Expectations

As I was sitting there rocking and nursing T to sleep tonight I started thinking.  I started thinking about how big he has gotten.  I started thinking about the fact that it probably won't be long before he no longer wants me to rock him to sleep (already if he wakes up when I set him down he rolls over, grabs his stuffed bunny and goes back to sleep).  But most of all, I started thinking about the last year and a bit since he was born*.

T was very proud to "finally" figure out how spoons work.

My kids are a little over 22 months apart and I love that.  I still remember when we told people we were expecting our second child the overwhelming response was something along the lines of "was this planned?" and "already?".  Everyone went on to warn us that it would be hard having two kids so close together because A still needed so much from me.  The thing is that T was very much "planned" and we were excited to have our kids close together.  We knew what we were getting into.  We knew that having two kids under two while DH was working full time and in grad school and while I was working part time from home would be downright crazy; especially since our family is pretty far away.  We also knew that my sister and I are only 21 months apart and very close because of it.  We felt it would be worth all of the work and crazy if our kids could grow up with the kind of bond that my sister and I share.  Thankfully, it wasn't as hard as I expected (though that isn't to say it wasn't/isn't very hard sometimes) and our kids are very close.

A showing T how puzzles work.

As I was rocking my sleeping boy tonight I started thinking about why it was that the last year didn't seem so hard.  In retrospect it really probably was quite hard, but I didn't see it that way at the time.  The only reason I can think of for this is what my expectations for this last year have been.  While I would have loved to have everything totally together before T was born, I knew that between being huge and pregnant in August and the time I spent chasing A around that just wasn't going to happen.  Instead I made an effort to get highest priority stuff done first and work from there.  Once T was born I expected that he would need to be held and nursed a lot. As such, when he occasionally wanted to be set down to stare at toys or the dust bunnies under the couch it was a welcome surprise instead of a relief.  I also expected him to go through 12-18 diapers a day at first which meant that when he was regularly using 18-24 I just sighed and threw another load in the wash (we use cloth diapers, in case you somehow didn't know that) instead of wondering why my baby was peeing every 20 minutes (well, I also realized that this was probably due to the fact that he was also nursing every 20 minutes).  I expected that A would have a hard time adjusting to having to share her time with me so I dusted off my carriers and made sure to do lots of stuff with her while T napped on my chest.  Because I expected these things it really didn't seem like that big a deal to take my newborn and not-quite-two-year-old to the grocery store (well, that and the fact that I just strapped him to my chest and continued life).  After all, it was a bit of a pain logistically, but the alternative was not having food in the house which would be even more of a pain.  The things that I expected I could prepare for physically, emotionally and logistically.

A playing at the turtle pond while T napped on my chest.

What did throw me for a loop were the things that I didn't expect.  I didn't expect that my labor with T would go so fast that my mom wouldn't even have a chance to start driving down from her house 2 hours away before I had him (thankfully we had wonderful neighbors who watched A for us until my mom made it down, I'm sad that they have since moved).  I really didn't expect that after a short and comparatively** easy labor and delivery I would have some complications that make a full recovery take weeks.  What I really didn't expect was that when I woke up the morning after T was born feeling great and wanting nothing more than to go home to see my husband and daughter that I would have to stay two more days because T was jaundiced.  Honestly, those two days were probably harder than any other two days together since he was born and I think it is because an extended hospital stay was the one thing I didn't expect.  I didn't expect that I wouldn't be able to go home to see my girl or that my new son wouldn't be able to wear the cute little hat I knit him because all of his skin would need to be exposed for the lights to work.  I didn't expect that after a VBAC we would wind up staying at the hospital almost as long as I did after my c-section.  I didn't expect that my mom would have to be watching A for that long while recovering from gallbladder surgery or that I wouldn't be able to bring her new grandson home for her birthday.

If you look closely you can still see the yellow around his eyes.

Once I talked to the doctors and the nurses and the lactation consultants I was able to get my expectations in line, however.  I was able to see the silver lining and make the best of everything.  I was able to enjoy the quiet hours I spent laying there with T under the lights*** bonding with my new baby in the same quiet way I had bonded with my older one.  I was able to rejoice in the fact that the degree I had never actually finished had still given me the knowledge to speak intelligently with the doctors and nurses about the treatment and how to make it work for our family and our baby.  Most of all, I had time to just be and recover in ways that I never would have had were I at home with A wanting me to read just one more story and instead had time to lay there and read my own stories on my Kindle.

The two of us under the lights.

This last year has taught me a lot.  I have learned how to better juggle my life.  I have learned just how much my almost-three-year-old can do to help and just how strong her will can be.  I have learned just how fast a baby can crawl when he really wants to get to something before you can stop him.  I have learned how much a barely-one-year-old can get into when his big sister is there to "help".  I have learned how amazing it is to watch children grow and learn every day.  I have learned how frustrating it can be when nothing goes the way you plan.  I have learned how to let go and enjoy what I can.  But most of all, I have learned the power of expectations and how they can shape our lives for better or worse.

He climbed up on his own and got down safely.  I was
standing by just in case.

* I don't want to hear any complaints about my lack of blogging or pictures.  As much as I love writing, I've been rather busy lately and my family comes first.
**Compared to A's birth.  Honestly, even with the issues I had later, T's birth and the recovery after was way easier than A's.  But that is a story for another day (if I ever find time).  All I will say is that I prefer natural childbirth to a c-section any day of the week even though I am really, really thankful for the doctor that delivered A and kept us both safe.
*** The standard way to do phototherapy is to keep the baby in a bassinet under UV lights.  However, T would not have any of that and would scream his little lungs out and refuse to nurse which just made stuff worse.  The solution that we found with the help of a very helpful lactation consultant was for him to lay next to me while I was awake and to put the lights over both of us.  Since I was nearby he stayed much calmer and was even able to nurse under the lights which would not have been possible with the standard protocol.  This solution is not for everyone, but it worked really well for us and I am thankful for the staff that helped make it happen.

Easy Glazed Carrots for Toddlers

We tend to try and stay away from processed and pre-packaged food at our house so I've never understood the point of things like the Gerber Graduates which are basically TV dinners for toddlers. However, days like today it might have been useful, too bad we didn't have any nor did I want to run to the store to get some.

This afternoon was spent running errands and we didn't get home until late. Normally this would have meant a quick stop somewhere to grab dinner on the way home, but we'd decided to do the Eat at Home Challenge for the month of July so while we seriously considered stopping in the end we didn't. This isn't a huge issue for us grown-ups since we can grab a snack now and wait a bit for dinner, but it was pushing A's bedtime so she needed to eat and eat now and preferably a balanced meal. The solution was actually easier than I thought it would be. We cut up some cheese (lunch meat or canned beans might have been better, but I forgot to grab more at the store last night), grapes and half a roll. Not bad, but I really wanted a veggie. After a minute of thinking I invented this recipe:

Toddler Glazed Carrots:
1 carrot (sliced)
pinch of brown sugar
sliver of butter

Put the sliced carrot into a small glass bowl, top with brown sugar and butter and microwave for 45-60 seconds or until carrot is fully cooked. Stir well and blow on it until it is cool enough to eat.

