Book Review: 12 Hours Sleep by 12 Weeks

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When we were expecting Finn, some friends of ours recommended the book 12 Hours Sleep by 12 Weeks Old by Suzy Giordano. While Finn did not sleep through the night at 12 weeks (or until well after 1 year), I found a few things in the book helpful, particularly the schedule recommendations and tips for weaning night feedings. So, as Penelope was approaching 3 months old, I decided to re-read the book. 

Overall, I think the author has a lot of helpful, practical information and resources in the book, and yet it is presented in a way that is not overwhelming. I also really like that it is designed to be a quick read. I would recommend it for families that want to help build healthy sleep patterns for their baby.

Here are the specific things I liked and found helpful. 

The Limited Crying Solution

The author outlines her philosophy of “The Limited Crying Solution” on page 7 as her recommended method to use during training. It is more of a middle ground between the “cry it out” method and the “no cry method”. I definitely found this helpful, especially for when Finn was a baby, because I couldn’t bring myself to let him cry it out forever and ever, but obviously going in right away so he didn’t cry at all was unrealistic.

Empowered as a parent / set boundaries

One of her “Four Foundations of Baby Sleep Success” (pages 16–18) is “You must feel empowered as a parent”, and as you are empowered by that realization, you must also realize that you cannot protect your baby from everything. One of the quotes I particularly appreciated said, “You are entrusted with your child for a short period and need to help him build skills during that time.” I like this overall philosophy that we are entrusted with our child, and we need to give them tools and skills to get them ready for the world. This definitely resonated with Dylan and my overarching philosophy of raising our kids.

Order of training

On page 52, she outlines how to get started with her sleep training method. I think the idea of sleep training a baby is a bit overwhelming from the get-go. I really appreciated that she outlined an order of training to help the parent know exactly where to start, even that day, and to not feel overwhelmed. 

The order of training she recommends is to work on

  1. Feeding during the day

  2. Feeding during the night

  3. Sleeping during the night

  4. Sleeping during the day

In conjunction with the order of training, she also outlines the Requirements for getting started (page 53) based on your baby's weight, amount of food consumed per day, and age.

Daytime & Nighttime Toolboxes

A large crux of her sleep training is based off of the utilization of a Daytime toolbox to help stretch the time between feedings, and a Nighttime toolbox for soothing baby without picking him or her up (pages 54–56). These items are not necessarily anything mind-blowing, but I think as a new parent, it helped me to have a few items to bring to mind quickly to try to help distract or soothe my babe. 

Eliminating night feedings

I found this to be the single most helpful part of the book when we had Finn. He held onto his 3am feeding forever. For quite a while, I really do believe he was hungry, and it was the right thing to do to continue that feeding. However, there came a time when I knew in my heart that he could make it through the night and just wanted it for comfort primarily. So, I used the author's techniques to help wean him from that feeding. I honestly don't know how I would have approached eliminating his night feeding if I hadn't read this book.

Two additional notes—

  1. She gives her information about eliminating night feedings in both ounces (for bottle feeders) and minutes (for breast feeding moms) so her techniques can be used by anyone.

  2. She also includes a few sample schedules, which are nice for more visual learners to see what a day would look like.

Tell me, have you read 12 Hours Sleep by 12 Weeks Old? If so, what did you think? Any other sleep training books you would recommend, especially to new parents?

(Affiliate link used)

The Books I Read in 2017

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Reading is such a funny thing. I love to read, and I can get sucked into a good book. I often fall into book ruts, though, where I don't know what I want to read, nothing sounds good, or I start a few books and don't end up liking them much. I ended 2017 in a bit of a book rut, but looking back over the year, there were quite a few books I really enjoyed. I went back through my Amazon Kindle orders and the books I had checked out from the library last year to see what all I had read. Below is the full list as well as a brief thought on each.

A Quiet Life in the Country, In the Market for Murder, and Death Around the Bend by T E Kinsey

These are part of the Lady Hardcastle mystery series, and they were all fun reads. Lady Hardcastle and her trusty sidekick, Flo, are quirky, funny, and smart. The stories unfold quickly, and the mystery they are trying to solve is interesting and a bit unpredictable. These would be great for a relaxing weekend at home or for an easy read on vacation.

