For 3 weeks, I have been eating low sodium meals. It has been interesting cooking/eating the same foods I normally would eat, but without much of the sodium. I have made chicken fettucini alfredo, spaghetti, pizza, bread, white bean soup, cinnamon rolls, monkey bread, applesauce cake, chocolate cake, and baked chicken & pork chops. It's ALL been good, but when you only know one taste, or how you think something should taste, only to taste it different, THAT will take some getting acclimated to a new taste.
Garlic is in every cooked meal, along with olive oil. I've been using lots of onions as well. I have purchased the "Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices, & Flavorings" by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz as a resource and textbook to help me learn what spices go great with certain foods and together.
And how do I feel???
I feel great!! I have more energy and don't feel as sluggish after eating a large(r) meal. I also have noticed that I am not nearly as short of breath as I used to be. Before I changed my diet, whenever I would read my little Espresso a story, I was always stopping to catch my breath. It's great to read with ease and without huffing and puffing like the big, bad wolf.
I have lost three pounds and have kept that off, despite being unable to get the gym to exercise and eating ANYTHING and EVERYTHING I have wanted, that is low sodium. I can't complain about that!! :):)
I do allow myself the odd indulgence. At the Super Bowl party we attended last night, I enjoyed a brat and some chili. I'm not going to be THAT strict that I won't let myself enjoy food altogether! :) Mmm...that brat was awesome last night :)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Dr. Mom
This past week my little Espresso has been down and out. He's been running a fever, (on and off), been completely lethargic, and all he wants to do is cuddle with his mommy (or daddy) and watch Thomas the Train or David Phelps (http://www.davidphelps.com/ ). We took him to the doctor and they could find nothing "wrong" with him, with the exception that his tonsils were slightly swollen and most likely that was due to him screaming (he's not a fan of the doctors office). The biggest concern I had was not his fever, but his lack of eating. It is now day 5 of my little Espresso eating very little or nothing at all. Thankfully, my Espresso is drinking is fill of juice and cold chocolate! :)
I have been beside myself trying to figure out what is causing my Espresso to be a decaf! Tonight, I had an "AH-HA" moment.
Before I tell you what the "AH-HA" is, let me first state that I completely respect the medical field and our son's pediatrician. Doctors know a WHOLE lot more than I do! However, no doctor can know your child as well as you. When they make a diagnosis, or not, they simply go on the symptoms you tell them. They do not know moods and patterns. They simply know what the books tell them and what normal patterns SHOULD be. But, if they are honest, they would realize that there is no such thing as normal and EVERY child is different. It would be too easy if we were all robots or lemmings.
My "AH-HA!"
My pint-size Espresso is a horrible teether - I mean, HORRIBLE. He's whiney, fussy, grumpy, needy and down right unpleasant to be around. He was also a late teether. He got his first tooth one week after his first birthday. Since then, all but five of his teeth have come in within the last 9 months. I tell people, "we've been in a constant state of teething since his first birthday."
The last two times a new set of teeth have begun pushing through his gums (1st set of molars and canines), my Espresso developed a very high fever. In both instances, he woke up with a fever of 104 but by the end of the day, he was back to normal in every possible way.
Now...he's working on a new set of molars.
I know what the doctors say and what every teething article online will tell you. Your child may have a low-grade fever, but if their fever is above 101 it is NOT due to teething. And here's my side note: if ever I read another article that says your child should not be bothered by teething, I'm tempted to write the author and ask them if they have children themselves!
It is a coincidence that the last three times a new set of teeth have started to push down on my son's gums, he has gotten a fever?? And that a fever has been his ONLY symptom? This Dr. Mom does not think so. I do believe my son had some other virus (possibly) that added to everything this week, but tonight, after feeling his swollen gums, I knew some, if not most of this, was due to teething.
So, I buck the experts!
I have been beside myself trying to figure out what is causing my Espresso to be a decaf! Tonight, I had an "AH-HA" moment.