Maybe not the world's healthiest dinner (especially after DH decided she needed strawberry jam on her roll), but it is tasty, filling and reasonably balanced. The best part is that it took less than 5 minutes to throw together which is a lot less time than we would have spent waiting in the drive-thru line and not really any worse than reheating a TV dinner. Plus, it is a heck of a lot cheaper than either of those other options :)

I'm posting this recipe because it would also come in handy on those days when DH and I want to have salad as our veggie because A. really can't handle the lettuce. We almost always have carrots in the fridge so I can mix her up an easy alternative and we don't have to avoid salad and other hard to chew greens.

Happy Father's Day

As I read my normal blogs today and check out links that friends post to Facebook I have to count myself lucky. I read of husbands and fathers that work all week and then spend the weekend or evenings out with their friends instead of with their children. I read of husbands that cheat on their wives, providing a bad example to their children. I read of fathers that don't know how to change a diaper and of dads that consider watching their own kids for an hour or two while their wife runs to the store to be "babysitting".

I am glad that my daughter has a father that will play with her, even if playing involves being used as a changing table for her doll.I am glad that she has a father who will read to her after a busy day at work while I'm busy making dinner or trying to get 5 minutes to myself.I am glad that though my husband has to work on the weekends sometimes, he still takes time to go on picnics with us when he doesn't.I am glad that my husband considers this to be the highlight of his "Father's Day":I am glad that as I am typing this I hear splashes and squeals of laughter coming from the bathroom as my husband takes care of bath-time (something that is very hard for me at this point given the size of my belly).

In short, I am glad that I have a husband who doesn't just assume that his role as a father ends at conception. I have a husband that helps me with the chores and considers my role as a stay at home mom to be a "real" job (which, considering the hours I work it really should be). I am even more glad to know that he enjoys his role as a father. When I thanked him today for being so involved he simply remarked at how sad it would be to miss out on all of the amazing things our daughter does. Most of all, I am glad of the role model he will be for our son (did I mention we are having a boy?) and the example he will be to our daughter of the kind of husband she should expect.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's Story Time!

Bedtime Stories

When A. was around 4-5 months old DH and I realized that we really needed a better bedtime routine. She was going to bed whenever she was tired and then we'd collapse on the couch for a bit before getting up to do all those things that you can't do when you are busy holding a baby all day (like cooking dinner). At that point our bedtime routine basically entailed giving her a bath and then rocking/nursing her until she was almost asleep. At that point we'd set her in her bassinet and stay with her until we knew she was asleep. It worked, but the whole thing just felt like a chore. At the time we were also both really tired and not having much fun. We got to talking about how to make it better and decided that we really needed to start reading A. a bedtime story. (The exact details of how we decided that a lack of a bedtime story was the root of the problem are rather blurry now due to the lack of sleep...) The question became what to read her for a bedtime story. We'd tried having one book that was her standard story, but that got boring really fast so we decided to try reading her "real" books. I think we started with Anne of Green Gables because I'd been telling DH how much I liked it and how I couldn't wait until A. was old enough to read it with me. Suddenly DH and I were having a great time because he would read while I nursed A and then after we put her to bed we'd sit (or stand and work together) and talk about the book.

As A. got better at eating solid foods we expanded the routine. From the time she was able to fling food in the general direction of her mouth the routine has been to eat dinner as a family (which would frequently mean DH and I taking turns feeding A. and eating ourselves trying to finish before the food got cold). Then DH will take A. in and bathe her while I got my first real break of the day, this was especially important when she was just starting to eat solids because she would be covered in food. We were lucky in that it was warm when she started to really feed herself a lot so we would just strip her down to a diaper before dinner and then let her have fun knowing that the floor would mop and she would wash. After her bath we dress her in her PJs and then all sit on the couch and snuggle while DH reads a chapter from the book we are working on. When she was little I would use this time to nurse her so that she'd be nice and full before bed, now she likes to either play quietly or snuggle depending on how tired she is. The story gives us all a chance to wind down our day together and A. is generally ready to go to bed right after. Within a few minutes she is asleep and DH and I can enjoy the rest of the evening together.

I don't know why it took me so long to think of reading real books to A. because it is a great solution for our family. However, it also seems like it isn't something that is commonly done so maybe that's why. We don't try to force her to listen, we simply ask that she be relatively quiet while DH is reading. If she is having trouble being quiet we offer her the chance to go to bed and finish later. Sometimes she asks for bed, but mostly she quiets down and snuggles with us while DH finishes. We aren't trying to turn her into some sort of super genius or anything, but I do hope she will learn to love books and the stories they tell. Lately she's been really into having me read her picture books, I've actually had to set a limit on the number of books I'll read her each day because I want her to play on her own too. I don't know if it is because she likes the books, or the cuddling or that the love of reading is sinking in, but whatever it is she's asking for it.

All that being said, it is hard sometimes to find a good book for a toddler. She isn't old enough to really talk through dark parts of a book, but she is old enough to actually listen and understand most of what is going on. Simpler books tend to be easier for her to understand, but if they are too simple DH and I don't enjoy them as much. We are hoping to be able to continue the tradition of a family bedtime story until our kids are at least mostly grown and since we are obviously planning on more kids than just A. being there to enjoy the stories we will probably be going back to revisit old favorites at various points. At the same time it would be nice to have a good variety of books on our list. So far we have read the entire Anne of Green Gables series, Little Women, Little Men and Watership Down. We are currently reading Little House in the Big Woods. We are currently debating whether or not to continue with the Little House series or if we should read Wind in the Willows next. Any thoughts from my literary friends? Also, does anyone have any suggestions on other books we should add to our list? I'd love any suggestions I can get.

Making Dinner Happen

Lately I've realized that I'm generally really tired by the end of the day. Maybe it's being pregnant, maybe it's chasing an active toddler or not getting enough sleep. It is probably a combination of all of these things. However, no matter the cause, the effects are getting bothersome. I haven't had the energy for blogging and even if I did I haven't had a lot of energy for doing neat things to blog about. The biggest effect though has been on dinner. I'm sure that any of you with young kids know how hard it can be to make dinner quickly with a toddler trying to get your attention or even when said toddler is "helping". My old solution was to either do some prep while A. was napping, or more often to just wait until DH got home and whip up dinner while he played with A. Since the two of them love spending time together this worked really well for a long time. However, now by the time DH is home from work I'm tired and just want to sit down and rest for a bit so we were eating more convenience foods or opting to eat out more often. On the surface these options are okay and they certainly still get us fed. However, they aren't great for the pocket book and it gets increasingly hard to combine eating out with eating healthy. This has been really bothering me lately because I feel like in some ways I am failing my family (gotta love that mommy guilt). Thankfully, I am working on some solutions. Since I figure I'm not the only one to run into this problem when life gets crazy I thought I'd share what I'm doing right now and ask for suggestions for improvement.

