From Jar Food Queen to Creative Food Momma 3 easy steps

I don't know if anyone still reads this blog but here I go.

So I didn't really think in advance that I would a jar food momma. I didn't think there was anything wrong with it, I just didn't really think about it. For a family that has two working parents it is a must... convenient and worth the money! We used any organic brand we could get our hands on. Don't feel guilty just do it!

Want to be creative, no worries, that is what you do from 9-12 months. Well if you are desperate there are stage 3 jars. A boxes of Os will become your best friends. Stage 3 doesn't work for me because we aren't giving our son gluten or meat. Yes, you can mash up what you eat but there are still two problems. 1. There are still things you can't give your child until they are 1. 2. You aren't with them at lunch (try and remember some left overs from the dinner before).

I am still learning but if I do make up something - I try and make up three baby meals worth. Since most things are good in the fridge for 3 days. Unfortunately, my favorite kitchen tool is not as handy in this stage - Hand Blender - but adding a little water helps. The most frustrating part from my perspective is it seems like every corner has a new stage of mommy feeding anxiety around it.

I might just finally enjoy breast-feeding

Yes, there have been moments, almost once a day that I can really say, I enjoy breast-feeding. Now, I enjoy it even more. Why you ask, I finally have given up pumping at work. Rejoice, Party!!!! I took down the sign covering my office window, like a ceremony! I AM SO HAPPY! I slowly transitioned from pumping 3 times a day to 2 to 1 and finally, I am free. So now I feed my son in the morning, when I get home and before bed. He is so wiggly at 9 months that I enjoy the time as we snuggle (he has eaten laying down since he was 2 months old (I just couldn't get the angle right!).)

In retrospect, I have to say, Abner was FINE going on formula. I knew he would be but the transition was a major mental block for me. Now he has 2 - 4oz bottles (I never could figure out how to get to bigger bottles) and 3 oz of juice a daycare (with the 3 feedings at home).

I just wanted to share my joy with you. 5.5 months of pumping was plenty for me.

V

If you think they can't, they can...

I often assume that Zachary can't reach certain things or isn't strong enough to pull something or sometimes I just assume he "wont be interested" in something... well, lately I've been needing to think again! He was recently playing in the fridge (has done this many times before) and noticed my egg container (which I didn't think he could reach, pull, or would be interested in doing so).. well you guessed it, 18 eggs splat all over the floor/fridge/baby. Not one egg remained uncracked. I should have taken a picture!

Old Stuff & 2 of my faves

Baby clothes and things become old really fast. It seems like at least every three weeks you need to go through stuff and get rid of what will no longer fit. I have two bags in my son's room - "save for possible baby #2" and "off to goodwill." Some things were never or hardly warn (since i live in a place that actually has seasons), that cute ranger fleece pjs just doesn't work in the middle of summer.

I thought i could highlight some of my favorite purchases:

Mclaren Volvo - umbrella stroller - easy to use, easy to close, good height for me as I am slightly taller than average

Fisherprice Booster Seat - we didn't want a high chair, this is perfect, although it will get so crusty you will not want to take it on the road

More to come...

the joy of motherhood

i thought i should post this while i was still feeling it.... i don't think you can explain this feeling before you have children. but there is a joy to motherhood, a joy that makes it hard to leave to go back to work. maybe it is my son's age (8.5 months), he is starting to interact with the world, pulling himself up on tables.... always wanting to be up, figuring out balance. laughing so hard when his dad tickles him... i want to capture it in a bottle. then joy fills my heart. i am so thankful to meet my little guy. gush.

First baby? You need a bigger hard drive!

So, moms, are you completely overwhelmed by the photos and video you've been taking of your baby? I'm a librarian - I pride myself on my organization and classification skills, but the sheer number of baby photos and videos is pretty daunting. My son is only 7 months old and I can't believe how much we've already amassed. I've been keeping things loosely organized, but the system becomes less effective with every passing month. Videos are especially hard - you can't tell what they are at a glance, so if you don't get them labeled right away they just end up in the black hole of "miscellaneous" items. We have a 1 terabyte external hard drive and I assumed that would be overkill for a long, long, time, but I'm beginning to wonder...I feel sorry for the second kid, if we have one - there's no way we can sustain this pace!

Babies don't always get along with other babies!

Well my baby likes to take what other babies are playing with. He only wants it because the other baby has it! If the other baby moves on to another toy, my baby follows and is then interested in THAT toy. It is a fun thought that a bunch of babies together play together nicely, but do they really? No. :)