Benefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

I recently wrote an article for Upward Inward about the benefits of making your own baby food. There is also an assortment of recipes (veggies, fruit, and combo). Check it out and let me know what you think.

The Benefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

My Pregnancy Journey: Weeks 36 & 37

Mommy Update:
Man oh man! I just cannot shake this cold. I got sick around 36 weeks and just can’t get rid of this awful thing. Runny nose, (TMI Warning) green snot, headaches, and overall just feeling like crap. It is SOOOO bad at night. At 36 weeks, my doctor prescribed me sleeping pills because I, to say it bluntly, looked like crap. I hadn’t been sleeping well and woke up multiple times during the night. I was just starting to get my cold; I thought it was allergies. I took those -sleeping pills- for a few nights and found that they helped me go to sleep and fall back asleep after I woke up, but they didn’t KEEP me alseep. I still woke up. I ditched those because who wants to be taking medication while pregnant anyways? Well, my sleep is even worse now. Who knows if it was that short time of taking those sleeping pills or if it’s just coincidence. Either way, I have crappy sleep EVERY night. Honestly, I am afraid of this baby coming because I DO NOT have the energy for labor and delivery.

Recently, my sickness has gotten worse. Tired all day from the lack of sleep, not being able to fall asleep when it’s bedtime (most times until 1 am), waking up uncomfortable or needing to pee, sore joints and body aches, stuffed up nose, feeling anxious because of the stuffed nose, sore throat because of the mouth breathing, and an annoyed husband. I’m hot then I’m cold. Bedtime is HELL!

Oh, and guess what?!?! My lovely wisdom tooth decided now is an opportune time to finish coming in. It came in partially earlier in the pregnancy and then stopped. Now it wants to finish what it started. All I can say is that it is the most painful thing I have experienced in a long time. The whole right side of my face hurts and Tylenol rarely does anything. I try to only take it once a day and when I cannot stand the pain. Last night I caved in at 1 in the morning and took it because I felt horrible.

The cherry on the top is the fact that my husband has no sympathy for pregnant women or me being sick. But all you ladies know that when your husbands have colds, it’s the end of the world. (HaHa). Shh, pretend I didn’t say all that. He may read this. 😉 Anyways, sometimes I just want to be taken care of and hugged.

Baby Update:

Luke is finally head-down! YIPPEE. At my 36 week appointment they busted out the U/S machine and checked. I knew he turned. Hopefully he stays down because I would love to avoid major surgery and the risks that come along with it (baby and mommy alike).

 

How far along? 37 weeks

Total weight gain: 29 pounds still. I had gained one pound at 36 weeks and lost it by 37 weeks.

Maternity clothes? yep

Stretch marks? My lovely star formation of stretch marks around my belly button.

Sleep: HA. What’s that. No, but really…. 😦

Best moment this week: Okay, let’s look at the positives instead of me wanting to feel better and pop this baby out. Justin and my dad put up the window blinds (thanks Mom & Martin for buying them for us) in Luke’s room and started the crown molding. That room is so uneven that putting up the crown molding is a pain in the pattootie!

Luke now has a baby monitor in his room thanks to Auntie Marianne. She purchased an extra camera so I can just flip through the channels on my old monitor to see Luke and Austin’s room. I really like this baby monitoring system. I highly recommend it. Night vision & sound. My version doesn’t have color though.

 

Miss Anything? sleep! and my health

Movement: He is moving a lot.

Food cravings: Nope.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Gender: Bundle of B-O-Y

Labor Signs: I think my belly dropped. He feels very low. Still getting Braxton Hicks contractions as well.

Symptoms: fatigue, joint pain … I am over being pregnant. I want to feel normal again and not uncomfortable all the time.

Belly Button in or out? outie. It comes out even more when I cough.

Wedding rings on or off? Off.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Miserable.

Looking forward to: The baby coming. 🙂 Speaking of which, I need to pack my HOSPITAL BAG!

… but right now I will nap because that is what Austin is doing and my headache is creeping in.

