chatter here, I also encourage you to create your own magical room. Whether it’s for scrapbooking, dancing, reading, singing or listening; develop it and adore it! And for those who are interested in my musical taste, below are some of my favorite memories and the songs that marry them.

My Sister, Brooke: Chapel of Love

My Wedding: Save The Last Dance

My Mother: Please Mr. Postman

My Son: I’ll Be Loving You
http://youtu.be/lsltEwP8Qik

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I’m not a perfect wife. He walks through the door after a hard day and I’m too busy to hug him. He unwinds with the remote control in hand and I call him lazy. He wants to get frisky and I wiggle out of his grip. He calls me to chat and I’m hurrying him off the phone. I become frustrated with him for no apparent reason.

I’m not a perfect parent. I, at times, lay in bed for 20 minutes after my son wakes up, before I retrieve him. I keep him in his pajamas when we have nowhere to be, because it’s easy. I watch the clock in hopes that naptime is 5 minutes away. When cooking seems exhausting, I grab the closest leftovers in the fridge. I start the bedtime routine early on those days when I’ve reached my limit.

I’m not a perfect friend. I occasionally press “ignore” when they call. I roll my eyes at their Facebook statuses. I may let hours go by before responding to a text. And wait for it, I lie about plans when I don’t feel like chatting over a bottle of wine.

But you know what I am? I’m honest. I’m true. I’m normal. And before you go on judging my choices, my actions and my decisions… hear me out.

I’ve stumbled across many thought-provoking articles on Facebook. My friends share these articles with happy emoticons and upbeat phrases attached. “How to be THE best spouse.” “How to positively speak to your loved ones.” “Raise your child this way, because that way is wrong.” “Cherish today because tomorrow may not come.” You catch my drift? You’ve seen these articles, you may have even read them and for the enthusiastic… they’re glued to your mirror.

These topics are important, the writers are extremely talented and the posts spread a positive message. A message that we could all benefit from greatly. I do, however, worry. I worry that such articles are setting us up for failure. You know how it feels to make a New Years resolution and come March, it’s non-existent? It’s disappointing and disheartening, you’ve let yourself down and now you’re beating on your ego. How dismal.

“Hunny, I’ve just read an article about the appropriate ways to communicate. Sit, sit, let’s talk… the right way.” At times, this may actually work and you’ve improved your relationship. Other times, according to the article, you’re doing it wrong. Put another check in the “we don’t know how to be married” box.  Your head hangs low, you sulk away from the kitchen table and you may shed a tear or two. You’ve now created animosity where there used to be none.

Here’s the deal. You aren’t perfect. Be honest with yourself. I admitted earlier that I don’t always hug my husband when he comes home. But I greet him in whatever way I can. He understands that I’m busy and I know he gets that. I don’t feel pressured to rush to him, because in our household, we know what works. We’re happy. We’re damn happy. We live our life on our own terms, to our standards and what works for us. There’s not a single day where I hate my marriage or feel disconnected… I love us.

Sure my child and I have many pajama parties and sometimes I’m watching that clock. But there’s one thing that’s truer than true, is how much I love my child. For every minute he’s stuck in that crib, there’s 20 minutes of cuddling and laughing and playing. My child is blissful. I am in love with being a parent. Our life works, this works, we work and that’s all that matters. Cherish every single moment? Nope. I’m sorry, I can’t. I cherish most moments and I wish some weren’t there. That night he was screaming for 4 hours straight? Nope, don’t cherish that.

And to my dear friends, who most likely gasped when they read how I sometimes treat them. Don’t tell me you haven’t ignored my calls. I’m a talker and I like to talk about myself, how exhausting for you guys. I can admit it. For every call I’ve ignored, there’s deep hearted conversations we’ve shared. And for every Facebook status I’ve rolled my eyes at, there’s a hug and a glass of wine and a shoulder that I’ve leant you. I honor you and I cherish our friendship. I’m not pure, but damn, YOU make me feel pure.

Here’s the take away. Figure out what works for you, get in touch with your heart and don’t change who you are because an article told you to. You are bliss, your are treasure, you are impeccable and radiant.

