Baby Food

LB has been on solids since 4 months... a little rice cereal at first, then some avocado.  Since then, a typical day consists of oatmeal in the morning and a veggie/fruit at both lunch and dinner.  He gets between 15-20 ounces of breastmilk and/or formula total.  The pedi said that is a little on the low side but it sounds like we have a "snacker" who is more content getting a little bit throughout the day.  I try to give him milk before the solids and after but when he knocks it out of my hand I get the point. But that's not where I want to go with this post.  I am looking for input about what "real" things to give LB.  I have given him sweet potato and avocado and the rest is baby food.  Baby food is real, but you know what I mean... "fresh" I guess is the better word. 

Beyond sweet potato and avocado, I'm out of ideas.  No bananas because of the constipation issues.  I should say here that baby led weaning makes sense to me but it just doesn't work out for our lifestyle right now (aka not enough time to clean afterwards & eating mostly junk!) 

Today, I embarked on cooking and freezing some squash.  If you think that I will show "pretty" pictures and say this was easy and fun, you will be disappointed.  My pics will not make it to p.interest lol.  This was hard, messy work and kudos to those that get this done with a little one!
 Basically, I washed the squash, cut it in halves, scooped out the insides, put in the oven face down in some water for 40 minutes, then scooped out the meat and put it in some small freezer containers.  I left out the puree step because it came out really mashed up anyway but that was included in the directions I used.  Whew!  I am looking for some easy ways to whip up some fresh fruit/veggies!

Washed, sliced and scooped out

In the pan before I added water

Done, scooped out the insides and placed in the containers for freezing

Well?  Maybe I like it... maybe not, let me think about it!

First Set of Wheels

Despite repeated efforts and encouragement from his parents...
Our LB refuses to roll from back to front, to sit up on his own, to scoot, to hold a cup or to sleep through the night.

But, Boy Oh Boy, can he RUN!!!
Ah bab bab uh uh da, excuse me, I've been corrected.  LB says "this is serious driving mom!" Lol.

To the Storage Totes

Dear storage totes,

To the clear tote- you hold tiny little onesies, outfits, hats and sleepers.  The tags say "newborn."  Most of them were gifts and I would sort, wash and stare at them time and time again while waiting until the day they could be used.  Then LB arrived and I loved using each and every piece- from the sleepers to keep him warm and cozy to the Christmas outfit that made our newborn look like such a little man.  You contain memories that will forever be treasured.     

To the blue tote- you hold sizes 0-3 & 3-6 months.  These pieces represent many special firsts- from smiles and rolling over to holidays and trips adventures! LB was so cute in the P.olo outfit that matched dad and the sleeper with duck feet!  You are full of onesies that my hot-natured little guy loved to wear alone as the days got warmer.  I can't believe you are full already, which means that my LB is growing up way too fast.  

I am just not ready to part with a single piece.  I wanted to be sure you were aware of these precious  clothes stories you hold.  You represent a dream come true!   

Vacation with a Baby

I saw one of those sayings on a F.acebook post that "going to T.arget by yourself is a vacation for mom and going on vacation is work!"  After returning from our first vacation last week, I would agree!  However, I don't think we've ever laughed so much and the time together was priceless. 

If I had advice to give to someone who is about to travel with a baby to the beach, these would be my "top 5 must haves" (in addition to the necessities of course).
1.  Baggies and shopping store bags... in the car and in the luggage... for everything... soiled diapers, bottles, trash, sunscreen... multiple uses.  Wipes too! 
2.  The pack-n-play was a real pain in the backside but we couldn't have done without it- instant changing table, bed and place to play.  This seems like it would be a "given" but I debated taking it since he ends up in the bed with us anyway.  Glad we did. 
3.  If you end up with several inflatable things like we did, take a small inflator!  We took an inflatable pool for LB to lay in on the beach under our umbrella, a beach ball, a float, etc. 

4.  Travel size things really saved us space this year.  In fact, LB had his six month check-up the day before and the pedi loaded us up on lotion, sunscreen and baby wash samples.  Yay!

