Adventures in Baby Food making: Squash

Today my sister, baby A, and I made a trip down to the local Farmer's Market. It was super windy, so there weren't many vendors there, but we still got plenty of yummy food to make for baby A.




We had such a great time preparing everything!



















I love this picture! Baby A is really showing signs of being ready for food!!











When all was said and done, we had made 1/2 bag of rice for rice cereal(I had no clue that you could actually make this!), one acorn squash, two butternut squash, a pie pumpkin, and two rutabagas. (Seriously, thanks to my sister for suggesting this while at the Farmer's Market. I would have never thought of that being a baby food!)

We had a great time! I can't wait to see how baby A likes it all. We made a ton, and I'm working on freezing it all now. I'm putting into ice cube trays and then storing them in freezer bags. I hope baby A likes squash!

Up next, green veggies! (green beans? peas? Who knows. I'll just have to see what looks good at the grocery store. I should have done these this summer when they were in season. Oh well. Live and learn) :)

Halloween with a baby carrier

This year is my little man's first halloween. I have a thing for themes, so I wanted hubs, baby and I to match. Baby is going to be a monkey. I thought about us going as zoo keepers. But then I thought, WAIT! I have a Moby wrap! I decided to be a tree. If only I could convince my husband to be a banana.

So I started browsing the internet, and I found tons of cute ideas for costumes and wraps! Here are my favorites!

-pretty peacock
-Totwheels
-Dad as football player, baby as football, mom as cheerleader.
-Bee on a giant flower
-Spider on a web
-Farmer with a baby chick hatching
-kangaroo


Here is a list of other costumes that are simple to make. Super great for the last minute mom. :)

I'll see how it goes tomorrow on my hunt to find things to make my tree costume. I'll have to figure out what to do with my husband. There are so super cute ideas out there?

Are you using your baby carrier as part of your costume? Or a theme for your family? I want to know!

To line dry, or not to line dry.

I have a "co-worker" that is always negative. Let's call her Negative Nancy. No matter what you say, she will find a negative in it. I say "I love my new neighbors. They made us cookies" Nancy says, "I hate my neighbors. They are plotting against me. I baked them cookies, and no one said thank you."

*sigh*

The latest negative?

Me, "I had such a great day today! I took baby outside for a walk in the morning, I pushed him in his swing, and spent the whole day outside while diapers were drying."

Nancy, "Line drying is so nasty. Why would you expose your child to that!?!"

So it got me thinking. (I find it's best just not to respond to someone who always thinks the are right.)

I sat there and thought. Are there really people who think that line drying is gross? Who are these people? What do they believe in? And really, is line drying gross.

Let's look at the pros and cons. I did some research online and took my own common sense. :) Here's what I came up with.

Pros:

1. Saving electricity. It was a rule in my house growing up that if we wanted to run the air during the summer, we had to hang our clothes out on the line to offset the cost.

2. Extra exercise. Walking the clothes out, bending and stretching. It's all good for the body. Every little bit helps to burn off that baby fat.

3. Safer. You never have to worry about the clothesline catching on fire because you forgot to empty the lint trap. (You should never leave the house while your dryer is running! Huge fire risk)

4. Disinfectant and stain remover. Ultraviolet light from the sun disinfects, and takes stains right out! I didn't really believe this one until I had a really bad stained diaper that didn't have a stain on it after being out in the sun for two hours!

5. It can help clean up the air inside of your house! See here for more info. (It's tip H)

6. Better on your clothes. The fabric holds up longer. Dryer lint is a thin layer that has been sheared from your clothes. The high heat can also create havoc on clothes. The perfect jeans can end up in the back of the closet until you lose another twenty pounds.

7. Encourages you to only have attractive delicates/undergarments.

8. Smells great! I love the smell of freshly laundered, line dried sheets!

*What other pros can you think of?*

Cons:

1. Bugs. Potential for bugs (and birds) to linger and/or leave you a reminder of their visit.

2. Takes more time to walk outside and hang the clothes up. (oh boo whoo. This should be removed as a con. Exercise is good for you)

3. There may be rules/regulations in your community.

4. If you need an item right away, you are out of luck.

*What other cons can you think of?*

I want to know your opinion. What do you think?

To line dry, or not to line dry?

That is the question.

Baby needs Daddy

I am a stay at home Mom. The way I see it, the only job I have is to raise my son and take care of my house. My son had a mild case of Torticollis and Plagiocephaly. Thankfully, both were mild, and reversible with physical therapy.

