Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Friday Mom – Erin:
Charlotte has decided that she is too cool for pureed baby foods.  Her teachers at day care told us around a month or so ago that Charlotte was showing signs of wanting to self-feed.  We tried a few new foods at that point, but she mostly gagged on them.  So we held off.

Over the past two weeks, her arm flailing was getting more pronounced and her frustration even more visible.  So, I finally got my act in gear and purchased some baby friendly foods for her to try.  So far, she has devoured boiled potato, sweet potato, mashed potato, avocado, soft cheese, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, meatballs, peaches, pears, and even frozen waffles (toasted, of course).  She loves all of it.  Immensely.

I’m still cautious in how much food I put in front of her.  She seems to have a real propensity for packing her mouth completely full but not really swallowing, so I’ve spent a great deal of time showing her –over and over and over again– how to chew and swallow.  So much so that I fear her first word may be “chew, chew, chew.”

Rory was never as adventurous when it came to self-feeding, so this latest stage is proving to be a period of discovery for all of us.  Guess I’d better get back to the grocery store soon to keep the options coming!

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Being pregnant means growing another human being in your body. It’s inevitable that a one’s body would go through some changes as a result. Isn’t it amazing, then, that women—who should fully realize what’s going on here— generally obsess over the way their bodies look, instead of focusing on the amazing things they’ve achieved?

I’m not above it, by any means. I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time stressing about the way I look—particularly my mid-section, which has the deflated look of a cavity stretched to accommodate a large object, more than once, that has since been expelled. I know I’m not the only one. Most of the people I interact with have been through the same exact thing. But there is this very weird emphasis to get back in shape following pregnancy. If this impulse had only to do with health, that would be one thing. But it’s got so much more to do with vanity. Take a look at the media to see how we treat a woman who “bounces back” quickly after a baby, and one who does not. It’s shameful.

This summer, I’ve been focusing on getting back in shape, and I’ve been fairly successful. People talk about making small changes, but to be honest, with the stress of caring for little ones, “making better choices” all day long was never going to happen. Instead, I’ve been setting caloric goals and tracking my food intake and exercise output religiously. I’m doing this because I want to set a healthy example for my kids, and really be a fit, capable mother for as many years as I’m blessed to have. But I have to be honest—I want to look good, too. And that last feat of smoothing down my tummy is not easy. I’m trying to remind myself that aesthetics are unimportant—I would never want my kids to worry about such a thing. Hopefully as I continue on my fitness journey, I’ll focus instead on being energetic and strong. Who cares if I’m a bit soft in the middle? All the better for a child to snuggle into.

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
We recently introduced solid foods to Hudson. I’m happy to announce that it has gone very well. So far, he has enjoyed bananas, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, avocados, oatmeal, and even homemade meatballs! He has quite an appetite. His doctor recently told me to feed him until he stops eating. I don’t think that’s possible! He has yet to refuse to eat. I’m getting flashes of what his teenage years will be like. I’ve heard of moms putting locks on their refrigerator doors to prevent their teen boys from eating all the food, and I always thought that was hilarious. Now I can imagine doing that!

I really hope Hudson keeps it up. Haley was never that enthusiastic about eating. And I have to say, I often wondered what it was that I was doing wrong. But kids are who they are. There’s only so much you can do. I wish I hadn’t gotten so stressed about her eating habits. She’s at a good place with eating now—usually not too picky and often trying new things. I feel confident that she is getting the nutrition she needs. It’s comforting to think that Hudson, at least in this area, will give me an easy time from the beginning. But I don’t want to speak to soon. Who knows what lies ahead?

I made all of Haley’s baby food from scratch, and so far I’m doing the same for Hudson. I make batches and freeze them into cubes for convenience, but I have to tell you—he goes through them quickly! I’m relieved our doctor recommends a “baby led weaning” approach, meaning you feed the baby pretty much whatever you are eating, mashed to an appropriate consistency. It’s extremely convenient and takes some out of the stress out of providing adequate meals for such an insatiable little guy.

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
We all know that the acts of birthing and raising children can have lasting effects on our bodies. Since I’ve had two kids, I’m in… interesting shape. I’m eating extra calories to breastfeed, and they aren’t always the healthiest. I’m sleeping very poorly, given that I’m still up with Hudson several times a night. Even if I had the energy to incorporate exercise into my daily routine, I don’t really have the time. So you can imagine what the physical manifestation of these patterns is.

Well, over the weekend I decided enough was enough! I just felt I had to do something to make myself feel better. Given that I’m starving and pinched for time when grabbing food, and there’s no forcing a baby to sleep well, I opted to focus on something I could control— working out. With Hudson down for a nap and Haley playing with her dad, I pounced on my opportunity and hit the treadmill. It felt great to get my blood going and my body moving.

I was pleased to discover that I could maintain pretty much the same speed and intensity as I did before I was pregnant. So I went with it. Unfortunately, I paid for it later. Into the evening my legs slowly grew sorer and sorer until I finally took a pain reliever. I wish I could say it was a good kind of hurt, but without continuous sleep, my body didn’t recover the way it used to.

