After a date night out with a rare good night sleep, I’m ready to take on our sleep issue with a fight. A no-cry fight, even. Not saying tears are bad, because even crying can be refreshing, but crying isn’t so lovely when you hear it all. night. long. I came home and did some research online trying to find a book focusing on sleep issues. Hopefully, I’ve found the one the will work for us, The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. Thank you Amazon.com for the used book section, allowing me to pay $6 total including shipping, half the price of if I had drove to the book store. Granted, I have to wait a few more days to find some answers to our problems (hopefully), but still, can’t pass up a good deal.

In the mean time, we’re back to establishing a bed time routine (bath time, lots of books, snuggles and a feeding–which I want to learn how to cut out of her sleep necessity). Duh, Leah. Why did you get flax about it in the first place? Remember that back tracking I was talking about? I bet that is why. We’ll see what else Ms. Pantely has to offer soon. I chose this book because it seems to be more than just reading and then trying to apply. She has ’sleep logs’ and questions to ask yourself and keep record of about daily/nightly routines to help show where the problem is and then gives you a majority of solutions, not just one (so I’ve heard) to apply. She’s got a chapter for tiny infant sleeping AND older infant sleeping (Hello! That’s us!). She has one for co-sleepers and the one I’m most looking forward to–a chapter about babies who are depending on breast/bottle/pacifier to sleep.

And, quite frankly, I’m a person that some times needs some one to just tell me what to do next. Especially, when I am head deep in frustration, anger and tears. When a person is at the end of her rope, she needs some one to tell her what to do next to save herself. I’ve heard this book offers gentle step-by-step solutions. Just what I need.

We’ll see if it lives up to the reviews and to my expectations soon enough. In the mean time, off to dream land where there are no dreams because I’m always awake. Meaning, bed time for the O’s.

P.S. (It did help us!  Routine in crucial as she stresses in this book.)

I’ve found my new favorite thing and the answer to my prayers at feeding time.

Our problem?

1) Savannah has figured out how to take her velcro bib off whenever she pleases during her meal. Which, then leads to even more mess and a frustrated Mommy (or Grandma, or Daddy, who ever it may be!). We go around and around trying to keep that bib on!

2) Her feeding bibs, though stylish and easy to clean, were made of vinyl. Now, if you remember, there were several vinyl bibs recalled that were made in China. As far as we know, our bibs weren’t directly affected (or have yet to be tested since they were from Target rather than Toys “R” Us), but they are still made in China and with the ever-growing list of lead paint in China recalls, as parents, we worry.

And then, I stumbled upon this beauty, the Bibbity, while shopping for more freezer baby food storage. It still has the functionality of being able to just rinse/wipe off as with vinyl, it still has the cool “catch all” pocket at the bottom, it comes in neat colors (though, not as stylish as our vinyl polka dots and swirls), it easily rolls up for travel, and best of all, it’s lead free. It’s made in the USA, which, how often do you find a tag that says, “Made in USA,” anymore, hm? It’s VERY sturdy. I believe it when the web site says it’s the only bib I’ll ever need. And…the way the clasp is designed? Savannah cannot pull it off. She tried at first, but has given up, and thus, I’ve won the fight.

Also? It wasn’t expensive. About $5 for a bib that reuses it’s self over and over for years? I think that’s a good deal.

On a side note: Another wonderful product that helped us through those newborn days by this Company, Kiddopotamus (how cute is that name?!), was their SwaddleMe blanket. You know how babies love to be swaddled up tight, but yet some how seem to squirm out of our hard swaddling work? Well, this blanket makes life easier, at least for us. With the use of velcro tabs and a variety of comfy, soft materials for any season, it was a must for us. It also provided me with a sense of comfort that I could wrap by baby up warm but not worry about it coming too loose and suffocating her. We tried other brands, but they just didn’t work as well and easily came undone or holes were left where Savannah could quickly wiggle her way out. They also were just not made as nicely, or as soft.

It seems Kiddopotamus is growing a name and awesome reputation for it’s self. Just glancing at the other products within their website, their awards, their safety standards, I think they’ve got a good thing going. And, it makes life a little easier for us Moms.