The first thing I'm working on is planning ahead. When I'm tired thinking comes harder for me so I tend to put it off hoping that it will be easier later. Unfortunately, before long I find that I'm in the 6pm time crunch and still don't know what to make and have to figure something out now because A. has to get to bed. In the past I've tried to plan a weekly meal plan, but something always comes up and throws off the schedule. I'm hoping to get to the point where I can have a weekly plan with enough flexibility to really work, but in the meantime I am focusing on having a plan before bed the night before. This goal is smaller and thus more obtainable which means I'm not failing at it nearly as often. DH and I will take a couple of minutes after A. goes to bed each night to look at what we have in the fridge and what needs to be used. Then I come up with a meal plan for the next day based on a combination of that and what the schedule is looking like. If I'm not sure of the next day I try to come up with a back-up plan too just in case and then pull anything I'll need that is currently frozen up into the fridge to start thawing.

The second thing I'm doing is to take advantage of A's nap to get dinner started. I don't have to have everything done, but if I have dinner started or even just have prepped ingredients by 4pm the whole evening seems to go smoother. I got this idea from this blog. It has a ton of tasty recipes that can be done in bits and pieces through out the day. Before I found it I had never thought of prepping a casserole in the morning when I had energy and sticking it in the fridge so that I could just pop it in the oven 40 minutes before dinner instead of trying to push through the end of day exhaustion.

Right now these are the two things I'm focusing on. An example of how it works would what we are doing tonight. Yesterday when I was digging through the freezer to grab out some frozen veggies to go with dinner I accidentally ripped the plastic on some ground beef. This made the dinner decision a little easier because I knew that if I left it in the freezer it would get freezer burn so I pulled up the meat. I realized that I had been craving Swedish meatballs for a while, but hadn't made them because they require you to have thawed ground beef (mine was always frozen) and the time to mix and shape the meatballs, brown them, make gravy and then simmer them. We've been on the go a lot and when you are getting home from a play date 30 minutes before dinner there just isn't time for that. Today we didn't have any plans, but I also finally realized I could use a small crock pot. This meant that after lunch I put A. down for her nap and then grabbed the (now thawed) meat from the fridge. I mixed and shaped the meatballs and then browned them in a skillet. Once they were brown I put them in the crock pot and then made gravy with the pan drippings, beef broth and some Marsala wine. I let it boil long enough to cook off the alcohol and then poured it over the meatballs in the crock pot. I set the already hot meatball mixture to low and it is now simmering away making the house smell nice. At that point I realized I really needed to sit down because my stupid ankles were starting to swell (this happened when I was pregnant with A. too, no amount of water, rest, salt, etc. ever helped much, but my blood pressure was always really low so no worries). While A. is playing this afternoon I'll wash and chop up some broccoli and throw it in the top of the steamer and put the whole thing in the fridge. That way, when DH is home we can hang out as a family for a little bit and then I can slip away to the kitchen to start some rice and boil water to steam the broccoli while he plays with A. If I'm really on top if it I'll have the water and rice measured and the pots on the stove so I just have to turn on burners, but we'll see. Worst case, if I do nothing else today, I can start some rice and put the last of the giant bin of salad on the table and call it good. We'll have a balanced, tasty meal and I don't have to feel bad for collapsing on the couch as soon as DH walks in the door because dinner will be busy making itself.

These are helping most days, but I'm still not getting a "good" dinner on the table every single night. I'd love to hear suggestions on how to improve this plan or any other tips for getting a healthy, tasty dinner on the table when you are exhausted at the end of the day. Please share.

To Be or Not To Be a Princess?

A couple of days ago a friend linked to this article about how the "princess" culture is taking over for little girls. I shared the link and the dichotomy of the responses was interesting. I have to say, as the mother of a little girl, I feel princesses and pink really are overdone. While I think that the author goes overboard on keeping princesses totally out of her daughter's life I can see where she's coming from. When you find out you are having a little girl you can pretty safely assume that you will be given a plethora of pink clothes unless you specifically request otherwise (and sometimes even then). Your daughter will be called a "princess" by pretty much everyone.
If someone sees her digging in the dirt without a bow in her hair it will be assumed that she is a boy, even if she has pink flowers in her shirt. Random strangers (like the UPS guy) and friends alike will question why you painted the nursery blue if you are expecting a girl. This has caused many of us mothers of daughters to rebel. A part of me honestly wants to say "no pink, no princesses, and no dresses". That said, I then think back to my own childhood and I realize I could never be quite that strict. My bedroom was painted pink, at my insistence, from the time I was 8 until I was 15 or 16 when I decided to repaint it. I loved Cinderella and even dressed as her one year (though I made my own costume out of a junior bridesmaid dress I had, I didn't buy one of the premade Disney ones). While I don't wear dresses often, I will sometimes and they make me feel pretty.

This begs the question of where to draw the line. This is a line that will be different for each family, but one that should be drawn none the less. The easiest place to start drawing the line is with colors. Pink is a great color, especially on a girl like A. who has blond hair, blue eyes and a rosy complection. However, she also looks smashing in blue (to match her eyes), brown, green and even gray. In many ways these colors look even better on her than pink, but pink is the color that most little girls clothes come in. My goal with pink is not to exclude it, but to keep it equal with all the rest of the colors. With the nursery we painted the walls sky blue and did a jungle theme because we knew we were planning on keeping the theme for the next kid and switching A. to a "big girl room" when the time came. After much debate we've decided to paint the room green and have a mix of white and light wood furniture. There will be some pink and brown accents and we are really excited. (I'm hoping to make A. a quilt for her bed that will go with the floral/woodland/garden theme we are choosing, but we'll see how that goes.) Her room will have some pink, but also lots of other colors. The same goes for her clothes, some are pink, some are purple, but some are blue and brown and white too. I don't wear the same color every day so why should she? Pink can be a good color, I'd rather we not all get tired of it before her second birthday.

The next question, in order of ease to answer, is dresses. Dresses are pretty, but they are rarely practical. This is especially true when you are a toddler. I will let A. wear dresses when she wants, but right now she climbs so much that they would be a hindrance (hmm, maybe I should encourage more dresses to make chasing her easier). Right now she likes to run and climb and dig. Dresses are great for more formal occasions, church or other places where she will be sitting still and we have a few just for that, but mostly she wears clothes that she can move and get dirty in.