Now go; hug your husband, or don’t’. Whatever works for you.

In January of 2008 I made the brave decision to abandon my Georgia surroundings for the Colorado ambiance. This was an adventurous resolution backed by the support of my family and I had all I needed to flourish. Young and audacious, I fell hard for the artistic hand of God; what a beautiful state.

Six years later, I’m still wildly in love and have a troublesome time envisioning myself elsewhere. I’ve invested in a  home, made life-long friends and built my family out here. However, the picture of Georgia weighs deep in my mind. My roots remain strong and the loved ones I left behind have a massive dwelling in my heart. I have sensitivity to being homesick and a need to gracefully cope with those emotions.

Following your dreams doesn’t have to be muddied with feelings of sorrow. I invite you to view these techniques and apply what works for your lifestyle.

Throw yourself into your new surroundings
I am proud to say that I’m a Southern girl who LOVES snow skiing, hiking, kale, and local brews. Pre-Colorado, I thought the term “vegan” was an animal, I had never heard of kale and I’d touched snow twice in my life. Taking the opportunity to experience unchartered territory has enhanced who I am and given me a stronger foundation for this place I call home.

I encourage you to hang with the locals; eat their food, play their sports and branch out. Who knows, you may find yourself in a way you never imagined. Don’t deprive your soul of new beginnings!

Send hand written cards
When I’m feeling down,  I find it helpful to log in my journal. But why not turn those words into hand written messages for my loved ones? It’s thrilling to receive personal letters in the mail, especially from a distant relative. You would be amazed how easily the words can flow, how simple it is to put your feelings on paper and how quickly you’ve placed a smile on the recipients face.

Etsy has a multitude of magnificent stationery shops. Purchase some new stationery because if you’re excited about the paper, you’ll use it more!

Use social media
I know I advised you to send letters in my previous point, but there’s no harm in utilizing Facebook as well. What a brilliant tool we have at our fingertips, What an incredible way to keep in touch, and best of all, it’s free.

I add photos of my son (maybe too many photos…) but I do it for his grandparents, aunts and uncles who live on the other side of the country. They get to see the beauty of him growing without missing out on special milestones. I update my status so my mom can still keep tabs on me, I share humorous links on my dads wall and I vigorously follow my sister’s postings for a glimpse of my niece and nephew.

It’s fun and it’s easy, no reason to not share!

Skype, call or even text
When you’re experiencing moments of bleakness, grab your phone and dial a loved one. Hearing that voice on the other end of the line gives you an intimate feeling of peace. If you have the ability, face time or skype; such an awe-inspiring tool that’s rarely used.

If you’re too busy to call or skype; you can always text. A simple, “I love you”, “I’m thinking of you”, or even a heart-warming emoticon will generate a smile on the other end.

It’s OK to cry
This is a biggie.  I find myself engrossed with the thought of my family and often times, it brings tears to my eyes. Jealousy runs deep as I see families enjoying Sunday dinners, grandparents teaching their grand children how to ride a bike and loved ones saying, “Bye sweetie, I’ll see you next week!”

I choke back the tears, shake them off and tell myself to think of something happy. But you know what? When I let myself cry, a good solid cry, I feel much better. It ensures me of my feelings; that I’m still at one with my heart. Emotions are important, let it all out.

Find other transplants
Just remember that you’re not alone. We have all been blessed with opportunities in life, and some of those circumstances take us away from our homes. Take a look around and you’ll find others experiencing the same anguish. Latch onto those friends and use each other as a leaning post.

They’re said to be man’s best friend, instinctual and amiable. They’re considered to be a member of the family with their own bed, place to eat and the safety of our home. We teach them to sit, fetch and shake but what do we learn from them?

Dogs are incredible creatures with powerful characteristics. As I was going through my busy week, I decided to observe my always-happy pups and they had a lot of tricks up their sleeves. I allowed my dogs to train me; and oh my, what wonderful teachers.

