Crying it Out Myths

One of my friends posted an article on Facebook about how damaging Crying it Out can be for a baby. It got me thinking about some people I know and how they use crying it out for sleep training. Then I got angry because all of us parents who use CIO (crying it out) the "proper way" are being attacked by the media and other parents when really the people who should be in trouble are the ones who use it but are completely uneducated about it!

I know I may ruffle some feathers here, but I feel that I need to make a few things clear.

First of all, and this one if my personal opinion; crying it out is not to be used before a baby is about 6 months old and can sleep through the night without feedings. If you are not feeding your baby in the night when he/she needs to nurse or have a bottle, you are depriving your baby of his or her needs. Babies over 6 months do not require nighttime feedings, but before that age they do. It doesn't matter if you are adding cereal to their bottles (big no-no in my books anyway) or feeding them a snack before bed and they are 5 months old. Their tiny tummies can't hold enough food or milk to last them the night.

Second point; No baby, especially a small one should be left to cry for hours on end without being soothed, calmed or reassured that you are there for them. Babies need their parents and to feel secure. If you just drop your baby off in their crib and go to bed for the night allowing them to scream and cry for hours until they can "soothe themselves" there is no doubt that this can cause mental harm to them. This is a huge mistake that a lot of people I know make. They don't read any information and just assume that crying it out means to let them cry until they fall asleep....and we all know what assume spells- ASS out of u and me! Crying it out involves going in and soothing your child in increasing time increments. So, every 5, 10, 15... minutes you need to check on them, lay them back down, rub their head, whatever calms them. It is not a quick- fix method. It takes effort and time.

Basically what I'm saying is that people need to educate themselves before they even try CIO. There are guidelines which should be followed for a reason. Babies still require their basic needs to be met (such as diaper changes and reassurance if needed) at any age . If parents don't follow these guidelines, these babies could result in emotionally damaged human beings.

It really scares me to think that to some parents their sleep is more important than meeting the needs of their children. Don't get me wrong, I have two children of my own and have felt sleep deprivation first hand but when you make that decision to become a parent, you also make the decision to put your child first.

Keep in mind that this is only my opinion, since it is my blog after all but I had to get this off my chest. Phew!

Stuffed Meatloaf Muffins

I thought I should finally get around to posting one my family's favorite recipes. It's a little time consuming, but so very tasty. Even Abbey loves them! They are a great recipe for cold winter days because you can heat the house and have a nice, warm meal.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/2 Cup Milk
3/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 Box of stuffing mix, prepared

1) Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl.

2) Pack mixture onto bottom and sides of lightly greased muffin tins leaving enough of the meat mixture to cover the tops of the "muffins".

3) Pack a little bit of stuffing into each cavity in the muffin pan.

4) Use remaining meat mixture to made "lids" for the muffins and pinch down around the edges to seal the stuffing in.

5) Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes.

6) Allow to cool a couple of minutes then remove from muffin tins and enjoy!

Note: Sometimes I make a gravy to go with this like beef or mushroom gravy.

Happy Birthday Doodle Bug!

One year ago tomorrow, after a very short labor I held little Abbey Florence Rose in my arms for the first time. I can't believe that it has been a year already!

Her little face was so beautiful and she had so much hair on that little head! She looked so different from her sister but was just as precious.

The moment she was born, I knew our family was complete. I had a feeling of completeness that I had never felt before.

Since she was born, she has changed immensely. Her hair turned from dark brown to blond, her face has changed and she has developed her own little personality. She loves snuggles from whoever who will give them, is very attached to her soother "Jefferey" and loves her meat and bread. Playing chase with her sister or the dog are her favorite pass times. She has developed a strong dislike for hats and mittens (just great for winter in a cold climate!). Abbey has learned to scoot, stand and take a few steps on her own but still can't quite get the hang of the whole walking thing yet. I have a feeling she's not far off though!

Happy 1st birthday sweetheart, we love you so very much!

Happy 2013!

Wow, I can't believe it's 2013 already, Every time I say the year, it makes me feel old! I remember when I was small and thought that by 2013 we would live on the moon and have flying cars!

We have a New Year's Eve tradition at our house and we followed it again this year. We get a bunch of appetizers, champagne and Christmas crackers and have dinner together followed by a movie. This year we loaded up on Asian appetizers and a giant shrimp ring and got some "kid champagne" (sparkling apple juice) because of Ceili and the fact that I am breastfeeding and didn't want to have alcohol. We had a delicious and fun night!