My Pregnancy Journey: Week 35

35 Weeks Pregnant! I am almost to the point where I will be attending WEEKLY OB appointments!

BABY UPDATE:

I DO NOT want to jinx it, but I can now feel Luke’s feet on my right side. This is the SAME side where his head used to reside. Does think mean he is head-down now????? I can’t be sure until I go to my next OB appointment at 36 weeks!

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain: around 29 pounds

Maternity clothes? that’s a big fat yes

Stretch marks? … yes. I now have a few new stretch marks around my belly button. I have, what looks like, a sun around my belly button. HA. I also have one stretch mark that looks like the scar on Harry Potter’s forehead. SCORE. I knew my little Lukie was special. 🙂

Sleep: I wake up ALOT at night. This means I feel less rested when I wake up and don’t last all day.

Best moment this week: FINISHING decorating the nursery (pictures below).

My school also threw me and another mommy a baby shower potluck at the park today. It was sweet. I got a Target gift card that will hopefully fund some more Charlie Banana AIOs. 🙂

Additionally, I sold some of my old baby things (stuff we won’t use this time around) to a baby consignment store and scored some crib sheets for my arm’s reach co-sleeper and an Ergo infant insert.

Speaking of baby carriers… I have a beautiful Tula on the way 🙂

Miss Anything? sleep!

Movement: I can feel a lot more movement now that his feet are at my side instead of down. That also means that his little feet are steering clear of my cervix. Yippee!

Food cravings: No, but a lot of food isn’t sounding too appetizing.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nausea has come back. Its mild, but there.

Gender: Bundle of B-O-Y

Labor Signs: A few Braxton Hicks contractions here and there.

Symptoms: heartburn, nausea, AND water retention in my joints! What the heck, I didn’t retain ANY water with Austin until a week after he was born (weird, I know). Recently, my fingers have been really stiff and it is painful to bend them. They feel like they need to be cracked.

Belly Button in or out? out.

Wedding rings on or off? Off. Especially since I am retaining water.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Emotional.

Looking forward to: A certain husband and a certain Grandpa to put up the crown molding in Luke’s room… 😉

Speaking of Luke’s room. Here are a few pictures I took:

Here is another NEW adventure we started– CLOTH DIAPERING!

I have about 8 diapers and I am practicing with Austin. So far, it is going well. I have half All-in-Ones and half covers with inserts. I plan on buying at least 7 or 8 more. I want to have a good variety. I won’t be putting Luke in cloth diapers until he is out of newborn diapers. I am not too keen on spending extra money on newborn sized cloth diapers that won’t last long.

Here is my current stash & my handsome little guinea pig.

Brands: Charlie Bananas, Romperoos, Thirsties, & Bummis

I want to add a few Bumgenius 4.0’s as well.

Coming up next:

A Day in the Life of an 18 Month Old

When did my baby turn into a little boy?!

Take a PEEP at our Easter.

We spent Easter at GiGi’s this year. We were lucky we even had an Easter meal since GiGi wasn’t feeling well. She didn’t even eat the yummy food. Glad she is feeling better now.

Here are some of the happenings of our Easter:

We spent the morning together as a family. Justin and I didn’t bother buying Austin a basket because he was too young to understand the meaning of Easter and the Easter bunny anyways. Plus, he definitely didn’t need any more toys or candy.

I was planning on putting Austin in for a nap and getting ready while he slept. That didn’t happen! I ended up napping as well. We got to GiGi’s close to 11:30.

Here are the yummy horderves that I ate way to much of. The feta dip was DELICIOUS.

Here’s Justin with cheese in his mouth and Austin refusing to take a pic.

Here are some of the things Austin LOVES to play with at GiGi’s: the phone, box of massage balls that make a ringing noise, his books, and the Russian Matryoshka doll.

THE SPREAD!

Austin’s meal consisted of mostly CARBS and fruit. Mashed taters, mandarin oranges, and apple sauce. He isn’t much of a meat eater. GiGi will be happy to know that although he didn’t eat her homemade stuffing on Easter, he did eat all of the leftovers that I was planning on eating.

My mom put together a cute little Easter egg hunt in the house for Austin. We weren’t sure how well he would do and if he would get the goal of the game. However, once he found out what was inside these little eggs, it gave him more than enough motivation to get in the Easter spirit.

& YES, my grandma does have a larger than life-size Austin poster hanging in her bedroom. This was one of the posters hung in Gymboree.

Austin’s first PEEP.

OoOOo, taste that sugary goodness.

The night ended with Gampa (yes, GAMPA not Grandpa) coming over and hanging out. Austin got a CUTE doggie that lights up. It is PERFECT for bedtime because it gives him something to preoccupy him while I sneak out of the room in less than a minute. Thanks, Dad!

It was a nice easter.

Here is a little recap of 2012 Easter

Austin @ 6 months old. Time flies!

My Pregnancy Journey: 33 & 34 Weeks

Whoa, this pregnancy flew by. I forgot to post a 33 week update, so I have some pictures to share.

33 Weeks

34 Weeks

Look at that BELLY!

ALSO, we have a baby UPDATE!

I went in for my Level 2 ultrasound on Wednesday to see how Lukes kidneys were doing. Unfortunately, I had to go the appointment alone. I went to the same office building that I go to for my OB. Actually, it’s on the same floor. When I got there I made a pit stop at my OB office to drop off some newborn formula I got in the mail. UMMM, how the heck does Similac know that I am pregnant. Who is giving out my information!? Anyways, I’m sure I made a mother very happy with my free formula.

After that, I waddled down the hall to go the Pregnancy Specialists office. It was a little uncomfortable being in there with all the pregnant women. Most of them were in there for level 2 ultrasounds as well and most likely for some sort of complication. The office had a very somber atmosphere and most of the women were accompanied by their significant others. I flew solo that day like most of my appointments this pregnancy.

After I filled out their packet, I was seen relatively quick. After a quick bathroom break (I seem to be making quite a few of these breaks recently), I laid on the table and waited to be seen. It was a huge room with a few chairs and a pretty expensive looking ultrasound machine. I felt like someone should have come with me. Oh, well. The technician came in and got right to work. “pull down your pants past your butt and let’s get started. ” Okay lady, but I just met you. I complied. She was very nice after our awkward meeting. I guess if you do this all day long a little thing like a greeting seems commonplace and often forgotten. HA! The best part about this visit (besides getting some cute pictures and seeing my little Lukie) was the fact that BOTH of his kidneys were in normal range. No follow-up necessary. Yippe.

Here are a few other things that we talked about:

• I have a 3 vessel cord (which is awesome since I only had a 2 vessel cord with Austin)
• his right kidney was a little enlarged with fluid (found out it is within normal ranges)
• left kidney looked normal
• he was sleeping away while we poked and prodded him
• he has chubby cheeks just like his big brother
• measured 5 pounds and 2 ounces (BIG boy)
• he was sleeping with his arm over his face and with a little grin
• the technician tried poking him to move his arm and he immediately gave us a frown– doesn’t like being touched haha
• he is BREECH and my OB needs to discuss a birth plan with me at 36 weeks

First, he is grinning. Then we poke him and he frowns.

chubby cheeks!

 

DARN! Why couldn’t it all be good news. Luke is breech and I guess that would account for all the movement I am feeling in the cervix area! His head is nestled nicely on my right side near my ribs and his little feetsies are kicking away down in the nether-regions! I really hope he turns before I deliver because I would LOVE to have another vaginal birth and not have to go through major surgery. Your thoughts and prayers would be awesome right now.

How far along? 33-34 weeks

Total weight gain: 28 pounds (I only gained 1 pound in 2 weeks)

Maternity clothes? getting a little bored with my selection, but can;t justify spending money on more “fat” clothes

Stretch marks? nope, but I am definitely feeling stretching and tightness.

Sleep: It is getting progressively worse. I am uncomfortable in almost any position.

Best moment this week: Finding out Lukie’s kidneys are A-O.K.

Additionally, we painted our WHOLE house, got BRAND NEW carpet, and I am ALMOST done with Luke’s room. GiGi bought us an awesome crib and changing table with all of the bells and whistles. Thanks, GiGi! I will post pictures of our house and Luke’s room when I get the chance (and remember).

