Cheeky Chops

H1N1 - signs versus Cold signs

2009-10-27T12:27:00.001-07:00

Here is a comparison of the symptoms between H1N1 Flu and the Common Cold. Know the difference between a Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms.

*Fever*
Fever is rare with a cold.
Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the H1N1 flu.

*Coughing*
A hacking, productive (mucus-producing) cough is often present with a cold.
A non-productive (non-mucus-producing) cough is usually present with the H1N1 flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).

*Aches*
Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.
Severe aches and pains are common with the H1N1 flu.

*Stuffy Nose*
Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.
Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the H1N1 flu.

*Chills*
Chills are uncommon with a cold.
60% of people who have the H1N1 flu experience chills.

*Tiredness*
Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.
Tiredness is moderate to severe with the H1N1 flu.

*Sneezing*
Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.
Sneezing is not common with the H1N1 flu.

*Sudden Symptoms*
Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.
The H1N1 flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.

*Headache*
A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.
A headache is very common with the H1N1 flu, present in 80% of flu cases.

*Sore Throat*
Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.
Sore throat is not commonly present with the H1N1 flu.

*Chest Discomfort*
Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.
Chest discomfort is often severe with the H1N1

Out of the mouths of parents.

2009-09-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some quotes from parents on parenthood and how it changes everything.

Feel free to email me yours and I will add them. I have to say that even though I am in the childcare business and had lots of experience with children before having my own - a lot of what others have said pretty much mirrors my own thoughts and feelings when I was a new mum.

What the women had to say -

"What I get from other women is what I need, and that is help. I do not even have to ask other women for help, they just volunteer. What do I get from my husband? I get a sink full of dirty pots, a pile of dirty clothes and a child dressed for church in a football shirt"

" I really resent that he wants to take off for five hours to play golf on a Saturday, then he expects me to be oh-so-grateful because he watches the kids while I go to yoga for an hour"

"My husband said to me, what is the big deal in taking care of one baby - how hard can that be?"

"I was so tired that I actually tried to breastfeed Toms arm one night - (FYI - Tom is her husband"

"My husband had the unfortunate experience of telling me to nap when the baby naps - I told him, F*@# you, your at work. You take a nap."

"Why am I the only one in the house who knows where the dummy is, baby wipes and sippy cups are? Where the hell has he been living for the last three years?"

What the men had to say

" I feel like I'm having an affair with my best friend - I try to see him once a week after work before catching the usual train home. Dont tell my wife - if she finds out she will insist I come home an hour earlier instead"

"The baby is great and all, but when are things going to get back to normal around here? When will my wife stop the control freak stuff? When will she be nicer to be and remember that I exist? and tell me this: will I ever get a Saturday morning to myself again without being made to feel guilty?"

"I would stand over the cot and the first thought that would come into my head was - I had better go and make more money"

"What happened to the women I married - she has turned into a complete control freak"

"My wife wanted to do everything herself, one night she was trying to breastfeed our son and he was not latching on. He just kept screaming. I suggested that she give him a bottle of formula. It was as if I had told her to give the baby arsenic. The crying got so bad I just went and made him a bottle and fed it to him. Problem solved - NO. Then she started crying because she thought she was an awful mother, and the fact that I had been able to calm him down made it even worse."

"For three months she did not let me take Avery anywhere near the bathtub - then at month four she bit my head off because I did not know how to give her a bath."

"TGIF - that's a joke - thank God its Monday more like - I kiss my desk on a Monday morning".

Fathers day special

2009-05-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Well as I'm sure you are well aware Father's Day is just around the corner, it is Sunday, June 21st this year. And in celebration of Father's Day, and to make it fun and easy for the Mom's Babycheeks and Michelle Moore have partnered up again to offer a Father's Day Mini-Session, detail below. This is a great gift for Dads and Grandpas and even for yourself:)

Here are the details, spread the word and look forward to seeing you there!

Oh, and those are MIchelles super silly, fun and crazy kids in the photo, remember you still have time to pop into Babycheeks to pick out some super cute outfits:)

If you click on the image above it will open up so you can read the details.

Quick - Tasty - Meal

2009-05-22T11:37:00.001-07:00

I love indian food - this is one of my favorite recipes to make when people come round for dinner.

Its easy, fast and really really tasty! Its also not that spicy.

4 chicken breasts.
1 Large onion finely chopped
3 tbs butter
2 tsp garlic crushed
1 tsp ginger finely chopped
1 tsp green chilli finely chopped
1/2 tsp paprika thats half a teaspoon.
1 tbs commercial curry powder
! cup tom sauce - not ketchup
1 tsp salt
1 cup of whipping cream
1 tbs coriander - coarsely chopped

Fry the onions in butter.
Add Garlic, ginger, chilli pepper, paprika and curry powder.
Fry for a few minutes.
Add tom sauce , salt and the chicken.
Bring to the boil, cover and put in a preheated oven of 375, cook for 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and simmer on the stove top for 30 minutes, add cream and remove from the heat. Add coriander as garnish.

Serve over rich with naan bread.

If you really want to add some flavor and spice - get your chicken from Fraserview meats, unit 102, 12047 80th ave, Surrey, BC
call 604 726 7072 - they do a wicked butter chicken marinated chopped chicken.

YUM

Spring Forward

2009-02-24T19:34:00.000-08:00

As we are now approaching spring (or supposed to be - I heard snow at the weekend?) - I thought I would post some tips to help your little ones with the transition.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS – SPRING FORWARD

During the time changes that happens twice a year – children’s sleeping patterns often get thrown off – here are some tips to help with the springtime changes when the clocks go forward by one hour. This article is written based on a baby or child who goes to bed at 7pm and wakes at 7am. This year the clocks will be changing before you go to bed Saturday March 7th.

