Babies, Parties, Showers, New Homes, & Juicing All Rolled into One!

Last night I didn't try sleep training again ... she fell asleep nursing in my arms while I watched the documentary "Fat, Sick, and Almost Dead" on Netflix with my husband, Mark.  She was so peaceful sleeping I didn't want to go through the horrid crying spells again last night.  I know I need to and the sooner the better for all of us - especially her in the long run.  "Technically" our Pediatrician said not to let her cry it out until she's 6 months old.  Mark told her that was music to my ears (which it was), so the countdown is on ... she'll be 6 months old in a couple of weeks.  Sometimes I wonder if it's possible to love your baby too much, then I remind myself there is not such thing as loving too much.  The problems lies when people love so much they enable and hinder another's growth.  That is what I do not want to do.

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Next subject: The documentary we watched was unbelievable!  I do believe that people can be addicted to food, not in the sense of obsession over it like an individual with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia, but truly unable to stop eating unhealthy foods.  Being a therapist and working in a residential treatment center I saw many alcoholics and drug addicts switch their addiction to food while they were in treatment.  I have struggled with eating too much junk food and knowing I need to make a change, but not having the discipline to do it.  Time is also another great excuse because eating healthy takes more time.  So often I have said "I didn't have time" - fact of the matter is, I had time - I just chose to do something else with it.  

Mark and I purchased a juicer to start adding more vegetables and fruits to our daily nutritional intake.  Neither of us has a goal to lose weight, but would love the added benefits of more energy and a healthier lifestyle.  Doing a complete detox is not something I can do right now because I'm nursing Allie, but it's something I may try down the road if I think it will benefit me.  My sister is in medical school and she informed me that unless I have an illness of some sort my body is extremely efficient in riding itself of toxins, therefore a complete detox isn't necessary.  More on that as we try it out and experience the benefits.  :)

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We have 2 sets of friends that recently welcomed their little boys into this world.  On April 1st our friends  had a little baby boy about 8 weeks early.  All is well with mommy & baby!  He's putting on weight and eating out of a bottle now.  I'm so happy for them and so excited for them as they enter into parenthood because I know they will be amazing parents.  On April 16th our other friends also had their little miracle boy weighing it at 8 lbs 12 oz and this mommy was ALL BABY!  They are doing well and we can't wait to meet this little man!  They will be wonderful as parents and love this process of learning and loving.  

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We are getting ready to move into a new house and leave the house we have been in for nearly 6 years.  It is bitter sweet because I will miss the home that we are in now, it holds so many memories, but this is the last time we plan on moving until all our children are grown up and moved out (and moved back home and moved back out).  I know we will make that house our home and it will evolve over time.  It's amazing how much stuff I have ... I wonder how much of it I would really miss if it just got thrown away.  My goal is to either throw away, give away, or sell 1/3 of the things that I have.  That is the great parts about moving - clear out the clutter!  :D

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I am throwing a bachlorette party for a good friend of mine once we move in and found these adorable, cheap, & easy to make invitations on Pinterest today.  I am very excited about them!!!  Pinterest Bachlorette Party Invites  Now, I'm on the hunt for a baby shower one that is just as cute and easy to make for another friend of mine.  

Sleep Training an Infant ... Might Be The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done!

I am a wife and mother of a 5 1/2 month old little girl!  I never thought I could love someone as much as I do her!  I've had others tell me that you don't know what love is until you've had a child and I could empathize with that, but the real feeling - WOW - it's one that words can not describe.

I am going to Vegas in a couple of weeks for my cousin's 21st Birthday and I will be leaving my little precious girl home with her daddy for almost 4 days.  (Anxiety!)  My husband is a wonderful father, but I'm so emotionally connected to her and it will be very difficult for me to leave her for that amount of time.  I've also spoiled her badly and let her sleep in bed with me, co-sleeping is what they call it, because she loves it and honestly I do too.  After 9 months of having her in my tummy it was very difficult to leave her crying alone, plus I'm a big snuggler.  Not to mention the added (selfish) bonus of nightly feedings just rolling over and letting her eat and fall back asleep.  Now though, we have reached quite a dilemma ... how will she go to sleep while I'm gone?

So, It's 11:15pm and I am listening to her scream from the other room as if she is in horrific pain.  I've been doing this for an hour now and I don't know how much longer I can take it.  I've been in there at 15 minute increments to try and sooth her and give her a binky and talk softly to her, but she just keeps screaming.  I don't know how other people do this!  As a mother we want to protect our children from any type of pain and although she's not experiencing any physical pain she is in deep emotional pain.  When I've gone in there she's shaking and crying SO HARD it makes me cry!  At daycare they are able to lay her down in her pack n play (which I have her in) with her soft blanket and they say she might cry 5 minutes and then she'll go to sleep.  Huh?!  I'd like to know their secret!  I've read several studies on the effects the "cry it out" (CIO) method have on babies later in life and their findings come back with little to no difference in other sleep techniques psychologically.  I'm not sure how to take that long term information and make it make sense in the short term.  Ugh!  Can't do it any longer, I've got to go get her and sooth her!  I failed at this technique.