Stories
With our second baby, we thought we knew what we were doing, but Addison at 2.5 months was snacking throughout the day, taking very short and inconsistent cat naps, and would only sleep in her moving swing at night. She was also grumpy and crying quite a bit. We weren’t sure what to do and how to improve the situation. Kris came to our home and she is truly a miracle worker, within a couple days of Kris putting us on a daytime schedule and employing her nighttime techniques, Addison began taking full feedings at predictable times, consistent naps throughout the day and sleeping soundly in her crib. As a mom, I love the predictability of our days and nights, and Addison is such a happy baby!! I also love the follow-up that Kris provides, she is always quick to answer a question that comes up and her follow-up schedules and tips are great as Addison gets older. I don’t know what we would have done without Kris, she is a sanity saver!!
Mark & Lauren (February 2014)
Stories
To My Fellow Desperate Mothers,
Words cannot even begin to express how grateful my husband and I are that we found Kris. I thought that my situation was a lost cause. I love my 5 month old son (Lincoln), but I had instilled some very bad habits in him. By the time I realized I was in a very sticky situation, I thought it was too late and those habits could not be reversed. These habits didn’t start out too bad, but as he got older they seemed to get worse.
To start with, our son slept in our bed with us. This was fine when he was a little thing, but he got bigger and longer and started to move a lot more, and seemed to only be able to sleep when pressed up against me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the cuddles, but the kicks to the stomach and punches to the face not so much! As far as naps go, it was a nightmare. My son would only nap in two situations: in the stroller on walks, and if I nursed him to sleep. Once I nursed him to sleep I couldn’t move him. We would try and every time we did he would wake up screaming and we would have to start the process all over again! So, I was stuck while he slept on my lap.
I never really knew how much he was eating either because he always fell asleep while he was eating and he seemed to only eat enough to get him through a cat nap. I was essentially feeding him on and off all day long. As far as him napping during walks, if he were sleeping and we were almost home, I would walk for an extra half hour just so he could get some sleep!! My husband and I started feeding him bottles at night just to make sure he would get enough to eat through the night! We were still feeding him once in the middle of the night (bottle), but he would still need to nurse to go back to sleep. He would wake up for the day anywhere between 4:30am and 6:45 am.
Our nighttime “routine” was also quite draining. After bathing him and feeding him, my husband had to put him in the stroller to push him to sleep (for about 30 minutes) and then bring him up to bed. Since he was sleeping in our bed, I had to go to bed with him. So, I was going to bed at 8:00pm every night. Not that I wasn’t tired enough to go to bed at 8:00, but I would like to not HAVE to go to bed at 8:00 (plus it doesn’t help that I wasn’t getting any sleep).
Lincoln was so tired all day that, when he wasn’t taking 20 minute naps on my lap, he was always fussy. Going out to run errands was like playing Russian Roulette. Would he be alright? Would he be fussy? How long can we stay out before we have to go home and figure out what is wrong with him? At this point I was ready to be done breastfeeding because Lincoln was a comfort nurser. It seemed to be the only thing that calmed him down, hungry or not. He was using me as a human pacifier, because I was letting him. My husband and I were lost and in so deep we couldn’t see a way out. We were terrified of what we had gotten ourselves into!
After working with Kris, my son was a totally different baby. After the first day, he was taking 2 hour naps in his crib, he was on a feeding schedule, he was soothing himself, and he was sleeping in his crib at night. Each night was a little better than the last. I could not believe it. I thought it would take weeks for him to adjust to these drastic changes, but in only a few days he did a total 180, and it is all because of Kris. Every question I had (and there were a lot) she responded to through email or text swiftly and promptly. She gave us our lives back. She is a miracle worker and I don’t know what we would have done without her!! Calling Kris is the best thing you will ever do for yourself and for your baby!
Caroline Dermon (October 2013)
Stories
I was telling my friend who has twins how hard the nights had been with my 2 month old boy/girl twins. She quickly pulled out one of Kris’s business cards and told me of her great experience with Kris and that her twins were sleeping through the night because of what she learned. I talked to my husband about it and we decided it was worth a try because if it didn’t work, we would be out of some money but if it did work, sleeping through the night would completely change our lives.
At the time, my twins were waking up every 3 hours and we were exhausted! Kris scheduled an appointment to come to my house and I’m so thankful she did. She got us started and things started getting better the very next day! It does take work and consistency on the parents part but it will work if you stick with it. The time it takes to get your kid(s) sleeping through the night depends on their age and weight but it took me 2.5 months to get them both sleeping through the night (from 7pm – 6:30am). 2.5 months might seem like a long time but the days and nights were so much better during that time. I could plan around their schedule and get things done during the day and they were both sleeping longer periods during the night and so was I!
Last but not least, I get compliments ALL the time from friends and family about how good my kids are and how easy they are to get to sleep! I accredit it all to what Kris taught me. People tell me all the time, “My kids just aren’t good sleepers” and I respond “Neither we’re mine until I put them on a schedule”. My kids are so much happier now and that makes me so happy.