Wag your tail
Dogs love to be happy. They don’t force their tail to wag and they don’t fake the kisses. They are genuinely THAT happy. You wake up in the morning and they’re waiting there with a wagging tail. You fill their food bowl; they’re wagging that tail. You say “good puppy”, pet them and simply smile in their direction and guess what? They’re tails a waggin’.

What if it was that easy for you and me to be that happy? It is. It’s more than happiness; it’s showing your gratitude, it’s leading with your heart and it’s clearing your head of that muck and sludge that brings you down. Make the choice, everyday, to be happy with the little things. Because at the end of the day, it’s the little things that bring us joy.

Show excitement for your loved ones
We endure long days of work, errands or traffic and we can’t wait to step foot into the safety of our homes. And who’s the first one to greet us at the door? Our overly excited, full of adrenaline and “oh my gosh she’s really home” pups. They stop what they’re doing and make sure they’re the first to hug, kiss and love on us… how hospitable of them.

Too often I’m wrapped up in dinner, the baby or cleaning to give my husband a proper homecoming every night. How hard would it be to step away from dinner, set the baby down or turn the vacuum cleaner off to shower my hubby with warmth and affection?

Soak up the sun
My dogs could spend every waking moment in the warmth of the sun. And if it’s too cold outside, they seek out the stream of sunshine gleaming in the house. To them, sunshine is a necessity. Little do they know that their immune systems are thanking them.

Our health could benefit in great ways from spending just 20 minutes in the sun. Have you ever noticed the spike in mood you experience when indulging in the sunlight? So the next time your dogs ask to be let outside, go with them. Follow their lead and nourish yourself.

Sleep when you’re tired
When my pups feel the weight of their eyes and the day’s journey on their paws, they lay down. They don’t hesitate or consider their options; they follow the direction of their bodies.

As humans with great responsibilities, our days are slated to our children, spouses, jobs, errands, exercise (and, well, you get the point). Quite frankly, we don’t have the time a dog has to sleep when we’re tired or lay down at a moments notice, but we do have the will power. When your body is feeling the drag of the day, when your mind is over worked, make some time to sit down. Whether you sleep, meditate or sit in a dark closet; that moment is yours. That’s your ability to give yourself a break. Pay attention to your needs and let them become a priority.

Stretch
Why do you think the most popular yoga pose was named after our 4-legged furry friends? Dogs have an accepting relationship with their anatomy, it’s a give and take kind of thing and boy is it beautiful. They stretch after lying down, post exercise and following a good belly rub.

Everyone pause and reach your hands high to the sky, higher than high, let out a moan and tell me how good that felt. Our muscles become stale; we sit behind desks, walk from one meeting to the next and carry loads of laundry up and down those treacherous stairs. But when do we stop to show our muscles some love? It’s almost euphoric to let out a good stretch, and our bodies LOVE a good state of euphoria.

In conclusion, I believe we all owe our dogs a great big thank you for the daily lessons! I encourage you to stop what you’re doing and let your inner animal shine.

Facebook; the world of over exposure, over posting and vulnerability. You wake up and the first thing you do is grab your phone, open that little “F” app and scroll, scroll, scroll until you finally reach the highest point of boredom. Your feet hit the ground, you stretch, take a shower and brush your teeth. But wait, it’s time to check Facebook again. Surprisingly, there’s 20 more updates to scroll through. Endless. Exhausting. Addicting.

We have a powerful tool tucked away in these handheld devices that very rarely leave our sides. We share. We laugh. We judge. We snicker. We smile. We cry. Dare I say it, we stalk. We do all of that in 5 minutes then head back to reality (the people in front of us, behind us and that guy whose been trying to get your attention).

I think most will agree with me when I say that the most annoying posts (aside from the drama queens) are the endless posts of babies. There’s an app called unbaby me for crying out loud. I get it, another snot nosed kid with food smeared on his face. You’re all thinking, “Get out. Get a life. Get a job.” Harsh.

