The Adventures of Baby Food Making

Okay, so we finally broke down and did it........

I had been researching and talking with other mommies about when we should start feeding K baby food.  Everyone, including the 101 baby sites online, seemed to think she was ready.  I, on the other hand, was not so sure.  We decided to wait until she turned 5 months, which was this past Friday.  So, off to get the supplies I went.

We had already decided while I was pregnant with K that we were going to make our own baby food.  I have spent the past 5-6 months researching the best ways to go about doing this.  So, I bought ice cube trays, plastic wrap, a steamer basket, and 1 butternut squash (another long and thought out decision process on which veggie to try first).  I found an awesome website that explains all the ins and outs of baby food making.   http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/pureebabyfoodandstore.htm

So, first you cut the squash longways down the middle.  Then, put it in a baking pan, meat side down, and add one inch of water.  Bake it for 45 minutes or until the meat is tender.  Scoop out the meat and place it in a blender to puree, adding water as needed for consistency.  Then, scoop it out into ice cube trays (this particular squash filled three trays).  Cover in plastic wrap and stick in the freezer.  Once the cubes are frozen, you can pop them all out and put them in a freezer zip lock bag.  I will keep one bag at home and send one to preschool with K.  When it's time to feed, just grab 1-2 cubes and heat them up in the microwave.   So, I paid less than a dollar for the squash and now I have 24 servings of baby food.  What a huge savings!

The process was so easy and quite fun.  The best part was feeding our big girl baby food for the first time.  She LOVED it!  She kept opening her mouth up for more.  I am so excited for the next round of baby food making.  I'm thinking something green! 

   

Growing like a weed...

 I know, I know...it has been way too long since my last post!  We have been super busy these last few months and it doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon...but that's okay!  K is almost 5 months now.  It pains me to even write that.  I can't believe how fast it is all going by.  She is such a happy baby (when she isn't being stubborn...hmmm, wonder where she gets that from).  Her smile is so contagious and it warms my heart every time I get to see it.

Let's see, since my last post, so much has happened.  She has stopped sleeping with the vacuum....big praise since it was kind of hard to function in the house when it would be on.  She started eating cereal about 2 months ago and is actually liking it now.  Baby food is just around the corner and I can't tell you how excited I am to start making it!  She is sleeping less and playing more.  She loves laying on her play mat and playing with her feet.  Matt saw he roll over from her back to tummy the other day, but I am still waiting to see it.  We also discovered she is quite fond of the cartoon, Dora the Explorer.  She likes to play in the exersaucer and watch it while mommy and daddy do chores around the house.  I even find myself singing the theme song...something I guess I'm going to be doing for the next 5-10 years.  She is growing like a weed!  At her 4 month check up she was 26 1/4 inches long and weighed almost 17 pounds.  So, that puts her in the 100th percentile folks.  I guess it doen't surprise me though.  She has been sleeping through the night for about a month now!  I can't even describe the excitement around the house when that started happening.  Her most recent milestone happened today.  She has been acting interested in holding her bottle for about a week now, but today she grabbed it and didn't let go.  I was so proud of her, but inside it made me sad to think that's one more thing she doesn't need me for.  Bittersweet.

Being a mommy to K is the best thing in the world. God has such a beautiful way of showing me His love through that little girl and is blessing our little family beyond our belief. Yes, mommy hood is a huge adjustment, but it is everything I ever dreamed of and more!!!



Rock and Roll....

I am so thankful for days like today!  Matt and I spent the morning watching K play and got to see her roll over for the first time!  She was having tummy time on our bed, and all of the sudden, she was on her back.  I yelled out to Matt who was in the other room, "She just rolled over, she just rolled over", in the most high pitched voice you can imagine.  I explained to Matt that this was a BIG deal and told him to go get the video camera.  We took her to the nursery and laid her on her play mat to see if she would do it again.  She did!  She is getting so big so fast.  I started tearing up while watching her play.  I wish I could freeze time for moments like these.  Before we know it, she will be crawling, walking, and talking, oh my!

Things K LOVES this week:

looking at herself in the mirror

rolling over

her play mat

smiling at mommy



IN THE GROOVE OF THINGS

Well, I am officially an adult!  As if graduating college, turning 27 last year, getting married, and getting pregnant didn't make me one already.  I have always wanted to be a "morning person", yet, never found the energy to get my rear out of bed.  I would literally drag myself out of bed after pushing the snooze button about 10 times (no, really), and have maybe 15 minutes to get ready before I would have to be at work.  Now, I have an excuse to get out of bed.  And guess what...I don't even have to set my alarm.  She wakes around 6am every morning, allowing me to feed her, then actually feed myself in the quiet peace of my own home.  Not on the way to work, not walking into work, and not during my Kindergartner's snack time.  It's glorious!  I have a whole hour and a half of time to myself in the mornings which makes for a much better day.

Last Thursday was K's first day of school at Springbok Academy.  I was so excited to bring her to work with me!  I have been able to nurse her on my lunch breaks, and today, my boss let me feed her in my classroom while my class played in centers (a bottle of course).  I love that I can just walk back to her class and see her throughout the day.  She seems to be adjusting well.  I am so happy she has baby friends now.  I can't wait until she can come home and tell me about her days at school.  As for now, it's bottle feedings, diaper changes, and naps I get to look forward to hearing about.