APPROACH 1) – Cold turkey

• On the evening of the time change – put your baby/child to bed at the normal time (7pm) and before you go to bed move all of your clocks forward by one hour.

• Set your alarm clock or your child’s alarm clock if they use one to their normal wake up time (7am for example). Initially their body will think that it is 6am so they may be a little slow to start and a little groggy as they have missed out on one hours worth of sleep. It can sometimes take a day or two – but then they will be fine. If you didn’t wake up your child at the normal time then they would probably sleep in until 8am.

• Stay on the new time all day – don’t make adjustments for the time change or try and compensate for the lost hour – keep all naps according to the new time and at the regular normal time.

• Keep all meals/feeds on the new time and at the regular normal time.

• Put your child to bed at their normal bedtime on the Sunday evening (7pm) even though it may feel like 6pm to them, expect them to take a little longer to fall asleep on the first night but once again don’t try to compensate – keep everything on the new time.

APROACH 2) – Gradual - better for smaller babies.

• You can do a gradual approach 2 ways –

1) On the Saturday night that the clocks are going to change – put your child to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal bedtime (6.30pm) and then 30 minutes earlier the next night (6.30pm new time)

2) On the Thursday night on the build up to the time change make small changes of 15 minutes earlier each night. (6.45pm/6.30pm/6.15pm/6.00pm) – then the 6pm will be 7pm once the clocks have gone forward.

Along with the time changes come longer lighter days and shorter nights – or so it appears. You may be tempted to put your baby or child to bed later as it feels unnatural to put them to bed so early when it is so light out. Don’t give into this temptation, keep your normal bedtime as young children still need the same amount of sleep and if you get into the habit of moving bedtime later they will become overtired – if light in a child’s room is an issue – then invest in some black out blinds to help block out the extra light.

Daylight savings - Fall back

2008-10-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

Daylight savings tips Fall back.

On November the 1st at midnight the clocks get turned back which can throw our body clocks out slightly. To help you little one with this adjustment, here are some tips:

If you child goes to bed at 7pm then when it is time to put the clock back it would be 6pm. This is not a problem for bedtime but can cause some early morning waking and if you child is currently an early riser it can get even earlier. As an example if your child is used to getting up at 6.30am he will get up at 5.30am.

Here are two approaches for you to use as preventative measures.

Cold turkey. Keep your child up on the first night up to one hour later than their normal bedtime – in the morning if they wake early maintain your normal routine by the clock. Hold off from getting them up until their normal time if you can. You may have to be a little strict about it by putting them back to bed. This is an easier with older children.

Gradual. Start on the Thursday night (October 30th) and work in 15 minute increments Move your childs bedtime later by 15 minutes every night (7.15pm, 7.30pm, 7.45pm, 8.00pm) and delay getting them up by 15 minutes every morning (7.15am, 7.30am, 7.45am, 8.00am) for example. By Sunday night once the clock has gone back an hour they will be back to going to bed at their normal bedtime of 7pm. This is easier for babies and younger children.

Dont compensate for the lost hour and work on the real time as it is by the clock.

From the heart.

2008-09-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

Before I consult with a client I always get them to keep a 3 day sleep dairy and to fill out a client information sheet.

I received one the other week which really choked my up and with my clients permission she has said that I can put it on here as I think a lot of parents will be able to relate to her feelings.

During the consultation I read it back to her and she too got upset and I have to say once again my eyes glazed over - this is what my client had written - Its 8pm and after an hour of trying to get her son to sleep by having him relax - she is singing to him :

"After several warnings that he needs to hold still and close his eyes to let himself fall asleep, I get frustrated and let him know that I need a break from singing. She tells her husband that it is his turn and says goodnight to her son. What I really needed was to leave the room so that I would not scream at him or show him the rage boiling inside that she has to spend every night singing for hours and hours and hours and it doesn't even seem to work anymore. I am frustrated that all of my compassionate ways of parenting him to sleep are just as useless as the ones that make him cry - because the night always ends in him crying and me feeling guilty anyway."

Isn't there a way for falling asleep to be pleasant and easy?

S.I.D.S

2008-03-20T10:12:00.001-07:00

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) also know as cot death is a tragic phenomenon and is the most common cause of death in a 1 - 12 month old.

The correct definition of SIDS is "the sudden death of an infant under one year of age, which remains unexplained after a complete postmortem examination, including an investigation of the death scene and a review of the case history". Tragically for the parents of these victims there is no clear cause of death which only adds to the on going grief.

I think that SIDS has to be number one on the long list of parental concerns that we as parents have. It is a phenomenon that to-date has not definite conclusions to the cause but there are certain factors that increase or decrease the risk of this event which happens when babies are sleeping. There is however a correlation between sleep positions and sleep environment.

Although cot death is the most common cause of death in babies 1 - 12 months of age, the peak risk is between 2 - 4 months of age with a dramatic decline post 6 months. 9/10 happen within the first 6 months of a babies life.

As a babies motor development kicks in a lot of parents become anxious as they know how no control on their babies movements during the night and between 4 - 5 months the rolling from back to side to front begins. Once this development starts the babies strength is greater and the chances of SIDS greatly decreases.

Increased risk

Baby being to hot - an ideal sleeping environment is 19 degrees.
Cigarette smoke in a babies environment or smoking during pregnany
Sleeping face down
Late or non existent prenatal care
Premature or low birth weight
Ethnic group
Boys are more at risk than girls
The seasons of Fall and Winter'
Inappropriate sleep surface - mattress or other surface is too soft for the baby
Loose bedding that can smoother a babies face

Decreased risk

Back to sleep (put your baby to sleep on their back)
Feet to foot position (please see diagram) babies are places at the foot of the crib so that they can not wriggle under loose bedding.
Using a Sleep sacs

Myths

SIDS is not contagious
It is not caused by any other illness

The Canadian Pediatric Society made the same recommendation as the APP in the UK to Canadian parents in 2004. The policy statement 'Recommendations for Safe Sleeping Environments for Infants and Children'.