I left a career as a Brain Injury Specialist working as a therapy assistant to be a stay at home mom. I worked with the therapist and followed the home program to a T. (And then some) Baby A made great advances at every session and we were able to stop therapy early, and ended up not needing a helmet.

Yay Mommy.

But then there is Daddy. My husband works 40-60 hours a week. Plus the drive to and from work. He is an amazing dad and an even better husband. He is gone most of the time that Baby A is up, so he makes the most of the time that he has.

The Rattle

I worked for weeks to get baby A to take a rattle in his hand. I even made a special trip to the store to buy some different ones that I thought he would take to. It wasn't too successful. Baby A would hold on for about three seconds before dropping it. I tried and tried and tried.

Then one evening while I was making dinner, I looked over at my husband and son playing. There was my son WAVING a rattle around. Up, down and all around! I was shocked!

"How did you do that?!?!" I yelled.

"I just gave it to him," my husband shrugged.

Sitting unsupported

Since we stopped therapy, I have been working overtime to meet baby A's goals. The current one is sitting unsupported. He has got the prop sit down, but is still working on his balance. I spent ALL DAY today working with him. I have been working with him for a while on it, but it's coming down to crunch time. Before I can get his six month pictures taken, he must be able to sit unsupported. (A selfish reason, yes. But it is the next thing we are supposed to be working on.)

Tonight, while I was cleaning up dinner, I looked over at my husband and son, there they sat. Both of them. Baby A sitting unsupported waving his arms around! I just stood there, jaw dropped!

Conclusion:

My baby is going to be a Daddy's boy. The little stinker just wants to show off for Daddy.

Grandma El's Coupon

Jon Posner from Grandma El's Diaper Rash and Remedy Prevention has graciously allowed me to post a coupon for all of my readers to use at Grandma El's.

How it works:

• Go to www.grandmaels.com
• Enter the code: woman
• Receive FIVE DOLLARS OFF your order!

Check out my review of Grandma El's diaper cream here.

Grandma El's review

When I began my journey in cloth diapering just over six months ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Like most of you, I had no idea that there were so many rules! (Don't wash with this detergent, only use special diaper rash cream....) But like most of you, I quickly found out how easy all of the "rules" are to follow.

I am very fortunate that I have two great cloth diaper stores in my area. If it wasn't for EcoBuns I probably would have never come as far as I have with CD'ing. My first trip in EcoBuns, Kellie explained to me that I needed to use special diaper rash cream. (no zinc oxide that most creams have) Thankfully, she introduced me to Grandma El's.

Grandma El's Diaper Rash Remedy and Prevention Ointment:

(This information in this section in italics is taken from the Grandma El's Website. Check out the Grandma El's website, where you can learn more and purchase Grandma El's, here!)

How It Works

Grandma El’s Diaper Rash Remedy & Prevention is a Patented Skin Soothing, and Healing Ointment. This unique Pediatrician Tested product has been used by Grandma El since 1974 to successfully treat and heal diaper rash.

Grandma El’s creates a skin softening, protective barrier which prevents wetness and stool enzymes from coming into contact with your baby’s bottom, while allowing the skin to breathe; something no other product offers. Grandma El’s promotes the growth of new skin collagen, which helps the healing process.

Grandma El has put an end to the white, messy paste, lotions, and creams. Grandma El’s knows that for the skin to heal, it needs to breathe. Other products coat the skin, and stop the skin from breathing, thereby slowing the healing process. Grandma El’s patented formula lets your baby’s skin breathe as it protects.

Recent studies have shown Grandma El’s Diaper Rash Remedy & Prevention to help in the following:

· Preventing skin breakdown

· Healing irritation and chapping· Promoting the growth of new skin collagen

· Soothing and softens baby’s skin making for a comforting experience

· Allowing skin to ‘breathe’ while protecting the skin from wetness and bacterial contamination Stopping redness, itching, pain, and soreness

Ingredients

Grandma El’s is manufactured by an FDA and cGMP compliant skin care product manufacturer. The formulation of Grandma El’s is comprised of ingredients which are derived from natural and organic origin, and contains no preservatives. Grandma El's only contains ingredients on the FDA GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) List and is Hypo-Allergenic so you can be assured your baby is getting the safest therapy.
Our ingredients:

• Anti-oxidant Natural Vitamin E , derived from Wheat Germ Oil (D alpha tocopherol acetate)
• Natural active derivatives of the plant Balsam of Peru, a known healing agent
• Salicylic Acid, derived from Willow bark and Wintergreen; this ingredient acting with Vitamin E can promote the growth of new skin
• Yellow Petrolatum, derived from naturally occurring mineral oil
• Insecticide-free Anhydrous Lanolin, a naturally occurring, allergy-free protecting and healing agent

Yellow Petrolatum and Insecticide-free Anhydrous Lanolin are FDA approved healing agents and protectants, while Vitamin E, Derivatives of Balsam of Peru, and Salicylic Acid heal and stimulate production of new cells.