Before I tell you what the "AH-HA" is, let me first state that I completely respect the medical field and our son's pediatrician. Doctors know a WHOLE lot more than I do! However, no doctor can know your child as well as you. When they make a diagnosis, or not, they simply go on the symptoms you tell them. They do not know moods and patterns. They simply know what the books tell them and what normal patterns SHOULD be. But, if they are honest, they would realize that there is no such thing as normal and EVERY child is different. It would be too easy if we were all robots or lemmings.
My "AH-HA!"
My pint-size Espresso is a horrible teether - I mean, HORRIBLE. He's whiney, fussy, grumpy, needy and down right unpleasant to be around. He was also a late teether. He got his first tooth one week after his first birthday. Since then, all but five of his teeth have come in within the last 9 months. I tell people, "we've been in a constant state of teething since his first birthday."
The last two times a new set of teeth have begun pushing through his gums (1st set of molars and canines), my Espresso developed a very high fever. In both instances, he woke up with a fever of 104 but by the end of the day, he was back to normal in every possible way.
Now...he's working on a new set of molars.
I know what the doctors say and what every teething article online will tell you. Your child may have a low-grade fever, but if their fever is above 101 it is NOT due to teething. And here's my side note: if ever I read another article that says your child should not be bothered by teething, I'm tempted to write the author and ask them if they have children themselves!
It is a coincidence that the last three times a new set of teeth have started to push down on my son's gums, he has gotten a fever?? And that a fever has been his ONLY symptom? This Dr. Mom does not think so. I do believe my son had some other virus (possibly) that added to everything this week, but tonight, after feeling his swollen gums, I knew some, if not most of this, was due to teething.
So, I buck the experts!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Cold chocolate?
Taking a break from Tinnitus...
My little pint-size, never ending energy Espresso has never liked to drink much. He gets that from his daddy. We always had a hard time getting him to drink anything, including sweet things, like juice.
A few weeks ago we had a blizzard, by southern terms, and I took my son out to play in the snow. We got wet and cold, and what you look forward to the most is coming in for some hot chocolate. Of course, I obliged!
Recently, we went to Chick-fil-a for dinner (before I gave up that sort of food) and I ordered a kids meal with chocolate milk for my E. I thought he would like it and hoped he would drink more than his usual amount. He has, after all, inherited my sweet tooth. :) His first sip of chocolate milk, he said, "hot chocolate." My husband and I corrected him and said, "No. This is cold. It's chocolate milk." He took another sip, "hot chocolate." We repeated our explanation that he was drinking something cold. From that conversation, ALL that stuck was cold, and our little Espresso is now a fan of "cold chocolate."
Every day at every meal I am asked, "cold chocolate?"
Cold chocolate, anyone?
My little pint-size, never ending energy Espresso has never liked to drink much. He gets that from his daddy. We always had a hard time getting him to drink anything, including sweet things, like juice.
A few weeks ago we had a blizzard, by southern terms, and I took my son out to play in the snow. We got wet and cold, and what you look forward to the most is coming in for some hot chocolate. Of course, I obliged!
Recently, we went to Chick-fil-a for dinner (before I gave up that sort of food) and I ordered a kids meal with chocolate milk for my E. I thought he would like it and hoped he would drink more than his usual amount. He has, after all, inherited my sweet tooth. :) His first sip of chocolate milk, he said, "hot chocolate." My husband and I corrected him and said, "No. This is cold. It's chocolate milk." He took another sip, "hot chocolate." We repeated our explanation that he was drinking something cold. From that conversation, ALL that stuck was cold, and our little Espresso is now a fan of "cold chocolate."
Every day at every meal I am asked, "cold chocolate?"
Cold chocolate, anyone?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tinnitus and food!!
Tinnitus – that awful ringing, hissing sound in your ear. It’s 2010 and doctors STILL do not know what causes Tinnitus. An easy diagnosis would be going to too many rock concerts, but when that doesn’t apply to people like myself (never been to a rock concert), it’s leaves the doctors stumped. Ear infections (which I had my share of as a child) is the next diagnosis, but why? Why? The age, old question.