The recommendation goes as follows - Parent should put baby to bed in a crib, bassinet or cradle that meets the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

When these guidelines were issues it was noted that some parents would still rather take their babies to bed with them - they stated the following "The recommended practice of independent sleeping will likely continue to be the preferred sleeping arrangement for infants in Canada, but a significant proportion of families will still elect to sleep together'.

Here is a direct link to the Canadian Governments 'Cribs and Cradles Regulations'.
http://gazetteducanada.gc.ca/partI/2004/20040501/html/regle2-e.html

Early Morning Waking

2008-03-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

I thought I would write up on this topic as it is probably one of the most common and frustrating issues for parents to deal with and is widely practiced by our littles ones.

Whats considered early?

I consider early morning waking to be waking before 6am or waking before having 10.5 - 11 hours of night time sleep.

There are two main groups for this issues -

1) Children who wake up before they have had enough sleep - see most common reasons below.

Don't expect a child to go to bed at 7pm and sleep until 9am just because thats what time you used to get up at before they were born or because you stayed up late last night having a glass of wine and watching a movie. Most parents can kiss goodbye to lazy Sunday mornings in bed with a starbucks and paper (unless you trade off with your spouse at the weekend) - as children who go to bed at a reasonable hour are often rearing to go at 6am - after all - they have just slept for 11 hours and cant wait to see what the world has in store for them today.

Here is a list of contributing factors that can cause a child to wake up BEFORE they are ready.

Children who have not had enough sleep often wake up crying / grumpy and are ready to go back to sleep again within an hour or so of being up.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

NOISE - If you live in a noisy neighborhood / on a busy street or in an old house. There are lots of noises that can bring your sleeping baby to an awake state. For mask external noises I would recommend that you invest in a white noise machine, spa therapy machine as they are sometimes called.

LIGHT - During the spring and summer months light starts to creep into the bedroom earlier an earlier which can also assist in waking up your child. Through these seasons hang something thick up over the windows to help keep the room the same throughout the night. If you wanted something more permanent then you can invest in black out blinds.

DIAPER

Some children wake up early because they have had a bowel movement. I often find that by giving a child too much fruit after dinner or foods later in the day that are high in fiber can cause a bowel movement early in the morning. Try tracking your babies diet and offering those high fiber or fruits in the early morning instead to see if makes a difference.

BEHAVIORAL OR HABITUAL

If you child has a sleep association or wakes up several times a night then I would also expect them to rouse around 5am - if this is the case then you would need to look at the overall situation and possibly execute some sleep training.

SLEEP DEPRIVED

Children who are not getting enough sleep overall will also wake up early. In these cases you are aiming for 10.5 - 12 hours to be within the normal range. Children who are not getting quality nighttime sleep or poor naps are more prone to early rising. If this is the case then try moving you child's bedtime earlier - don't worry children rarely change their wake up time to earlier just because they went to bed earlier. Try it - you have nothing t loose and give it at least 3 days in order to see the effects.

2) Children who wake up early who have had enough sleep - this is there natural wake up time.

LITTLE LARK

You may have a little lark on your hands - whos natural waking hour happens to be before yours or the rest of the houses. But Just because your baby or child is awake does not mean that they have to get every body else up nor does it mean that you have to get up. You control the time that they get up out of bed to start their day - you can not control the time that they wake up. My daughter is often up before 7.30am (when her clock goes off) but she sits on her bed and babbles until I come in.

TOO LONG IN BED

If you are expecting them to be in their bed for too long then this can also appear to be early rising. 11 hours is reasonable and if they are awake then it is fine to get them up after 6am or later. This would be for a child who has bedtime of 7pm. If you are putting your baby to bed at 6pm and they are rearing to go at 5am - then you may want to see if you can shift their bedtime around in 15 minute increments.

YOU CHECKING IN

I advise against checking in on your child at 5am or later - lots of children have had 90% of their night time sleep by then and have a lot more energy to fight off sleep and your presence will only stimulate them more so the chances of them falling back to sleep will decrease. Hold off until 6am at least when you can get them up for a nurse / feed and into daylight. Its okay for them to hang out in their crib for an hour - if you get them up because they want to get up then you are reinforcing that it is morning time after all.

I always have my children in bed at the same time everyday and my daughter goes down for a nap at the same time everyday. But it sometimes does take her longer to fall asleep - they are just like use - I might put her down at 7pm but at 7.30pm I can still hear her babbling away - I leave her and the same thing in the morning - sometimes I hear them chatting away at 6.30am to each other - but they don't come out of the room until I go in at 7.30am. I cant control them falling alseep or waking up - I can only control the time they go to bed and the time to get up.

Time management

2008-02-25T18:41:00.000-08:00

I have to say that since having children - I reflect on my time as a singleton and I ask my self - what did I used to do all day? During the day now I don't seem to have a spare minute for myself and I cant even have a shower without somebody whining whilst hanging off the shower curtain or wanting to get in.

So - I have managed to find away that allows me to have 2.5 hours to myself and get an absolute ton of stuff all in PEACE!!! .... Would you like to know my secret?

First of all you are probably going to think I'm barmy - but on days that I do this I feel absolutely amazing. The trick is - I get up at 5am - I know its early - buts its so quiet - that I can actually finish a thought without somebody hanging off my arm / foot / thigh whilst repeating mum / mommy / mum / ma / mummy / mum and have a coffee that I can finish whilst still hot.

