Dutch Apple Pie

We went to my parent's house over Labor Day and my mom made this amazing apple pie!!! Even baby James loved it...hehe.  Here is the recipe...

 

 

Hope you enjoy this recipe! Perfect for this coming fall and the holidays...

 

I have been so bad about keeping up my blog and posting.  I hope to make it more of a priority in the future but having a little one with me 24/7 makes it a wee bit difficult.  I'm hoping to post his 8 month photos tomorrow as he is 8 MONTHS TODAY!!! Woo Woo!!!

 

Here's what we've been dealing with the past month...

 

 

 

So we did what all parents are warned against doing...co-sleeping.  Once James hit 7 months old we were determined to get him in his crib and cut down on his night time nursing.  Now let me add we tried many approaches and everything failed.  After talking to our parents and getting advice we finally decided to try the Ferber method.  At first we were totally against this because the thought of leaving him in his room crying seemed cruel...but desperate times call for desperate measures (desperate meaning sleep deprived).  The first few nights were SO hard.  The books say it usually takes about a week but it took us about 3 weeks before he was "Ferberized".  First week it took him about 30-45 minutes of crying and us going back and forth every 10 minutes before he fell asleep.  Second and third week it was about 10-20 minutes of crying before he fell asleep.  BUT now I nurse him and then lay him in his crib and he immediately rolls onto his stomach and falls asleep.  It's a miracle!!!

 

He now sleeps from 7:30 pm to about 7 am EVERY time.  I am a firm believer of the Ferber method now.  Before, when he slept with us, we went to bed around 9-9:30 pm and slept till 6 am and then he would wake up every 3 hours to nurse in between that and he just didn't sleep well.  He would fuss in his sleep and wake us up hourly.  I am so thankful those days are behind us.  James sleeps better and has done great without the nightly nursing.

 

Mom and dad are thankful for time together every night to unwind, to watch tv, catch up on chores, and sleep ALL night like we used to! :) 

 

***Ferber method is not for everyone but it worked for us and we're extremely happy with the results. I don't think the 3 weeks of crying will cause him any long term psychological issues.