How to Calm a Fussy Baby

As cute and loveable as they are, babies can be extremely difficult to deal with when they’re fussy, especially if you’re by yourself and there is nobody around to help you.
The first thing you should know are some reasons why babies cry. If you can identify the source of your baby’s discomfort, then you’ll be more able to come up with a solution to calm them down.

Why do babies cry?

• They are too warm or too cold
• They’re hungry
• They have a dirty diaper
• They’re tired or restless
• They have allergies
• They have an illness (cough, cold, flu, etc.)
• They want comfort from being held or pacifying
• Breastfed babies can have a reaction to mom eating certain foods 
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• Here are some suggestions you can try to help calm your fussy baby.

  Music – Play a calming lullaby cd for your baby.
  Wind Chimes – Hang some wind chimes in your house and let your baby play with them.
  Infant Massage – This method is becoming more and more popular. Massaging your baby is proven to help calm him and create a new bonding experience.
  Fart – No, not you! Get your baby to pass gas. A common cause of fussiness is a gassy tummy. Try bending their legs to help ease their stomach pains.
  White Noise – A fan or static on a radio can create a soothing sound for babies because it mimics the sounds of the womb.
  Nursing – If you breastfeed your baby, this can be one of the best ways of calming her down.
  Hold your baby – Despite what many people say, you won’t spoil your baby by holding him. By comforting him when he needs you, you are building trust.
  Get some air – If your baby is a little older, he may enjoy going outside for a walk in the stroller. Many interesting things are waiting to be seen outdoors.
  Put on a video – Baby Einstein is great for bored babies. They love the music and colors. This is a great opportunity for you to sit with your baby and help them learn by pointing out objects and naming them as they see them.
  Swaddle – Most newborns like to be swaddled because it makes them feel like they are back in your tummy.
  Dance – Turn on some tunes and dance with your baby. This can also be a great bonding experience.
  Sleep – Lay down with your baby and see if they fall asleep. They may just want to rest but want to stay close to you.
  Mirror – Sit your baby in front of an unbreakable mirror. Babies love to see their own reflection.
  Time out – Take your baby to a quiet place. Their fussiness could be caused by overstimulation. They may just need some time to settle down.
  Swing – Buy a baby swing or sit in your own garden swing. The rocking motion mimics the motion of being inside the womb and is great for calming baby.
  Drive - Many parents resort to taking their baby for a car ride. Be sure not to use this method too much as your baby may start to depend on it for going to sleep.
  Your voice – Try holding your baby to your chest and talk to her or someone else. The sound of your calm voice can be soothing to your fussy baby.
  If all else fails, gently put your baby in the crib and close the door. Go to a quiet room and take a few deep breaths. If you’re alone, ask a neighbor or a close family member or friend to come over and help you out.
  
  
  

Getting Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night

Every parent has had those sleepless nights where baby just won’t settle down. Unfortunately, a lot of parents go through this every night. Whether you stay at home with your baby, or you leave the house to work during the day, endless nights of waking up around the clock will eventually wear you down.
You’ll get exhausted, moody and won’t be able to even think straight! Or maybe this already sounds familiar to you.

Most parents suffer from sleep deprivation at some point. Its just part of parenthood. Even those lucky enough to have babies who are good sleepers eventually have to deal with getting their toddlers to stay in bed. What gets really frustrating is reading so much conflicting information about getting your baby to sleep through the night. But what you must understand is that every baby is different, so not every sleeping method works. That’s why there are so many different opinions out there. But I’m not here to give you an opinion or tell you what to do. I’m just going to tell you exactly what I did to get my son to sleep through the night.

How I got my son to sleep through the night

First, you have to understand that I only breastfed my son until he was seven weeks old. I had to have surgery shortly after he was born and couldn’t breastfeed for a few days. I tried hard to pump and keep my milk supply up, but I finally had to stop torturing myself and my son and start feeding him formula.

A few weeks after that, he started sleeping through the night. What also happened at the same time is I started putting him down awake (breastfeeding would always put him to sleep). At just over 2 months, I was sure that it wouldn’t work, but to my surprise it did.