The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani

From the back cover of the book, "A riveting historical epic of love and family, war and loss, risk and destiny, inspired by the author's own family history, The Shoemaker's Wife is the novel Adriana Trigiani was born to write."

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. The writer does a wonderful job weaving the stories of Enza and Ciro over the course of many years without it feeling corny, and it certainly isn't predictable. I laughed, I cried. I thought it was beautifully written. It is definitely worth adding to your list if you like historical fiction or are looking for a beautiful love story.

The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin by Stephanie Knipper

This was hands-down my favorite book amongst those I read in 2017. I wrote a whole blog post about it, which you can read here — Book Review: The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin. Suffice it to say, I highly recommend it.

The 5th Wave, The Infinite Sea, and The Last Star by Rick Yancey

These are decidedly teen fiction in terms of the writing style and the unfolding of the love story between two of the main characters. That being said, the storyline of this post-apocalyptic world is unique and very well crafted. The author does a great job crafting the world and bringing you through it from both Cassie and Ben's perspectives. I was riveted from the beginning of the first book to the end of the third. If you like science fiction, this is worth reading.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

I don't remember where I heard about this book initially, but I came across it at the library one day and decided to pick it up. This description from Amazon is pretty explanatory of the plot.

"When fifteen-year-old Maribel Rivera sustains a terrible injury, the Riveras leave behind a comfortable life in Mexico and risk everything to come to the United States so that Maribel can have the care she needs. Once they arrive, it’s not long before Maribel attracts the attention of Mayor Toro, the son of one of their new neighbors, who sees a kindred spirit in this beautiful, damaged outsider. Their love story sets in motion events that will have profound repercussions for everyone involved. Here Henríquez seamlessly interweaves the story of these star-crossed lovers, and of the Rivera and Toro families, with the testimonials of men and women who have come to the United States from all over Latin America."

On the whole, I found the story interesting and generally well written. Parts of the book felt a bit choppy with the testimonials that were interspersed throughout. It was certainly an interesting perspective of what someone would experience and feel coming to America for the first time without knowing anyone or the language. The book was in no way political, just telling the stories of these people.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

At the end of the summer I decided to dig into this dense classic. I was shocked at how enthralled I was with the storyline. I could not put it down. I would read whenever, wherever, which is saying a lot because it rounds out at close to a thousand pages. I can see how this book is an enduring classic, though. It is well-written, and honestly, it was not what I expected at all. Here's a synopsis from the Amazon page—"Gone With the Wind explores the depth of human passions with an intensity as bold as its setting in the red hills of Georgia. A superb piece of storytelling, it vividly depicts the drama of the Civil War and Reconstruction."

I have never seen the movie and had very little idea what the story was about. Needless to say, Scarlett O'Hara was an intriguing main character. I'm still not sure how I feel about her, but the author does an amazing job bringing you into her life and world. The main thing that struck me was getting a glimpse into the Civil War and Reconstruction from a southerner's perspective. Being born and raised in the Midwest, I had a very different take, and it was just enlightening and down-right fascinating.

All in all, the setting of the story is beautiful, the characters are well developed and interesting, and the plot line is engaging and well paced, especially considering the length of the book. This is definitely worth reading.

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

A large chunk of my year was spent re-reading through the Harry Potter series. I had read through book five as they were initially published. I thought I had read book six as well, but I realized as I started into it that I had never actually read it. I loved being transported back into the Harry Potter world, and it was fascinating to read the last two books, having seen the movies many times. I thought the last two books, especially book seven with the storylines being tied together and concluded was vastly superior to the movies (though I still love the movies very much). If you have never read these books and like fantasy, I highly recommend them to you. The first three are a bit corny, though endearing, but as the story really gets going in book four, you won't want to put them down.

So tell me, what did you read last year? Anything good?

Book Review: The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin

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Earlier this spring, I downloaded a copy of the book, The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin by Stephanie Knipper, to my kindle. I really didn't know much about it beyond the description that Amazon includes from the publisher—

"Sisters Rose and Lily Martin were inseparable when growing up on their family’s Kentucky flower farm yet became distant as adults when Lily found herself unable to deal with the demands of Rose’s unusual daughter. But when Rose becomes ill, Lily is forced to return to the farm and to confront the fears that had driven her away."

