Croup and Cookies

This last week Blake started having some serious trouble sleeping.  Ever since he had an intestinal bug he had been waking up 2 times a night and I was getting tired.  I was feeding him because he had lost 2 lbs.  He was not eating very well during the day so I knew he was waking up out of hunger.  This bug went straight into the croup.  Last week Monday he woke up 7 times.  I took him to the doctor in fear of an ear infection.  I found out it was croup.  He was very sick.  He has proceeded to wake up 7-9 times a night for the last 7 days and Andrew and I are so sleep deprived.  Last night was the worst so far.  Out of complete desperation we have decided to sleep train him.  I realize he might not be feeling well, he might be hungry....but most of the time it seems to be he is struggling to comfort himself and has become a little too attached to his binkie.  From 3-8 in the morning he spits in out and starts crying almost every hour.

We are implementing a sleep plan.  Though it may be a tough week or so, we are going to teach him that the binkie is not used in his crib.  We got a book called Sleep Sense by Dana Obleman.  It makes a lot of sense. It basically just explains how important sleep is to you and your baby.  He needs his sleep and so does his Mom and Dad.  Some may think that babies will just grow out of it.  Her point is that we can teach our babies.  Babies and children can learn.  We can help him learn to self-soothe.  There will likely be some tears, but I know it will be worth it.  I look at it this way:  There are many times during the night where we might stir slightly, but we usually just turn over and go back to sleep!  This approach will likely involve Blake crying.  I have talked to so so so many moms who say, "I can't ever stand to hear my baby cry!"  I agree.  It gets me every time Blake is sad, hurting, or scared.  But the question I have to ask my self is, when he is crying at night is he any of those things?  Crying is all he knows how to do.  So if I can help him to learn to sleep better, why wouldn't I help him!  Sleep is the key to health and brain development!  I will be documenting our sleep journey in my posts to come!  (No I do not have all the answers, and we have no idea how this will all end up)

Just as a side note, my post last week created a lot more attention than I was expecting!  While some may have judged, others may have sympathized and felt I was speaking what they had been feeling.  Just to be clear:  I love and adore my son and being a mom.  He has made and continues to make me so happy.  I have never wanted to hurt myself or my baby.  However I have really enjoyed getting out some of my frustrations through kickboxing lately.  I used to jog but lately with some of the snow I have found a new love for kickboxing.  I just use online videos.  My former post was simply me being honest about my journey so far.  I was very prepared to be a mom.  HOWEVER you have no guarantee about the personality of your baby.  Blake is at times stubborn and was very very very colicky for the fist 3 months.  For all your moms out there who have had a colicky baby... I feel your pain and it does get better!  For all the rest of you, DON'T JUDGE!

I look forward to sharing our sleep adventures next week!

Morning after a very sleepless night!

Thanks Nammie for the new shoes!

Here is the much promised cookie recipe courtesy for my Miss Kay's cookbook.  Its a good one.  I make them big and fat.  I have to say I got Ann Romney's and Miss Kay's cookbook for Christmas.  Much to my dismay the recipes in the Romney cookbook have not impressed me.  I love the Romney's but the cookbook needed some more proof reading.  I enjoyed the stories though.  I feel the fish recipes may redeem the book.   However so far the "Mitt" movie was much more appreciated than the cookbook.

Jenny's Version of Miss Kay's Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 sticks butter
3/4 c packed brown sugar
3/4 c sugar

1 large egg

1 t vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 TBS corn starch
1/2 salt
1/2 or more chocolate chips  (I use a mix of semi-sweet and milk)

Preheat oven to 350.  With electric stand mixer beat butter and sugars.  Add egg and vanilla.  Mix.  In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, corn starch and salt.  Slowly add in flour mix to butter and sugar mix.  Add more flour if needed.  If the dough is too wet you will have flat greasy cookies.

Take a large cookie scoop or spoon to form dough balls.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Adjust heat and time of cookies based on your oven.  You know your oven and if it runs hot or cold.  The cookies should look browned on the bottom.  They may not look super golden on top.  Let them sit on the cookie sheet to cool an additional 10 minutes.  (I owe this trick to my friend Megan Nelson.)

You may be thinking, "Cornstarch....REALLY?!" Yes really.  It makes the cookies have the perfect outer crisp to soft middle ratio.  These are not gourmet.  For those cookies I use another recipe that is a lot more work.  BUT these taste like the-best-homemade-straight-from-moms-oven-to-your-mouth-cookies!