I used to be one of those people, that is until i had a snot nosed kid of my own. You know what; I birthed a child, he’s really friggin cute and I’m beyond proud of our accomplishments. I quit my job to be a stay at home mom and guess what? I still take lunch breaks (No, not the ones where you go out with friends and have a few beers between meetings). My lunch breaks are taken when he goes down for his second nap. Sometimes that nap is 2 hours, most times it’s 25 minutes. My lunch break is called short by soulful cries. This is the hardest job I’ve ever done. Ever. Most people clock out at the end of the day, not stay at home moms. (And working mothers, don’t get me started there. Rockstars.)

One of your ads finally went live, awesome, you share it on Facebook. My baby learned how to situp, awesome, I share on Facebook. You’re stuck at work for 15 hours again, cue the status. I’m up at 3:00am with a teething baby, cue the status. A photo of your dog giving you a high five? A photo of my baby rolling over.

Get it?

We’re proud and we boast. Not just moms. But you too. I wake up on Sunday morning and see tons of drunken Saturday night regret photos. I roll my eyes. You wake up on Sunday afternoon and see “Happy Sunday” from 15 babies. You roll your eyes.

We’re judging you too.

We teach our babies how to sleep (yeah, babies have to be TAUGHT how to sleep), we teach them how to eat from a spoon, we teach them how to roll over and sit up and crawl and walk and say mama. WE. ARE. PROUD.

I’m not asking you to like our photos, but stop making us feel bad for sharing our joy with you. We see you do it everyday, all day. I’m a mom and I love my child. I post about him not because he’s my only pal, but because he’s the one who makes my heart tick.

Oh look, a photo of my baby. Isn’t he cute? He’s sitting in a swing; I taught him that.

Living out west has opened my eyes to the immense differences of being raised elsewhere. I’m a Georgia native and Colorado transplant. I’ve adapted well to my new environment while clinging onto the charm of The South. My southern cohorts will be surprised and a bit dismayed to hear that I make my own juice, drink green smoothies and support the FTT (Farm to Table) aspect of dining. It’s called adapting to your environment in a healthy and graceful way and I encourage everyone to do so.

However, there are a few Southern idiosyncrasies that I will hoist with me endlessly. I believe, that these attributes speak to who I am, who my parents raised me to be and what I want my children to encompass. The South is full of charisma, wit and gratitude and I place confidence in the fact that by gaining at least one of these facets, you’ll be a little happier inside.

Without further ado, listed are my top 10 “Southern Traits” life, in no specific order.

1) Plan events around meal times. Yes, food is important and the joy of indulging in your choice dishes with your beloved tribe is quite the experience. You will learn more about someone over a pot roast and a glass of wine than you will anywhere else.

2) Keep extra cards, gift bags and bottles of wine on hand at all times. I have baskets filled with sympathy cards, birthday cards and thinking of you cards. I have gift bags and gift wrap of all sizes and I store backup gifts in my basement. You never know when you’re invited to a last minute birthday party, you learn of a friend suffering a loss or you want to just say hello. Having gifts on hand is necessary. I tap into my gift supply multiple times a month (and lucky for me, I’ve always got bottles of wine on hand)!

3) If you’re throwing a party for 15 people, make food for 20. Nothing is worse than running out of food. And when you throw a party, you spend days making sure it’s perfect, you don’t want guests whispering behind your back about the lack of grub. I ALWAYS have way too much food and that’s the way it should be. When there are endless supplies of food, your guests won’t feel guilty about getting seconds, thirds, fourths.

Trust me, the guests of my annual gingerbread house party will tell you that I overdid it on the food (but when people are drinking, they need to be eating… thank you mom for that lesson).

4) Never arrive to a party empty handed. Speaking of parties, if you’re a guest… bring something! Whether it’s food or drink to contribute to the party or a gift for the hostess, never walk in the house empty handed. The hostess puts a lot of time, thought and money into her shin digs and she’s always thankful for offering guests. (Luckily, our Colorado guests are well versed in this trait. They always ask what they can bring or how they can help.)

5) Bring food to those who are sick, grieving or with new child. Everything in The South involves food, it’s a little intense, I’ll admit. However, families in grieving or ill lack the energy and will to cook food. Often times, words can’t express your heartfelt warmth for what they’re going through. But giving them the ability to eat a casserole together as a family, may be the greatest gift of all.