I was blown away by this book. I loved it so much, and I think about it often, even months later. The first part of the book was so beautifully sad; I sobbed through a lot of it. That being said, I just couldn't put the book down. I loved the way she wrote about the sister's lives and their relationship (past and present). Having a sister of my own, I thought that the way the author wrote about the sisters was spot on. She obviously wrote from a depth of experience that made it true and apt. It also made me love and appreciate my sister that much more.

I thought that the way she wrote about the relationships between Lily, Rose, Will, Seth, and Antoinette was very realistic and well captured. I don't have a lot of experience with autistic children, but the way she brought the reader into the world of Antoinette was well done. I appreciated Antoinette for all her complicated and sweet and loving and challenging characteristics; she seemed so real that I couldn't help but love her.

I also really enjoyed the way the author wove the meanings of flowers into the story. It was a unique aspect that made the story interesting and special.

So, if you have a chance, I would highly recommend The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin to you. It is a story with a depth of emotion I haven't come across in a long time. In addition to that, it is beautifully written and reflective of this complicated life that we live with its beauty, sorrow, challenges, and joys.

Book Review: Longbourn by Jo Baker

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I had been in a book rut for most of the summer. I tried a few different books and just could not find one that was interesting. As I was browsing through Instagram looking for recommendations, I came across "Longbourn" by Jo Baker a couple of times. I had heard of it, but I honestly didn't know anything about it. So, I turned to my trusty library's website and looked it up. I was intrigued, and it was available, so Finn and I packed up and went and got it that day.

"Longbourn" is set in the same place and time as Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice" (a book I love, love, love). However, it is told from the perspective of the servants who run the house at Longbourn, which the Bennett family inhabits. It primarily follows the maid, Sarah, but the housekeeper, Mrs. Hill, is also prominent.

I think that Jo Baker, the author, does a great job of telling a unique story while completely transporting the reader back to Jane Austen's beloved world of Longbourn. I greatly appreciated that she did not focus too much on the Bennett family or the interactions that took place in "Pride & Prejudice". Jo is able to accurately portray the original Austen characters and perfectly intertwine details from the original story into the new story she creates for her characters. The overlap of the stories is perfection, and she exercises skillful restraint in leaving out details that the servants would not have been privy to and likely would not have cared about.

I also appreciated that Jo was able to offer some critique of the original Austen characters without coming off as complaining. She did not in any way tarnish the Bennetts by taking up the servants' story, nor did she pit the servants against the Bennett family. She does include frustrations that the servants likely would have felt, such as Sarah's frustration on wash day that Elizabeth had gotten so much mud on her petticoats. It's a fair criticism and also speaks to Jo's intimate knowledge of the Austen characters, which adds further depth to her book.

I greatly enjoyed seeing the story unfold and at points, was not sure what would happen next. I felt genuine care and concern for Sarah and Mrs. Hill. I was intrigued by the character, James. I felt the ending was fair and interesting. The story was engrossing from beginning to end, and to be honest, I was a little sad when I finished the book. I would have liked to have continued on with Sarah's story for much longer if it had been possible.

On the whole, "Longbourn" was a quick read, and I would recommend it if someone is looking for a period piece with a little romance and endearing characters.

I should note that if you have not read "Pride & Prejudice", I highly recommend it to you. Also, I think you could read "Longbourn" and follow along without having read "Pride & Prejudice" first. I think you would more deeply appreciate "Longbourn" if you have read "Pride & Prejudice", but I don't think it is a requirement. The two stories can stand alone in many ways.

Finally, if you liked "Pride & Prejudice" and are looking for something set in the same world, I think you would enjoy this book as well. Jo, the author, does a great job of telling a new story, while interweaving details from Jane Austen's book. As the reader, you very much feel that you are at the Longbourn estate.

If you have read "Longbourn", I would love to hear your thoughts. From what I could tell of the reviews online, people seem to really like it or really dislike it.