How to Cope with a Colicky Baby

Babies are supposed to smile and coo before drifting off to sleep in your arms, so ending up with a baby that screams blue murder for hours at a time, for no apparent reason, is enough to drive even the most laid-back parent to the brink of insanity. And if this is your first child, it is even harder to cope. 

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Colicky babies are a nightmare. The crying bouts can last for a few hours, or even all day, with very little respite. Your little one might eventually fall into a fitful sleep, only to be woken again by a barking dog or noisy toddler. Yes, it’s a difficult time, and for some parents with no access to help and support, trying to cope with a colicky baby can put a huge strain on their relationship at a time when everyone is supposed to be deliriously happy.

What Causes Colic?

All babies cry, but colicky babies cry a lot more than most and their crying cannot be explained away by a wet nappy, missed nap or hunger. The underlying cause of colic is not really understood. Some experts think the extended bouts of inconsolable crying associated with colic are caused by digestive upset whereas others believe the problem is an immature nervous system.

Tips for Dealing with a Colicky Baby

·         Carry your baby around in a papoose carrier all day – Instead of putting your baby down when you are not feeding him, carry him around all day long. Babies love the extra closeness and many are calmer as a result.

·         White noise CDs – Babies are often soothed by white noise such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners, but if you don’t want your washing machine on 24/7, buy a white noise CD instead.

·         Baby massage – Place your baby on a soft towel in a warm room and then massage him gently using massage oil. He’ll find it soothing and will probably go to sleep.

You are Not a Failure!

It is only natural to feel like a complete failure when nothing you do consoles your screaming baby. Modern parents put themselves under enormous pressure to create a happy family home and when something goes wrong, they usually blame themselves. However, it is not your fault and you are not alone: millions of other parents are going through the same trials and tribulations with you.

Ask for Help

Help is out there, but you need to ask for it. Coping with a screaming baby all day and night is torture, so try and persuade a friend or relative to look after your baby for a few hours so you can have a mental and physical break. Alternatively, look for support online in parent forums. Just knowing that other parents are going through the same thing will help enormously.

It is hard to stay calm when your baby is screaming his lungs out, but remember that this difficult period won’t last forever. However, if you do start to feel agitated, put your baby down safely in his cot and leave the room until you feel better able to cope.

5 Books That Changed the World and so Will Change You

There are millions of books in this world, but just a small part of them made an enormous impact on the world’s history or even on people’s lives. And below in this article you will be presented with five such books you should also read! They might change your life a little bit too! And I can guarantee that it will change for the better.

But before the head to that, I would also like to take some time and appreciate some of these deals and coupons for Target. There might not be special books coupons you can use to shop for world-changing literature, but there are some other ways how you can save money on good literature. So get creative, shop for these amazing and truly unique pieces of literature and enjoy reading!

"Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
A diary written by a little Jewish girl is one of the literature pieces that changed the world. And the fact that this is a true story makes this little book hard and scary to read. Especially since this book is a compilation of the diary writings of Anne, who hid with her family for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. So if you wish to learn how a small girl deals with growing up in such scary times – this dairy is worth to read.

"Origin of the Species" by Charles Darwin
No other book got so many attentions to it than this one. It is a study written by Darwin then he traveled to the Galapagos Islands and discovered one of the most important scientific discoveries of the 19th-century-world — the theory of evolution. It made a tremendous impact on many generations of scientists, philosophers, politics and other great thinkers. So it is also worth reading and learning what was that all fuss about.

"The Second Sex" by Simone De Beauvoir
"The Second Sex" is another book considered to be a real bible of all feminists and there is nothing to be amazed by. In this book, you can find a study about how history, philosophy, economics, biology, and other disciplines determine what a "woman" is and why women through many ages were considered inferior. This book also inspired many generations of women to stand out and fight for their rights in patriarchate society, and it still inspires many women today. So – it might inspire you too!

"To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
This book not only changed the world a little bit but was banned for some time too. And these are two main reasons why you should read it! It is an excellent book that introduced the world to the racial situation in the United States and all the discrimination within it. With strong language, we are not very used today and the story line about atrocious crime, this book is an adamant literature piece that will change your thinking too!

"Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

A satirical novel about one man’s journey through time and experiences during the second World World War had also changed the world a little bit. In general, Vonnegut’s books have a very strong message, and every one of his books changed a world a little bit too. Therefore, this book is recognized as Vonnegut's most influential and famous work what is loved by many generations and dystopian lovers. So check this book and discover what it would be like if you could travel through time and more. 