I’m happy to write this recommendation for Kris but even happier for anyone reading it because if you choose to start this process, it will change your life. It’s worth every penny and all the effort. Kris also does a great job supporting you with any questions that you have after meeting her. If you have doubts about doing this, take it from me, a first time mom with twins, you will not regret it!
Eileen Dibble (April 2013)
Parker CO
Stories
Kris has been a lifesaver for our family! After just one week on Kris’ schedule, our daughter slept through the night. In addition to sleep help, Kris provided us with invaluable advice on nutrition, bath time, and infant behavior.
She references her recommendations with written information and production suggestions. Not only is Kris knowledgeable, but she is extremely kind and patient (especially with nervous first-time parents like us).
Kris spent a lot of time with us at our initial consultation, and she has been generous with her time in email and telephone follow-up. We would recommend Kris to any parent interested in helping their baby thrive.
Sincerely, Noelle and Chris (August 2013)
Stories
My husband and I were preparing for the arrival of our second daughter and knew that we wanted some night help with our new baby, Elin. Our girls are only 13 months apart and I wanted to be able to get enough sleep to be able to continue the established routine with my older daughter, Vada. I met Kris and instantly felt comfortable with her personally and professionally. Of course getting Elin to sleep through the night at 3 months sounded amazing but I have to admit, I was a little skeptical that it was possible (clearly I did things differently with Vada).
Kris started working with us when Elin was only a few days old and helped us with night feedings and with schedules for Elin for day and night. Kris always had such great words of wisdom regarding both Elin and Vada. Elin responded so well to the schedule and at three months, she was sleeping through the night! Amazing!
Elin continues her great sleep schedule and I feel very fortunate to have had Kris’s help. It was evident early on how important it is for the baby to be well rested. She taught us so much and even to this very day Kris continues to post/send helpful tips/information for the girls.
It is very apparent to me that Kris thoroughly enjoys working with newborns and has so much experience that I would whole heartedly recommend her to anyone looking for newborn sleep help. My only regret is not having met her when Vada was a baby.
Thank you Kris, you gave my whole family the wonderful gift of sleep
Sincerely,
Ronni (February 2013)
Stories
At four weeks old, Miss Millie was sleeping like a little beauty at night. I, on the other hand, was not. Many times I would fall asleep while holding her and be too afraid to transfer her to her bassinet, so I would sleep sitting up and wake up unable to move my neck. When she was in her bassinet, right next to our bed, I would wake up constantly with any little noise she would make. When she needed to eat, my husband would wake up and make her bottles and then I would feed her in bed. The moral of the story is that Millie was doing ok at night, but Chad and I realized quickly that our sleep habits were not going to be sustainable. Furthermore, Millie was an utter disaster every morning. Between the hours of 8 and 11, she was crying nonstop and I was unable to get anything done. We had reached the end of our rope, and decided to look for help. We quickly found Kris, and asked her to help us get Millie on a consistent eating and sleeping schedule. She came in, watched our bedtime routine, and then helped us to develop a schedule for Millie Monster.
Within a week of using the schedule that Kris created, we had Millie eating every three hours (to the minute) during the day, and taking three great naps. She started out by waking up twice at night (usually at 11 and 4), but this quickly moved to waking up only once (around 2). She would quickly eat and then fall right back asleep. She has recently started sleeping all the way through the night until 5:00. Not only is Millie a happier baby, but we are also much happier parents. Chad and I are free to spend every evening together, I have 5 to 7 hours to myself during the day, and the time that Millie is awake is pure bliss. She is smiling, cooing, and more alert. For me, the greatest difference is that I am more present in my time with Millie. When I go in to feed her at night I am awake and tuned in, and when she is awake during the day I am fully engaged in playing with her.
I will admit, making this change and allowing Millie to learn to soothe herself has not been entirely easy, but I am reassured by the fact that each night brings less and less crying (and some nights there isn’t even any crying at all). I remain confident, however, in the belief that we are teaching Millie an incredibly valuable skill and have a much happier and well-rested baby in the meantime. My firm belief in this approach stems from working as a nanny and preschool teacher for many years, and seeing first-hand the difference in tired and well-rested children. Chad and I also decided before Millie was born that our hope is to raise a child who is independent, obedient, and well-behaved. For us, this schedule works well and aligns with our long-term goals.
In addition to this amazing change in our family and interactions with Millie, working with Kris was an absolute joy. She jumped right in and offered suggestions in a way that made us feel empowered and informed. She guided me in making lifestyle changes that made my daughter happier and healthier. Along the way Kris has been supportive, available, and reassuring. I don’t know how we would have made it this far without her help and support, and we are so grateful for the role that she has played in turning Millie Monster into Millie the Magnificent!
Caitlin (April 2013)
