I'm watching Stefan drink from his straw cup...on his own...filled with water. I can't believe it (note: no breastmilk or breast involved!! I'm so psyched!)
There are a lot of reasons why toddlers might not indulge in food readily...flavor, temperature, texture, color, their plate is too round, the floor makes a better surface for viewing food. Not to worry, what is scarfed down one day might be shunned and relegated to the linoleum the next. I'll be posting up some recipes that have either appeased him at least one day, or are appetizing enough for me to eat.
I've found gerber food to be...pretty nasty. My cardinal rule of feeding is that I don't expect him to eat anything I wouldn't want to eat. If he wants to eat something I wouldn't, it's up to him. I finally bought store made baby food in desperation - he wasn't eating my food regularly, some days I just don't have baby-appropriate food readily available and I am too lazy to whip something up. Gerber mangoes...eh, OK. I'd eat them. If I was REALLY hungry. Veggie mixes....barf. So bland and nasty. So I'm getting into making more purees, against the BLW practice. Food was fun until age one, now it needs to also provide sustenance. Don't get me wrong, I let him go silly experiencing food all the time, just he is eating more purees.
>>>...and a big thank you to Stefan, who has dug the computer charger plug out of the knitting pile and is now trying to plug it into this computer. My little tech-head.<<<
Today is banana day because we have been working on eating one for a day or so now. Since he wasn't into actual pieces, it's becoming other things.
Oatmeal Banana
Instant oatmeal+smoshed banana= Love
(OK, = smoosh all over the baby, table and floor.) I appreciated that though he didn't consume more than a taste, that at least he tasted it, and then had some tactile experience smooshing it up.
Banana Berry
In a blender, add 1 part mixed berries to 1 banana. Puree.
When made from frozen, it makes great ice cream (for everyone!), when slightly warmed, it makes a yummy heated snack. It tastes 1,000 times better than gerber.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
More Silver Linings
I've been mulling over just how to paint a picture of how frustrating holiday time is with food allergies. All my favorite things, comfort family foods, none really edible while considering Stefan's allergies. It's all very disappointing to say the least. I know next year, I'll catch up on what I missed this year. Mad props to anyone having to eliminate any food, especially the biggies like dairy and gluten. I would have a greater mental battle going if I could never have dairy again.
I've realized there are silver linings to all of this. I have become much healthier. I dropped about 20 lbs and almost 2 pants sizes by doing nothing but not eating dairy. This means lower fat diet, less sugars, less snacking/meal options. I can't wait to see what exercise will do in the spring (winter exercise is nearly impossible for me since a baby isn't conducive to any yoga practice and 3 feet of snow doesn't make for a good stroll with the baby either).
I've become aware that much of the food out there is smothered in some sort of dairy to make up for it's lack of flavor otherwise. Restaurants especially disappoint me with this since their job IS food, and I assume making it taste good. I think they should rise to the challenge of not dousing on the cheese, but hey who am I? Besides, we are just so conditioned that it needs butter or cheese to taste good, I doubt they'd be successful.
 |
| Non-dairy options include napkins. |
I've realized there are silver linings to all of this. I have become much healthier. I dropped about 20 lbs and almost 2 pants sizes by doing nothing but not eating dairy. This means lower fat diet, less sugars, less snacking/meal options. I can't wait to see what exercise will do in the spring (winter exercise is nearly impossible for me since a baby isn't conducive to any yoga practice and 3 feet of snow doesn't make for a good stroll with the baby either).
 |
| How could non-dairy squash soup get any tastier?!? |
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Rock like a Party Star!
Wish I could have muted my commentary...getting used to YouTube interface. I hate new interfaces!
Silver Linings
It's been busy here, hence the no posting. I have about 6 drafts of stuff, most of which will be deleted because they are no longer relevant. I am still not used to that...everything changes pretty much weekly. The text I just deleted from the original "Hump day" (now renamed "Silver Linings"), was a blurb about Monster's first days care center experience, where he was going to stay while I taught at the center. That only happened for a week...which led to him slung up on my hip for the next week, and now this week it was sitter time, and next week it is a whole other arrangement (fortunately the final one, we need consistency!).