However, I’m undeterred. It would be a shame if this incident turned me off from running and jump-starting my quest to return to healthfulness. I feel like I can get away with making excuses until Hudson is older—no one would blame me for slacking. But I don’t want to make excuses. I want to be healthy and whole. I want to provide a good example to my children. I want to feel good about myself. The time is now.

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Ever since the Lego Movie came out, my children love having tacos on Tuesdays. It’s one meal I’m guaranteed they’ll eat. It’s a dinner we do quite often, because I know I won’t hear any complaining about the usual meal of grilled chicken and veggies.

Last night we served up some tacos. I try to make it fun by letting Jack and Tate help prepare dinner. They like to set up the toppings on the counter, as well as set the table. The more invested the boys are with dinner prep, the better chance I have of them eating their meal. They like to stuff their tacos full and hear the loud crunch from the shell. I also try to throw in some veggies they don’t always care for, like tomatoes or onions, and see if maybe their taste buds have changed. Usually it’s a no go, but someday I might be surprised.

We even have a favorite taco book entitled, “Dragons Love Tacos.” It is a children’s book about how much Dragons like tacos but hate spicy salsa because it gives them fire breath. The illustrations make them laugh. Daddy likes to dare the boys to eat spicy salsa. Jack has actually tried it, and — after drinking almost an entire glass of milk — he says, “ah ah ah… too spicy. “

I hope we can expose our kids to other interesting foods as they grow up. My husband wants Sushi Saturday, but I’m not ready for that grocery bill. For now, we will stick with Taco Tuesday.

From Friday Mom – Erin:
Rory was diagnosed with another ear infection last week. This was his third total and his second one in six weeks. In addition to having to schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss whether we should be considering putting tubes in his ears, or other preventive measures, we were also given strict instructions from his pediatrician to try to get him off of bottles. Apparently there are differing schools of thought, but our pediatrician’s stance is that bottle feeding increases the chance of ear infections (based on the reclined sucking involved).

We’d started weaning Rory from the bottle to the cup at his first birthday, but he came down with a stomach flu shortly thereafter that threw our phased approach to reducing his bottle feeding for a loop. The past two weeks, however, we have been making a much more concerted effort to reducing the overall volume of formula/breastmilk in each bottle and, instead, offer him a sippy cup or straw cup with milk throughout the day (at meal times and snack time). As of this week, we’re down to two ounces of milk/formula per bottle. He’s still not a big whole-milk drinker, but we’ve been making a concerted effort to ensure that he gets around 8-ounces of whole-milk yogurt in addition to his milk to ensure that he is getting enough calcium. He also LOVES cheese, so we try to incorporate that as another way of getting him calcium for his growing bones.

I’ve worried a bit about whether or not Rory is getting enough to eat now that he is moving almost entirely to solid foods and his liquid nourishment has taken a back seat. We’re fortunate in that he seems to be a pretty good eater. And he has started to enjoy feeding himself with a fork and spoon, so mealtime carries a new-found sense of independence, as well. In that respect, I feel confident that he’ll continue to tell us when he wants more to eat. But I know that we are going to face a bit of a struggle as we move away from using bottles in the nap time routine. So far, he’s done alright, but I am a little apprehensive about how he’ll do when the bottle is gone entirely. For now we are taking things one step at a time and hoping it continues to go smoothly. Fingers crossed.

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
For most of Haley’s life, she has been a very picky eater. It always worried me, but I tried to remind myself that the doctor wasn’t too concerned. I beat myself up about it, thinking that if I was more structured about meal times, better at offering a variety of choices, and gave in to her whims less often, I’d have a better eater on my hands.

I saw a baby at the story time the other day, probably around 9 or 10 months old. His mom offered him a banana for his snack. It was incredible. The baby held almost an entire banana, minus the peel, in his hand and began to devour it. It’s not that he ate it like he’d never seen food before. It’s just that he rhythmically bit, chewed, and swallowed with such gusto! Hardly pausing for air, he finished the banana within minutes and his mom didn’t bat an eyelash. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you Haley has never eaten food like this—ever.

We know all kids are different, but when a friend’s kid has no problem in an area in which your kid struggles, it’s hard to maintain perspective. Haley has many interests; food just isn’t one of them. I can’t blame myself for that. Sure, there are things that I can do to encourage her to eat well. But I can’t change who she is as a person. Nor would I want to!

I’m happy to report that Haley has made many strides in this area. She is interested in new foods and wants to try them. She eats more independently than ever. She tells me she’s hungry and asks for snacks. She still loves fruit and is relatively happy with the healthy choices I present her with. Maybe all my efforts to get her to eat better are finally paying off. More likely, Haley has gotten more “into” food and eating all on her own. Either way, it’s nice to see her eating. And nice that I can relax a bit, too.

