Remembering to give thanks!

A friend of mine inspired me to list every day ALL the things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. I know that I have missed a few days but it's never too late to start.


I am thankful for my wonderful husband who sacrifices so much for our family. He is so loving, caring, and hard working. He is my very best friend. So today I just want to thank God for blessing me with such a wonderful man!!!!!!!!!!!

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

Well here we are entering the holiday season again. A lot has changed for us since last year. Nathan and I have gone from being newlyweds to having a house full of kids... I'm looking forward to our first Christmas with the children- starting our own holiday traditions!!! Gonna get out my cookbooks and look for some festive recipes..... I'm so excited!!!!

starting new Bible study

I'm starting a new Bible study with my mom this week that is all about motherhood. It's called "the Power of motherhood" by Nancy Campbell. I'm super excited and looking froward to the encouragement.

Just another day!

Looking back at yesterday I can't help but laugh.
5:30 Emma Raine wakes up- time to breast feed
6am. Had to remind my 11 year old Foster daughter "M" that it was time to get up- she forgot to set her alarm
7:15 "M" gets on her bus.
7:30 My 3 year old Foster son- "Little guy" comes down the stairs- "I'M HUNGRY"
7:45 Little guy spills his bowl of cereal. Feed Emma.
8:00 Put on Veggie Tales for Little guy while I sneak a quick shower.
9:00 My sister drops off her little guy for me to babysit for an hour. We visit
10:30 She leaves. Snack time. Emma nurses.
11:00 My nephew starts winding up so it's time to call in reinforcements- aka my Grammie down the street.
11:30 Lunch time
12:00 Put little guy down for his nap. Emma is hungry again.
12:30 Hear little guy banging on bathroom door upstairs. He had locked himself out of it! Had to go poop.
12:45 Try to pick the lock. Do not succeed so just remove the door knob.
1:00 My nephew filled his diaper all up his back. Took me and my grammy to hold him down. lol
1:30 Social worker picks little guy up for his visit.
2:00 My sis returns and we all visit. Nurse Emma.
4:30 M returns from therapy. Have one of those pre-teen arguments. God I love hormones!!! Start dinner
5:30 Little guy returns. Nurse Emma.
6:00 Dinner. Help M with homework.
6:30 Bath time.
7:30 Little guy goes to bed.
9:30 FINALLY finish helping M with homework. M goes to bed.
10:00 Talk to hubby on phone. Nurse Emma till she falls asleep.
10:55 Awww! Bed- time..

The crazy thing is I LOVE my life and my kids and wouldn't have it any other way.... Thank you God!!!

bed-sharing, and co-sleeping

And everyone criticizes me for having my baby sleep in bed with me. I found this encouraging..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bed-sharing, co-sleeping, or separate sleeping?

Recently, there has become a clear distinction between co-sleeping and what experts now refer to as bed-sharing. In order to decide what is best for your family, it is important to know the difference.

According to Attachment Parenting International (API), the definitions are as follows:

"Co-sleeping refers to sleeping in 'close proximity', which means the child is on a separate sleep surface in the same room as the parents."

"Bed-sharing, also called the 'family bed', describes a sleep arrangement where the family members sleep on the same surface."

While new parents may feel pressured to have their baby "sleep through the night", this scenario describes a myth. Frequent waking occurs for myriad reasons, and throughout most of the phases of a baby's growth and development into childhood. Most parents find it less disruptive to sleep in close proximity to the baby, to accommodate for nighttime feeding and other needs with minimal interruption. In fact, babies often settle back into a deep sleep very easily with a quick feeding and comforting snuggle from a parent. Some parents are encouraged to let the baby "cry it out", believing that this will teach the baby to self-soothe and eventually train him to sleep on his own. However, according to a recent article published on API's website:

"New research suggests that these techniques can have detrimental physiological effects on the baby by increasing the stress hormone cortisol in the brain, with potential long term effects to emotional regulation, sleep patterns and behavior."