As an example of the things that you can do before 5am - I will give you an example of my day - yesterday (Sunday)

5am - up
Coffee - drank it whilst hot - sat down (for a change) - deep in thought
Made a list of all the meals that we would be having this week
Compiled a shopping list based on those meals
Prepared dinner and put it in the crock pot and set it to come on later
Unloaded the dishwasher and reloaded it
Took all the recycling downstairs and sorted it into the appropriate boxes/bags
Emptied the bin
Fired off 20 emails (for work)
Fired off 5 emails (personal)
Put the dogs out and changed their water
Sorted out the fridge and threw away left overs and other bits and pieces
tidied the kitchen
Had a shower -
dried hair
bit of make up
Cleaned teeth got dressed - ready for superstore

Just in time for the 7.30am eruption when all the whining / crying / squabbling and swinging off my limbs begins as my husband gets up.

Its so much fun doing this stuff without anybody around - I actually enjoy it - I don't do it everyday - but it makes me feel great - I start the day with a real buzz and I have so much more patience as everybody else filters on down. It also frees up my time with the children during the day and once back from superstore (by 9am) - we went to the park - walked the dogs - made lunch - took Gabe skiing up grouse - had coffee with a friend - bathed Kenya and watched a movie with Marc - at which point I fell asleep right near the end. But - it was a great day and I managed to get on top of things.

If you struggle to get everything done - you should try getting up just one hour before every body else - its hard initially as I also love my bed - but it gives you a fantastic head start and really clears you head.

Client references

2008-02-05T10:01:00.001-08:00

I wanted to give those of you who have used my services the opportunity to write on my blog. I have started it off by adding some quotes that clients have sent me via email. If you would like to add something - then please feel free. On the right is a photo of Allison's daughter Madeleine.

"Before my daughter was born I thoroughly researched sleep training, as I wanted to start off on the right foot from day one. While in theory I thought I knew all the answers, but until you have your own unique little baby at home, no book can give you answers specific to your baby and your family. That's what's so great about Dawnn. She tailors a routine to your baby's own needs and to the needs of your family. As a new parent you don’t feel very confident about what to do when it comes to soothing your baby. There are so many different factors as to why they are crying, but once you are in a good routine and schedule, you know almost immediately why your baby is upset. Depending on the time of day I know if she's hungry, tired, etc., and feel confident in soothing her and also in planning a life around her time table. I'm not scared that I'll be stuck out somewhere when she gets hungry because I know when she gets hungry. Hiring Dawnn was the best thing our little sleep deprived family could have done. Now we can enjoy our happy, well-fed, well-rested precious baby girl, and a good-night sleep ourselves!"

~Allison Pennal, Langley , BC - Mother of Madeleine, 3 months
old

Thank you so much for everything. There are not enough words to thank you for the time you put in helping us…or more so me. We wish you continued success in your business and much happiness to your family! You are amazing at what you do!!

~ Christine - Mother to Keira

Dawnn, Your advice has stayed true and as Julianna emerges towards her 10 month, she is a happy & well rested baby. She naps twice a day and sleeps 12 hours most nights. I constantly tell people about your services and highly recommend you to them. We appreciated your help and guidance as it truly made life easier for us all. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!

~ Alison Armstrong - Mother of Julianna

I want to thank you for your dedication and knowledge. You saved us during our sleeplessness, and now we have peaceful nights. Jemma is coming up 6 months now and is a completely different child. Again thank you.

~ Heather - Mother of Jemma

Just wanted to send you an email letting you know how happy we are about Amelia's sleep. She is now a year old and the sleep training that we did with your guidance six months ago is a blessing in our lives! Amelia goes down for two naps a day for 60 minutes each or more without protesting and goes happily to sleep every night at 7 PM and sleep until 6 AM the next morning. She has come to expect good, un-interrupted sleep and she trusts that we put her down when it is time for her to sleep, so she just settles in. The bedtime routine takes less than 5 minutes. She can go from full play at 6:55 and the moment the lights go out and the noise machine is on she is very happy to go in her crib and she falls asleep herself. We are so happy we did the nap training as well- she is so well rested every day and seldom cries.

Thank you again Dawn for providing this incredible service. It is the best investment we have ever made as parents and we keep reaping the benefits from it - all three of us get the sleep we need.

~ Anette - Mother of Amelia

Thank you Dawnn, for all your support and great advice. We have really enjoyed working with you, and can’t believe the change you have helped us make in Nathan and our lives! We all feel so much more functional now that we have a routine to stick to! This is making my return to school possible, even if it is extremely challenging. We would love to have you get us on the right track away if and when child #2 comes along. Many thanks! ~ Nathalie - Mother of Nathan

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the help during Noah's sleep training. I am happy to report that Noah is consistently falling asleep on his own for naps and bedtime and that he is sleeping between 11-12 hours/night and about 2 hours in the afternoon. We feel incredibly blessed to have found you.

~ June - Mother of Noah

I am certainly enjoying where things are at and am absolutely thrilled with how well things are going! Cora is very happy these days and loving life...it's wonderful. I can see when Cora gets tired more easily and that's my cue to get her to sleep asap before she gets overtired. Thanks for all your help Dawnn, we're so pleased with how things have turned out.

~ Stephanie - Mother of Cora

It’s been over a month since we began sleep training with Sarah and I just wanted to say THANK YOU for your assistance in improving our little one’s sleep habits. Sarah was overall a pretty good-natured baby and we now have an even happier baby thanks for the support that you provided along the way. Sarah’s sleep habits are so good that my husband’s co-workers are amazed at how awake he looks every day! (haha). I highly recommend your help to all new parents out there and will gladly provide a reference should you ever need it. Thanks again!

~ Edith - Mother of Sarah

I am so grateful that we were led to you...I can't even imagine if we had continued going ahead the way things were. I can't believe what a difference it has made to get some sleep. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You've given us hope again. Keep on doing what you do!

