The Facebook Dilema
How am I supposed to get any work done when every time I log on to Facebook to do real work (like contact a potential job reference) I am graphically shown that the world, is in fact, ending?
The coldest winter I ever spent
Archive for 2017
How am I supposed to get any work done when every time I log on to Facebook to do real work (like contact a potential job reference) I am graphically shown that the world, is in fact, ending?
When Abigail was a newborn until about 12 months, it was sometimes very trying to get her to calm down from crying. I recall trying to quiet her when she was just a few months old by putting her in a Baby Bjorn, wearing her on my chest, and going for a walk. The bouncing, being held tight, the cool air, the change of scenery could help calm her. But none of that was working. I made it 1/2 a block and had to go home because it felt like I had strapped a bomb to my chest that was constantly going off. It was very distressing.
It was very helpful for me to have a list of things to try. In a frazzled state, it’s so easy to forget to try the basic calming techniques. I put this list on the refrigerator and referred to it often when trying to calm Abigail. Going down the list, and sometimes starting from the top again also gave me hope and “something to do” when nothing was working.
Getting Abigail to sleep well
The Happy Sleeper by Turgeon has a cry-it-out system that works in 2-3 nights. Essentially it’s (p129) “Go in after she’s crying for 5 minutes and give the exact same calming statement and leave (even though she’s still unhappy). Repeat until she sleeps, about 20-60 minutes. Night 2 is probably the worst.” (Once we built up the resolve to follow this technique, it worked!)
The Baby Sleep Book has lots of good little tips
The No-Cry Sleep Solution has lots of good little tips
Feeding Abigail: Tips from Rebecca
First Round
Questions to ask yourself:
PATIENCE!
Techniques
Experimental (they don’t necessarily work yet)
From Carla: one of our most effective tips was to put a heating blanket in the bassinet while I nursed the babies for the last time before going to sleep, so the transfer to the bassinet wasn’t a cold shock after being next to another warm body.
I use a program to back up my computer online. It’s really good, it has saved me and Megan a couple times. Would you like to trade backup space? You backup your computer to me to me for free, I backup my computer to you for free. Message me.
Can anyone recommend a modern, inexpensive home security system that doesn’t suck?
I’ve reviewed so many and am tired of wading through the hype only to discover a string of terrible reviews. Shouldn’t this be as simple as hooking an Amazon Alexa up to an IR camera and adding some code to make something awesome?
Codornices Creek / Quail Creek runs just behind our house. You saw Abigail playing on its banks a little while back. The beginning of the creek is way up the hill at a the beautiful Codornices Park. The creek also feeds through the Berkeley Rose Garden which is a treasure. So here is a bit more about the creek. I saw this sign on the Ohlone Greenway:
Our Christmas tree, Fiona is on her way back to Mount Shasta to spend the summer with the other Christmas trees. In the fall, they will bring her back to spend a month or so in our home (yes, really). Patrick the owner says she might grow a foot over the summer. In the photo, that’s Patrick, the owner of http://www.forevergreenchristmastree.com/ on the left.
We really enjoyed fostering our tree for the season and will definitely do it again next year.
I just left my eye doctor, getting my monthly treatment. I asked and he confirmed that if I had gotten this disorder just 15 years ago, the prognosis would have been fair to poor. If I was rather lucky, I’d keep my eyesight at the level it was when I walked in to the doctor’s office (which was like 20/100). It is now very treatable and I get to keep vision in both eyes. Hurray science!!