In doing research on Tinnitus, two things kept coming up over and over – diet & high blood pressure. It’s known that your diet can cause high blood pressure, but perhaps, Tinnitus also?
Below are a few excerpts of what I discovered in regards to food & Tinnitus.
Salt:
Excess salt restricts blood vessels, increases blood pressure and reduces blood flow into the ears, eyes and brain. Increased blood pressure is directly linked to increased tinnitus.
Sugar:
The brain and auditory system have no inherent food supply. They are completely dependent on the regular delivery of oxygen and glucose (sugar) from the blood supply. When this supply of nutrients is disturbed or interrupted, imbalance and damage can occur. Studies have shown that 84% to 92% of people with tinnitus have a sugar metabolism disorder known as hyperinsulinemia. This is characterized by increased levels of insulin in the bloodstream. Hyperinsulinemia occurs because the body becomes insensitive to insulin and ineffective in delivering sugar to the cells, where it is needed. Therefore the pancreas produces more and more insulin in order to process blood sugar.
Sugar substitutes:
Aspartame, along with Glutamate, is an excitatory neuro-transmitter in the brain. It causes neurons to fire repeatedly until they become depleted and die. This causes untold damage to the nervous system and can lead to neuro-degenerative conditions including tinnitus.
MSG:
MSG breaks down to Glutamate in the body. Glutamate, like Aspartame, is an excitatory neuro-transmitter that triggers neurons to fire until they become depleted and die. In fact, for many of us, Glutamate is the primary villain causing our tinnitus. When hearing hair cells in the cochlea are damaged, by noise exposure, ototoxic medications, infection or many other causes, they release excess amounts of Glutamate. This Glutamate floods the neuro-receptors in the auditory pathway and excites them to the point where they fire continuously. During the course of neuron death, tremendous amounts of free radicals are released which continue the damage to the neurons. This type of tinnitus known as Cochlear-Synaptic Tinnitus is the exact condition experienced by those of us with hearing loss and tinnitus.
Fats:
Saturated and trans-fats have multiple negative effects on the body and tinnitus. Saturated fats are not recommended for those with diabetes or hyperinsulinemia. They also increase bad cholesterol (LDL), decrease good cholesterol (HDL), increase triglycerides and lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is not only a risk factor in heart disease and stroke but also significantly reduces blood flow. People with tinnitus need to increase blood flow to the inner ear to remove toxins and maintain healthy cells. Tinnitus, in fact, can be caused by nothing more than decreased blood flow to the inner ear.
http://www.tinnitusformula.com/infocenter/articles/treatments/diet.aspx
In doing research on Tinnitus, two things kept coming up over and over – diet & high blood pressure. It’s known that your diet can cause high blood pressure, but perhaps, Tinnitus also?
Below are a few excerpts of what I discovered in regards to food & Tinnitus.
Salt:
Excess salt restricts blood vessels, increases blood pressure and reduces blood flow into the ears, eyes and brain. Increased blood pressure is directly linked to increased tinnitus.
Sugar:
The brain and auditory system have no inherent food supply. They are completely dependent on the regular delivery of oxygen and glucose (sugar) from the blood supply. When this supply of nutrients is disturbed or interrupted, imbalance and damage can occur. Studies have shown that 84% to 92% of people with tinnitus have a sugar metabolism disorder known as hyperinsulinemia. This is characterized by increased levels of insulin in the bloodstream. Hyperinsulinemia occurs because the body becomes insensitive to insulin and ineffective in delivering sugar to the cells, where it is needed. Therefore the pancreas produces more and more insulin in order to process blood sugar.
Sugar substitutes:
Aspartame, along with Glutamate, is an excitatory neuro-transmitter in the brain. It causes neurons to fire repeatedly until they become depleted and die. This causes untold damage to the nervous system and can lead to neuro-degenerative conditions including tinnitus.