5.  For the car- a bag of familiar and some toys LB hadn't seen before.  This was advice from my co-workers and I wondered how much time toys could distract with a baby wanting out of a car seat but they did help.  I went to yardsales a couple of weeks before our trip and got several things that were "new" to LB, all for under $5.  I also never wanted a portable DVD player in the car but that is one of those never say never things when it comes to long car rides for us... it kept LB distracted for 10 minute chunks of time throughout the trip so it was worth it to me.  Note to PC:  I know it was by accident that the toy bag was packed in the !$*% cargo carrier on the way home.  However, this meant mom had to be very creative and that at times all I had was lotion, a bracelet, a cup and- I digress- a m.axi pad.   
 
Last thoughts on vacation- yes, it was different... supper was rushed and eaten with a baby in one arm, no long walks on the beach at night and lots more time spent in the room than ever before.  But to be on a trip with OUR baby, I'm tearing up as a type this, a void that we always felt was more than fulfilled.  To see him look at things with amazement and enjoy feeling the sand and water on his toes... our cup runneth over!   

     

Son Rise

Beautiful picture of a sunrise over the horizon as the ocean waves come in?  Nah.  Not nearly as beautiful as that dad carrying his baby out to see it... so blessed that they happen to belong to me!    Happy First Father's Day PC!  We love you!

Vacation... Arrival

No need to be so worried about the car ride.  LB was a champ... either sleeping, watching something on the portable DVD, playing with toys or just chillin.  We stopped three brief times to let him stretch and eat.  Yay LB!  

Then we got here.  Big oops.  Didn't check the clearance of the parking deck and the cargo carrier we borrowed doesn't fit.  Enter moment of panic and telling PC to please come back from check-in with a plan.  [Side note:  The lady at the office seriously tells him that "it will be fine on the open top deck."  ...Um, yeah, but that requires driving through the parking deck, which is the reason we came to ask what to do in the first place.  PC politely explained the situation again.]  Next.  PC gets some help and takes the thing off and loads it on a luggage cart and we plan on just taking it to our room.  LB and I take off to the top deck to meet PC after he's dropped off the cargo carrier.  Poor PC... a few minutes later he comes around the corner and still has the (!*#$) cargo carrier on the cart.  It won't fit through any of the elevator doors!  He is covered in sweat from pushing that thing up several levels of the parking deck and wouldn't you know something like this always happens when you have to use the bathroom!  End result- cargo carrier is tied down in our parking space for the duration of the trip and PC truly deserves a special Father's Day Weekend.  And... we are having a good laugh. 

To be continued....

Three Months worth of Thought Vomit

Feel free to peruse the topics below of life at the Mac & PC home and skip or read whatever may be of interest:]  Also, even though my son's name can be found in my blog, for the sake of keeping some anonymity I'm going to refer to him as LB (little bit/boy/blessing/baby, love bug... it works).    

Pumping/Nursing/Solid Foods:  I pump at or around 6 a.m., 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and nurse twice in the evenings and through the night.  Even with this, we use about 10-12 ounces of formula for supplementing and mixing with cereal.  LB eats oatmeal, avocado & has juice at lunch and rice cereal and another (baby food) fruit at supper.  These are all small portions but he (so far, knock on wood) is a really good eater with whatever is put in front of him.  The constipation from introducing solids has not been so great.  Prunes are usually the fruit choice for supper these days!  I love the idea of making food or letting him try out what we are eating but that would mean lots of McD.onalds & C.hicFil.A, so cereals & mashed fruit it will be!         

Avocados:  Took me some practice to figure these out and I'm still looking for ideas.  I let them ripen 2-3 days, then scoop out the insides, mash up and freeze in ice cube trays.  He gets one cube mixed with a little formula for his lunch meal. 