~ Vanessa - Mother of Jonah

I am so glad to have taken the jump and accomplished what we have. It wouldn't have been possible without your support. Not only is Rachel sleeping through the night, but she is also napping in her crib. What a treat!
Thanks again for all your help. I'll be recommending your services to every new parent in need of sleep!

~ Dominique - Mother of Rachel

Mateo is now sleeping through the night and so are we - which is absolutely helping our family unit. He is napping regularly during the day (2 - 3 hours average) instead of 20 minute catnaps he was doing before!!! Before the training, I really thought that we would never have a restful night again and was a little doubtful that the sleep training would work - but here we are well rested and happy!!!!

From the bottom of my heart, again I want to thank you for helping us through the most challenging part of raising our son so far - Thanks for bringing back sleep to our family!!!!!!!

~ Rina - Mother of Matteo

"We'd like to say thank you so much for helping us to solve Ryan's sleeping problems. Within a week he went from being up for 1-2 hours a night to sleeping through. Within weeks he was also regularly napping for 2 hours at daycare - up from a nap of 10 minutes max all day! He is much happier now that he gets his sleep and the new routine you gave us has also really helped him with his solids, he will now eat just about anything! He now sleeps from 6.45/7pm until 6.30am, with a 2 -21/2 hour nap midday - magic!"

~Lisa - Mum to Ryan - 12 months old - Port Moody.

I know we've just started but the progress we have made with your help is remarkable! We cant thank you enough - we are really looking forward to working with you over the next few weeks - our livy is also so much happier too -

Stephanie - Mum to Olivia - 6 weeks. (south Surrey)

My Mummy and I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU for helping us get through this big step! Mummy never thought Id ever be able to sleep all by myself in my crib. But because of you I have shown her that I can. Thank you so much for making my Mummy feel better in so many ways. You will always be remembered in our family.

Owen - 4 months - son of Heidi (Port Moody)

I just wanted to let you know that Pantelis has been sleeping from his last night feed (11:00) until 7:00 am. Yippeeeee!!!!! We are so excited. His naps are also going very well. He sleeps for about 1 ½ to 2 hours in the morning and 1 ½ hours in the afternoon. He goes down well at night; we put him down awake and he falls asleep on his own.

Petros and I just want to thank-you from the bottoms of hearts for all your help. You definitely went beyond the call of duty by supporting us during these last few months.

Thank-you!!!!!!

Cristina, Petros and Pantelis (4 months) (A more rested family) Vancouver

I admit to having been skeptical initially when Natalie suggested a sleep consultant, but I am now an absolute convert.

Last night, Friday that is, we had 2 out of 3 make it through the night.

Much obliged.

Jack - dad to 12 month old triplets - Ottawa

Things have been going quite smoothly for us--so much thanks to you for that! At first I was a little sheepish about hiring someone to help Jaeda sleep better, but now I am so thankful and I have told many people about how you guided us through Jaeda's sleeping issues.

Just wanted to say thank you so much. Jaeda still sleeps through the night .she consistently sleeps 11-12 hours. I am so grateful for this, as now I feel much more normal and able to cope with life and a little one.

Lisa Mum to Jaeda 3 months - Langley BC

Connors has had a personality change since we implemented your suggestions - I always thought he was a fairly hyperactive baby but now he is sleeping better he is so much calmer. I really appreciate your on going daily support - I honestly could of not done this without you.

Catriona O'Leery - Boston - USA

Jack slept through the night again and hes still sleeping - I never heard him once. Ive just checked in on Jack hes sucking his thumb - Ill have my cup of tea and get him up at 7.30am.

Crystal - Mum to Jack - 12 weeks - South Langley.

Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you Kai has had three consecutive nights of blissful restful sleep! We cannot thank you enough for all your support and help in getting out little fella on board with the sleep program.

Corrine - Mum to kai - 9 months - Richmond

Things are going extremely well! There is no opposition at all from Max and we are both enjoying our pre bedtime time together. Thanks so much for everything - Krista - Mum to Max -2 years - Yellowknife.

I just wanted to let you know that we are so happy with the outcome of Sophie's sleep plan, we actually think it was the best thing we have done with her so far! We had an amazing time in Australia and did not want to come back to the cold Saskatchewan winter.

I managed to discontinue Sophie's dream feed and she now sleeps from 7pm to 7am which we love! She ended up having no trouble readjusting to the time zone in Canada, so we were really lucky with that. I thought I would include a recent photo of Sophie from Australia and if you ever wanted to use this email, or me, to recommend your services to hesitant clients, please do, because we love that we have a happy, healthy little girl who is thriving, is well rested and so are we. Thanks again, oh and by the way, I think on my second child we will be contacting you again to use your service from the very beginning.

Sheree - Mum to Sophie - Saskatchewan

I cannot tell you how much your support means to me. Most importantly, you are never judgmental and never make me feel like I am doing something wrong. This is by far, the most challenging "job" I have ever had and your assistance makes me a better mother.

Jennifer Cordoba - Mother to Samuel 13 months - Langley BC

I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for the job you do and for your assistance to me. Sarah is sleeping through the night and having 2 naps daily and I am getting rested and refreshed, which makes our time together even better than before.
You provide a valuable service and I hope you will be encouraged and continue to do this kind of work. It's made a world of a difference for us.

Kirsten Hemstock Mother to Sarah - Eastern Canada

We have noticed that now she is on a schedule she seems to be thriving. Before this sleep training started she would sometimes get a ½ hour sleep all day, she never really was a cranky baby but you could tell she was tired and irritable, now she is so happy and has started smiling and laughing like we have never seen before, its’ like she can’t smile big enough. Her little personality has just beamed through!