Side note...she has outgrown all of her newborn clothes...sad day : (

      Things K LOVES this week:

sleeping in her crib at school

bouncy time with her baby friends

listening to the "white noise" app on my phone



My last week of maternity leave...

Well, it's my last week of maternity leave and I am trying to get in as much time with K as I can!  She is so alert these days and I love it.  She is having more and more tummy time, and I can just see her  muscles strengthening every time.  She is now lifting her head and turning it from side to side.   Her facial expressions are getting more and more animated.  I swear she was laughing at me last night.  We found out this past weekend that she loves listening to the vacuum.  Matt had been cleaning the living room (yes, ladies I am a very blessed girl because my husband actually cleans AND vacuums).  K and I were in the bedroom and she was very upset after I had changed her diaper.  All of the sudden, she heard the vacuum and immediately calmed down.  Needless to say, the vacuum now sits outside our bedroom for those sleepless nights. 

So, back to the fact that this is my LAST week with her before I go back to work!  Thankfully, she will be taken great care of in the infant room where I work.  I will be able to go check on her from time to time throughout the day to steal kisses and hugs.  If she gets sick, I will be a room away and will be able to go make her feel better.  If some little baby boy breaks her heart, I will be able to go comfort her in an instant : )  I say that because there are two little boys that will be hanging out with K in the infant room.  I am excited to go back to work and to have a routine going again.  I have missed my friends there, including my little 5 and 6 year olds!  All in all, I feel very blessed that I was able to take these 7 weeks off to be with my little girl.

Things K LOVES this week:

taking baths (I can't believe she doesn't cry)

the vacuum

listening to bird sounds while she swings

napping with Daddy

the dogs love hanging out with their sister

she likes sleeping with her arms up like this

so sweet

her eyes are starting to lighten up

We have a red headed baby

her passi takes up half of her face

she loves playing with Daddy

Bathtime

Not sure what she was looking at here



Sleeping baby

The past two nights, K has slept 4 1/2 hours straight!  I can't even put into words how wonderful this has been.  I love my baby girl, but I NEED my sleep in order to function properly...like most people do.  So, this morning I got up when Matt left for work at 7:15am.  I fed K, made my morning coffee, and caught up on some reading and journaling.  I felt so refreshed and I am actually looking forward to waking up just as early tomorrow to get our day started. 

K is getting so big!  My guess is that she weighs close to 10 pounds now.  She is still wearing newborn clothes, but I am starting to put her in some of the 3 months too!  Funny story...  This past weekend Matt, Kingsley, and I went to Irving to hang out with family.  We started out at my mom's place.  I had put her in a cute outfit (her first time to wear jeans), and low and behold, she had a huge blowout!  Thankfully, I had made a quick trip to Kohl's, so I missed the fun.  Evidently, my mom was holding her and my cousin, Josh, kept saying, "something smells...I think she pooped".  My mom said she was waiting for her to finish, not knowing she had pooped all over herself : )  Then, while we were getting ready to leave to go to my Dad's, K spit up all over her second outfit.  Lesson learned here: when we are going somewhere and I want her to look really cute, wait to put her in the cute outfit until right before we walk in!  Luckily, I had four outfits in her diaper bag that day.

Things K LOVES this week:

taking walks around the block in her new stroller

my ring sling (every new mom needs one)

spending Monday evenings with Grandma Cline

lifting up her head and looking around the room



It won't be like this for long...

Today, our angel is one month old!  It seems like just yesterday we were trucking through the snow to get to the hospital.  What a wonderful blessing these last four weeks have been.  Each day that passes, she is growing, changing, and maturing into a beautiful child of God.  Her tiny hands will soon be big enough to clasp mine.  Her little body will soon be wearing a tutu dancing around the living room.  Her beautiful eyes will soon be able to see the wonders of this world.  My hope and prayer for miss Kingsley Grace is that she grows up and follows her dreams with passion wherever they may take her.  That she would come to know and love Christ and walk with Him through life.  That she would treat the world/people with kindness and respect.  Looking over at her sleeping in her daddy's arms, I can't help but wonder what she will look like when she grows up.  What will her struggles and strengths be.  Who will she fall in love with and who will break her heart.  As a mother, I know I will want to protect her from this world.  But I also know I will have to let her spread her wings and fly.  So many emotions fill up my heart....and she is only a month old!  The song, "It won't be like this for long", is stuck in my head today. 

"It won’t be like this for long

One day we'll look back laughin’

At the week we brought her home

This phase is gonna fly by

So baby just hold on

‘Cause it won't be like this for long"

 
Things Kingsley LOVES this week:

nighttime

starting to love her swing

mylicon drops : )

sitting in the sunlight

playing video games with Daddy

           

Another week goes by....

This past week went by way too fast!  I can't believe my precious angel will be three weeks old on Tuesday!  I can't tell you how wonderful it has been just hanging out with her.  She has been so alert and awake more than usual.  I love watching her after she nurses because she makes the cutest faces
(see below).  

Things K LOVES this week 

her pacifier 

her swaddle pod

laying on our blue pillow

riding in the car

sleeping in her car seat

rocking with Daddy

pooping on Daddy : )