Getting my 2 1/2 year old daughter to bed at a reasonable hour, and getting her to stay in her own bed without wailing and waking the whole house, has been quite the ordeal.  She has Sensory Integration Disorder, and kids who have this are often not big sleepers.  We have had improvement in her sleep patterns, especially over the last month or so. 

Here are some of the things that have helped.

1.  Make bedtime a “wind-down routine”.  I tell my daughter “Let’s go have relaxing time.”, and we chill out and snuggle for awhile.  It is important to have some consistency and not to “spring” bedtime on kids.
2. Decide for yourself, what will relax your child.  Many frequently suggested “calming” activities don’t work for everyone.  (example: bath time is too exciting for some kids, and should be done at another time)
3. Make sure your child is comfortable.  PJs that are too warm or itchy are sure bedtime disasters.
4. If a child is having a hard time getting to sleep or wakes cranky in the middle of the night.  A small bland snack may help.  I give my daughter a slice of whole wheat bread and a small cup of milk. 
5. While, you should be helping your child to wind-down before bedtime, some vigorous activity earlier in the evening will help them burn off excess energy.  Better to plan on wild play after dinner than having a restless child at bedtime.

If you are still having trouble getting your children to sleep, check out your favorite influential mom blogger, and see what she has to say.

The most surprising gift I ever received was not a material gift.  It was not for Christmas, nor my birthday, or even my anniversary.  It was not only the most surprising gift I’ve ever received, but also my most treasured.

In mid-September of 2006, I was 39 years old and my husband was 40. We had been together for about 7 years.  We had unsuccessfully tried to have a child.   Due to some fertility issues and lack of insurance at the time we had pretty much accepted, that we were going to be “one of those childless couples”.  We tried to make the best of it.

Around that time we went to a party on a Saturday,  and I drank a little more than usual, but ended out with an atrocious hang-over.  Three days passes and I still felt awful. I had no energy and felt generally funky.  The smell of onions and meat, quickly became unbearable.  I realized this was far more than a couple beers doing this to me.

I had purchased pregnancy tests so many times, only to be disappointed.  I was hesitant to put myself through that again.  In the past, at the slightest suspicion, I’d pop into the local drug store and grab a test.  I guess I felt  that due to my age, this was my last chance, and part of me didn’t want to know… in case it was like all the other times.  On that Thursday, I went to Target to pick up a few things.  I still had that funky feeling.  As I walked past the health and beauty section,  the decision was made.  I had to find out.  At that moment, I allowed myself to hope.

That evening, both tests were used.  The results were very clear positives.  An ultra sound about a week later confirmed the tests, and our beautiful healthy daughter was born in the end of May.  The gift of her in my life, was the most surprising and wonderful present I have ever gotten.