Thanks Dawnn, we couldn’t have done it without your support, its unbelievable the change we see in her.

Kristin Armstrong - Mother to Madison - 6 months - Langley BC

Your kindness and love of children shines - I have so much respect for the work that you do and the difference that you must make in peoples lives. Thanks again - for the difference in my life - I will really miss my daily chat with you.

Holly Caldecot - Albany, New York.

I must say that most people I know are amazed by how much sleep we're getting - - especially if they have babies around Aili's age. Thanks to you, we're the envy of all of our friends!

Angie Oshika - Mum to Aili - 4 months - Coquitlam.

I just wanted to let you know that you are literally a lifesaver. It has been a few months now since we have done sleep training with Cole, and I cannot believe the drastic change it has made in not only his sleep, but in his overall health. Cole has gone from waking up to 7-8 times a night, to sleeping 11-12 hours a night. His naps have improved remarkably. He was always a catnapper and now sleeps for a solid 2 hours. It has made him a happier, more energetic toddler who looks forward to sleep time. Our marriage has become closer because of you as well. We work as a team and we are finally getting the proper amount of sleep, which makes a big difference! You were a huge support system for me Dawnn, and I can’t thank you enough. You always reassured me I was doing the right thing, and you were there to chat in an instant anytime I had a question. Thank you again, we are so grateful.

Love Dean, Breanne and Cole -18 months

Dawnn, we would like to thank you so much for giving us our 'evenings' back! We had rocked Rosa to sleep since birth, a common mistake of first time parents. Soon each session of rocking became longer and longer, only to have Rosa awaken as we transferred her to bed. It came to a point where it would take hours to put Rosa to sleep, and you could tell she was so overtired. It was a hard decision to implement your sleep training plan at 8 weeks - but with your guidance we knew we could do it. Since that first night Rosa has learned to self soothe and does not need 'us' to help her fall asleep. We have since regained our 'evenings' and we can not thank you enough.

Adrea & Erick

HANDS FREE Pumping support.

2008-01-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine (Wendy) has recently designed a product that will really make pumping breast milk more relaxing and fun.

Wendy thought of this when she was pumping breast milk with for her two children as she found it boring sat in a chair holding the pump to her chest. She made herself a hands free pumping support out of some material so that she could use this time to read a magazine, have a drink or talk on the phone whilst attached the the breast pump.

It gave her so much more flexibility that she took it one step further and decided to make the product available for all breastfeeding mothers.

For more information on this product - please visit Wendy's website at www.mikeandtonis.com

FInding the right childcare

2008-01-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

So, I finally had to bite the bullet and hire a caregiver for my children.

After being a nanny myself for so long and raising other children I always said that I would not have anybody else to help. BUT having your own children is nothing like looking after other peoples and I have become so busy that I was not really being the Mum that I wanted to be. The patient - calm - parent that I was, had turned into - "Just a minute I have to finish this email (whilst I furiously type away on the computer as I know I will be called again any minute, or shh I have to make a call, Gabe shh, don't do that, get off your sister - oh Hello" (whilst grimacing, frowning and waving an arm to sign stop) all whilst talking calmly on the phone - this is not how I want to be remembered when my children reflect on their younger years.

So - my search for childcare began. Originally I was going to go with daycare 2 days a week but my husband didn't want our youngest in a daycare environment - which left me with the option of hiring somebody to come to our home to watch the children whilst I work upstairs.

I was dreading the change for Kenya as I really thought she would start waking up again and having some sleep regression - but so far so good and she has actually really taken to our caregiver without any issues - so I am very pleased - it also means that when I have finished work I am much more relaxed and can do things with the children without distraction.

So far so good -

Teething and sleep

2007-12-17T13:31:00.002-08:00

Lots of parents start sleep training and have fantastic results only to hit a few bumps in the road at a later time. Teething is not the main cause of sleep problems but if your baby is not a good sleeper anyway then it can make your baby's sleeping worse. If you baby is sleeping through the night and then starts to teeth - it can be hit and miss as to whether teething pain will effect your baby and some teeth may be more troublesome than others. If your baby appears really grumpy and in pain through the day with teething pain then it could genuinely be teething pain at night too.

Gabe (my son) never woke up with teething pain - not once - Kenya on the other hand had a few rough nights just as the tooth was coming through the gum line, she has 6 teeth now and only one of them has caused her to awake with pain.

I could tell by the cry that it was genuine - when I staggered into her room all blurry eyed the first thing I noticed was her huge bright red cheeks which were hot to the touch and a snotty nose. When I lifted up her lip there was a huge purple lump just right of her front tooth and a little white head - she had a hard time letting me touch it and was upset no matter what I did - tried holding in her different positions, cuddles and kisses she just continued to cry and throw herself around - the next night she woke up crying but as the tooth had cut through I gave her a little medicine - little kiss and laid her back down to sleep, which she did until the morning.

Here are some signs of teething -

Drooling - sometimes accompanied with a rash on the chin
Clear runny nose
Hot red cheeks (not to be confused with a fever - having a fever is NOT a sign of teething but a sign of an infection).
Diaper rash
Increase in bowel movements (looser stools)
Increase in breast / bottle feeding
Decreased interest in solids
Decreased interest in breast or bottle feeding
Discolored swollen gum where the tooth is coming through
Biting on things (anything that fits in their mouth)

Here are some tips on how to deal with teething pain at night

Put lanolin on your baby's chin to help with the rash
Use soft tissue for your baby's nose so that it doesn't get sore
Check your baby's temperature to rule out fever - if your baby has a fever seek medical advice.
Use extra barrier cream on your babies bum and let some air get to it if you can
Offer the breast / bottle if it provides comfort
Don't force your baby to eat solids if they are refusing - it will pass once the tooth has cut
Use a teething gel if given the go ahead by your doctor or pharmacist on your babies swollen gum
Administer some pain relief if given the go ahead by your doctor before bed and if your baby wakes up in pain during the night
Offer a cold wet wash cloth for your baby to chew on

Other teething advice-

Teething pain peaks as the tooth is just cutting the gum - once it is through the teething pain will greatly subside. The area that is causing discomfort is usually swollen and can be purple in color and look inflamed. Of course, if your baby is in pain you need to offer them comfort during this time and do what you can to help them. The extra attention should then stop once the tooth is in and their daytime behavior supports that they are no longer suffering. You may find that your baby is still waking up at night and crying so at this point you may have to do some reassurance and check visits to make sure that they are okay but keep your visits minimal and low key.