Indeed, proponents of attachment parenting agree that sleeping with a child close is preferable to separating for the night. But bed-sharing has recently come under attack as numerous "studies" have claimed to show a link between bed-sharing and infant death. A closer look at the studies conducted, and the groups sponsoring them, reveals a more complicated picture.

According to Dr. Sears, one campaign to encourage crib sleeping is sponsored by the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA); an association of crib manufacturers. This obviously reflects a conflict of interest that cannot be overlooked. In fact, Sears, a widely respected doctor, child-rearing guru, and father, reports that approximately 2,600 cases of SIDS occurred each year in 1999, 2000, and 2001. An additional 180 cases of non-SIDS related infant deaths occurred in an adult bed during those same three years (possibly attributable to suffocation, smothering, and entrapment in furniture or bedding; and a figure meant to discourage bed-sharing). Thus, the number of accidental deaths in an adult bed was only 1.5% of the total cases of SIDS; certainly a figure not significant enough to demand the avid anti-bed-sharing campaign launched by the JPMA and others.

Practicing safe bed-sharing, however, means abiding by certain guidelines:

• Avoid excessive alcohol intake or drug use while bed-sharing.
• Since mothers are usually more in tune with the baby and less likely to roll onto him, the baby should sleep next to his mother rather than between parents.
• Put the baby to sleep on his back.
• Keep the baby away from the edge of the bed.

When reasonable precautions are taken, bed-sharing is a safe, nurturing, and widely-practiced sleeping choice. A nearby parent is far more likely to be alerted to any changes in the baby's sleep; including choking, gasping, coughing, and crying, than a parent in another room. In fact, according to a comprehensive article published in Mothering Magazine in 2002, in which worldwide studies and results were considered; "Research shows that infants who sleep in a crib are twice as likely to suffer a sleep related fatality (including SIDS) than infants who sleep in bed with their parents. " (Dr. Sears)

Consider the following facts when choosing a sleep method for your family:

• 95 % of the world sleeps with their baby. In countries where co-sleeping nearly universal, such as Hong Kong and Japan, SIDS rates are among the lowest on record.
• Co-sleeping babies cry less and sleep more.
• Infants who sleep with their parents under reasonable, safe conditions; either bed-sharing or co-sleeping; have higher survival rates.
  (Sleeping With Your Baby: A Parent's Guide to CoSleeping; James J. McKenna; 2007)
• Both babies and mothers sleep better when bed-sharing, as they synchronize their sleep and wake patterns and drift between cycles with minimal interruption.
  (Dr. Sears, www.askdr.sears.com/html/10/T130400.asp)
• Bed-sharing encourages and facilitates breastfeeding, which is proven to be best for baby's health.

Bed-sharing and co-sleeping are natural, healthy, and safe choices for parents and their baby. Sleeping in close proximity to the baby is a natural way to promote nurturing and bonding, ensure quality sleep, and build a solid foundation of trust and confidence between parents and their baby. When done properly, bed-sharing is safer than leaving the baby alone, and encourages healthy breastfeeding, breathing, and sleep patterns for babies.

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This article published on December 10, 2008 December 10, 2008 | permalink

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this page contains a single entry by ERGObaby published on December 10, 2008 December 10, 2008.

Nurturing our Children; Nurturing the Earth was the previous entry in this blog.

What's life in a baby stroller like?: The impact of stroller orientation on parent-infant interaction and infant stress is the next entry in this blog.

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About me!!!

Well I'm new to all this blogging but I figured that I'd give it a shot. Let me start off by telling a little about myself.
My name is Rachel and I'm 23 years old. I'm a stay at home mommy to not only my little girl Emma but I'm also a foster mom. I married the love of my life Nathan on March 1, 2008 and we found out that we were unexpectedly expecting just a few months later! And on March 6, 2009 at 9:26 pm our little Emma Raine was born.
Me and my husband have been foster parents for about 7 months now and were loving it! I Have a very interesting and busy life. When I'm not nursing a baby or running kids to appointments I enjoy reading, sewing, quilting, crocheting and scrapbooking.. I also love to cook, watch tv and spend time with my little family.