Anticipation

What am I anticipating? Let's see... could it be baby #2???

Yup! Joseph will have a sibling next year!

I'm due June 13, 2012, and am hoping to have baby sometime around the 9th (my birthday!). Every time I go in the doctor keeps asking me if I want to have another (this time planned) c-section. I'm thinking NOPE. So we will see.

Now if I could only get through the rest of the first trimester with my tummy and nose calmed down. This morning the smell in the kitchen (from Joe's cooking last night) made me upchuck the few crackers I had eaten. Great start to the morning. Thankfully Pop Tarts are easy to heat up. ;)

It's very frustrating to not know what is going to set off the super-sniffer. However, at least the baby is healthy (saw the heart beating on the ultrasound! so amazing.) and things are going along okay... I just want to sleep all the time and can't cook for myself. Lately even feeding Joseph his food has been iffy. Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who takes good care of both of us and rolls with the punches as I gag my way through the day.

P.S. I'm thinking it's a girl... any predictions?

Joseph loves water

We started our Waterbabies class last Tuesday, and he had such a blast! I wasn't able to get a picture of him in his cute little swimsuit (thanks Auntie Lowie!) but I'll hopefully get one soon.

Joseph LOVES water, and he really, really enjoyed the pool. No fear here, and also no shut-the-mouth-underwater reflex - I think he drank at least a little of the pool because he was smiling while we were doing tummy swimming! He splashed a lot (and got me in the eyes a few times) but overall it was a big success! 7 more weeks to go. :)

However, Mom learned her lesson about needing an extra pair of hands: trying to get two wet people out of swimsuits, dried off, and dressed in a locker room is not easy to do, especially when one of them needs constant supervision! Next time I'm bringing the stroller in so I can stick him in there while I get ready. I was so exhausted by that alone that I was a grouchapotamus to my mom afterward (we go hang out at Grandma's on Tuesdays). Oh well. I learned something important: Have a place to pinion your child!

Things to do with a one-year-old...

Now that I am a (mostly) stay-at-home-mom (SAHM), I've been looking for ideas of things to do with a toddler. Joseph's not walking yet, but his ability to get into anything and everything that I don't want him to has made me realize that we need to get out of the house regularly for my sanity and to help him have fun doing things he's allowed to do (safe and fun! yay!).
In my searches, I came across a few things that might be useful to other Rochester-area SAHMs (or SAHDs!) and thought I'd post them up here:

• Library storytimes: Some libraries have age restrictions (i.e., 15 mo+), but quite a few allow babies of all ages. Check out the Monroe County Library website for more information! I've posted a few samples below:
• Baby Storytime
  Thursdays, October 13, 20, and 27 from 10:30—11 a.m.
  Henrietta Public Library - Community Room
  Age Level: Child (0 mos. - 2 yrs.)
  Storytime for babies and their caregivers! For infants to 23 months with an adult. Babies will experience books, nursery rhymes and songs with puppets and fingerplays. Registration required.
  
• Baby Story Time
  10/14/2011; 10:15 am - 10:45 am
  Ogden Farmers' Library
  Age Level: Child (0 mos. - 18 mos.) Bring your baby to the library! Join Miss Laura & Miss Sandi for stories, music, fingerplays and more. A great socialization opportunity for your little one. No registration required. 

• Community centers: Although I sadly live in a place without an abundance of good programs, there are lots of rec centers around the area that have kid- and baby-friendly programs available for non-residents! Two that I've heard good things about are Perinton and Webster.

• Indoor play places: I wasn't aware of these until recently. I've heard they are better for kids who are older (e.g., walking and able to climb safely), so look forward to checking it out in the future. One I've heard of is Kango Play Center, which is $80 for a year membership.

• Strong Museum of Play: This is a great place for kids of all ages (well, crawling and up). I was given a membership recently, so plan on going a lot! Joseph really enjoyed his first time there. A year-long membership for a family (2 adults plus all kids under 18 in the household) is only $96! Totally worth it if you ask me. Also, kids under 2 are free!

• Seneca Park Zoo: We still haven't gone to the zoo... but I'm looking forward to it when we do! A membership here is $75 year. Children up to age 3 are free!

• Other classes:
• Luvaboos has a variety of classes available: https://www.luvaboos.com/articles.asp?id=296

• Eastman School of Music (pricey, but if you're into music it might be nice): MusicTIME Toddler/Infant Music at Eastman - A unique program for infants and toddlers (ages 4 months to 2 years) and their parents/caregivers. MusicTIME features musical activities that include songs, rhymes, bounces, tickles, moving to music, and listening. Information and guidance on musical development in young children and home-based activities is also provided. Tuition: $136 per 10-week session

Other websites I've found with lots of information and ideas are:

• http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com/content/indoor-fun-greater-rochester
• http://talesfromthecrib.blogspot.com/2007/03/things-to-do-with-one-year-old.html

Tell me if you have other ideas too! I'm especially looking for indoor or at home ideas as winter approaches!

One Year

My little guy turned the big number 1 on the 15! It's been interesting watching him grow and try to start to walk! Exciting and scary at the same time.

Here are some photos of the cake and such:

Big monkey cake for the grown-ups - recipe below!

Little monkey cake (w/ alternate frosting) for the birthday boy!

SMASHED!

I had a lot of fun making these! The cake recipe is one I found on Smitten Kitchen - I've included it below. I did one and a half times the recipe so that I had enough to make an extra 12 cupcakes and 3 mini cakes in my Pampered Chef one-cup glass baking bowls. (One of these was the little boy's cake shown above.)

Two-Layer Banana Cake from Smitten Kitchen
3 1/2 cups (14 3/8 ounces or 406 grams) cake flour
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (5 grams) salt
3/4 teaspoon (2 grams) cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (7 ounces or 200 grams) sugar
1 cup (7 5/8 ounces or 218 grams) packed golden brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups mashed or pureed very ripe bananas (5 to 6 large)
6 tablespoons (3 1/4 ounces or 91 grams) sour cream or (weight will vary) plain yogurt
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of 2 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, then coat the paper and sides of pans with butter and flour, or a nonstick spray. [You'll also want to butter and flour 3 muffin cups or ramekins.]

Whisk cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl and set aside. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until blended. Beat in eggs one at a time, then bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in two additions just until combined. Divide batter among two pans; you’ll want approximately 5 cups of batter per pan. [Fill your 3 muffin cups or ramekins two-thirds of the way up with batter and divide remaining batter among your 2 9-inch pans.]

Bake cake until tester inserted into center of each layer comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. [Muffin cups should bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Please watch them carefully.] Cool each layer in its pan for 15 minutes before flipping out onto a rack to cool the rest of the way.

Buttercream Frosting - this was a French buttercream that my pastry chef sister made for me! I split the recipe into 2/3 and 1/3 - the 2/3 got an additional 5 oz of melted semisweet chocolate to make the brown, and then the 1/3 got 1 spoonful of the chocolate frosting and some drops of yellow food coloring to make the yellow part of the monkey face. The link above is to a similar recipe, although I can't promise the niceness of having someone else make it for you!

Alternate Frosting
I didn't want Joseph to have a ton of sugar, so I mixed cream cheese and applesauce together for the frosting on his cake. (Joe I says it tasted pretty good!) I then decorated with leftover chocolate buttercream.

All in all we had a good time. Joseph still went to bed at a reasonable time, even with staying up to 'open' his presents (ok, Mom and cousins might have helped him a bit with that). I'm so proud of him and of making it a whole year as a mom! (Without serious injuries! haha)

One year! (Almost!)

It is hard to believe but my adorable son will be the big number ONE tomorrow! Hooray!!!

We have come so far so soon - it seems like only yesterday that he was a smushy little ball of love, barely able to move, and today Joe told me that he saw Joseph start to take steps! CRAZY!

We rearranged the living room and dining room last night (since the projector bulb broke, there's no need to keep it in the layout we had before) so he now has more room to wander. It feels much more open now, and he has a little corner all to himself (already full of toys!). Pictures of the birthday boy and the new layout will be forthcoming once I find the card reader for the camera. ;)

So now the question is: do we replace the projector bulb ($200 and will last for about 4 years) or do we pony up the big bucks and buy a TV (probably in the $600-$800 range)? We haven't owned a TV since we got married, but with Joseph starting to be more into things it might be nice to watch some Veggie Tales or Sesame Street once in a while without having to set up a projector screen.

Mom-i-verse, what say you? Is TV good in moderation or better to just avoid at all costs?

Bacon-licious Corn Chowder

This weekend I made two soups with bases of bacon, onion and garlic. The corn chowder was so yummy that I had to post the recipe! (The other soup is awaiting taste testing in my fridge because we had a date night last night. :)

This is another 'use up things in my pantry' recipe, and I must apologize for those who can't tolerate dairy as it is most definitely NOT dairy-free! I am able to have dairy again, so have been relishing the taste of real cheese and milk. Milk by itself is not a good option all the time, but milk in things like soup is fine for me! Hooray!

Ashley's Quick and Easy Bacon-licious Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
1/2 lb bacon, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced (or use a Garlic Press - I love my Pampered Chef one!)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chicken stock (or 1 tsp bouillon paste + 1 cup hot water)
4 cans corn, drained
2 cans whole new potatoes, quartered - reserve water from 1 can, drain other
1 can condensed milk (12 oz)
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Process:
Place large pot on stove, turn burner to medium-low. Add olive oil, garlic, onion, and bacon. Cook until onion is soft and bacon is at your preferred level of doneness (mine was medium, ~10-15 minutes), stirring often to avoid burning. Add corn, potatoes, chicken stock, and water from 1 can of potatoes. Stir and let cook for 10 minutes so that the corn and potatoes get the taste of the bacon (keep stirring every so often to avoid burning). Add condensed milk, cheddar cheese soup, Parmesan, and spices, stir until well-combined and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring periodically. Turn off burner and remove from heat. Let cool for 10 minutes (or you'll burn your tongue like I did!) and serve with garlic bread, cornbread, or rolls. Serves 8-10.

This was a great lunch on a cold, rainy Rochester day! My husband, brother-and-sister-in-law, and three nephews all liked it too. Enjoy!

In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms

While feeling down (due to PMS) and walking through Wegmans, I came across this book: In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms by Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I've been dealing with some mental/emotional issues with my decision to stay at home, so thought I might give the book a look-through and see what it had to say. I am so glad I bought it!

As a working mother with two college degrees, I have had a range of reactions to my decision to leave work. Some have supported my decision and said "That's great!" Others have been more negative and implied that I was going to lose my skills/intelligence/usefulness by leaving my job. Granted, the naysayers are fewer in number than the encouragers, but it can be hard to deal with when they are people you respect (or thought you respected).

This book was totally helpful to me in that it a) helped to validate my decision to stay home and b) offered wisdom on dealing with the changes that will occur and the various emotions that will come as I change my perspective. I also agree with Dr. Laura's assessment that colleges train women to think that their best contribution to the world should come from being 'career women.'

I went back to work after Joseph was born because I felt like I 'had to' for financial/benefits reasons, and, honestly, because I felt like I 'needed to' in order to prove that I could do both (since I'm so 'educated'). As a result, I've had more struggles with trying not to cry as I leave my son every morning--although thankfully I have had the privilege of having my sister, a very loving auntie, watching him instead of an institution--than I ever have had with leaving work at the end of the day. My entire life has changed, and I no longer want to put my energy into primarily supporting work instead of my family.

Don't get me wrong - I love my job, have a great boss and co-workers, and feel very blessed to have been able to earn income doing something I like for 4+ years. I know many other people would trade places with me in a heartbeat. However, my son is more important, and there is no one else in the world (not even my mom or sister or mother-in-law) who can be his MOM!

Here's to all the stay-at-home moms out there - HIP, HIP, HOORAY! I look forward to joining you soon.

Poopy Picasso

We have finally experienced one of the 'parenting horror stories' that are hilarious and a turn-off for potential parents all at once! Hooray! Below is my abbreviated reenactment of yesterday morning:

7:00 am - Wake up to baby crying, change his diaper and put him into a disposable because the cloth ones are downstairs, nurse. (I do not replace the pajama bottoms as I am planning to change him into his church clothes soon. This will be important to note in a few.)

7:30 am - Decide to go back to sleep for a few, hubby puts baby in crib. All is quiet on the western front, which was, in retrospect, unusual because Joseph screams when he's in his crib normally.

8:00 am - Joseph starts crying - we think, oh, he must need a diaper change. Hubby gets up to get himself and baby ready for church, while I stay in bed and am a bum because I don't feel too hot. He walks by the baby's room to go get a cloth diaper to change him into.

Suddenly, I hear "Ashley! Get the bath running!" I sit up in bed and say "What?" as I am still sleepy. "Joseph took his diaper off and there's poop everywhere! Start the bath!" Again, I say "WHAT?" as I am hoping this is a joke.

I get out of bed and walk down the hallway. Joe already has the baby in the tub with water running. I walk into the baby's room, smell poop, look at the crib, and see poop EVERYWHERE!

Somehow Joseph took off his diaper (either before or after pooping), and then decided it would be a good idea to smear poop all over his crib - all over the sheet, all over the toys in the crib, over some of the bars on the side. It was disgusting! I instantly grabbed the Clorox wipes and started cleaning gingerly, trying not to dislodge more of the stuck on fecal matter from the sides of the crib. GROSS!!!!

After about 45 minutes of elbow grease, order was restored. However, I now have to call the doctor's office and tell them that Joseph ate poop!

Any other 'parenting horror stories' out there worth sharing?

Overnight Diapering Problems...

Sigh... as all my loyal readers (all 5 of you ;) know, I am a cloth diapering user and proponent. However, this past week we've been having problems with our overnight diapering: My little man developed an irritation on his pee-pee that was bleeding!!! YIKES!!!

Thankfully it was just a little dot here and there, but it's been consistent every few days with a little drop of blood on his diaper in the morning. NOT what you want to see.

I'm not sure why it's been happening, but we took him to doctor and they gave us some ointment to put on it, and recommended either using disposables or "softening" the cloth diaper in some way so it wasn't so irritating. We've gone down to one liner during the day, which has seemed to help, but the overnight has been the issue.

For now, the plan is to switch to disposables for overnights until the irritation is gone, then to try some different cloth diapering solutions and see which one works best. I found this page on the Cotton Babies website that was helpful, so I ordered 3 BumGenius stay-dry diapers with some extra microfiber inserts and hemp liners to try. I also decided to try the hook and loop (aka Velcro) diapers instead of the snaps as a) we've only been using snap covers and b) they seem more adjustable, so we will hopefully be able to get a good fit.

Here's hoping this works! Anyone else have any overnight ideas for me to try?

Crazy Moms

 

Image credit: http://youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com/saf-seeking-emotional-deliverance/crazy-mom-twitter-facebook-stalking/

Top ten reasons why people think moms are crazy:

10.) Moms talk to themselves all the time. (It's only because the baby books say that talking around your baby is good for language development! No, really.)

9.) Moms cry at commercials. (Well, at least I do... must be those pesky hormones.)

8.) Moms wipe off boogers, snot, drool, spit-up, etc. with their hands and/or clothing like it's no big deal.

7.) Moms can understand toddler speak as though it's English.

6.) Moms talk about the condition of their child's bowel movements with anyone who will listen.

5.) Moms wake up in the middle of the night to check and see if their baby is still breathing. (Yes, I did this too.)

4.) Moms think that their baby is the most beautiful thing in the world, even when the baby looks like a squished up little old person.

3.) Moms sing songs about anything and everything... just to make it fun!

2.) Moms actually care if their child's clothing--which will inevitably be getting covered in food, drool, or worse--matches.

1.) Moms go through labor and, once it's over, would go through it AGAIN!

I hope you enjoy the list, and let me know if you have anything else to add!

Wanna-be Gourmet

As a busy mom--still working full-time until September 1!--when it's time to cook, I go for the fast and easy route. However, I've been reading Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family lately, and it has motivated me to go more 'gourmet' when I cook. If I don't enjoy making it/tasting it/eating it, then what's the point?

This brings me to the other night (now a week or so ago) when I was concocting the deliciousness below.

Ashley's Dijon Walnut Tilapia and Beet Salad
Ingredients:
1 onion, sliced into rings
2 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tilapia filets, thawed2 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1 bunch large beets, scrubbed and quartered
1 bunch beet greens, washed with stems removed4 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese


Process:
In large frying pan, warm 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium low heat. Once warmed, place onion in pan and caramelize, stirring often, about 20-30 minutes. (Wait for them to really caramelize - tastes so much better this way!) While they are cooking, place a large pot with 6 cups of water on high heat. Bring to a boil. Place beets in water and boil, uncovered, for about 10-12 minutes (or until beets are able to be easily pierced by fork). While beets are boiling, use the steam from the pot to steam the beet greens! Take a steamer basket and place on top of the pot. Place 1/2 bunch of greens on top and cover with pot lid. Steam for 2-3 minutes until greens have wilted. Remove (carefully!) using tongs and reserve. Repeat with remainder of beet greens until all have been steamed. Once done with the greens, remove the steamer basket. If beets are done boiling, turn off the heat and strain out the water through a colander.

Place 1/2 cup cooked beets on top of 1/4 of the greens on a plate for a salad serving. Top with 1/4 cup feta and 2 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette. Let this sit to cool while you finish the fish as follows: Once onions are done caramelizing, push to one side of the pan. Place fish filets in pan and brown on each side for 2-3 minutes. Once the filets are mostly cooked (each side browned), add the walnuts, mustard, 2 Tbsp olive oil, honey, and spices to the onions. Mix well, then spoon over the fish filets and stir together. (If the fish breaks up, no biggie - it will still taste great!) Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the fish is done (you can use a meat thermometer to check this). Spoon 1 filet with onions and walnuts onto the plates you made previously. Enjoy!

You need to be a bit of a multitasker to pull this off but it's worth the extra attention! Hope you like it.

Transformers and Strawberry Ice Cream

Not that these two things go together, but this is what you get from my brain today.

Joe and I saw the new Transformers movie last night. I would give it a B+ overall (as in, I saw it, it was cool, but I wouldn't watch it again). It was action-packed and full of cool special effects (including super slowdown fight scenes so you can see the awesomeness of Optimus slashing the bad guys with his sword). There was a group of young kids sitting in front of us (which I didn't understand since the movie was rated PG-13... but I digress), which was fun because they kept exclaiming over the cool parts. The joy of children for things they've never seen before is always a lot of fun to experience.

*SPOILER ALERT* However, the movie also made me sad (not because of the lack of acting) but because of the scene where all these children are running around with no parents in sight due to the Decepticons killing people right and left. That made me a) want to get home to Joseph as soon as possible and b) reflect on the sanctity of human life - killing people is so wrong. Even if it's fictional alien mechanical creature/robot things.

On to strawberry ice cream! I've been trying to use up things in my pantry/freezer, and the big bag of frozen strawberries I bought a while ago caught my eye. I thought of churning them up in the food processor to make a frozen treat, and came up with the following recipe:

Dairy-free Strawberry 'Ice Cream'
Ingredients:

• 3 c. frozen strawberries (or you could use fresh too with no greens)
• 1 c. So Delicious vanilla coconut milk
• 2 tsp. organic agave nectar (add more as desired)

Process:
Mix all ingredients in food processor (or super strong blender) until well-blended. Freeze until hardened, or (if using frozen berries) you can serve immediately. When frozen, the final texture resembles an Italian ice; fresh out of the processor is much softer like a soft serve ice cream. