Weeks after placing "part-time nanny wanted" ads, I was still getting tons of applications and found myself only lazily skimming through them. It wasn't that I didn't want the help. Rather, I was literally receiving hundreds of applications, most of which I knew to be were from people I wouldn't trust to prepare my coffee, nevermind watch my precious daughter. There were also more than a few qualified applicants whom I was having heckuva time emailing, calling, and struggling to set up interviews. "I wish I could hire someone to help me hire someone," I complained to my sister. (Yes, I am that lazy.) "Why don't I help you?" she volunteered. I almost slapped myself right then and there. My sister had experience working as...

About a month ago, Claire's first two teeth popped out. And the very next day, she no longer started screaming for (seemingly) no reason and resumed waking up only once per night. And within days of that, she *magically* started sleeping a full 12-13 hours through the night. And taking at least one 1-hour nap per day (well, 2 hours when her Aunt Annie is watching her but we all know that it's only because she's kissing up to her). You guys, you don't understand how good it feels to have your baby sleep that long. Especially after 5 consecutive weeks of multiple night wakings, scattered catnaps that do little to rest her tired little body, and endless fussing/crying/screaming from pain and...