Ferber Method/CIO

Although Crying it out is highly debated and controversial, I can honestly say it is the best thing I could've done for my precious son. At 6 weeks, he began sleeping 6 1/2 hours consistently... every single night. It was amazing and we felt so lucky and blessed to have such a great sleeper. Unfortunately, it did not last. Around 3 months old, he started waking 4-5 times a night. I thought it was just a growth spurt or some kind of phase and that it would pass. It didn't. As time went on, he began waking every 45 minutes-2 hours at night. I felt lucky to get a 3 hour stretch on nights when he was extra tired. I began researching and even took a trip to the doctor and discovered that I had created this little waking machine. I nursed/rocked/bounced him to sleep every night and he had become so dependent on it that he could not fall back to sleep at night after completing a sleep cycle. If you are here, you have probably read/heard all about this. I began doing some research and started a bedtime routine hoping it would help bubby transition into a sleep state. I then started gentle, no-cry methods to help him sleep on his own. NOTHING worked. He continued to wake constantly. I felt I couldn't be a good parent during the day when I was so sleep-deprived I could barely function. I was getting more sleep when we first brought him home as a newborn. Not only was I exhausted, but so was he. At 6 months, I finally decided I would give the Ferber method a try. I had been anti-CIO all the way up until this moment. I honestly had no idea what else to do. I'm not going to lie, the first night was ROUGH! He cried for 2 hours before he finally fell asleep. I felt like a horrible mother but I knew this was the right thing for us. After he finally fell asleep, he slept for 5 straight hours!! I as amazed! He woke up, ate and went right back to sleep and woke up again in the morning happy and refreshed. We had a couple more rough nights after that but a week later and he now cries for 5-15 minutes and falls asleep and only wakes 1-2 times a night (which is totally fine for me). He does sometimes wake quite early (5 or 6) and I just bring him into bed with me so we can both get a couple more hours of sleep. We are both much more happy, relaxed, and rested. I do only recommend CIO as a last resort but if you are interested in trying the Ferber method, I highly recommend buying the book and reading it before beginning. Good luck to you & I hope you get the needed sleep you have been waiting for. :)

Homemade Baby Food Recipes

I love making homemade baby food for my little. It is so easy and actually quite fun. It is also a lot cheaper than jarred baby food and you are able to control everything that goes into your baby's little body. You just simply puree your fruits/veggies etc., pour them into some ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap, freeze, then transfer to dated freezer bags. Since starting my little foodie on solids, I have been looking for different foods to make and mix together for him. I have compiled a list of foods I have made for him to share with  you all!

Some foods I choose to purchase organic but others I do not. When deciding whether to go organic or not, I refer to the EWG's website. You can find a list of foods I always choose to buy organically here.

Now for some fun recipes and foods to try with your little foodies. *Remember to always check with your pediatrician before starting solids or introducing new foods to your baby.

You can add breast milk/formula/cooking liquid to thin any of these recipes or cereal/oatmeal to thicken them.


Banana-Avocado (probably one of the easiest)

Take equal parts of ripe banana and avocado & mash together with a fork in bowl. You can also puree with a food processor or blender if you would like.
*Bananas or avocados separately make great first foods!
*I wouldn't recommend freezing bananas or avocados after mashing because they easily brown.


Squash-Sweet Potato

1 Squash
2 Sweet Potatoes (or as many as you would like)

Cut your squash in half length-wise, scoop out the seeds and put into a baking pan with 1 inch of water. Bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour or until the skin begins to pucker. Scoop the meat out and add to your food processor or blender. At the same time you are baking your squash, you can also bake your sweet potatoes by scrubbing clean, wrapping in tinfoil and adding to the oven. You then cut and scoop the meat out of those as well. You can then puree. (You can also puree and freeze separately then mix together before feeding).


Peachy Banana 

You have the option to mix your peaches and bananas right before serving to baby or using cubes of previously frozen peaches (or bagged frozen peaches) mixed with a recently mashed banana. Again, you want to mash your bananas right before serving to avoid browning.

To prepare peaches:
Wash, peel, pit, cut into chunks & then steam until tender
-or-
Wash, cut an X into one side, place X side down into a pan of about 1 inch of water, bring water to a boil, steam until tender, peel, then pit.

You can then throw the peaches and bananas into a food processor or blender
-or-
Put just your peaches into the food processor then mix the desired amount with a mashed banana and freeze the remaining amount




**lots more to come :)

Homemade Baby Food: To Buy Organic or Not?

When I purchase fresh fruits and veggies to make Bubby's purees, I choose to buy some organic and some not. I use the EWG's website to determine whether or not to purchase organic foods.

Here is a list for your reference that I obtained from their site:

The Dirty Dozen - These are the foods that I always choose organically because they are exposed to pesticides the most:

• Apples
• Celery
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Grapes
• Hot Peppers
• Nectarines (Imported)
• Peaches
• Potatoes
• Spinach 
• Strawberries
• Sweet Bell Peppers