The trick was to put him down at the precise moment he started to get sleepy. I watched him like a hawk and eventually I could tell when he looked tired. His eyes would get red around the rims and they would start to look heavy. This was the only sign. Occasionally he would yawn, but his eyes would give him away sooner.

I had always read to watch for babies rubbing their eyes when they were tired, but neither of my babies did that until they were a little older.

I had also read to create a bed-time routine, but I have yet to do that with my son and he’s now 8 months at the time of writing this. My daughter didn’t have a bed-time routine established until she was almost a year old. So far, both my children have been excellent sleepers.

Why does it work?

Now, you may be wondering how putting a baby down when he’s awake will help him sleep through the night. Here’s my thoughts from experience. When a baby is put down after they are asleep, they’ll eventually stir and will probably wake up. If they aren’t being held in your arms anymore, they might get upset and want to be back in your arms. So they’ll cry until they are.

If you put them down while they’re awake and they fall asleep on their own, they won’t be startled when they wake up because they’ll be right where they were before they fell asleep.

Of course, I have no idea what goes on inside a baby’s head – so this is just what I think, not what I know. I do however know that when my babies were put down awake, they slept through the night more than they did if they were put down already asleep. They also slept longer into the next morning which is sure nice. The better they sleep at night, the better they nap during the day. And the better they nap during the day, the better they sleep at night.

If my son does happen to wake up in the night, I usually just put his pacifier back in his mouth and he falls right back to sleep. Some mothers may want to crucify me for this, but hey – it works! He’s happy, healthy, and well rested. (And so am I!)

Getting your baby to sleep through the night probably won’t happen in one day, so here are a few things to think about to keep you sane during those sleepless nights:

Listen to your instincts. Remember you know your baby best. Take all advice you get as what it is, advice. Never let it replace your own personal judgment. You know your baby best and only YOU know what’s really right for him. If it feels right to rock your baby to sleep, then do it. If it feels right to bring your baby into bed with you then do it.

Stop the guilt. Don’t take it personally. A lot of us suddenly feel instant guilt when our baby cries. Are we doing the right thing? Does she need feeding? Is his diaper wet?And on and on…

Comfort them. Remember your baby could be crying for a number of reasons and some are out of your control. Did you know that babies are born with the crying reflex but not the laughing reflex? Well they are… it’s instinctive for babies to cry. We’re going back to primitive times. Babies cry to have their needs met. Sometimes those needs are just to simply cry it out for a bit while feeling the warmth and comfort of their most loved person … you!

Become an expert. Go online or to the library and read a few books on baby sleep and sleep patterns. Arm yourself with all the knowledge that you can so that when others come your way offering advice you can politely say you know exactly what you’re doing.

Whatever you decide, the main thing to remember is that sleepless nights are part of having a baby. Do what feels best for you and remember that this is a normal phase of your baby’s development and will soon end. Those tiny little treasures will soon be running all over the house creating havoc. So enjoy each precious moment (even if its a sleepless one) as much as you can, because it sure doesn’t last long.

Childproofing Your Kitchen

Your kitchen can be a very dangerous place for your child if it isn’t properly baby proofed. Here are some important tips you should follow to prevent kitchen accidents.

1. Use outlet plugs. This is must. These handy little plastic covers plug right into your wall sockets. It’s important to get the best possible plugs available since those little fingers can get quite good at pulling out the cheap ones.

2. Lock cabinet doors – I couldn’t live without the latches that keep drawers and cupboard doors closed. They’re easy to get into for adults, but impossible for little hands to open.

3. Keep cleaning supplies away. Even if you use latches on your cupboard doors, it’s better to be safe than sorry and keep your cleaning products out of your child’s reach. I keep mine in the cupboard above the sink.

4. Use oven and fridge latches. It’s amazing how easily your little one can open the fridge and oven doors. Without me knowing it, my daughter had snuck into the fridge and taken an entire carton of eggs out, then broke them all over the basement. I’ve had a latch on my fridge ever since!

5. Common sense. Regularly sweet and mop your kitchen floors, and keep the counters clear of things like sharp knives or heavy appliances that can be pulled off.


I’ve used quite a few different child proofing products, and I’ve found that Safety 1st is one of the best and least expensive.