Miss Anything? being able to nap when I wanted to. Having a toddler is no joke. I am tired ALL THE TIME! I could go for a nap any time of the day, but when bedtime rolls around I suddenly am wide awake. Also, when Austin’s nap time comes I always find something to do around the house.

Movement: he is pretty content right where he is. Not a while lot of movement, just kicks to the cervix still. I used to think he would be early, but now I think he is staying put. Hopefully his chill personality will stay with him when he is out of the womb.

Food cravings: chocolate ice cream. I am actually craving a Jamba Juice right now, though.

Anything making you queasy or sick: oddly, Oreos have made me feel sick. They looked tasty, but we DEFINITELY not!

Gender: Bundle of B-O-Y

Labor Signs: I have been having a lot of Braxton hicks contractions. Hopefully that means my body is trying to tell this little bugger that he needs to flip.

Symptoms: CHARLIE HORSES at night! I will jolt Justin awake just so he can help me massage out the excruciating pain! I could do without these, thanks! I already get little to no sleep at night. Did I mention that I make a lot of bathroom breaks. Oh yeh, those are mostly at night.

& HEARTBURN

Belly Button in or out? outie! stop asking me!

Wedding rings on or off? still off. I wear another ring that fits well.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Hmm.. moody? I am tired a lot — so yes — I am moody.

Looking forward to: finishing up Luke’s room. I just need to put up the wall decals and it is done. I am also looking forward to hanging out with my mom this weekend and going shopping for cloth diapers. I’ll post more on this little endeavor later. Here is the first cloth diaper I have bought this pregnancy.

A Charlie Banana all in one cloth diaper in Orbit

My Big Boy: 18 Month Update

Austin turned a year and a half earlier this month. I can’t believe how much he is starting to look like a little boy and not a baby anymore. I always look back on my iPhone at old pictures of him and want to cry. I can’t believe how fast time flies.

I’ve recently went to a playdate in Newport Beach with a lot of mommies and kids. Having Austin around kids (kids?! he’s in the kid category) made me really appreciate him more. I love how he’s so independant and willing to try anything new. He readily goes up to other kids and asks to play (in his own little way). He is happy playing on his own, but LOVES the company of others.

(SeaWorld fun with Miss Shannel)

He may have trouble listening or holding my hand sometimes, but I know his independant personality will benefit him in the long-run.

Seeing other kids frusterating their moms and acting out makes me realize that Austin isn’t the only one who rebels sometimes. I need to remember that he is JUST a kid and is learning and growing. We are BOTH learning. He is learning how to be an awesome kid and I am learning how to be a great mom.

He is actually a pretty AWESOME kid.

Austin’s Update

(Austin’s recent ad that came out. This photoshoot was here in San Diego for Tea Collection. Austin was ~a year old. He had a BLAST at the beach! More to come soon)

Likes

• he loves playing in the sand and getting dirty. He will swim in it, wreck castles (that others have built), and throw it all over himself
• being outside is still Austin’s FAVORITE thing to do. He loves doing just about anything as long as it is outside. If I say “do you wanna go outside?” he will drop anything and everything and race to the door or to his shoe bin.

• bubbles. I recently scored a pretty cool bubble blower at the dollar bins at Target. He learned how to pull the trigger on his own. Blowing bubbles is now SUPER fun. We actually used it to cool down his food. The fan on that thing works well. HA

• water fountains and water in general
• driving cars. No, he is not actually driving, but he loves standing in the driver’s seat and playing with the wheel and horn. He often throws fits if he isn’t allowed in the front seat. He thinks every trip down to the car is for him to play in the front seat. (Thanks Grandma and GiGi)

• Musical instruments!
• playing with blocks. Finally ! He is building things instead of destroying. He also likes loading up his dumptruck with blocks and pushing it around the house. Our little boy. 🙂
• brushing his teeth (FOREVER if I woukld let him). Unfortunately, he likes Mommy and Daddy’s tooth brush better than his own.