Although I was tempted to bring Kenya into bed with me as I was so tired, I just got her up and sat in the living room on the couch and gave her some medicine and love. If she didn't share a room with her brother then I would of stayed in there with her but she was crying loud and I didn't want to wake him up. I think it was 4.30am in the morning and I didn't put her back to bed for anymore night time sleep but gave her two naps that day in stead of her normal one. I would of loved to have taken a nap too - BUT - that is thing of the past these days!! Poor old Mum - has to carry on as normal regardless of what the night brings.

Don't just assume that it is teething though, if you don't see any of the signs and symptoms above then it could be something else - night wakings can also be linked to

Poor daytime naps
Gas pain
Cognitive development
Developmental milestones

Getting the right picture

2007-12-07T19:31:00.000-08:00

I had to take the kids last week to get their photos done for the Christmas card's which were supposed to be mailed back the UK about a week ago (better late then never).

I always get excited at the thought of having my children photographed professionally, and I always end up cringing in the corner at how they behave in the studio - Luckily the photographer knows me and the children as she did the photography for my website; just as well otherwise I'm sure she after last weeks session she would never have me back.

My son is a poser and knows all the moves which means that he wants to be in every shot and when he's not in front of the camera he is pouting and trying to pull down the back drop, throwing props around and knocking the equipment over. Kenya is not as keen and pulls a strange face everytime the flash goes off followed by a bout of crying. She spent most of the session moaning and groaning she (and I) had been up since 4am that morning administering Tylenol and teething gel for the pain (bless her) and the tooth is in now so the pain has gone (no more night nurse duty till the next one comes in).

Luckily though the proofs were good and there was some excellent shots of the children and me; the photo above is the one that I choose for my Christmas cards this year, and for those of you who tackle this at home here are some tips from Michelle Moore owner and operator of What I see Photography. www.whatisee.ca to capture that perfect shot.

Vacationing and your sleeping baby

2007-11-29T18:56:00.000-08:00

This weekend we are off to Seattle and taking the kids, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to write some tips on how to travel with your baby and keep their sleeping habits in tact as best you can.

Traveling to different time zones – Here are a few tips on the best way to handle traveling to different time zones for you and your little one. Bear in mind however, that you could have a fantastic plan that gets thrown out the window if you get a delay during transit.

1. www.bodyclock.com - check out this website where you can click on the number of time zones that you will be crossing as well as you normal wake up time. It will then tell you the best way to handle the time change for your internal biological clock depending on the direction of travel so that you don’t feel the jet lag too much.

2. Try and get flights that land in the afternoon of your destination. (Not always possible but if you can that is beneficial for you internal biological clock)

3. Wake your baby at there normal wake up time at the new destination and expose to sunlight– he/she may be grumpy for a day or too as their body's adjust but this is better than letting her sleep in to compensate for lost sleep as it would then be even harder.

4. Try and get your baby to stay awake until their normal bedtime once arrived at your destination and do the normal bedtime bathtime routine before putting to bed.

5. Try and keep naps and feeds on schedule during your trip as you would at home using local time.

Sleeping in a strange environment – Sleeping in a strange environment or hotel room can have a regressive effect on a child’s sleeping pattern or habit. During these times you should be sympathetic to their needs as they are in an unfamiliar environment and may feel a little insecure. Once you get home though you should go back to your old ways despite you child’s behavior otherwise you will be going back to square one. Try and take as many familiar sleep related objects as you can to make the ‘new’ crib or room as similar and as comfortable as possible. Follow your normal wind down period before putting your baby to bed. Expect some regression and sleepless nights as this is realistic and you wont feel to disappointed when it happens.

When you can have your baby have their own room like they do at home, if this is not possible then designate an area in the bedroom / hotel room away from your bed that can be ‘their corner’.

Enjoy your holiday!

Illness and Sleep

2007-11-25T08:49:00.000-08:00

This week has been horrendous.

It all started Monday night (around midnight) with my son - who must of picked up the stomach flu from school. I was up with him for 6 hours. 12 hours following that - my husband came down with it - I was up with him for 8 hours, 6 hours in to his illness my daughter came down with it - I was so stressed!

I have never washed as many blankets - quilts - sheets - towels - cloths and clothes. I think I was wearing rubber gloves for about 3 days straight and walking around carrying my waste paper bin full of hot water and bleach.

Needless to say we all know that illness effects both the parents sleep and the child's sleep - but at what point should the extra nocturnal attention end so that the good sleep habits resume?

About to start sleep training - If you had made plans to change your child's sleep habits by doing some sleep training and your child becomes sick - WAIT. Its not a good time to start and if you did you would feel terrible as you would constantly question yourself about your child's ability to self - soothe. Wait until your child is better and then proceed with your plan as normal.

In the middle of sleep training - If you are in the middle of implementing some sleep training and your child gets ill - pause at the point that you are at and resume from that point once your child is better. You must go to your child if they are sick and do not push them any further. If anything go back a step or two.