A Healthy Diet is a Healthy Pregnancy and Baby

Every product contains some form of albumen that is digested by the albumen, called ferment. There is a form of native albumen which we have grown accustomed to eating; our ancestors also ate it (bread, meat, apples, fish, etc.). But they knew nothing about albumen found in coffee, cacao and citrus plants.

Where did your great-grandfather get his oranges? Think about it. But we eat them and nothing happens because our digesting fabric called the liver neutralizes everything that is not digested completely in our stomach.

When you get pregnant, your liver becomes the main fighter and it neutralizes secretions of the fetus. Let’s keep it safe. If you don’t want your child to suffer from intolerance for tangerines or chocolate, don’t eat these products while you’re pregnant (undigested particles are tasted by the fetus before they will be neutralized by the liver, so the child will develop an allergy after birth). So try to avoid everything your ancestors didn’t eat. You’ll be healthier.

Don’t eat:

• Fatty foods (while cooking broth, remove fat; eat lean, skinny chickens and rabbits)
• Cacao, chocolate and chocolates, chocolate butter
• Coffee
• Citrus fruits, including lemons
• Spicy, acidic and salty food
• Canned foods
• Mushrooms
• Peas
• Fresh yeast products
• Strawberries and raspberries
• Products with buttered cream

It’s healthy to eat:

• Vegetables, especially onions, potatoes and cucumbers
• Fruits such as pears, apples and apricots
• Berries, grapes, cherries and watermelons
• Dairy products such as cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt, sour milk and milk from a cow
• Lean meat and fish but no herring
• Raisin and dried apricots
• Steamed dried fruits
• Green tea

Remember:

• Steamed, boiled and baked foods are better than fried and smoked products
• It’s better to eat less of the things you want
• You shouldn’t eat too much of certain foods even if you crave it. Eat them moderately
• If you’re wondering whether or not you should eat something, don’t
• Don’t eat a lot before going to bed
• Don’t over-eat as a general rule
• If you absolutely have to drink alcohol on certain occasions (like New Year’s Eve) drink just a little red wine or champagne
• It’s best to get your calcium from pills and from cottage cheese – both you and your fetus will get enough
• It’s better to take complex vitamins. Compared to other vitamins, complex vitamins include vitamin D. If you can’t buy these vitamins, remember, that when you don’t get much sun, especially in winter, you need 500 units of vitamin D a day
• If you feel a lack of sweets, try to sleep
• Your weight depends not only on the food you eat but on your physical activity too

There is no reason to eat anything special as long as you’re feeling well. If there are any problems (edemas, for instance), ask your gynecologist what and how much you should drink.

Advice for Pregnant Women

What should you do while being pregnant?

• first of all, follow your instincts. If you want the fetus to grow normally, be physically active. You should move a lot. If the mother’s heart works actively, the child receives more of the useful substances which her blood contains.

But be careful:

• to be active doesn’t mean to be fond of parachute jumping or to become a rock-climber;
• don’t love yourself more than earlier, pregnancy is not an illness;
• keep fit and pay attention to your appearance (eyes, lips, chicks, nails, hair-do…) and don’t think that now your husband will stay with you forever;
• don’t do a lot of sun tanning and don’t forget about hats.
• use less aerosols (deodorants, hairspray). Generally try to use less chemicals (detergent, mineral fertilizers).
• work and study have great positive meaning as they give you a chance to think less about pregnancy;
• keep in mind: each infection is really dangerous for a fetus. Of course it’s very difficult not to catch a cold during 9 months, but try to prevent it by avoiding places with a lot of people. The most dangerous virus for a pregnant woman is German measles, which influences a fetus badly. Avoid visiting children hospitals. Don’t eat products which may cause diarrhea (be careful with the food you eat and don’t forget to wash your hands);
• don’t treat any illness yourself, such as a heavy cold or indigestion, with the help of various pills;
• don’t travel a lot during the last months of pregnancy. A plane or a train is not the best alternative to a maternity hospital.

A special question concerns different sets of exercises for pregnant women. A woman who is ready to do exercises regularly will find time to buy or borrow a book written by specialists.

