Sleep coach/Food coach

As my friend Monica says, you either get a kid that is a good sleeper or a good eater--never both.  I have heard her say this for years, as her child is now 10 years old and is decidedly a good sleeper, and a not-so-good eater (although her daughter is  definitely becoming more and more food adventuresome so M might one day be forced to reconsider this claim).

We are now almost nine months into this parenting gig now, and I have to say that I am not sure if I buy into Monica's idea.  At first glance, Reed is a Good Eater.  Through and through.  Because--I think he is.  (see below)  It may be due to extenuating circumstances, but I think we have a Good Sleeper, too.  The background on this is that Karen is a self-proclaimed Professional Sleeper.  She loves sleep.  In the summer or winter, in the day or night, in good times or bad.  She sleeps.  I definitely admire this trait, as I may be one of the world's worst sleepers.  I wish I could nap.  I wish I could sleep in till 10 on a Saturday (8 o' clock would be good too).  I wish I could sleep in a house full of dishwasher-emptying clanking or loud music.  Or in a car, ferry, or plane.

 The really good news is that Karen can do all of these things, and she is officially titled Reed's Sleep Coach.  She has the very special touch.  She can get him settled, interest him in sleep, and even keep him asleep.  The other bit of good news is that, typically, when she is able to get Reed to sleep, she is able to sneak a nap in herself.    And that is good for everybody.....!

Here are just some of the pics I have snapped of Karen sleeping with Reed.

I don't know why this one is so blue, but Reed is, I think, about 14 hours old here.  Karen is napping with him in the hospital bed we were afforded in the hospital.

Reed, 2 months.  It seems like Karen might be just sleep-posing, but chances are really good that she is really asleep.

Reed, probably 2 months.  Wow, Karen's shirt is really holey.  Though this pic does not show her face, we can be fairly confident that she is asleep.  And so is Reed!

Reed, 3 months.  They must be having an afternoon nap, because that is our bed, and he was sleeping in his crib at night at 3 months.

Again, in our bed, around 3 months. 

Reed, 4 months.  In the car, on the ferry, on our way to San Juan Island.

OK, Reed may in fact be awake here.  But this is how Karen deals with Reed when she wants to work on her bike in the backyard.

This may be Karen trying to get Reed back to sleep when we are camping. 

Same trip.  Reed, 4 months.  Karen not pictured, but she is always the idea behind the bundling, the padding, etc.

Yep.  This is Barley, our dog.  Karen was sure to bring an extra sleeping  bag for her.  She is sleep coach for All Living Things.

Same camping trip, Reed 4 months.  

Reed, 5 months.  Again, Karen not pictured, but surely she was the one who got him to sleep.

What?!  I think this is me!  Probably only one of two times Reed has fallen to sleep on me.

Reed, six months.  Taking a nap again, in our bed.

 And the piece de resistance:

 Obviously, she takes her role as Sleep Coach very seriously.  In the crib. With boy.  Oh, geeze.

So, as to the other side of the argument:  food.

In my opinion, Reed is a really good eater.  At nearly nine months, Reed has zero teeth.  I guess there have been other babies in the history of this universe who did not have teeth at nine months.  I just hope he gets some before Kindergarten.  Because I don't want to have that conversation with his Kindergarten teacher. 

These are the things that Reed likes to eat:

Salmon, hamburger, carrots, squash (any kind) potato (any kind), beans (any kind), cauliflower, broccoli, beets, tomato, spinach, grain cereal (filled with many whole grains), apples, banana, blueberries, tofu, eggs, quiche, pizza crust, pepperoni, oranges, chicken, and onion.  I have probably forgotten some as well.

I read someplace that if you expose your child to different spices, that they may be more in inclined to appreciate a variety of foods and ethnic flavors.  Ethnic flavors:  Is that an inappropriate stereotype?  I hope not.  I just mean that I am giving Reed different flavors so that he may enjoy having a vast, worldly, pallet of the world.  Here are some spices that he likes, so far:

Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, curry, cumin, pepper, chili pepper, sage, oregano, corriander, parsley,  sesame, thyme, and GARLIC.  (one time, I prepared for him some garlic mashed potatoes.  he loved them.  I so badly wanted to smell some garlic breath on him the next day.  But he did not have any!!  I don't get it, but ahh well.  As long as he enjoyed them, as he did, it is all good!)

So far, I have identified only two foods that he does not like:  avocado and mango.  I guess what that means is that we cannot plan a move to Hawaii.  If we did, our boy might starve.  OK, we will just be forced to not consider a move to Hawaii.

In summation, I know that we have a boy who is a Good Eater.  No problem.  The boy eats.  He also sleeps, and he happens to sleep fairly well.  I do attribute this, however, to Karen.  She helps him sleep.  She sleeps with him.  She interests him in sleep.  She has the patience to get him back to sleep, sometimes for the 12th time in the night.  She knows how to prep him--in clothes, in sounds, in attitude--for sleep.  She is awesome in this (and others!) arena.  Without her, Reed might be one of those kids labeled as "bad sleepers."  But no matter--we have her, she loves him to pieces, and he sleeps--A LOT.

Again--could we be luckier?  We have a Sleeper and an Eater!  YAY!!!!