Now it's time for the hard question, princesses. As a kid I loved the Disney princess movies. I watched Cinderella so many times that I could sing the whole soundtrack and quote most of the words. I loved Beauty and the Beast and wished I was a brunette so I could look like Belle (sometimes I still do). However, this was all when I was older, I was old enough to understand the difference between real life and storybooks. Many of the "princess" themed things on the market today are aimed at toddlers and preschoolers. Little girls that are just beginning to figure out who they are and how the world works. They are just learning how imagination works and pretending to be a character in a story can stifle that. After all, which is more open ended, pretending you are the fairy princess trapped in a tower and playing through the act to see what happens or pretending you are Cinderella going to the ball to find your "happily ever after"? In the first example the prince might rescue the princess, or the princess might get bored waiting and slay the dragon herself, or maybe even rescue the prince. In the second you are pretty much following along with what happened in the movie, sure you might embellish some, but the main plot is already established. The second issue I have with the Disney princesses in particular is the assumption that "happily ever after" is automatic just because you met your prince. In the movies the princes are all one dimensional creatures that have little more than a title and looks to recommend them. Is this the kind of man you want your daughter to marry? Do you want her to assume that simply because she is married that she will never have to work on her relationship, that they will live "happily ever after" no matter what? Should she assume that her "prince" will take care of everything and she'll never have to lift a finger or do her share in the relationship? That's a good way to wind up unhappy and divorced. If you want to point your daughter towards a princess to emulate, why not point her to some of the real life princesses? Many of them have been very strong women who have put duty, honor and country ahead of themselves. They have had their share of sorrow and tragedy along with the pretty dresses and giant parties. They have worked and sacrificed and been strong for themselves and others. Their stories might not be all glitter and gowns, but many of them are wonderful role models for older girls. While we are at it, why not teach our daughters about the many other strong, intelligent women in the world. The women mathematicians during WWII that spent their days calculating the ballistics tables for the army or working on the Manhattan Project. How about the women who were off flying planes or working in factories so that the men could be freed up to fight. Or the many brave women, even today, who keep the home fires burning and the children safe, fed and well mannered while their men are off serving in the military. Why not teach our daughters about Marie Curie, Jane Goodall or the women's rights movement? Princesses are alright in their place (once girls are old enough to understand what that place is), but why should they displace so many better things? I love escaping into a good, fun or just plain fluffy story as much as the next person, but that doesn't change the fact that at the end of the book I have to be fit to return to real life.

I want my daughter to be an intelligent, strong, well rounded, insightful, honest, hardworking, loving women. I want her to be able to earn her daily bread, care for children if she chooses to have them, support herself and her family as needed or be content in the knowledge that staying home can be just as important. I want her to be able to find a good man, or to be able to live life contently on her own if she can't find one that meets her high standards. I want her to be able to act like a lady, while still retaining her own strength. Most importantly, I want her to figure out who she is, not who someone else thinks she should be. Princesses and playing dress-up can help her in this, but I am not convinced that blindly following the princess trend will.

My goal is to push off her exposure to Disney princesses, Dora the Explorer, Barney and Friends, Lightning McQueen, Thomas the Tank Engine, or any other "licensed" characters as long as I can. This isn't to say that I think that these shows and movies are bad (many of them a lot of fun), just that I don't like the idol worship that goes along with them. I hate that toys are sold to the kids instead of the adults. I hate that the goal of marketing is to convince children to pester their parents until the parents give in and buy the latest "it" toy. I also hate the peer pressure that is associated with this. The idea that you are somehow not as good as the next kid if your parents don't buy you a certain thing. This is not what I want to teach my daughter. I don't want her to value things more than people or good character. At some point we will watch Thomas and Friends (assuming I can get over the fact that Ringo Star isn't Mr. Conductor anymore). We will also sit down together and watch Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. But I'd rather wait until she's old enough to understand that it can be just a story on the screen and doesn't need to be a way of life.

Tuesday Tip: A Place For Everything

A few weeks ago I realized that my living room was never clean. It felt like every time I would pick up the toys A would throw them all over the place again and I'd be back where I had been. Before long I stopped being as careful about picking up my things and putting them away so shoes, water glasses, books, etc were added to the toys. Before long I was overwhelmed and in many ways gave up on a clean living room. I was always stressed and A wasn't terribly happy about it either because with toys all over the floor there wasn't room to play. Finally I realized what was going on and that I needed to get her toys under control. I got DH to help me and right before she went to bed one night we grabbed all of the toys and books out of her room and put them in the living room along with all the toys, books, etc that were out there.

Once A. was safely sleeping we piled up all of her books in one place and all of her toys in another and started sorting. We started with the books because they were the easiest. She has a ton of wonderful books, but many of them have paper pages and she's already torn a couple while looking at the pictures. We sorted out the books that she might hurt from the board books. The books with paper pages we set aside for times that we are reading with her and stacked the board books on the coffee table to be put back in her room so that she could look at them on her own. We then started in on the toys. The toys were harder and really overwhelming. We have always tried to follow the idea of just having a few nice toys instead of a bunch of junk, but the pile was huge. It took up half the free space in the living room!?! We started sorting, first we put all the toys that she had outgrown in a box to save for the baby. At first I worried about this because I hold regular playdates and some of the kids that come are much younger. However, I realized that some of the toys like the felt balls are fun for kids of all ages so the tiny ones would still have something to play with (I was right, at the next playdate the babies loved playing with the balls almost as much as the toddlers). We then set aside the toys that I know A will love when she's a little older, but shows no interest in yet. Every month or so I'll get that box out and see if her tastes have changed, but in the meantime those toys aren't acting as clutter. Also, because they won't have been out the whole time, when she is ready to play with them they will be new and novel so I know she'll love them all the more for it. At that point, with a pile we still felt was giant DH and I went to bed. I figured we'd finish the next day after we'd had a chance to sleep on it.

The next morning A woke up in a great mood and was having a great time playing in her crib so I ran to the living room and started grabbing toys. I started with the books followed by the toys I knew were her favorites and started putting them away in her room. When I was done I pulled her out of her crib and she was enthralled. She would pull toys off the shelves and then put them back!!! I was in shock, I was also surprised how much smaller the pile in the living room looked so I set to finding places for those things as well. In the end we didn't really have to get rid of anything, we just had to set aside the toys she isn't playing with. After we are sure we are done having kids we will obviously give away the toys that our children have outgrown, but right now we know that they will be used again in a few months. In the meantime, one evening of organizing has made a world of difference in our lives. Now that everything has a place A. can help me put away her toys before her nap and before bed. She likes helping us do it and our living room looks a lot nicer now too. The nicest thing though, is that now that all of her toys are accessible and most of the floor is clear at any given time A is happier to play by herself which give me more time to get stuff done. As new toys come into the house old ones will have to be put away or given away so that there is always space, but in the meantime we are all happier and didn't have to make any of the hard decisions I was fearing.

How about you, do you organize your toys or let them take over? I used to let them take over figuring that it would help A find what she was looking for easier if she could see them all. Now I know that, for her at least, it is easier to find something if it is where it belongs. I never expected that of so young a toddler.