The last written post was Weaning, and now that's done. I'd like to brag that he's weaned in a week, muh haha ha! Kidding...I'm done with weaning. It wasn't working out and my gut says "no". Over any book or advice from whoever, I have come to trust my gut the most. The unpublished draft before weaning, was all about his sudden love of solids, which is out the door this week. I love that "This too shall pass", but not in regards to the positive changes.
After a long spell of waking at 7 am, (from the preferred wake time of 9ish) he's again sleeping in. Unfortunately, I'm not. We're all laid up with some mucousy sickness and after popping up for an early feeding, I couldn't get myself back to sleep, although it is much needed. I guess I get to have blog time, but then again, I wonder who is actually reading, besides Melissa and some spammer in China. All I know is that the quick and easy version of putting him down at night is over for now, usually it's followed by catching up on work or house cleaning that didn't get done all day, and the nights have gotten long and tiring, so I must enjoy the early morning calm now.
While he was growing more independent, he's back on my hip a heck of a lot these days. My left arm is seriously protesting the ongoing 20 lb Monster work out. Fortunately it worked up to 20lb. slowly over the past year, right? Silver linings...trying to find them! Although, a comment on this...Dr. Sear's remarked on how it was interesting children developed clingy behavior relative to becoming mobile. This suggests that mother nature kind of has a system of checks and balances for her little ones, making them weary of wandering off once they are able to actually do so. It's the best way to appreciate the cling, IMO.
I see this checks and balances system pop up a lot...Stefan has a way of avoiding dairy when I haven't caught it in food plus his extended nursing leads me to believe his body "knows" what he needs. He still has a strong gag reflex and a tongue that just won't cooperate, but very few teeth, making solids a challenge. I wonder if more teeth prompts the gag reflex and tongue action to leave. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that one.
Now, just a blurb on recent things he does, for my baby journal part of this blog. I suppose it should be a separate post, but if I don't get this all accomplished in one entry, I don't think it will get done in the near future. I've already forgotten major details I never thought I would, like we we started Stefan in the crib full time...I thought it was 6 months yesterday, on more careful consideration, I think it was 11-12 months. Anyway...
...He's just started to figure that he can climb. Watching him attack stairs is absurd, since he just throws his foot up on them with a straight leg, usually at a precarious angle, not possible for any one to take on stairs without mommy hands to hold on to. His second climbing feat: the child's rocking chair. "Dear Stefan, please pick something with a stable base! Love, Mommy" I couldn't get my camera on quick enough before he realized what I was doing. He looked like a ballet dancer with his leg out stretching on the chair. He refuses to walk without assistance, still ever cautious, but I heard I was the same way.
He's become a lot more communicative, though I think I'm the only one who understands him. Then I feel like I'm crazy when I tell Sean what the baby is "saying" and Sean thinks I'm putting words in his mouth. I'll happily continue with my delusion, since I'm with him practically 24/7 and Sean, nor anyone else who thinks I'm crazy, isn't. So he stops whining when I guess what he wants. He knows all about his teeth, hungry belly, mommy milk, diaper, random objects (he has a fixation on the phone, blinking lights and buttons and knows where each and everyone is around the house), and occasionally he throws in pointing to his head. [I wonder if he has migraines like me, :( .] He almost says "yes" and he says, "hello" when the phone rings. When I sing little phrases, he mimics the pitches sometimes.
He's become more aggressive with the cat, poking at him a lot more, pulling his tail and legs, pushing him off of things when he doesn't want him there or when he thinks the cat should take a sip from the tub faucet. The cat only drinks from the tub faucet, it's just that Stefan makes the kitty get into the tub more efficiently.