MSG:
MSG breaks down to Glutamate in the body. Glutamate, like Aspartame, is an excitatory neuro-transmitter that triggers neurons to fire until they become depleted and die. In fact, for many of us, Glutamate is the primary villain causing our tinnitus. When hearing hair cells in the cochlea are damaged, by noise exposure, ototoxic medications, infection or many other causes, they release excess amounts of Glutamate. This Glutamate floods the neuro-receptors in the auditory pathway and excites them to the point where they fire continuously. During the course of neuron death, tremendous amounts of free radicals are released which continue the damage to the neurons. This type of tinnitus known as Cochlear-Synaptic Tinnitus is the exact condition experienced by those of us with hearing loss and tinnitus.
Fats:
Saturated and trans-fats have multiple negative effects on the body and tinnitus. Saturated fats are not recommended for those with diabetes or hyperinsulinemia. They also increase bad cholesterol (LDL), decrease good cholesterol (HDL), increase triglycerides and lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is not only a risk factor in heart disease and stroke but also significantly reduces blood flow. People with tinnitus need to increase blood flow to the inner ear to remove toxins and maintain healthy cells. Tinnitus, in fact, can be caused by nothing more than decreased blood flow to the inner ear.
http://www.tinnitusformula.com/infocenter/articles/treatments/diet.aspx
Sunday, January 17, 2010
A change to ALL natural
I have, once again, started blogging. I have adopted a new lifestyle and have learned so much about natural eating and ALL it’s benefits, I feel compelled to share.
My new lifestyle change happened just recently as I went to the doctors for “dry skin.” I didn’t know what else to call it – my skin did not FEEL dry, but I was itching everywhere on my body. The doctor said I some inflammation, gave me a prescription for some soothing drops and Prednisone and sent me home. I have never been one to just “pop a pill” when something is wrong. I try to find some “natural” way. During the routine vital check at the doctors, my blood pressure checked in at 141/96. For my age, height and weight, that is extremely high. Although I take my blood pressure periodically at home, it never has been that high, so either, I PANIC when I go the doctors and it’s just a one time thing, or I do have a high bp issue and I’m just not catching at home. Either way, this started me on the path to change.
The final straw was Tinnitus. In 2009, I had surgeries in both my ears to correct Otosclerosis. A symptom of Otosclerosis is Tinnitus. The surgeon told me that fixing my Otosclerosis would fix my Tinnitus. It has not. This drove me to the Internet to see if there was ANYTHING I could do to alleviate or lessen the ringing in my ears. While I do not claim to be a doctor, I do believe it is possible to come to the correct conclusions about ailments via the information on the Internet. During my research I discovered that high blood pressure and Tinnitus go hand in hand. I also learned that food plays a huge part in regards to Tinnitus. I won’t go into details just yet, but from what I learned, I have adopted a Mediterranean style of eating. I also have cut out all processed, pre-made, pre-packaged food. I am going all natural and all organic.
I have only been eating this way for a week, but I have noticed a major change in how I feel physically (SSSSOOOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER) and at times, the ringing in my ears has seemed to be not as loud, but I’m not ready to say I’ve found the cure-all.
This change has not been as difficult as what I thought it would be. I am doing this because I KNOW I NEED too PHYSICALLY and for my HEALTH. That has made all the difference to me. It’s just been a matter of perspective.
My new lifestyle change happened just recently as I went to the doctors for “dry skin.” I didn’t know what else to call it – my skin did not FEEL dry, but I was itching everywhere on my body. The doctor said I some inflammation, gave me a prescription for some soothing drops and Prednisone and sent me home. I have never been one to just “pop a pill” when something is wrong. I try to find some “natural” way. During the routine vital check at the doctors, my blood pressure checked in at 141/96. For my age, height and weight, that is extremely high. Although I take my blood pressure periodically at home, it never has been that high, so either, I PANIC when I go the doctors and it’s just a one time thing, or I do have a high bp issue and I’m just not catching at home. Either way, this started me on the path to change.