Unconditional Love

I know that for Valentine's Day everyone has love on the mind. I had been thinking about what I wanted to write about, but couldn't think of anything that was really different. I can say "I have the best husband", but I think that most women would say the same of their hubby (at least today). I can tell about how much I love A and the love I have already for the tiny being growing inside me, but those emotions come standard with being a mom. I could even talk about how much I love my pets, how nice it is on a cold night when the dog moves down from the warms spot he's created on the bed next to my pillows to the foot of the bed and then snuggles my feet keeping them warm. I could talk about how our younger cat used to snuggle against my belly when I was pregnant with A. and how he has been enamored with her ever since. But instead of any of those ramblings, I'll tell you about yesterday and thereby get a chance to brag on my little girl. :)

Yesterday afternoon I was tired so I laid down for a nap. My DH, knowing how exhausted I've been lately did a great job of playing quietly with A so I could get some sleep. That was until, about an hour into my nap, A. realized that I wasn't around and after checking the house reasoned that I must be in my room. She ran to the baby gate yelling "Mommy, Mommy", and DH explained that "Mommy is sleeping, let's let her sleep and go play over here." (The yells of "Mommy" had woken me up so I got to hear the whole thing.) A. turned around and went into the kitchen where DH was doing some dishes and started pulling things out of one of the cabinets she's allowed to play in while I rolled over to go back to sleep. Suddenly I heard a squeal of joy and renewed shouts of "Mommy". I cracked an eyelid to see A. running across the living room with a pizza pan which she then proceeded to bang against the medal baby gate in an effort to make as much noise as possible. At that point I couldn't hold back the laugh and she realized that her plan had worked. I got up and came out to pick her up amid squeals of joy. I have to admit that part of me was a little sad to have my nap cut short, but the look of pure joy on her face at seeing me was so amazing it made up for a lot. So did the giant hug and wet kisses I received upon picking up my girl.

To me, moments like that are love personified. They make all the work and frustration that comes with parenting a headstrong toddler worth it. They show just how deep love can be. There was absolutely nothing that A. needed me for at that moment. DH is more than capable of taking care of her. She had a clean diaper, she'd just had a snack and DH plays lots of games with her that I never do. But, all that being said, she wanted me. Not because something was wrong, but because she was having such a great time she wanted to share it with me. Now is that heart melting or what?

So Excited!

I'm sure some of you have noticed that I have been rather bad about posting since December. The honest truth is that I got busy prepping for Christmas and then I didn't have the energy. Those of you who are related to me or are friends with me on Facebook have already heard the news, but for those of you who haven't we are expecting our second child!!! We found out right before Christmas, but kept it quiet due to a previous loss. At this point though, everything looks great. I had an ultrasound a few weeks ago to double check the date (good thing we did as I ovulated later than I thought and this bought me an extra week) and then on Monday we were able to hear the heartbeat. I'm going to try to be better about blogging now that I'm getting some energy back, but expect some more blog silence around the end of August ;)

Tuesday Tip

Over the last year or so I have learned so many wonderful tips and tricks that have made my journey as a mom easier. I don't remember where I got them all, but moms that I have never met have made my life easier and more enjoyable in so many ways. I can't really pay them back, but I want to share some of the little tips I've picked up in hopes of passing on the favor. One of my favorite tips this flu season is for those of us who still have little ones in cribs (though it would work as well on bigger beds too). I don't know about you, but I have a hard time reaching down in the crib to change the bedding, it's especially hard for me because I'm short and we use a wedge under the sheet because A. had reflux as a baby and now has the occasional allergies. The wedge, while useful for her, makes changing the sheets a royal pain for me. I actually will generally pull the mattress out, change the sheets on the floor and then put the whole thing back. While this is a mild annoyance on wash day, it becomes a major pain in the middle off the night if A manages to get her diaper off, throws up or does any of those other things that toddlers are prone to do that requires a quick change of bedding before anyone can go back to sleep. In the middle of A's last bout of sickness I came across the suggestion to sandwich the bedding. What you do is you get several waterproof mattress pads (they make some for cribs that are soft and kinda like thick flannel or felt) and several sheets. You layer them so that there are several sheets on the mattress each separated by a waterproof layer. Then instead of stripping the whole bed at 3am (turning on the lights and swearing under your breath the whole time, or is that just me?) you just have to pull off the top layer and throw it in the wash so you only have to worry about the sick kid, not the clean-up. It's brilliant, I wish I'd thought of it myself.

Cloth on the Go

I'm taking a quick break from my previous rant discussion to talk about cloth diapers. I love cloth diapers for lots of reasons, they are cute, they are easy, they are cheaper than disposables, don't smell like strange perfumes, A. likes them better and they mean I never have to go to the store with a sick/cranky/tired baby because we are almost out of diapers. Many people will also tell you that they are better for the environment and keep harmful toxins from touching your baby's delicate skin which is also true, but less of a concern for me as those concerns can be mitigated to some extent by buying some of the more eco-friendly disposables. We love cloth for lots more reasons that I'm not remembering, but I did a whole post about it so if you want to hear me go on and on some more click here, otherwise I'll attempt to get to the point.

Before A. was born I knew that I wanted to use cloth diapers. I had some people tell me I'd never manage or that it was too hard, but that just made me want to prove them wrong. The one thing that even supporters of cloth diapering said was that I would probably want to use disposables while we were out and for the first month or two after A. was born that is exactly what I did until one day when I realized it was no longer easier. Those that were suggesting disposables while out and about were all in my parent's generation and did not have access to many of the things that we have now to make cloth on the go so easy. For them it was a lot easier to use disposables, but many of the problems that made it that way have now been solved. Now, if you have the right equipment, it is actually easier to leave your baby in their cloth diaper than to switch them into a disposable before leaving the house. You can use cloth diapers on the go without buying anything extra, but there are a few things that make it a little easier.

Wet bag - When you leave the house with cloth diapers the biggest drawback is that you can't just throw away the dirty diapers. Instead you have to carry them with you. At first this seems like a major issue, but a good wet bag will hold in any smell or dampness. There are a lot of good wet bags on the market and many of them are really pretty. I love having a wet bag in my diaper bag even on those rare occasions when I'm using disposables because they are also good for holding nasty burp clothes, bibs or soiled clothing. Babies can be disgusting sometimes and it is nice to have a clean place to put whatever it is they have soiled. I don't know how many people I know who've thrown away an outfit because they were out and about when their baby had a blowout (normally while using a disposable diaper) and they didn't have a way to get it home to wash it. I've also found that not all public changing tables have a trash can nearby. Since I'm putting everything, including wipes, in my wet bag I don't have to worry about trying to manage a dirty diaper, wipes and a baby while looking for the nearest trashcan or even consider turning around with my squirming baby still on the changing table to throw stuff away in the trashcan behind me.