He's become more opinionated, arguing with me when I take things away, and then throwing a fit. Bring on the toddlerhood! I've come to terms with his baby toys being fun for only a day or two, especially when bottle openers abound. They are much more interesting and usually metal, which sounds better when it's smashed on the coffee table. Speaking of smashing, I've showed him how to play the drums! I don't know what I was thinking, but he holds the sticks and taps on my drum pad, and does this all on his own now. He has even learned to throw the sticks like a true Rocker. Check the video I've posted.
Final tidbit: He LOVES Miso! And tofu. And some seaweed. Onion is the other favorite. Luckily Miso soup contains them all. We now order him his own bowl when we have sushi takeout. I was sick of him eating all of mine! If he isn't constantly presented with a full spoon, he throws a fit.
So that is all I can recollect right now. The squawker is up anyway...
The last written post was Weaning, and now that's done. I'd like to brag that he's weaned in a week, muh haha ha! Kidding...I'm done with weaning. It wasn't working out and my gut says "no". Over any book or advice from whoever, I have come to trust my gut the most. The unpublished draft before weaning, was all about his sudden love of solids, which is out the door this week. I love that "This too shall pass", but not in regards to the positive changes.
After a long spell of waking at 7 am, (from the preferred wake time of 9ish) he's again sleeping in. Unfortunately, I'm not. We're all laid up with some mucousy sickness and after popping up for an early feeding, I couldn't get myself back to sleep, although it is much needed. I guess I get to have blog time, but then again, I wonder who is actually reading, besides Melissa and some spammer in China. All I know is that the quick and easy version of putting him down at night is over for now, usually it's followed by catching up on work or house cleaning that didn't get done all day, and the nights have gotten long and tiring, so I must enjoy the early morning calm now.
While he was growing more independent, he's back on my hip a heck of a lot these days. My left arm is seriously protesting the ongoing 20 lb Monster work out. Fortunately it worked up to 20lb. slowly over the past year, right? Silver linings...trying to find them! Although, a comment on this...Dr. Sear's remarked on how it was interesting children developed clingy behavior relative to becoming mobile. This suggests that mother nature kind of has a system of checks and balances for her little ones, making them weary of wandering off once they are able to actually do so. It's the best way to appreciate the cling, IMO.
I see this checks and balances system pop up a lot...Stefan has a way of avoiding dairy when I haven't caught it in food plus his extended nursing leads me to believe his body "knows" what he needs. He still has a strong gag reflex and a tongue that just won't cooperate, but very few teeth, making solids a challenge. I wonder if more teeth prompts the gag reflex and tongue action to leave. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that one.
Now, just a blurb on recent things he does, for my baby journal part of this blog. I suppose it should be a separate post, but if I don't get this all accomplished in one entry, I don't think it will get done in the near future. I've already forgotten major details I never thought I would, like we we started Stefan in the crib full time...I thought it was 6 months yesterday, on more careful consideration, I think it was 11-12 months. Anyway...
...He's just started to figure that he can climb. Watching him attack stairs is absurd, since he just throws his foot up on them with a straight leg, usually at a precarious angle, not possible for any one to take on stairs without mommy hands to hold on to. His second climbing feat: the child's rocking chair. "Dear Stefan, please pick something with a stable base! Love, Mommy" I couldn't get my camera on quick enough before he realized what I was doing. He looked like a ballet dancer with his leg out stretching on the chair. He refuses to walk without assistance, still ever cautious, but I heard I was the same way.
He's become a lot more communicative, though I think I'm the only one who understands him. Then I feel like I'm crazy when I tell Sean what the baby is "saying" and Sean thinks I'm putting words in his mouth. I'll happily continue with my delusion, since I'm with him practically 24/7 and Sean, nor anyone else who thinks I'm crazy, isn't. So he stops whining when I guess what he wants. He knows all about his teeth, hungry belly, mommy milk, diaper, random objects (he has a fixation on the phone, blinking lights and buttons and knows where each and everyone is around the house), and occasionally he throws in pointing to his head. [I wonder if he has migraines like me, :( .] He almost says "yes" and he says, "hello" when the phone rings. When I sing little phrases, he mimics the pitches sometimes.