Parents with a new child, this is a no brainer; I ate saltine crackers and pickles for the first three months. I barely had time to shower and when our dear friends brought us food, we were so so so very thankful.

6) Teach your children the importance of Mr. & Mrs. and Yes Sir / No Sir. I still refer to my friends parents as Mr. & Mrs. And as a mother myself, I will teach Marshall to refer to his elders as Mr. & Mrs. It’s an automatic statue of respect. Children will adjust their demeanor when in the presence of a Mr. & Mrs.

Same goes for Yes sir / No Sir and Yes Ma’am / No Ma’am. Should my friends choose not to be called Mr. & Mrs. or Sir & Ma’am, they can let me know. However, it’s a choice in how I raise my children and many people respect that decision.

7) Get dressed, even if you’re going to the grocery store for milk. Yes, I judge people when I see them in their pajama pants in the ice cream aisle. I’m not saying curl your hair and wear a fancy dress, but leave the sweat pants at home. I’m from a small town in Georgia and I live in a small town in CO and everytime I go to the grocery store, I run into an acquaintance. My mom always told me to throw on yoga pants, a baseball cap and a little lip gloss. People will say, “Ah man, she’s so fit. She even works out on Sunday mornings.” 🙂

8) Don’t slum it on the golf course. It amazes me as I drive past Colorado golf courses and see men and women dressed in jeans and t-shirts. I get it, Colorado is a bit more relaxed, but come on, the sport of golf is one that needs to be held to a standard of class and dignity. Dig your khakis out of the closet and throw on your favorite polo shirt. And if you don’t have khakis, I’ve included a link to Gap. Please, browse through America’s favorite “it is possible to have style” shop.

http://www.gap.com/products/mens-khaki-pants.jsp

9) Your kitchen should house fresh baked goods, at all times. We have an open door policy and our friends use that to their advantage. I receive phone calls weekly from folks wanting to pop-in and catch up or see our little one. I always have wine, coffee and fresh baked goods to offer my company. On Sundays I bake something new for the week, because not only is it nice to have something to offer company, but we love having fresh dessert every night!

10) Be friendly. Be welcoming. Be open. This one is simple. I walk the streets of CO and am surprised by the amount of bypassers who look down and walk faster as they pass. In The South, it’s always “Hello”, “How do you do?”, “Cute dogs!” I am constantly embarrassed as I’m walking my dogs through the neighborhood and wave to unfriendly cars as they drive by. I wave, I get nothing, I say hello, people walk faster. It’s the worst. Colorado and other states above and west of the Mason Dixie line, fix this!

Aw yes, the moment you’ve been waiting for, Cry-It-Out Nap Style. As many of you know, we had wonderful success with CIO bedtime. I can’t even remember those nights. We lay him down without rocking him, turn his crib mobile on and leave the room as he talks himself to sleep. Then, he sleeps 12 hours straight! I get more sleep NOW then I ever did when I was kid-less (Well, I did work in advertising, and yes, those nights were much much harder than anything I’ve done with Marshall).

If your babies are like mine, then you know what it’s like to spend 45 minutes getting you child down for his nap, only to hear the sweet sounds of a babbling kid 20 minutes later. Forget housework, forget me time and que the endless hour or two of getting him back to sleep. This had to stop, I had to teach him to nap. Who woulda thought, you have to teach someone to sleep! Here’s what we did. Step by step.

1) Create a daytime schedule and stick to it! (I get made fun of quite often for my intense schedule, but I must be doing something right). Here’s an example schedule for our 6-Month Old:

7:00am: Wake
7-7:30am: Bottle Feed
8:30am: Breakfast (Oatmeal & Fruit)
9:00am: Nap
11:00am: Wake
11-11:30am: Bottle Feed
12:30pm: Lunch (One Veggie, One Fruit)
1:00pm: Nap
3:00pm: Wake
3:30pm: Bottle Feed
5:45pm: Dinner (Rice & Veggie)
6:00pm: Bath
6:15pm: Bottle Feed
6:30 – 7:00pm: Fast Asleep

2) He stays in his crib during naptime, no matter what. He will often wake up 20 minutes into his nap and babble. I will go in there, check his diaper and leave without making much of a fuss. Then, he cries himself back to sleep. The most he’s ever cried in the middle of naptime is 20 minutes. And he ALWAYS gets himself back to sleep.