Cloth Wipes in a Wipe Case - The next thing I love to have are cloth wipes in a wipes case. Plain cases can be found at most baby stores or you can buy fancy ones on Etsy. They will generally hold 5-6 cloth wipes which may not sound like much, but frequently one cloth wipe will do far more than one disposable wipe so you don't need as many. It may seem silly to use cloth wipes, but it is nice to not have to remember to put the diaper in the diaper pail and the wipe in the trashcan or to have to separate the contents of the wet bag into the wash and the trash when you get home. We use cloth wipes almost exclusively because we are lazy and cheap are concerned about our environmental footprint. You can carry dry wipes and a spray bottle with water or bum cleaner, but I generally just grab a few pre-wetted ones from the bin of them on the changing table and put them in my wipes case on my way out the door. I've seen people do both and they both seem to work well. This isn't to say you can't use disposable wipes, I just find it easier to use cloth.

Pocket Diapers or All-in-Ones - At home I normally use prefolds with a snappi and a cover, but when I'm out I like the diapers that work more like a disposable because they are faster, easier and take up less space in the diaper bag. I have done it both ways and can tell you that it really isn't hard to use prefolds when you are out and about, but I'm lazy and A. doesn't like staying still for a diaper change in the middle of a play date the way she does on her changing table at home. There are a ton of options for these styles of diaper and which ones you use depend on everything from whether or not you are willing to stuff pockets to how much you want to spend to how chunky your baby's legs are and even what colors you like. BumGenius and FuzziBunz are the two most popular brands and both are great. FuzziBunz tend to work better for chunky babies and the BumGenius tend to be better for slender babies, but your mileage may vary.

Disposable liners - One of the big things that people (including myself when I started) worry about with cloth is what to do about the poop. If you are still exclusively breastfeeding (no formula or solids) the answer is easy, just throw it in the wash! (Yes, it really is that easy and no this isn't a trick, everything is water soluble and the hot water and soap will kill the germs.) If you are out and about throw it in the wet bag which will contain the smell. If you are using formula or solids though, the answer is a little more challenging. In a pinch you can still put the dirty diaper in the wet bag, but I prefer to put a slightly cleaner diaper into the wet bag when I can. If I am near home or at a friend's house I use the same washable liners that I use at home and shake any solids off into the toilet. If I'm out shopping or traveling though I prefer disposable liners. These are thin, flushable and biodegradable. You put them inside the diaper and toss them in the trash for a wet diaper or flush them poop and all for a dirty diaper, easy peasey. That said, we only use them if we are going to be out a while as it is one more thing to remember and I'm lazy (plus by the time they are on solids babies generally only get one dirty diaper a day and it normally happens at a regular, predictable time).

Back-up supplies - The one problem with cloth diapers and supplies is that they are bulkier than disposable diapers and wipes. This means you can't carry as many with you and I know I tend to worry about running out. The first thing to remember is that there are stores in the world and even those using disposables will run out sometimes and have to buy a pack of diapers because the shopping trip ran long, they stopped for lunch or their toddler drank more water than they thought. However, in the interest of being prepared I normally carry one or two disposable diapers and a small pack of disposable wipes tucked into the corner of the diaper bag "just in case". (This actually started after A. dirtied her last diaper when we had one more store left on a trip running errands on the far side of town and I had to run in and buy a pack of diapers.) I know that once we put the disposable on her that we need to head for home, but it buys me the time I need sometimes. The only problem we run into is that we use so few disposables that when A. starts getting to the top of a size range we need to make a concerted effort to use the rest before she grows out of them and remember to buy more in the next size up (which reminds me, I think she's probably been in size 3s for a while now and we haven't ever bought any...). Thus far we have used exactly one pack in each size and I'd kinda like to keep it that way.

I hope this answers any questions for those of you who are considering cloth for your next kid, currently using cloth at home but switching to disposables while out or even using disposables and considering switching to cloth now. (Toddlers tend to potty train faster in cloth, just saying.) If you have any questions on how to get started or if you currently use cloth out and about and have a great suggestion for how to make it easier please leave a comment. Now days, for me at least, it really is easier to use cloth out than it is to bother changing a clean diaper simply because you are leaving the house and want a disposable.

Attachment Parenting

As I was reading through my blogs this morning I came across a post on a friends blog talking about the failings and shortcomings that all parents inevitably experience and that those of us who practice "attachment parenting" beat ourselves up all the more for. I think that people tend to forget that "attachment parenting" isn't supposed to be a strict, prescriptive method. The idea is to have a strong bond with your children, to pay attention and respond to their needs as quickly as possible. AP is not meant to be an all or nothing prospect, the idea is to do what works best for you, your child and your family.

A great example is cosleeping, or bringing the baby (or child) into bed with the parents. The idea is that if the baby wakes up for some reason during the night you are right there to comfort and sooth them back to sleep instead of leaving them to cry alone in a room. Cosleeping can make life easier and happier for some families and worse for others. I never sleep well when A. is in bed with us. She moves around and I'm always half awake because I know that I toss and turn a lot and wouldn't want to hurt her. Also, she is a light sleeper and wakes up every time I roll over or DH coughs or the dog barks in his sleep. When she was tiny and nursing a lot at night she slept in a bassinet in our room so that we didn't have to walk across the house several times a night. For the first 6 months this worked beautifully with her occasionally coming into bed with us if she was having a hard night or a growth spurt. At some point between 6 and 7 months she suddenly went from waking up once or twice a night to waking up every 1-2 hours. No one was sleeping and we were all miserable and cranky. DH decided to put her to bed in her crib one night and promised to bring her too me and take her back every time she needed to nurse. We turned on the baby monitor and turned it up so high that we could hear her breathing and the clock in her room ticking. She only woke up once! Thinking it was a fluke we tried it again the next night, but the same thing happened. Turns out we were waking her up and as soon as she had her own space we all started sleeping better. Part of me wants to beat myself up for not cosleeping like many of my AP friends say is best, but I know better. We are all getting enough sleep because I listened to my daughters need to be in her own bed, in her own room down the hall. We still respond immediately when she cries, but unless she's sick that doesn't happen much. We may not cosleep, but we follow the spirit in finding what works best for our family and helps us all feel the most safe, secure and rested.

Another big component of AP is babywearing. Now, those of you who know me know that I am a big fan of wearing A. I have a ton of carriers or all shapes, sizes and colors and will happily help anyone who is interested in "wearing" their baby or toddler figure out what works best for them. When A. was tiny I didn't even own a stroller and we took our walks the way she liked best, with her snuggled against my chest asleep. Not only was this A.'s favorite way to be held, but it left my hands free so I could take the dogs on a walk too. Once she was old enough to go into a jogging stroller this changed. I love the chance to go jogging, an activity that isn't safe when you are wearing a baby, and she likes being able to look around and have some quiet alone time watching the birds and plants pass by. Every morning she goes into the stroller and we go for a walk (or jog) that ends up at the park where she gets to run around and play herself. However, just because I am now using a stroller doesn't mean that I am no longer wearing her. When we go grocery shopping she prefers being on my back to being in the cart. Honestly, I haven't pushed the matter because it is also a lot easier for me because she can't stand up and try to climb out (did I mention that she's figuring out how buckles work?) or grab stuff off the shelves as we are walking. By wearing her shopping is a pleasant activity to do together instead of the constant fight I get half the time when I try putting her in the cart. I also love it when we are traveling or out and about. I can fit a wrap, sling or my Ergo in my diaper bag and carry A. or let her walk depending on her desire and how much of a hurry I'm in. I've yet to find a stroller that will fit in a diaper bag or let you zip through crowds the way I can with a wrap or the Ergo. Babywearing is also great for hiking, we can take any trail a backpacker could and share the remote mountain beauty with our daughter, try doing that with a stroller. However, doing one does not mean that I can't do the other. I use push A. in a stroller for some activities and wear her on my back for others. While I may feel a bit smug as I dodge between the strollers stuck in the crowd at ZooLights with my baby on my back, that doesn't mean that strollers don't have a place in my life or that I feel bad when I put A. in our stroller and go jogging along the paved nature trail near my house.

