website stuff

You may remember my recent review of the Miracle Baby Sleep System.  

Since then, a number of our readers and Facebook members have emailed me with questions about the system, or to tell me they are planning to try it out with their sleep-challenged baby or toddler.

Well, I have good news for you!

SmartWav, the company that produces the system, has offered to award a Sleep System to one of our lucky readers.

To enter, you just need to ‘like’ us! Here’s how:

1.  Go to the official Facebook page of the Miracle Baby Sleep System, and click ‘like’.

2. If you aren’t already a fan of The Fussy Baby Site Facebook page, become a fan now.

3. Go to our review of the system, and like, share, OR tweet the post.

4. Finally, leave a comment on this post saying you’ve done #1-3 (be sure to use a valid email address when you comment so we know how to contact you.)

That’s it!

*Just make sure you’ve completed each of the 4 steps so you’re not accidentally disqualified!

Fine Print

• Must be a resident of Canada or the US.
• Contest ends Wednesday, May 2 at 5pm PST

Exclusive Discount for Members of the Fussy Baby Site

If you just can’t wait, SmartWav has also offered a special 30% discount only for members of the Fussy Baby Site.

To use the discount, enter the code: CALMBABY at checkout until Friday, May 4.

Buy the Baby Sleep System now.

Good luck!

Contest posted at Contest Canada | Canadian Free Stuff

*Updated: Contest is now closed.

And the winner is….Jessica Cooke!  Jessica, email me and I will make sure you get your sleep system asap!

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Hi! My name is Holly, what’s yours?

I’m 35 years old, and mom to two awesome kids, ages 5 and 7. I’ve been married to a wonderful, supportive man for 13 years. I attribute much of our success at marriage to the fact that he’s a Psychologist.

Now that my kids are both in school, I’m able to focus on my career, and am LOVING it! Besides running this site, I do freelance writing and web marketing for individuals and companies.

I’m thankful to be through the baby stage of life. Very, very thankful. I love my kids like crazy, but I don’t miss the newborn stage. At all.

Like many of you, the baby days were full of carrying, bouncing, distracting, rocking, crying, fussing, and just a whole lot of work.

Before being a mom, I envisioned lazy days of curling up on the couch with my baby, meeting friends for lunch (the baby sitting contentedly in the high chair), little baby giggles and coos (aren’t those the BEST sounds in the world?), and generally just incorporating my kids into my already full life.

My daughter, while not extremely fussy, did not like to cuddle, hardly even liked to be held, and even now at 7 years old, is very independent and not especially affectionate. And those baby giggles? It was like pulling teeth to get that child to smile, never mind laugh.

You’re probably tired of hearing about my son as a baby, but obviously since he was the inspiration for this site, you can imagine he was pretty fussy. He’s 5 now, and he’s completely awesome. He’s also one of the most sensitive and spirited kids I’ve ever met – which is excellent because it means he’s super fun and charming. And not so excellent when it comes to telling him he needs to clean up his room, or when his sister ‘looks at him the wrong way‘.

But seriously, I wouldn’t change a thing about him.

So what about you?  What brought you to this site?

I’m guessing it’s because:

1. Your baby is a couple of months old, and things are not going like you imagined. He or she cries more than other babies, maybe all day, or maybe just in the evenings. In any case, you’re exhausted and frustrated, and are wondering how you’re going to get through the next weeks without losing your mind. Or,
2. Your baby is a little older – say, 7 or 8 months – and while he or she doesn’t cry all the time anymore, you are still constantly ‘on’ – entertaining, distracting, carrying, wearing. Your little one is likely not sleeping through the night, and may have very short naps. He or she keeps you on your toes, and while you have definitely fallen in love, you wish things could be easier. What you wouldn’t give for an entire night of uninterrupted sleep! Or,
3. Your baby is now a toddler, and while this stage is so much easier than the newborn stage, you’ve hit the terrible two’s at full speed (and probably way before 2 – as early as 13-15 months). You’re coming to terms with the fact that your toddler is more intense, more energetic, and more sensitive than other kids. You are finding you need to be more creative, more flexible, and more in tune with your child’s needs. Your child is teaching you how to be a better parent.

I would love to know more about you.

If you’ve been following this blog but have never commented, NOW’S the time.

How old are your kids?

What’s the biggest challenge you face on a day to day basis?

What can we do to help you?

Your turn!

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If you’re at all like me, you head straight for your computer when you have a problem.

When Sammy was a newborn, we scoured the Internet for information related to colic, fussiness, and crying. We were trying to figure out:

What’s normal, and what’s a problem?

How can we make him more comfortable?

Are we doing something that could be making this worse for him?

I found online discussion boards helpful as I didn’t know anyone in real life who had a baby like Sam. I would read through posts and try to find babies with similar issues, and then try to diagnose Sam based on those. Mostly I just found it comforting that others had gone through it and had survived.

There were a number of websites I turned to during that time that were extremely helpful. I thought I would share this list with you, and also ask if there are any I’m missing that you have found useful.

Ask Dr. Sears

Hands down the best website I have found. When I first read Dr. Sears’ article on High Need Babies, I had an ah-ha moment. I wasn’t a bad mom, I wasn’t doing anything wrong, and there was nothing wrong with Sammy. There were, in fact, other babies out there just like Sammy.

Kelly Mom

Excellent information on fussiness related to breastfeeding. Helpful advice on how to soothe a fussy baby.

The Period of Purple Crying

This website wasn’t around yet when Sam was a baby, so I didn’t learn about Period of Purple Crying until we were through the infant stage. This is perhaps the most ground-breaking research into crying and colic to date. Explains how colic is a developmental stage babies go through, not a medical condition.

Berkeley Parents Network

This is an old site that I don’t believe is maintained anymore, however I found it encouraging to read through these posts by parents. Contains some useful soothing tips as well.

Fussy Baby Network

The Erikson Institute in Chicago offers free fussy baby support via the phone. I never took advantage of it, I don’t think. But what a fantastic service for new parents.

Nurturing Our Spirited Children

Another older site, but gives a great overview of the Spirited Child literature.

Wikipedia: Colic

The Wikipedia article on colic has been updated in recent years, and is actually a fantastic, comprehensive overview of what we currently know about colic.

Don’t Shake – Infant Crying

If you have a colicky baby, you won’t be surprised to learn that fussiness and shaken baby syndrome are closely linked. This site gives a good overview of what normal crying should look like, and how to cope with it.

Pollywog Baby – Colic & Reflux Products and Information

The editor of this site is extremely knowledgable about colic, reflux, and fussiness. Besides offering colic and reflux products, the site provides a wealth of information on causes and treatments for colic and reflux.

Are there any sites I’m missing? What sites were helpful for you?

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