3) I wake him up when Naptime is over. That’s right, I wake him up. My schedule is important to me and it’s important to him. When we stick to this schedule, I’ve got a very happy baby on my hands.

I don’t rock him before his nap, I change him and lay him down. For the past 3 days, for every single nap, he’s turned to his side and fallen fast asleep. If he wakes up, its for no more than 10 minutes before he puts himself back to sleep. And may I remind you, he was a swing sleeping baby (ADDICTED to that swing) and now I have a beautiful, happy, healthy and well slept little boy on my hands. So, it is possible, you just have to stay persistent. Don’t give in or you’ll be spending the majority of your day trying to get you kid to sleep.

Marshall takes up so much of my heart and he takes up a majority of my day. That’s why these naptimes are so important. You are separate from your child and you need to remember that, having time for yourself is the most important thing you can do. Your baby needs alone time too, believe it or not, they don’t need / want you glued to their side 24/7 (and if you don’t realize that now, you will in 5 years).

Hugs & Kisses! Until our next adventure.

After a few lengthy discussions, Matt & I decided to put Marshall through the all too controversial Cry-It-Out method. Now, I know there are people who are against letting their sweet babes cry, and if you are one of those people, I invite you to read through our experience but please keep your negative comments to yourself. K, thanks. Furthermore, I am not a medical professional, just a mom sharing her experiences.

As parents, we have expedited a lot of the baby experiences. They say to feed your baby solid foods at 6 Months, we did it at 4 Months. They say to hold off on Cry it Out until 6-8 Months, we did it at 5 Months. I appreciate the guidelines given to parents on how to raise their children, but it’s important to remember that they are only guidelines. You’re the parental unit, tap into your instincts and do what YOU feel is best for your family.

Marshall has been a swing sleeper since day 1; he loves the cozy bassinet, he enjoys the movement and it makes him comfortable. He’s got a fully reclined bassinet swing so his chin is never resting on his chest, this sleep process has been 100% safe. However, he’s a big boy (yes, it could be those solid foods he’s chowing on)! He’s 5 Months old and sucking in to fit into 6 Month clothes and that poor swing struggles and creaks  as that 15-pounder slumbers.

He’s trying to sit up, he’s trying to roll over and he’s practicing his motor skills. It’s time to make the transition and what better way then to let him figure it out himself. Babies can create independence at such a young age and as a mom, I don’t want to hinder that process. Independence is one of the most valuable qualities we as humans contain.

Before implementing CIO and/or crib transition, it’s important to have a night-time routine. This will help set the stage for sleep, have this in place for a few weeks before trying CIO. Our night time routine goes like this:

6:15 – 6:30pm: Rice Cereal & 6-Ounce Bottle
6:45pm: Bath Time followed by baby massage and Jammies
7:00pm: Quiet time and cuddling with Mommy &/or Daddy (We don’t read to him or rock him, we just hold him and whisper I love you’s).
7:30pm: Fast Asleep

Matt & I decided to move forward with a slow transition, beginning with night time sleep (many try with naps at first, but remember, babies sleep best at night when they’ve had adequate naps). We let him nap in his swing and at night, we transition to the crib. After a great deal of researcher and a lengthy discussion with our Pediatrician, we settled on the Ferber method of Cy-It-Out.

Ferber says to lay your baby down drowsy but awake, give him a kiss and walk out. Once he starts crying, wait 3-Minutes to return to his room and soothe him (without picking him up) for no more than two minutes. The second time he cries, wait 5 Minutes, return to his room and soothe him for another two minutes. The third time and every subsequent time after, you wait 10 Minutes, soothe for 2 and repeat, repeat, repeat until the baby falls asleep. (More information on Ferber method can be found here).