#RoyalCelebration Recap: Heading to Downtown KC with a Crew of Fourteen!!! Part One #FriendlyBlueWalkingDead

So for those of you living under a rock, THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS WON THE WORLD SERIES SUNDAY NIGHT! My family listened to the games from before the playoffs on, we watched the games we could, we cheered the Royals on, we wore our blue, we did our chanting and our clapping and our superstitiousness and WE ARE THE WORLD CHAMPIONS for 2015!!!

For those of you familiar with National Lampoon's Vacation, this was fitting because the city shut down! Schools were cancelled, work was cancelled in many cases, our religious ed classes were cancelled, people called in sick and took vacation days to attend the parade and rally for our Royals on Tuesday, November 3, 2015.

Okay, so our morning started with me singing a song to get my kids out of bed. It went something like this:

"People say we are BRAAAAVE to go to the parade today,
But I saw we are CRAAAAZY,
Maybe kinda STUUUUUPID ...
Wake up!"

We knew if we did not have kids we would have been Downtown at 6 a.m. with all the other nutjobs but you can't do that with this many kids if you want to maintain a shred of sanity so we picked up our friends at 10 a.m. The parade was supposed to start at noon with the rally at Union Station at 2. Our original plan was we were to be dropped off as close to the parade as possible then I would park the van SOMEWHERE and hoof it back to my posse. But then friends and the news had us all freaked out about parking and it seemed like I wouldn't be able to park my huge van anywhere within miles of the city. So we opted to give the shuttle a try, even though we heard how long the lines were for those.

First stop: pick up our friends the Connors. Oh, and Julia was out of school and she's our go-to plus-one, so she is there also. My 12-passenger held 14 but don't tell the cops.

My gorgeous friend Jill. You know if she puts up with me she must be awesome and ever-patient.

We parked at Loose Park and walked to the Country Club Plaza. So far so good, still in good spirits.

A quick pit stop on some historical figures

Photo courtesy: Jill Connors ... the line for the shuttle bus to Downtown wrapped AROUND an entire city block and also wound down into the parking garage. At this point we were still happy but thinking maybe we had lost our minds.

Come back for Part Two to find out how our crazy idea went ... how long did we wait? How far did the bus take us? What will we do differently next year when we win again? How did the kids do walking (spoiler alert) EIGHT MILES PLUS IN ONE DAY? Did we see any of the parade? The rally?

Was it all worth it?

ABSOLUTELY!

Why Do Kids Say They Don't Know When They Clearly Freaking Do? #IDontKnow

"The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" for a Big Family

I had heard of this book before, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, many times. I was intrigued. I wonder, how is it different from other books I have read on organizing? The other day my friend Jill said she was reading it and that is was really making her think about getting rid of a lot of things and that she knew it would help with her peace of mind in general. That sounded goooood to me as well! (disclaimer: I have now figured out that if you buy the book from my site using the link below I might make a few cents)



I mean, I feel like I've gotten rid of a lot of things over the years. And we don't hit every gift shop on the way out of every zoo anymore ... I'm not trying to buy my kids' love so much anymore or spoil them with presents because presents take over our smallish house with seven people living in it. So I have put the brakes somewhat on buying things and acquiring things for the kids and I have given away a lot of my own stuff but we still have a lot, especially that "just in case" stuff and "aspirational" stuff like smaller or bigger clothing and books I may or may not read someday.

So I feel like I have a PRETTY GOOD grasp on the whole "get rid of crap" concept. So much so that I see other people's clutter lately and I am itching to help organize it and carry half of it to the recycle bin and another 25% to Goodwill. I feel like if I had a psychology degree I could really be a professional organizer and help some people out for a side job!

As usual, I digress.

So I have this book on hold as an audiobook at the library. I'm hoping to get it soon so I can walk and learn how to awesome-size my life. Mr. Kerrie would certainly be happy if I did this. I hear the author has no kids herself and thinks the purge should be a MAJOR EVENT, but kids outgrow crap so we'll have to make this MAJOR EVENT happen probably twice a year.

I'll just apply her ideas to kids and see how we do; I hear she has tips for organizing children and those with ADD, which I seriously have a touch of. My mom doesn't believe me but I'm like, "Mom, how many times did you guys call me SIDETRACK and ride me for getting lost in trying to clean up my room?" I'm the same way at 44 only probably a bit worse and focus is like a 4-letter word in my world unless I'm working on a writing project or really in the zone with homeschooling or something. So it sounds like the author has tips for those of us who can't fathom tackling a huge project like this and suggests things like (I'm totally making this up) "organize just the spoons in the drawer, not ALL the silverware."

Check out this quote then go buy the book!

I'll probably have to write my own version for those with kids and then for those with big families for inexpensive, self-published ebook world where I live!