There are many more of these types of things where the conflict between someone else's (or my own) definition of what "should" be conflicts with the reality. However, this blog post is getting crazy long so I'll stop here. Hopefully I'll post more tomorrow.

To be continued....(if I remember...)

Trick or Treat?

Growing up I loved going around on Halloween and trick or treating. What can I say, it's an excuse to dress up and eat candy...Most of the houses in our neighborhood either had kids our age who celebrated Halloween or they had retirees who seemed to love seeing all the kids dressed up. As far as I could tell Halloween was fun for everyone. The first clue I had that this wasn't the case was the year that (after much deliberation) we knocked on a door that didn't have any decorations, but did have the porch light on. It turned out that the occupants didn't celebrate Halloween, but had left the light on because they were expecting company for their prayer meeting (I think they were Jehovah's Witnesses, but I could be wrong). We never knocked if the light wasn't on as my mom told us that if it was off they probably didn't have candy or didn't want trick or treaters. This was something that was understood amongst not just our family, but everyone I knew. Therefore, I have to wonder what has changed. Tonight we didn't have decorations, but I dutifully bought candy based on the number of kids we had last year (less than a dozen, but every one polite and well behaved). I bought extra just in case, but I didn't want to buy too much because I didn't want to be stuck with a bunch of candy tomorrow. We turned on our light about the time it started getting dark and within a few minutes the door bell rang. That's when I realized that this year was going to be different. There were 7 kids, none of them said "thank you". A minute later the door bell rang again, this time is was a couple of moms with young children. I was rather annoyed to see that one of them was carrying a child that was obviously under a year old, but politely put a piece of candy in the pro offered bag...then the mom turned and offered HER bag! As soon as they were gone I frantically restocked the now empty bowl before the bell rang again only to find some kids that I am pretty sure were in the first bunch. At that point I was done, I turned off our light because our candy supplies were dwindling and I'd only heard ONE kid actually stop to say thanks. I didn't even make it back to the kitchen when the bell rang again...and again...and again...We are almost out of candy and I'm not playing anymore. Those rude and greedy kids, and more importantly their parents, have ruined it for the rest. All I can figure is that they don't know the rules or that the rules have somehow changed. Either way here are the rules I grew up with, please tell me if I'm off...

1. If the house isn't decorated they may not be participating. It might be worth a try, but don't get your hopes up too high.

2. If the porch light is OFF and it is after dark then move on. Either the people aren't home or they don't want to be bothered. If they aren't home you are wasting your time and if they are home you are being rude and intrusive.

3. If the child is too young to walk up to the door and say "trick or treat" they are too young to be asking for candy (or eating it for that matter). If you don't have child care or you want them to participate then they can stay on the sidewalk or back behind with the parents, but they don't need a bag.

4. Parents and kids in high school, YOU DO NOT GET A BAG! Buy your own candy, don't go begging from others. You are taking away the fun from younger kids because you are being greedy. If you want to dress up that's fine, but leave the bags at home.

5. Only go to each house ONCE! Don't be greedy.

ETA: 6. Say "thank you" after you receive your candy and if people aren't answering don't ring the bell two or three times.

Maybe I sound like a curmudgeon, but after 15 minutes of kids we decided to turn off our light and hide in the back of the house. Please consider these and remember that this is supposed to be a fun holiday for everyone.

Sock Storage

I don't know about you, but I hate matching baby socks. Well, to be honest, I hate matching socks period. The hardest part with baby socks, though, is how to store them. If I put them in a basket or a drawer I forget about them. If I leave them out somewhere obvious A. loves to grab them and strew them about the house. Last winter I had a small basket of socks that were all the same and I just grabbed two socks and hoped they matched. I haven't worried about it for months though because it has been far too warm to even think about socks. However, as our weather is finally cooling down a bit my thoughts turned back to socks and how to organize them. My MIL was kind enough to send us some adorable socks, but no two pairs are the same so my grab and go method wasn't gonna cut it. I needed something though because A. was getting awful tired of cold feet and a mom that kept forgetting she had socks. Then I had an idea...I rummaged around my sewing room and within 5 minutes all the socks were sorted, matched and put "away" where I wouldn't be able to forget about them!I had some tiny clothespins that had been part of the diaper cake I'd been given at my baby shower and I strung them on some white dishcloth cotton. I tied the string to two pushpins and voila! I now have a place where the pairs of socks can go. They hang over the changing table so I can easily grab a matching pair when I am dressing A. in the morning. I can also always see what I have to work with and if I am starting to run low. The best part is that it solves the problem of a lack of decoration on A.'s walls (as well as the question of what to do with those tiny clothespins).

What do you think? Do you have any other great ways to organize socks or other baby things? I'd love to hear them, the rest of her room could use some work...

Playing at the Park

It wasn't long ago that I felt like A. was too young for the park. After all, she is only just learning to walk, what if she fell? But we both enjoyed being outside in the mornings so we would go for a walk or a jog with her in the stroller. Frequently we would end by circling the neighborhood park before heading home so that I could finish out my distance. One day I ran into another mom with a baby about the same age as A. and we were talking and walking and then she did something I had never considered...She stopped at the playground and pulled her baby from the stroller. She checked that the playground equipment wasn't too hot and then let her baby start crawling on the toddler part of the park. I looked closer and realized that it was well thought out and as long as I stayed nearby A. really couldn't fall far so I pulled her out too.

Now this is a morning tradition. Sometimes we meet friends, sometimes it is just us, but no morning is quite as nice if we don't spend at least a few minutes playing at the park.

Day by day A. has gotten better and better at walking and climbing (she tried running, but fell flat on her face...) and she is learning what she can and cannot do safely. As we are both learning her limits I find that I can step back a tiny bit and let her explore. I know where she might need a hand and where a fall won't really hurt anything but her pride.

I am loving this little tradition and can't wait until she's sure enough of herself that I can sit back with my knitting and watch her go. It is amazing to watch her growing up right before my eyes.

One Year Ago...