Every year at New Year's I reflect on the past year. What a year we had! We started the year off with a new baby then Matt went out of town the next week with work and I enjoyed a visit from my sister from B.C. I eased into having two kids much better than I had imagined. I have to admit, it is a bit more difficult now that Abbey's on the move, but it isn't as insane as I had thought it would be. I have learned alot about myself while dealing with these two little versions of myself! I celebrated my 30th birthday and my big girl turned 4 years old! We also saw her start school in 2012, meet new friends and grow and change so much. We enjoyed a family vacation to Cuba in June and survived the crazy flight home. We also got our new pup Boots this past year. So much has happened! There have been ups and downs, but we survived another year and when I look back I see much more good than bad.

Here are a couple of photos of our wonderful New Year's as a family.

Wishing you and your families a very Happy New Year and wonderful things in 2013!

Ceili and her "kid champagne"

Abbey didn't like her New Year's hat so much!

Christmas Catch-up

I apologize for the large gap in posts. Christmas at our house was very busy and required a lot of preparation this year. I made Christmas dinner for 13 family members and cooked my first turkey. It was a massive 19 pounder and was a little scary, but I managed just fine! Knowing that 13 people's hungry tummies are depending on you making a delicious dinner puts some pressure on a person!

Christmas morning was wonderful for us. We invited my parents for present opening and breakfast. It was so nice to have them there with us and watching the looks on the kids faces as they opened their gifts. We opened stockings, ate breakfast (a yummy cake I found on Pinterest) and then went back to opening more gifts! I got almost everything I asked for- a griddle for making pancakes, a new pedometer, There were alot of gifts this year, but my favorite gift was having all of my family together. It was very cold outside, but our house was warm and cozy and full of love!

Here are a few photos from Christmas at the Thompson household.

Why Are You Running Away?

This past week I have encountered a lot of people I know who are running away from things. It's bothering me for a number of reasons, so I thought I'd better spill it in my blog!

First it was a friend who was a member of a group of a few women on Facebook. We all had babies in December 2011 and January 2012 and we have all become very close. She just found out that her daughter has a health problem and is understandably upset. She had left our group for some reason and has now shut off her Facebook account because she doesn't want anyone to say anything to her other than "I'm sorry" or "I'm praying for you". She said she doesn't want to look on the positive side or hear any other comments. I understand that some people can be rude in their comments, but I don't see why that would be a reason to close your entire Facebook account. She is running away from the people who care about her when really she should be running to these people who have their arms open to give her a huge hug. Our moms group is so wonderful and supportive and we are always there for eachother and do not criticize. I just cannot understand why she wouldn't want to take the support. I know that's what I need most when I'm dealing with alot of stress.

The next was my sister in law. Once again, Facebook related but she took my husband and myself off of her friends list without saying anything to us. I sent her a message mentioning it and she said that Facebook makes her sad. I guess when I said I was happy to find a reliable babysitter, that upset her because she loves to babysit our girls but our oldest just decided that she didn't like staying there anymore. Unfortunately, I only found this out today after 3 days of wondering what the heck was going on. She avoided the whole issue until my hubby blew up at her because she wouldn't say why she was upset. Once again, someone running away. She ran away from a discussion that could have very easily solved the problem but instead it turned into a huge problem! She called me crying this morning. I told her that she should have just told us why she was removing us and I'm sure it would have been fine.

I understand that everyone has their own way of dealing with things, but shutting people out isn't the answer. We are only human; sometimes we hurt, we cry and we need eachother. Without support in tough times, we can and will crumble.

So a note to my friends; thank you for your support when I have needed it (keep it up!) and I am always here if you have a problem with me, a problem in life or just need a shoulder! I don't want to hear "I needed to talk to someone, but...." because I am here. Don't try to hold it in and be strong because eventually it will eat you up inside. This is something I have learned in my 30 years of life and feel the need to pass on.

All for My Girls

Today I finally did the thing I was dreading and went into my work and had a meeting with my boss about going back to work. For a few weeks now, I knew I had to go in and tell him what Matt and I had decided and I was even having nighmares about it!

I dropped Ceili off at preschool and headed over to work. I visited with everyone there for a bit then went in to talk to my boss. I told him that my family was #1 right now and I just can't imagine leaving my girls to go back to work at least at this point in their lives. When they are young, these are the most precious years. They are learning so much and I want to be there to see watch them grow and change. I was amazed that he was very understanding and said that if I ever decide that I want to return, he will be more than willing to re-hire me there.

I did enjoy working there very much, they are a great company and the office was so small that it was like a family too. Everyone worked well together and they were very supportive when I had to leave and go on bed rest and maternity leave. I don't think I have every worked for such a great company before. I definitely would consider going back to work there once the girls are both in school full-time.

So, I am now a stay-at-home Mommy and am proud to say that our girls are my full time job now. Being a Mommy is more work than any other job you will find, but it's so worth it and so rewarding!