Many other well known diaper rash products contain ingredients which are not on the FDA GRAS List. Some of these unproven and possibly unsafe ingredients are sodium borate, benzalkonium chloride, boric acid, calcium undecylenate, hexachlorophene, p-chloromercuriphenol, phenol, resorcinol, and triclosan. Please refer to the product you currently use to see if these ingredients are used.

DOES NOT CONTAIN BORIC ACID (Boric Acid has been removed from the FDA Safe List, yet many products today still contain it). Please visit the FDA website at www.fda.gov for further information.

What do I think?!

Pros

• Smells great! Even my husband loves it!
• Works great at prevention as well as healing diaper rash
• Perfect for cloth diapers
• Organic and natural ingredients, none of the ingredients recommended to stay away from
• Preservative free
• The tubes are just the right size! Perfect for home and travel. I have two tubes. One for diaper bag, and one for home. We have been using it about five months, and it is just now time to get new tubes.
• Has many other uses, like clearing up cradle cap and stretch-mark reduction. (See complete list here)

Cons

• This ointment does not work on rashes due to fungal or bacteria infection, or that occur when baby is sick and has the 'runs.'
• The small tube does make it easy to misplace when searching through a crammed diaper bag.

Overall, I love it! I highly recommend this to everyone! Ready to try some samples before you buy? Try here. *Note, at time of review, the site was out of free samples, but advises to keep checking back*

What's a guy to do?

I nurse in public like it's my job. Then again, it kind of is. It is my job to keep my baby fed. I still remember the first time I cleared a room. Baby A was about a month old, and my old roommate from Denver had come home for a visit with her boyfriend. I bundled up baby A and took him over to her parent's house to visit. Of course he was cluster feeding, so of course I had to feed him.

I'm a professional nurser. (Like I said, it's my job) I wear two shirts. I use a burp cloth to cover any thing that may be seen while baby A is trying to latch. I don't mess around.

But the look of horror on the boyfriend's face still surprised me. I have never seen a person jump up so quickly. His face turned red and he went to head (I mean run) out of the room. Followed by roommate's sister and other friend. (He mumbled something about not being able to look at another woman's breast in front of his girlfriend.)

There I sat with my long time friend while I fed my baby. The friend that I had spent many late nights at the bar with. The friend I had left in Denver (along with the party lifestyle) to return home to Michigan to get married and have children. The three of us were all alone. I give my friend props for staying with me. We could hear everyone laughing; having a good time in the other room. It forced her to chose between her old roomate that she hadn't seen in a year, and everyone else. (I'm not going to lie, I'm glad she picked me.)

So what's a guy to do?

I'm a huge lactivist. But I understand not everyone else is. I appreciate that not everyone has seen a woman nurse her baby. Men especially, can feel a lot of stress in this situation. Let me offer some advice.

1. To stay or go?

Stay were you are. If Mom starts to nurse in front of you, it's because she thinks its normal. If she wanted to be cast off from the group, she would leave. Let her enjoy your company. She's surrounded by baby talk all day. Don't take grown up time away from her!

2. To talk, or not to talk?

Follow her lead on conversation. Some babies are easily distracted. Others could nurse through a tornado. Men have no way of knowing this, and to be honest, moms don't either. It can change from day to day. If mom wants to talk, talk to her. If not, keep checking your Facebook on your phone.

3. Where to look?

Babies are cute. And for the most part, so are the containers their milk come from. Stare if you must. The same rules apply to bottle fed babies as breast fed babies. If you would look at a baby eating from a bottle, feel free to look at the nursing baby. If you shy away from babies in general, check your Twitter on your phone. These containers are often cuter than a bottle, but just as you wouldn't take a bottle out of a baby's mouth to suck on it yourself, don't ask the baby to unlatch so you can admire them up close.

In summary:

If a mom wants to nurse in front of you, take it as a compliment. She thinks you can handle it. Go with the flow. And if you're going to look, just make sure it's at the baby. Never, never ever look at a nursing mother's stomach!