*An important piece of information to note; when soothing, if you see your baby falling asleep it’s important to leave. You want the baby to see you leave the room.

We’ve decided to do a 5 night test (even if he’s falling asleep and staying asleep by night 2, we want to give it a lengthy time before making a conclusion on how CIO went for our family). I’ve detailed our experience with each night. I know it’s extensive but I hope it’s helpful. I went to many blogs looking for CIO advice and I never got the full information. What happens if they wake in the middle of the night? What happens if they wake early? What happens if they start rolling onto their tummies? I covered all of that in the first 3 nights.

Night 1:
3 Minutes, 5 Minutes, 10 Minutes

6:59pm: In crib drowsy but awake
7:06pm: Crying
7:09pm: Soothe
7:11pm: Crying
7:16pm: Soothe
7:20pm: Crying
7:30pm: Soothe
7:38pm: Crying
7:48pm: Soothe
7:56 – 8:30pm: Off and on crying for no more then 4 minutes at a time, he was calming himself down, then working himself up. He’d cry, I’d time it, he’d stop crying. He’d start crying and I’d time from the new cry.
8:30pm: Fell Asleep  (That was great, he eventually put himself to sleep! Yay. )

12:30am: Awake & Crying
12:33am: Soothe
12:45am: Asleep

4:30am: Awake & Crying
4:33am: Soothe
4:35am: Asleep
6:50am: Awake for the day

Night 2:
5 minutes, 10 Minutes, 12 Minutes

7:01pm: Lay down drowsy but awake (Before I even walked out, he had turned to his side and started dozing off).
7:05pm: Asleep
7:35pm: Dogs barked and woke him up (I wasn’t super pleased with this).
7:40pm: Soothe
7:50pm: Asleep

4:30am: Awake & Crying (Off & On)
5:00am: Went in to check and he had rolled onto his tummy, scared and not happy! I was a little worried to, so we had a hard time getting back to sleep. Que the morning.

Night 3:
7 Minutes, 12 Minutes, 15 Minutes

Now, on night 3, he decided to continue his adventure of rolling over onto his tummy.

7:00pm: Lay down drowsy but awake
7:05pm: Asleep
8:00pm: Rolled onto his tummy, awake and crying
8:05pm: Ran upstairs to roll him onto his back
8:15pm: Rolled onto his tummy, awake and crying

Let’s pause right here. Obviously he’s enjoying rolling onto his tummy, he’s just very unsure about this. Most parents are terrified that their babies will lay face down and stop breathing. Three things. 1) If he’s strong enough to roll over onto his tummy, he’s strong enough to lift his head. 2) Our parents were told to put us on our tummies to sleep, so it must be safe. 3) If you keep running in there to roll him over, you’ll never get any sleep. So, we let him cry it out on his tummy.

I want him to be comfortable and happy, I don’t want to scare him out of rolling onto his tummy. We’re teaching him to embrace it!

8:20pm: Went in, checked to make sure his head was to the side and rubbed his back
8:23pm: Asleep

2:00am: Awake & Crying
2:05am: Put himself back to sleep

4:30am: Awake & Crying
4:40am: Soothed
4:45am: Asleep

5:50am: Awake & Crying
6:10am: Soothed
6:12am: Asleep

7:00am: Awake for the Day

It seems to me that he’s mastered falling asleep on his own but now our two challenges are 1) Making sure he’s comfy on his tummy and 2) Teaching him that 4:00am is not morning time. It’s important to me that he knows we don’t wake up before 7:00am.

Night 4:
10 Minutes, 13 Minutes, 16 Minutes

6:58pm: Lay down drowsy but awake
7:00pm: Whimpering
7:02pm: Stopped crying, rolled around, played with his hands, talked to himself
7:15pm: Asleep

4:30am: Awake and Fussy
4:40am: Soothe
4:45am: Fussy
5:00am: Soothe
5:30am: Fussy
6:00am: Asleep
7:30am: Awake

We made HUGE accomplishments on him putting himself to sleep and sleeping through the night.  Still working on the morning routine, but hey, he’s doing GREAT!!