The final straw was Tinnitus. In 2009, I had surgeries in both my ears to correct Otosclerosis. A symptom of Otosclerosis is Tinnitus. The surgeon told me that fixing my Otosclerosis would fix my Tinnitus. It has not. This drove me to the Internet to see if there was ANYTHING I could do to alleviate or lessen the ringing in my ears. While I do not claim to be a doctor, I do believe it is possible to come to the correct conclusions about ailments via the information on the Internet. During my research I discovered that high blood pressure and Tinnitus go hand in hand. I also learned that food plays a huge part in regards to Tinnitus. I won’t go into details just yet, but from what I learned, I have adopted a Mediterranean style of eating. I also have cut out all processed, pre-made, pre-packaged food. I am going all natural and all organic.
I have only been eating this way for a week, but I have noticed a major change in how I feel physically (SSSSOOOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER) and at times, the ringing in my ears has seemed to be not as loud, but I’m not ready to say I’ve found the cure-all.
This change has not been as difficult as what I thought it would be. I am doing this because I KNOW I NEED too PHYSICALLY and for my HEALTH. That has made all the difference to me. It’s just been a matter of perspective.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
A year in review
My little Espresso turned 1 a couple weeks ago. Unlike most parents, I didn't think the first year flew by too fast. There were times I thought it was dragging on incredibly slow. I think that could have been due in part to my anticipation of my Espresso reaching certain milestones, which he did not reach in a "normal" time frame.
My hubby and I were discussing last night, after our Espresso FINALLY had his first tooth come in, that since about the 6th month, our son has been on his own time table with development and milestones. He took a LONG time to crawl, his first tooth did not come in within his first year, and he has no real interest in pulling up or even standing (even if we hold him), while so many other babies are walking, or at least pulling up and/or cruising, by their first birthday.
What I have noticed about my Espresso is that he seems MUCH more mentally aware, alert, cognizant and perceptive than many other babies his age. Perhaps I'm just a proud, biased parent, but when we compare his mental abilities and alertness with other babies his age, our Espresso surpasses them all. If I am in the room with my Espresso, it is impossible for me to sneak out of the room, sneak in the room or sneak anything by him. When he casts glances in my direction, it doesn't take very long for the little neurons to connect in his brain - he knows something is going on and all eyes are on me or what I'm trying to "sneak" by him. He notices new things almost instantaneously. We don't have to wait for him to find it. When we enter a room, his eyes are always scanning the room and he'll find that "new thing" within seconds. Today while we were at the park, there were two identical twin boys dressed the same. I watched my Espresso try to figure out how there were two of them. He kept looking back and forth between the boys. I think he finally figured it out, but he never took his eyes off those boys. He could have cared less about swinging (something he loves). Instead, he was more interested in the boys playing around him.
Now that the weather is warm, we go on walks, sometimes several in a day. Once again, our Espresso scans the world around him. He reaches out his hand to touch plants, notices street signs and wants to see what is on them, and is captivated by trees (trees have done that to him since he was 2 months old). When he spots another walker, he starts to wave even if they are over a block away. Unfortunately, most of the time, they do not see him, so he doesn't get a wave back. In stores, I think his arm is going to fall off he waves so much and will have the strongest cheek muscles from smiling at everyone who walks by. He also watches with incredible perception and curiosity everything I put in the shopping cart. He does not take his eyes off the item. When he recognizes his Cheerio box or some other treat I buy for him, he starts to reach for it, which I then have to let him hold it, until he sees something else more interesting he'd like to hold and tosses the whatever it is he's holding on to the floor.
His curiosity level is amazing. We see no point in buying toys. Our Espresso is interested in everything in this house and ends up playing with nightlights to coasters rather than his own toys. The other day, our Espresso escaped beyond the gate into the hallway to his room. In that hallway is a nightlight that helps us find our way to his room, if our son should wake up in the middle of the night. (Thankfully, that has come to an end!) Our little Espresso saw that nightlight and immediately made a b-line for it. Of course, he pulled it off and chewed on it a few times, but what surprised my hubby and I is that he tried to put it back in, and almost (coordination still a bit weak) was able to do so.
