Produce Baby is One, and a Way to Improve Your Sleep
For those of you who have been following my blog for the last year and a half, you may recall my weekly posts about the size of my friend’s baby in utero compared to various fruits and vegetables.
Baby Angelos celebrated his first birthday, and I thought it would be fun to share his latest stats. 
Yes, it has been a year already.
At 30 pounds, he’s especially fond of his dad’s chicken noodle soup, grilled and rotisserie chicken, steamed veggies, strawberries, mango, and apple sauce. His favorite fruit is the Sumo orange, and he can knock down over half of one for a snack.
I must say, he’s off to a great start with his eating habits.
His vocabulary consists of mama, dada, duh (that’s Angelos for dog), banana.
He keeps his parents busy and highly entertained.
My dad once grew a pumpkin about the size of Angelos. He’s come a long way since I first wrote about him at week #17 when he was as big as a turnip.
Happy Birthday, and birth month, to Angelos!
The Sleep Secret of Major League Baseball Players
I read an article recently about a top sleep doctor, Dr. Chris Winter, who is also an adviser to the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Minnesota Twins.
He’d recommended wearing a sleep mask to a friend who works for the Twins. A couple players tried it, loved it, and now everyone wants to wear one.
“Most people who really get into a sleep mask, or who can really black out their room, will tell you their sleep’s a lot better,” says Dr. Winter.
By eliminating ALL light, even light from those tiny bathroom night lights or a red light on a smoke detector, your brain ramps up its production of melatonin.
This is a hormone that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Light signals your brain to stop making melatonin, so that you wake up and feel alert.
For best results when using a sleep mask, turn off all electronic devices and bright lights about 30 minutes before bedtime, so that you can ease into your sleep mask darkness.
They aren’t for everyone since they can feel cumbersome on your face. I’ve tried it a couple nights, and I’m still getting used to it.
Since I have a senior citizen dog who often wakes up during the night, I’m not sure if it helps me sleep better, since I still hear the dog. I do know that with the mask, it is very dark. Maybe I need ear plugs too…
Sleep is critical for good health and maintaining proper weight, so you may like to give the sleep mask a try. Let me know how it works for you.
Sweet dreams, 
Health Coach Carol
“Sparkle and shine, it’s first birthday party time.”