Night 5:
10 Minutes, 13 Minutes, 16 Minutes

7:00pm: Lay down drowsy but awake
7:00pm – 7:15pm: Playing, talking, whimpering
7:16pm: Asleep

1:30am: Awake & Crying
1:40am: Soothe
1:43am: Asleep

6:30am: Awake for the Day

Well there you have it, I am so proud of Marshall, and while we still have some work to do, we’ve come so far. We used to rock him to sleep, then spend an hour getting him back to sleep after he woke up. He used to wake up in the middle of the night and it’d take an hour to get him back down. Now i don’t stress if he wakes up at 1, i know he’ll be back down within 10 minutes max. We’re still working on this early morning wake up, in due time.

Thanks for reading through our adventure. I recommend Ferber CIO to any parent who needs to make a transition or teach their little one to sleep through the night. I also LOVE that he was a swing sleeper, the swing helped him learn how to soothe. I’ll be using the swing for all of my kids!!

Once we’re ready to make the transition from swing to crib for nap times, I’ll post!

Whether you bike there or hike there, Boulder is where you want to find yourself.  For the outdoor enthusiast, the beer aficionado or the cuisine fanatic; happiness and pleasure will catch your soul. Not only does Boulder glow with 360 days of sunshine but it also showers you with the gift of low humidity and all-season perfection. And let’s be serious, waking up with a view of The Rocky Mountains ain’t too shabby.

Lucky for you, Boulder has made it easy to enjoy this well praised weather. The natural liveliness will allow you to experience the mountainside with your family, friends or favorite canines. The Colorado summers offer hikers & bikers alluring trails that wind through trees and hillsides where you’ll spot sensational wildlife & native forest. The level of difficulty ranges from easy to hard; giving everyone a chance to combat the wilderness.

Some of the favorites include tenderfoot Loop Trail a 2.5-mile treck, the 3.1-mile Mount Sanitas Loop and a 2-mile trail called Bitterbrush. Soak in the sun, taste the fresh air and tighten your laces; the journey is yours. Afterwards, reward yourself with award-winning dishes and brews.

Often frequented by the famous foodies, Boulder restaurants live in a gracious light. Adam Richman took down a larger than large pizza at Beau Jo’s, Michael Chiarello enjoyed the Fried Pineapple Wrapped Speck at Frasca and Guy Fieri featured The Sink on the famous Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives spectacle.  The all too popular Pearl Street in Downtown Boulder is home to many more tummy pleasing eateries, the selections are endless and the varieties keep even the pickiest indulged.

Complimenting the grub delicacies are the breweries. Colorado is showered with these thirst-quenching rest stops, offering folks a casual home away from home.  Scattered around town are homegrown Ales, Browns, Porters and Stouts. Locations are filled with locals, one-guitar-man bands and game rooms. These are perfect for outdoor athletes; looking for a place to rehydrate after those Sunday morning rides. Avery, Boulder Beer, Mountain Sun, Twisted Pine and Walnut Brewery all welcome you with open arms. And if you want to see them all in one day, Call Banjo Billy’s Bus Tours, they’ll charter you on an educational drinking tour of the breweries.

When residents aren’t chasing the sun and “shredding the gnarr” (A Boulder term pegged for snowboarding), they’re keeping their pockets full with convivial jobs. Google keeps up with the mountainess town by housing an indoor rock-climbing wall for its employee’s leisure. Not in the mood to rock-climb? Relax and shoot pool, there are tables throughout the office. Crispin Porter and Bogusky, a large Ad Agency with an office in Boulder knows how to keep the youth alive.  Fit with CPB bus transportation, a stocked kitchen, coffee vendor, beer fridges, fire poles and dog-friendly environment; it keeps the workers happy and grinning.

The work environment fit with the outdoor activities, breweries and restaurants make for joyous living. Boulder natives are among the most laid-back and easy-going folks you’ll meet. The real treasure is the relationships you’ll build. Get out there, fancy the mountains and be gratified.