An amazing journey began.You were born and my life changed more than I could ever have imagined.
I've watched you discover new friends.
We've had our hard times,
And celebrated the good ones.
We've gone on adventures,
Both far and near.

And we've found fun at home.

But more than anything, I can't believe how much you've grown.

Happy birthday little girl, it has been a wonderful year. I love you more than you can ever imagine and am so glad to have you. I can't wait to watch what the next year will bring us.

"Babies are like fruit. They only spoil when you ignore them"

My sister called me a few minutes ago and told me I had to read the most recent post by the YarnHarlot. She was right and I think everyone who has kids or plans on having kids should read it too...

Therefore, please drop what you are doing and click here!

Homemade Baby Food

Before A. was born I was pretty sure that I would make my own baby food. A friend had told me how easy it was and one look at the price of those tiny jars was enough to convince me that it made economic sense. My only worry was finding the time, but I had visions of being crazy productive during the long naps I was sure my baby would take. After A. was born I realized that finding time might be harder than I thought and was starting to waffle on the idea of making my own baby food when she developed food allergies. She was allergic to dairy, soy and corn which meant that many of those jars and boxes of baby food were off limits to her. There is only one brand of rice cereal that she can have and only one brand of puffs. While many of the "stage 1" foods were okay, the later stages were more questionable. Even the standard toddler fair of Cheerios is off limits for the time being (she seems to have outgrown the allergies, but we aren't going to reintroduce the food to her until after her first birthday). Luckily I like cooking and DH was more than willing to play with A. in the evenings while I cooked. I scoured the internet to find recipes convinced that with the popularity of prepackaged baby food it had to be hard to make your own. I came across a website with a ton of information on what to fix and how to fix it. I also had a baby food cookbook and a couple of different sized ice cube trays for freezing so I set myself a time and went for it.

It really was easy once I got into the swing of things. I did have some problems like the time the prunes wouldn't come out of the ice cube trays (turns out the puree was too thick so they never fully froze) or the time that I wound up giving up on the blender and the food processor for my sweet potatoes and running the whole thing through the food mill. Then there was the time that I was trying to mash a banana with a fork, only to have bits go flying out of the bowl onto the floor...But other than that it was really easy. I learned that it makes more sense to combine making the baby food with making my food which saved me a ton of time. If I was roasting a chicken for dinner I would wrap a few sweet potatoes in foil and throw them in the oven too. Pull them out with the chicken and set them aside to cool. By the time we were done with dinner they were cool enough I didn't burn myself and the skins would peel off with the foil. Then I'd run them through the food mill (neither my food processor nor my blender liked how thick the roasted sweet potatoes were) and throw everything into ice cube trays. If I needed to make carrots I would make enough that DH and I could have carrots with dinner and then throw the rest in the food processor for A. Between this and a few batches of steamed fruit we were able to get through the puree stage. Now we are to the stage that I would have preferred to start with had A. not been so demanding about starting solids before she could feed them to herself. (I'd really wanted to try "baby led weaning", but starting at 4.5 months A. would scream if she saw us eating and not sharing. The first time we gave her applesauce she scarfed down as much as we would give her.)

Now that we are out of the puree stage and into the finger food stage things have gotten both easier and harder. Life is easier because I don't have to worry about pureeing or mashing foods specifically for A. Her favorite thing is to eat whatever we are eating. However, this means that whatever we are eating has to have something that she can eat too. She also prefers to feed herself so whatever we do has to be something that she can pick up with her fingers as she hasn't mastered a spoon yet. This means that if we have something like soup I have to figure out a way to feed her too. In some cases it is easy enough to just pull some meat and/or veggies out of the soup and give her those. In others she may get something completely different from what we are having. However, this post is getting really long so I will talk about the specifics of finger foods another day. I mostly want to say that if you don't mind some failures you can make your own baby food. In our case it was very much needed both from an financial standpoint and an allergy standpoint, but next time I think I will do it even if those aren't concerns just because it is fun to be able to play with stuff and it is nice to know exactly where the food is coming from. That is, unless I can convince the next kid to hold off on solids until they can feed themselves...

Felted Balls

I just realized that I haven't been talking much about where I find specific projects, just how neat they are to do so I wanted to start talking specifics. If my post on Monday inspired you to make toys, but you don't know where to start these balls are a good place. (Thanks to Micha for the idea.) They don't need much in the way of specialized equipment and you don't even need to know how to thread a needle which means children can help. They are great toys for babies, children, cats and dogs (as long as none of them have destructive tendencies). You can make them any color or combination of colors you choose and you can make them any size. These ones are just the right size for little hands to pick up and squish and the basic ball can be made in about 30 minutes, though it will take a couple of days to dry when you are done. I want to make these in every color of the rainbow.
What you need:
dish soap
hot water
sink or large bowl
1/2 oz. - 1 oz. wool roving

Put 1-2 tsp. of dish soap in the sink and put about 4-5 " of the hottest water your hands can stand. While the sink is filling take your wool and form it into a ball (roving can be easily rolled up like a yarn ball) about 130%-150% the size you want the finished ball to be. Once the sink is full put your hands around the wool and put it into the water and start gently squishing the wool to get it fully wet and then pull it out and mush the fibers together. You will want to be careful to keep it as ball shaped as possible. Don't squeeze too tightly at first or you can get lumps that will be a pain later. As the ball starts compacting down you can squeeze a little harder. Once it starts feeling more like a ball and less like a pile of fluff you can start rolling it around in your hands, pausing every minute or so to re-dunk it in the hot, soapy water. If your water starts getting cool you may want to pour some boiling water in to keep the temperature up. The hotter the water the faster the ball will felt (which is why you don't wash wool in hot water). Keep rolling until you have a firm outside, the middle may be firm too, but it will depend on how hard you squished the wool in the very beginning. Once the ball is to your liking rinse it under cold water, squeezing all the soap out and reshape it. Then put it on a sunny windowsill until it is dry. The texture and colors are interesting for babies and it is soft enough that you can throw it around without hurting anything. They are a hit at our house.
Let me guess, now you are interested in the project, but don't know what I am talking about when I say "wool roving", right? Don't worry, unless you are a spinner or know one (or know enough about felting that you didn't need this tutorial) there is no reason you would have dealt with roving before. Basically roving is fiber that has been carded and prepared for spinning. Since hand spinning and felting have become popular many large cities will have at least one or two places that you can buy it. Look for a spinning shop or start calling local yarn stores and asking them if they know where you can buy fiber. If that doesn't work there are a ton of places you can find stuff on the Internet. Two that I like are A Child's Dream Come True has "Eco Wool Batting" in their doll making section which is cheap and can be wadded up and used in place of roving as well as roving for felting. Also Halcyon Yarn has a whole section of felting fiber. There are a ton of other places out there, these are just two I know of. If you have time to kill I'm sure you can find more via Google.

If you have any questions please ask and if you'd like to see more instructions like this please let me know. Also, if there are any projects or items pictured that you'd like to see instructions for let me know that too. Thanks.