It’s important, nevertheless, to understand that all exercises are secondary compared to the importance of lifestyle (fresh air, physical activity). It’s strange, but I often face the situation when a future mother lies on the sofa for 12 hours, does some exercise for 15 minutes, then rests for another 11 hours and 45 minutes. This should not be considered an effective lifestyle to be ready for childbirth.

Keeping My Salvation

We have received the greatest gift through the greatest sacrifice of our great God. Through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have been given the chance to become sons and daughters of God that though we were once sinners, we were able to be reconciled to our Creator. This greatest gift is our salvation - a chance to live a life of eternity with God.

The responsibility left on us is to take good care of this salvation. Why do we need to take good care of our salvation? Because salvation is not a permanent bestowal. It is true that salvation is a gift but the long possession of it is something we must work hard for. The possession of salvation entails responsibilities in order to remain possessing it. Once a person is saved, he or she will be saved forever if and only if he or she takes the duty of taking good care of it conscientiously. In addition to this, the possession of salvation is a grace from God and this grace remains to those who take good care of it.

Taking good care of one's salvation implies certain responsibilities that are vital in keeping salvation. First, one needs to pray for it steadfastly. Second, one must always have the sense of keeping up with the activities inside the church. Third, one must show in one's lifestyle the gift of salvation. Lastly, one must share the word of salvation to other people.

Keeping salvation is a favor from God and one must always pray for the possession of it. Prayer is another way of showing the Lord that one is thankful for salvation. There are times when everything seems too constricted that we seem to be unable to find time to commune with God through prayer. But this is a mere deceit from God's adversary. There will always be time for us to pray as we always have the time to attend to our personal needs like eating, taking bath and washing dishes. When one prays, he or she must ask the Lord for help to keep salvation, crying and begging for the continuous grace of God for them.

When one wants to keep salvation, he or she must endeavor to do the will of God by keeping track to all the activities in the church. The church is the place where we will find all the activities that will make us strong in faith which will in turn help us keep our salvation. It is important that the children of God participate to all the plans set by the ministers in the church. When we participate, we are cleaning ourselves from all the iniquities we have had.

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”
- I Peter 2:2

This is so because the words of God will bring us to repentance and this will only happen if we let ourselves join in the activities of the church.

“Therefore my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
- Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)

Actions depict character than words do. When we are saved, it means that we are now children of God. As such, we have to show the life example by the early Disciples of Christ. We cannot separate our lifestyle from our being children of God. When we are saved, we are not of the world anymore. From the words we speak to the way we dress and carry ourselves they must depict our Christianity. We must show the gentleness that Jesus has shown to the people of Israel when He was still here on earth. We must show the love Jesus wanted us to show the people. Love neighbors, love enemies, love everyone. Our character is the best way to show our faith in Jesus and through this we are taking good care of God's gift for us.

As children of God, we are to share the Good News to other people. This is our duty something that we should do devotedly. Sharing the Good News to other people means that we are concerned about their spiritual welfare. There are a lot of people waiting for us to open to them the truth about God's love. When at work, don't let yourself be prevented from letting them know about the chance God is giving for them. Speak. When you are at school, it will be better to have no friend at all because of your faith than have as many without letting them know you are a Christian. In everything, we must let God manifest in our speech. When we do this we can say that we are securely saved.

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
- 2 Corinthians 7:10

There are early signs when we are losing grip on our salvation. First, we forget the little things that we have to do for the Lord like when we stop going to the church during the midweek. Second, we tend to get back at our old self without remorse. We start to do the things that we promised not to do anymore and it seems that we don't feel any guilt about it. Third, we tend to speak against the church even if it is on our own. Last, we stop going to worship God on the week's first day.

When these signs start to crawl in your life it is not too late for you to get back to God and ask for help.

“Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation…”
- I Peter 3:15

God's love and mercy is so abundant that He can cleanse you from all your iniquities and trespasses. And once God has given you another chance, take good care of it.

There was a certain person who received salvation and endeavored to keep it on his hands up to the last thread of breath. There were a lot of struggles in his life. He was persecuted, almost killed by disease but he remained steadfast to God.

JESUS IS LORD

A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.  Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe.”

            Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

          Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”  (John 20:26-29).  An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”  (Jesus was conceived in Mary, not by a man but by the Holy Spirit of God.)  “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name JESUS, because he will save his people from their sin.”