• animals (stuffed, in books, and in real life)
• fruit pouches. We currently are ALL OUT of fruit pouches because this kid sucks them down SO fast.

Apparently he DOESN’T like Bert. Ha. Here’s Austin refusing to look at him and then running away from him while Bert is left with his feeling hurt and arms up. It’s okay Austin, I don’t like Bert either.

New!

• he has been saying “hmmmm” and putting his index finger to his lips. It’s the cutest thing!
• we are officially cloth diapering. The only time we aren’t is if we go out for long periods of time (that requires more than 2 cloth diapers) or when he goes to bed. We have had success in the past with CD at night, but I’d rather avoid the morning poop in the CDs. He looks so cute in CDs
• 2 molars magically appeared on the bottom
• he is sleeping better and sometimes I can just leave his room without sitting on the ground for a long time
• he has a later bedtime that seems to be working out for all of us. It’s 8 pm now
• he is definitely talking more and dipping into his arsenol of vocabulary
• convorsational babble that seems to make sense to him, but is almost unintelligable to others
• words: all done, i don’t know, yes/ya (in context and with enthusiasm), oh shoe! (sounds like ‘oh shoot!’), thank you, and i love you (possibly)

I am not going to get overly excited about him saying ‘I love you.’ I am not sure if it was what he was meaning to say. They say 18 months is when they have a vocabulary explosion and go from 10 words to 50. We will see when this ‘explosion’ occurs.

Meals/Eating

• he is so picky and unpredictable now
• still loves his carbs and fruit
• I usually feed him what we are eating plus apple sauce or yogurt, but he just eats what he likes and hands me his plate full of the rest. Sometimes I can coax him into taking a bite and he will like it and eat it, but if he is in a mood then FORGET IT.
• if I think he likes something (like mandarin oranges) and go out and buy a big box of cuties, he will immediately change his mind and let the fruit rot. UGH

I need to search through my pins on Pinterest and see what kind of fun toddler meals I can come up with.

Parenting

I go to MOPs (Mothers of Prechoolers) every other Wednesday and get to drop Austin off at the amazing daycare while I get to connect with other mommies like me. We have brunch together, talk, do crafts, and listen to guest speakers. The guest speakers are usually speaking about topics that relate to our families. One month was devoted to marriage and this month was a lot about behavior management. Our recent speaker (I forgot his name) was a child development phsychologist at SDSU. He had some great speaking points. He spoke about how to understand our toddler’s brain, keeping focus on what we want our child to learn, and how to encourage/reinforce behavior.

All too often, we tend to focus on the negative things our toddler does and repremand them for the bad they’ve done. Joe (his last name illudes me), said that we need to make a shift from negative reinforcement to positive reinforcement. Toddlers and kids need praise for what they are doing right more than they need to be “punished” for what they are doing wrong. You’ll see a change in behavior faster if you quite the yelling and start praising. Praise him when he brushes his teeth without whining, praise him when he treats the animals nicely, praise him when he finished his dinner, praise him for listening. I need think back to this more often in my life.

Austin doesn’t need to be yelled at or made feel like he is doing something wrong. Yes, some things are dangerous and he needs to know I’m serious about him stopping that action, but I need to remember that he is young and exploring the world. He doesn’t do things to be naughty (often); he does things because he wants to know how things work and he wants to explore his surroundings. I just need to GUIDE him in the right direction.

My goal as a parent is to stop yelling and start guiding. If I want him to stop a bad habit, I’ll scold him once and praise him when he doesn’t do said “bad habit.”

Austin has been pretty rough with all of our animals since I can remember. We are constantly telling him to “be gentle,” or “don’t hit/sit on/bite/attack Sara.” I know he doesn’t want to hurt our animals; he loves them. He just gets excited. I need to remember that and start praising him for petting nicely and playing well with the animals. The more attention he gets for the good behavior, the more he will repeat it. I hope this works out for us. It’s mostly on my shoulders to remember the RIGHT way to guide him.

Parenting is tough, but it is a learning experience.

Next Up: 36 Weeks Pregnant!