He's become more aggressive with the cat, poking at him a lot more, pulling his tail and legs, pushing him off of things when he doesn't want him there or when he thinks the cat should take a sip from the tub faucet. The cat only drinks from the tub faucet, it's just that Stefan makes the kitty get into the tub more efficiently.
He's become more opinionated, arguing with me when I take things away, and then throwing a fit. Bring on the toddlerhood! I've come to terms with his baby toys being fun for only a day or two, especially when bottle openers abound. They are much more interesting and usually metal, which sounds better when it's smashed on the coffee table. Speaking of smashing, I've showed him how to play the drums! I don't know what I was thinking, but he holds the sticks and taps on my drum pad, and does this all on his own now. He has even learned to throw the sticks like a true Rocker. Check the video I've posted.
Final tidbit: He LOVES Miso! And tofu. And some seaweed. Onion is the other favorite. Luckily Miso soup contains them all. We now order him his own bowl when we have sushi takeout. I was sick of him eating all of mine! If he isn't constantly presented with a full spoon, he throws a fit.
So that is all I can recollect right now. The squawker is up anyway...
Monday, February 14, 2011
Weey Weaning: Day 1.5
So this post starts my weaning project. After reading some stuff and trusting my gut on how to go about this (but no contacting my lactation guru, Lisa, so I may be throwing this plan out the door), I've decided to start wean the monster. I actually started last night, since Stefan has been having some great luck with solid foods lately. I wrote a post on that, but I'm pretty sure I was waiting to attach a picture...I'll pop that one up too.
I nurse "on demand" so when I read that the best thing to do is start by dropping one feeding, well...it just doesn't work like that here. In one hour, especially at night, he may be "demanding" to be fed every 20 minutes...just a sip, but a feeding nonetheless. So I've decided to tackle habitual feeding times; right after solid feedings and right after waking from daytime naps, and hopefully soon, pre-sleep nursing. I'm trying to get him to drink other milk, or if that is refused, juice or water. He needs calories, so I'm not restricting them by limiting juice, etc. Yesterday we had some epic tantrums when I left off post nap nursing. After a noisy while, he decided he'd be up for tortillas and puffs with a side of Silk (bleh). Luckily Sean's video games kind of distracted him while I sat next to him and Sean and I ignored him until it all blew over. Today, I was more successful with putting off the post breakfast feeding while I gave him a cooking lesson on how to prep for squash soup. He's keen on puffs and cheerios, which he snacked on last week in place of nursing, which was so exciting to be able to teach and not have to leave the room in the middle of everything to satisfy the crank pants.
I've fallen back into the habit of nursing him to sleep, since it was just easier then propping myself up on the bars of his crib and rubbing his back, the circulation being cut off of my arms and hands. Plus he was teething (first year molar), so it was just working all around better; because snuggling in a rocking chair while I doze to lullabies is much more pleasing than dangling cribside. Anyway, I was able to get him to sleep in 2 songs this morning, so it worked out fine.
Once the nursing isn't associated with sleep or post solid eating, I will work to start refusing him all together except for feedings I want to keep (ie the ones that relieve my body and nourish him through the night or first thing in the morning). So far, it is seeming like it is going to be very hard for him to break and harder for me to say no. How can I turn down my begging 1-year old, with his down turned frown and tragically sad eyes, from the one thing that has offered him comfort for his whole 1 year life? Despite totally rearranging my diet and lifestyle (I'll put it out there that this food elimination/allergy runs that deep), I'm still not annoyed enough to toss breastfeeding out the window.
I nurse "on demand" so when I read that the best thing to do is start by dropping one feeding, well...it just doesn't work like that here. In one hour, especially at night, he may be "demanding" to be fed every 20 minutes...just a sip, but a feeding nonetheless. So I've decided to tackle habitual feeding times; right after solid feedings and right after waking from daytime naps, and hopefully soon, pre-sleep nursing. I'm trying to get him to drink other milk, or if that is refused, juice or water. He needs calories, so I'm not restricting them by limiting juice, etc. Yesterday we had some epic tantrums when I left off post nap nursing. After a noisy while, he decided he'd be up for tortillas and puffs with a side of Silk (bleh). Luckily Sean's video games kind of distracted him while I sat next to him and Sean and I ignored him until it all blew over. Today, I was more successful with putting off the post breakfast feeding while I gave him a cooking lesson on how to prep for squash soup. He's keen on puffs and cheerios, which he snacked on last week in place of nursing, which was so exciting to be able to teach and not have to leave the room in the middle of everything to satisfy the crank pants.
I've fallen back into the habit of nursing him to sleep, since it was just easier then propping myself up on the bars of his crib and rubbing his back, the circulation being cut off of my arms and hands. Plus he was teething (first year molar), so it was just working all around better; because snuggling in a rocking chair while I doze to lullabies is much more pleasing than dangling cribside. Anyway, I was able to get him to sleep in 2 songs this morning, so it worked out fine.
Once the nursing isn't associated with sleep or post solid eating, I will work to start refusing him all together except for feedings I want to keep (ie the ones that relieve my body and nourish him through the night or first thing in the morning). So far, it is seeming like it is going to be very hard for him to break and harder for me to say no. How can I turn down my begging 1-year old, with his down turned frown and tragically sad eyes, from the one thing that has offered him comfort for his whole 1 year life? Despite totally rearranging my diet and lifestyle (I'll put it out there that this food elimination/allergy runs that deep), I'm still not annoyed enough to toss breastfeeding out the window.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Shared photo book from lisa
So I made this huge photo book, then I actually read about how they charge (I hate reading instructions!) and had to make some revisions due to the cost prohibitiveness of the original. This is the huge version that didn't make it to print:). I'm happy to have it hosted on Shutterfly, and the printed copy came out really nice. I'll be making more in the future, for sure, though I may check out how Kodak does it in the next time (keeping it in the family, Eastman!;)
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
I Have A Headache This Big, And It Has Stefan Written All Over It!
I spent most of this snow day in bed...slightly maddening. I didn't have anything to do, we've had so many snow days that I've caught up on everything pertinent. I'm slightly sick of having pain (yesterday my back/shoulder, today my head). After downing all the asprin/Excedrin I deemed safe, I hopped back into bed with a baby raring to go for the morning.
"How can I meaningfully entertain him and manage a migraine that had me in tears?" I wondered.
We started slow, working with resources at hand...blankets for "peek-a-boo", pillows to fall into, tissues to rip and "snow" (yes, we've all been battling colds on top of everything, two boxes of Kleenex ready to tear!). This was all great until he started exploring and crawling to the edge of the bed. Tortoises know when to stop, so as to not plummet, Stefan does not.
Into bed came the bath toys: foamy things and balls. The toys from their bright red lady bug container, taken out, put back in, taken out, back in, out, in, out...all over the bed...it never ends with "in", does it? I decorated him, he decorated me, we laughed and giggled. His giggle is way too contagious, so I started giggling more. Some baby rough housing thrown in for good measure. A few moments into our play, and I was feeling better already. Maybe it was the drugs, but honestly, they hadn't been digested. Some good old fashioned silliness took the edge off my searing headache.
It didn't cure anything, Stefan had a 2 hour nap buddy later in the afternoon, and only now at 5:00 pm (with taking more drugs and having a PB and Tahini sammich) am I able to comfortably sit in front of this lit computer, or in any light at all. The whole day could have been a bust, but it wasn't. I am so happy I've gotten to do what I've intended by not returning to work full time: Spend lots of time with my cool little guy.
PS Last night's/today's cool things included telling Stefan where the cat's ears were and having him point to his ears without prompting, knocking on Dad's door for visits at work, "calling" the birds to come get bread crumbs: he was copying my inflection saying "here birdies" and doing a "kissing" sound like I was using to call them; feeding himself soup and apple sauce!
"How can I meaningfully entertain him and manage a migraine that had me in tears?" I wondered.
We started slow, working with resources at hand...blankets for "peek-a-boo", pillows to fall into, tissues to rip and "snow" (yes, we've all been battling colds on top of everything, two boxes of Kleenex ready to tear!). This was all great until he started exploring and crawling to the edge of the bed. Tortoises know when to stop, so as to not plummet, Stefan does not.
Into bed came the bath toys: foamy things and balls. The toys from their bright red lady bug container, taken out, put back in, taken out, back in, out, in, out...all over the bed...it never ends with "in", does it? I decorated him, he decorated me, we laughed and giggled. His giggle is way too contagious, so I started giggling more. Some baby rough housing thrown in for good measure. A few moments into our play, and I was feeling better already. Maybe it was the drugs, but honestly, they hadn't been digested. Some good old fashioned silliness took the edge off my searing headache.
It didn't cure anything, Stefan had a 2 hour nap buddy later in the afternoon, and only now at 5:00 pm (with taking more drugs and having a PB and Tahini sammich) am I able to comfortably sit in front of this lit computer, or in any light at all. The whole day could have been a bust, but it wasn't. I am so happy I've gotten to do what I've intended by not returning to work full time: Spend lots of time with my cool little guy.
PS Last night's/today's cool things included telling Stefan where the cat's ears were and having him point to his ears without prompting, knocking on Dad's door for visits at work, "calling" the birds to come get bread crumbs: he was copying my inflection saying "here birdies" and doing a "kissing" sound like I was using to call them; feeding himself soup and apple sauce!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
STTN
Sleep Through The Night. Dirty little words. A coveted goal, if unreached by a certain age (usually at only a couple months old parents start this brag), your a Parent Fail. I used to fess up how he didn't STTN, and how he took hours to put down some nights, and yes, I am a firm believer in parenting to sleep. Then I'd receive a litany of advice focusing around letting him cry, ignoring xyz, etc. Now, especially at a year, I just lie... "he sleeps soundly. All the way, every night."
The truth is that he wakes, usually 1-2 times now, and half the time, he has fallen back asleep before I poke my head in to see why he's crying. That is a fabulous transition from waking every two hours, not much more than two months ago. Once we moved away from co-sleeping, we were both able to get more solid hours of sleep. I'll brag about how that transition occurred in a future post. Some nights, he doesn't wake at all until the early morning. Most mornings, if it's light out when he's up, I coax him into bed with me for the feeding and squeeze an hour or two more sleep out of him: it's beautiful! The best part, even better than STTN, is that for about 3 nights in a row, plus a few more prior, but not consecutively, he has gone to bed with NO, I repeat NO fussing. Please don't let that jinx me!
A wise friend, who happens to be a colleague and my boss says, "It's not who they are, it's where they are." It's so amazing that where they are changes over night. I'll never get over that!
The truth is that he wakes, usually 1-2 times now, and half the time, he has fallen back asleep before I poke my head in to see why he's crying. That is a fabulous transition from waking every two hours, not much more than two months ago. Once we moved away from co-sleeping, we were both able to get more solid hours of sleep. I'll brag about how that transition occurred in a future post. Some nights, he doesn't wake at all until the early morning. Most mornings, if it's light out when he's up, I coax him into bed with me for the feeding and squeeze an hour or two more sleep out of him: it's beautiful! The best part, even better than STTN, is that for about 3 nights in a row, plus a few more prior, but not consecutively, he has gone to bed with NO, I repeat NO fussing. Please don't let that jinx me!
A wise friend, who happens to be a colleague and my boss says, "It's not who they are, it's where they are." It's so amazing that where they are changes over night. I'll never get over that!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)