From Friday Mom – Erin:
Now that Rory is ten months old, we’re supposed to be starting him on adult table foods. It is time to start giving him tastes of what we’re eating at each meal to start working on a more grown-up diet. What that has caused us to realize, however, is just how poorly we eat. I grew up with home-cooked, family meals each evening. Now, we eat a lot of frozen pasta meals, refrigerated pasta, frozen pizzas, and take out. When time permits, I sometimes cook a big batch of chicken chili or some other large-pot meal over the weekend. But, generally speaking, we eat pretty poorly.

To date, I have been feeding Rory organic baby food pouches, along with basic starter foods like yogurt, cottage cheese, rice cereal, toast, scrambled eggs, etc. These were easy. Now, it is time to actually start making responsible dietary choices for ourselves and our son.

I started this week with some basic first steps. I’ve purchased fresh versions of some of the fruits and veggies he has enjoyed in pouch form. I have purchased some new, baby-friendly foods like bagels. Unfortunately, I haven’t made it home early enough this week to test any of them out. I’m hoping that this weekend gives us a chance to start this newest eating adventure in earnest. Who knows, maybe I’ll cook up something healthy that we all enjoy. Here’s hoping. . .

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Packing lunches is not one of my favorite tasks.  Jack’s school lunch options are horrendously unhealthy, and he doesn’t like what they offer, anyway.  Tate’s school has no cafeteria, so he has to pack. I pack both boys’ lunches everyday. For years, Jack and Tate ate PB&J along with yogurt, a piece of fruit and granola bar with either water or a fruit juice everyday.  I asked them if they were sick of the same repetitive meals.  They always answered no, but I would find large clumps of crust and unopened/uneaten food left behind in their lunch box.  I have a tough time packing a well-balanced meal that they will eat consistently.

Our family is trying our best to eat healthier.  It’s very hard when three of us have a serious sweet tooth, but making adjustments and substitutions help.  My kids, especially Jack, are willing to try new foods, which makes mealtime less of a fight.

I wanted to start making the boys’ lunches more appealing and fun.  They always came home and told me what this person had in their lunch box and what that person had in theirs.  I decided to buy some plastic divided containers that fit right inside their lunch boxes.  They seal tight and everything is right in front of them when they open up their lunch box.  I did some browsing on the Internet to find creative and healthy meal ideas.  There are TONS of recipes and daily menus. Most of them are pretty basic, but new ideas are always welcomed.  I’m not one for complex recipes, because who wants to put together a recipe at 6am, but things I can cut up and toss into the lunch box are right up my alley.  For example, turkey and cheese pita roll up, sliced cucumber, pretzels and a granola bar.  All things my kids like to eat.

So far, the boys really enjoy what I pack for them.  I am not finding leftover pieces of food inside their lunch box anymore.  I also believe a variety of foods will keep the boys excited about eating healthy.  Simply cutting their fruit with a small cookie cutter, or preparing it in a different way can really help make the same lunch more interesting.

Before I know it, my kids will be making their own lunches.  I want them to know there is more out there than just peanut butter and jelly.  I want them to learn and understand what is healthy and what should be consumed within moderation.  Exposing my boys to different meal options will hopefully stick with them to make good food choices in the future.

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Lately I’ve been putting more effort into eating the right foods. It seems like everywhere you look, people are talking about doing your own gardening, taking your kids to farmers’ markets, and making sure that they understand “where food comes from.” It’s true that having a little one around puts nutrition in perspective. As an adult, I’m okay with making the choice to sometimes eat processed foods with strange-sounding chemicals, but that’s hardly what I want Haley to put into her body.

On the other hand, when your kid refuses to eat ANYTHING, that fluorescent colored macaroni and composite-chicken nugget look pretty good. Haley is a picky eater, and although I’m trying to add more healthful foods to our diet, I know she’s not going to touch sautéed kale or quinoa. So the question becomes, do I give up completely and just cook kid-friendly food for the whole family? Do I cook nutritious food and let her not eat for a few months? Do I short order cook for each family member?

I take a middle-of-the-road approach. There are a few foods Haley really likes and asks for frequently. The healthiest of these, including oatmeal, fruit and cucumbers, I give her pretty much whenever she wants them. I try to save hot dogs and French fries for weekends or days when I’m really rushed. I also cook healthfully for my husband and myself. I’ll put a little bit of everything on Haley’s plate, and hope she’ll try things. We had leftover meat from a weekend cookout so this morning I made steak and eggs. Haley asked for bacon (which she loves) but we told her that steak is a lot like it and she should try it. I was really glad that she did! It was a victory not because I want her eating red meat all the time, but because beef is the kind of food that she’s usually completely uninterested in. I want to expose Haley to a variety of foods.

Another approach is to hide vegetables in recipes like tomato sauce or brownies. I’d rather Haley learned to eat healthy food outright, so I’m going to avoid that path for now. But I’ve learned when it comes to parenting to never say never!