Sleeping:  We've actually seemed to go backwards since introducing solids or since 5 months old.  LB was waking around 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., nursing and going back to sleep.  Now if he starts out in the crib by 9 p.m. he ends up in our bed by 12 a.m. and nurses randomly until getting up around 5 a.m., ready to play.  If he's not nursing, he is wiggling, kicking or reaching out to hold my hair or touch my face.  Sweet as that is, I am tired from all the rest-less-ness.  I just keeping holding out for that one night when he starts out in the crib and stays in the crib all.night.long.   

Babydancing:  Do I still call it that?  It's actually referred to more often as "nap" time around here!  And we are not taking many naps because 1- when it is nap time we're too tired to nap, 2- scar tissue from giving birth means naps are painful, 3- no time for naps and 4- so many things to do when it really is nap time and 5- mood music for nap time is the humming of the baby monitor with lullabies in the background.  Do they make a mobile that plays Chi.cago's Greatest Hits?  Still it is great to be scheduling around nap times rather than OPK's!  And the scar tissue... the ob/gyn says that will be fine again in time or there is a procedure.  When he describes the procedure it sounds like it would just lead to more scar tissue, no thanks.  Ke.gels before birth, Ke.gels after birth!     

ART- Done.  A family of three we will be and we're both beyond happy & blessed with that!  I know that some would say "it can still happen" but I know my body and what we went through... it is broken when it comes to making a baby the "old fashioned" way.  Those treatments were a part-time job and I'm turning in my resignation! 

Marriage:  Strained, but we both know that this is a season of life that comes with new challenges. We've talked about being a united front on decisions.  We're seeing so many of our friends/colleagues (whose kids are much older of course because of our IF journey) navigate through the preteen years and some are taking sides with their kids when their spouse doesn't agree.  We've seen some marriages almost come apart because of this.  Our topics are diapers rather than dating but it's important to us for our child to see us as a team.  On that note, I have improved in the area of turning baby duties over to dad and then letting them be.  That was hard at first because I could anticipate some cues and cries and gave way too many instructions "try holding him this way, did you check his diaper, etc." and it just stressed all three of us out. LB is with his dad 2 hours every morning and they do their thing.  It's all good.       

Blogging:  I miss it.  I hope to read, post, and comment more when I have a few weeks off this summer. I can't wait to check out the new PAIL site!     

LB:  We're having more fun this month than ever.  We have GIGGLES, and all it took was making a hacking-gag-type noise and tickling his tummy... odd, but I'm proud to get them even if it requires weird noises.  We are spending a lot of time in the floor on a blanket just playing.  A favorite new game is to hold this big red ball with hands & feet then kick or push it away and watch mom and dad go get it.  I also think LB is going to be a champ at the "uh-oh" game... he drops it and we pick it up. 

    

Summer plans and need ideas:  Heading out for a weekend beach trip in a few weeks.  What do I need to survive this trip with a six month old... especially for the 6 hour car ride?  I am more worried about the ride than anything else.  Some of it will be timed during a nap but that leaves about 4 hours to figure out how to be creative at keeping a very active baby confined to a seat that long.  I've had one 20 minute back seat meltdown and it was awful!  I only want to take essentials and just a stroller and beach stuff is going to take up much of the car!  I stared out at the ocean on so many of our beach trips as a couple and dreamed of having a baby with us, it is going to be a surreal moment to experience the trip as a family of 3!    

Working:  I try not to dwell on the fact that I am away from this sweet baby 45 hours or more a week.  He is with people who love him during the day and he is usually at our home.  That is what keeps me going until I can get home and get my hands on him.  Weekends have new meaning!  I've known before and during IF that I would be a working mom outside of the home and it's just harder than I thought.  I am fortunate that working in the education field means that I have holidays and a few weeks in the summer off... the goal is to make memories and make the most of every minute. 

Life in general:  Having good great times.  Yes, we're tired and this is the hardest job ever, but we're having fun and experiencing a love for each other and this child that is just amazing.  LB and I recently walked to my grandparent's house (just up the hill from us) and we sat in the sun room and my granny said "These are the best days of your lives.  My mama used to say your children first step on your toes and then on your heart.  My children are grown and now my grandchildren are grown and here is LB... it goes by way too fast.  Enjoy every day."          Yes mam.