After sleep training - Most children need help / assistance at night when they are ill. So, if your child is sick and cries in the night you must go to them and do what ever it takes to make them feel better and return to sleep - even if it means sleeping on the floor next to their bed. Don't feel disappointed - all of the hard work that you put in to get your child sleeping well has not been undone. Once the illness has faded - stick to your normal bedtime routine again, you may have to help them get back on track again but you will not have to start over.

As I have said before - once a child can sleep through the night - it is highly unlikely that they will loose the ability. If anything they may have a little bit of regression when teething, have an illness, going through a developmental milestone, going on vacation or having grandparents / relatives or friends staying over. If it does happen - don't worry it is nothing that can't be easily ironed out once the dust has settled.

Seperation Anxiety and sleep

2007-11-17T11:15:00.000-08:00

I have recently started to leave my daughter (Kenya) who is one year old with a babysitter whilst I worked a few extra hours. The first few days were fine, but then Kenya started to anticipate my leaving with the arrival of the babysitter. As soon as she would see her - she would start to cry and cling to me - she would have big fat tears rolling down her face, I felt dreadful but I didn't have a choice, I have to go to work.

I knew what was coming next - her sleep (and mine) would start to be interrupted. Everybody wakes up through the night and we flip over, readjust our pillows and go back to sleep. For a baby/toddler who is going through changes (which can get over looked by us) this can start to have a negative effect on their sleep as they wake up and start to cry because they are starting to realize that they are not an extension of you - but they are a separate being AND more importantly where is my Mum?

So of course, a week in Kenya started to wake up and cry - back to getting up and staggering down the hall bleary eyed for me - in an attempt to quieten her down before waking up her 3 year old brother, with whom she shares a room. (She is also still doing this on the odd night and it has been several months - so it happens to me too (who works in this field - you are not alone! I do know how you feel).

Babies and toddlers don't wear watches and don't really have any time concept but they get a sense of security from predictability and they also associate our behavior with what comes next. As an example: when you get your coat on and wave bye-bye, they know that you are leaving, our actions become predictable - they don't want you to go and it can get to the point where they start to cry in anticipation. From a baby/toddlers perspective they don't know when you are going to come back or if you will and there are no visual cues for them to see or predict your return - initially they are waiting and on edge until they see you again which for a baby/toddler is hard as if you are out of sight - they don't know that you exist.

Separation anxiety can develop from as young as 6 months of age or when certain miles stones are met: crawling for instance - they crawl away and then realize you are not there and it can take a few months to subside - it can also come back again in toddler hood and then settle down again to disappear altogether.

Here are a few tips on how to handle it and what you can do to help your child understand the concept.

Play peek a boo - disappearing and reappearing
When you leave the room - use you voice so that they can still hear you
Don't hang around when it is time to go showing emotions - look confident and reassuring.
Hand your baby/toddler over to the caregiver - don't let the caregiver take the baby/toddler from you. This will show your child that you have confidence in their care provider.
During the day spend extra time with your child if you can - given them reassurance and extra hugs and cuddles.
If your baby/toddler starts to wake up in the night go in and use verbal reassurance, then start to pull back and do it from the doorway - then outside the door.
Flip the monitors around so you can reassure them through the monitor.
If you are going out for the evening make sure that you baby/toddler has seen the babysitter in your home or met them before. Its frightening for you baby to wake up and see a stranger peering down at them.

Although its hard - it wont last forever and everything will settle down eventually. Don't feel guilty as life is ever changing and sometimes things crop up that you cant help and were not expecting. Being prepared and being one step ahead will make the transition smoother for all of you -

Remember: If your baby/toddler has previously slept through the night and then starts to wake crying - this does not mean that your baby/toddler can no longer sleep through the night or that they have a sleep issue. Try and think about when it started and what was happening in your life around this time. Babies / toddlers can be very sensitive to their surrounding and I have know babies with parents who are moving house to be effected by sleep regression.

Transisitoning to parenthood

2007-11-14T05:49:00.000-08:00

As a former nanny with years of experience with children - I thought that parenting for me would be a breeze. I could not have been more wrong. Although I had both of my children sleeping through the night 7am - 7pm by 10 weeks of age there have been a number of issues that have arisen which, as a nanny I didn't even know existed.

The biggest hurdle by far has to be my husband - Since I had my son 4 years age I think I have probably spent 3 of those either not talking to him or in a heated discussion about our children and how I am too 'soft' on them. As a nanny I had sole charge of 'my' children and my whole day was devoted to them - I did not have to worry about paying bill, getting the groceries, doing the laundry or walking the dogs. On top of that at the end of the week I got paid - By the time my husband walks in at night, grabs his coffee that I have made, takes off his socks that I have washed and drops them on the floor that I have cleaned, he sits down and falls asleep.

I have to tell you - most of the time I'm really quite jealous and if I'm in the kitchen I might suddenly start to bang the pots as I unload the dishwasher in an effort to wake him up. Not only because he has just assumed his day has ended and its only 3.30pm but because a) he falls asleep so easily and b) when emptying his work bag I also discover that hes ate his lunch (in peace). You can guarantee at the end of the day I will find my breakfast coffee cold in the microwave which I forgot to drink the first time around and then forgot to retrieve it as I juggle my work, children. dogs and home. I'm not sure if I will ever make the transition into parenthood - or maybe its not the transitioning to parenthood that is the problem - maybe its the transitioning to being married.

But if any of you feel the same way or have a comment please post it below - I think many of you are probably in the same boat as me.

Welcome!

2007-11-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog on cheekychops.ca. I will be keeping the blog up to date with news, advice, information and up-coming seminars, so make sure you check back often.

If you have a question, please drop me a line and I will be happy to help.

Best regards

Dawnn