While our little Espresso doesn't have many words in his vocabulary, the one word he uses the most is "touch." And he wants to "touch" everything - particularly electronics. He knows those buttons do things and it's his goal to figure out what.
I like that he is (always been) curious about the world around him. I do hope he stays this way.
My hubby and I were discussing last night, after our Espresso FINALLY had his first tooth come in, that since about the 6th month, our son has been on his own time table with development and milestones. He took a LONG time to crawl, his first tooth did not come in within his first year, and he has no real interest in pulling up or even standing (even if we hold him), while so many other babies are walking, or at least pulling up and/or cruising, by their first birthday.
What I have noticed about my Espresso is that he seems MUCH more mentally aware, alert, cognizant and perceptive than many other babies his age. Perhaps I'm just a proud, biased parent, but when we compare his mental abilities and alertness with other babies his age, our Espresso surpasses them all. If I am in the room with my Espresso, it is impossible for me to sneak out of the room, sneak in the room or sneak anything by him. When he casts glances in my direction, it doesn't take very long for the little neurons to connect in his brain - he knows something is going on and all eyes are on me or what I'm trying to "sneak" by him. He notices new things almost instantaneously. We don't have to wait for him to find it. When we enter a room, his eyes are always scanning the room and he'll find that "new thing" within seconds. Today while we were at the park, there were two identical twin boys dressed the same. I watched my Espresso try to figure out how there were two of them. He kept looking back and forth between the boys. I think he finally figured it out, but he never took his eyes off those boys. He could have cared less about swinging (something he loves). Instead, he was more interested in the boys playing around him.
Now that the weather is warm, we go on walks, sometimes several in a day. Once again, our Espresso scans the world around him. He reaches out his hand to touch plants, notices street signs and wants to see what is on them, and is captivated by trees (trees have done that to him since he was 2 months old). When he spots another walker, he starts to wave even if they are over a block away. Unfortunately, most of the time, they do not see him, so he doesn't get a wave back. In stores, I think his arm is going to fall off he waves so much and will have the strongest cheek muscles from smiling at everyone who walks by. He also watches with incredible perception and curiosity everything I put in the shopping cart. He does not take his eyes off the item. When he recognizes his Cheerio box or some other treat I buy for him, he starts to reach for it, which I then have to let him hold it, until he sees something else more interesting he'd like to hold and tosses the whatever it is he's holding on to the floor.
His curiosity level is amazing. We see no point in buying toys. Our Espresso is interested in everything in this house and ends up playing with nightlights to coasters rather than his own toys. The other day, our Espresso escaped beyond the gate into the hallway to his room. In that hallway is a nightlight that helps us find our way to his room, if our son should wake up in the middle of the night. (Thankfully, that has come to an end!) Our little Espresso saw that nightlight and immediately made a b-line for it. Of course, he pulled it off and chewed on it a few times, but what surprised my hubby and I is that he tried to put it back in, and almost (coordination still a bit weak) was able to do so.
While our little Espresso doesn't have many words in his vocabulary, the one word he uses the most is "touch." And he wants to "touch" everything - particularly electronics. He knows those buttons do things and it's his goal to figure out what.
I like that he is (always been) curious about the world around him. I do hope he stays this way.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
How $10.80 saved my sanity!
One of the hardest challenges as a parent can be to teach your baby the difference between day and night. The day is for playing (and a couple naps) and the night is for SLEEPING! Some babies catch on quickly and for other babies, it takes some long nights and many futile attempts before your baby will sleep through the night.
Our little Espresso's problem was that he has (still is) never been good at comforting himself. If something upsets him, I have an unhappy (crying, fussing) baby until I can find something to distract him not momentarily, but consistently for about a period of 10 minutes. Then it's safe to say that he can continue on (hopefully happily) playing.
At 2 months, our Espresso was sleeping almost through the night. We would put our son to bed at 9 and he would wake once during the night, usually around 3 am, but would go back to sleep quickly after something to eat and would sleep until 7 or 8 in the morning. I thought this was great and figured he would just sleep longer and longer and night as he got older until he was sleeping ALL the way through the night. BUT...that didn't happen.
When our Espresso was 5 months, he decided that he would start this new routine of waking up at 1 or 2 am, cry, act like he was hungry but not eat. It was his ploy to have mommy hold him and comfort him back to sleep. It didn't take ME too long to figure this out and I told my hubby that we were going to put an end to this. Enter Chester.
On July 4, 2008, we bought our Espresso his first teddy bear. He cost $10.80! According to my hubby, EVERY boy needs a teddy bear. We christened our Espresso's teddy bear, Chester and Chester sat in the corner of our Espresso's crib patiently waiting until our Espresso was ready for some teddy lovin'.
Chester was introduced as our Espresso's comfort, rather than his mommy or daddy. During those first few nights of introducing Chester as his comfort, our Espresso had the 'caffeine' (crying fit) of 100 lattes! He's a rather persistent and determined little boy. Thankfully, after two hard nights of enduring cries, yells and blood curdling screams, our Espresso cuddled up with his teddy Chester and this began our son seeking out Chester, rather than mommy, to help him fall back to sleep. The rest is history and I have my sanity thanks to the consistent 7-9 hours of sleep I now get every night thanks to Chester.
Every night when we put our Espresso to bed, we place Chester by our little boy's side and he grabs Chester and gives him a ferocious hug. At times, I have watched from the door to our son's room as he reaches out and grabs Chester and cuddles up with him. It is one of the sweetest sites for a parent (or anyone for that matter) to see. Chester is doing everything a teddy bear should do for a boy: offering love, companionship AND giving a mommy and daddy a good nights sleep!
I love you Chester! :)
Hubby with his teddy bear he had as a boy and my Espresso & Chester.
Our little Espresso's problem was that he has (still is) never been good at comforting himself. If something upsets him, I have an unhappy (crying, fussing) baby until I can find something to distract him not momentarily, but consistently for about a period of 10 minutes. Then it's safe to say that he can continue on (hopefully happily) playing.
At 2 months, our Espresso was sleeping almost through the night. We would put our son to bed at 9 and he would wake once during the night, usually around 3 am, but would go back to sleep quickly after something to eat and would sleep until 7 or 8 in the morning. I thought this was great and figured he would just sleep longer and longer and night as he got older until he was sleeping ALL the way through the night. BUT...that didn't happen.
When our Espresso was 5 months, he decided that he would start this new routine of waking up at 1 or 2 am, cry, act like he was hungry but not eat. It was his ploy to have mommy hold him and comfort him back to sleep. It didn't take ME too long to figure this out and I told my hubby that we were going to put an end to this. Enter Chester.
On July 4, 2008, we bought our Espresso his first teddy bear. He cost $10.80! According to my hubby, EVERY boy needs a teddy bear. We christened our Espresso's teddy bear, Chester and Chester sat in the corner of our Espresso's crib patiently waiting until our Espresso was ready for some teddy lovin'.
Chester was introduced as our Espresso's comfort, rather than his mommy or daddy. During those first few nights of introducing Chester as his comfort, our Espresso had the 'caffeine' (crying fit) of 100 lattes! He's a rather persistent and determined little boy. Thankfully, after two hard nights of enduring cries, yells and blood curdling screams, our Espresso cuddled up with his teddy Chester and this began our son seeking out Chester, rather than mommy, to help him fall back to sleep. The rest is history and I have my sanity thanks to the consistent 7-9 hours of sleep I now get every night thanks to Chester.
Every night when we put our Espresso to bed, we place Chester by our little boy's side and he grabs Chester and gives him a ferocious hug. At times, I have watched from the door to our son's room as he reaches out and grabs Chester and cuddles up with him. It is one of the sweetest sites for a parent (or anyone for that matter) to see. Chester is doing everything a teddy bear should do for a boy: offering love, companionship AND giving a mommy and daddy a good nights sleep!
I love you Chester! :)
Hubby with his teddy bear he had as a boy and my Espresso & Chester.
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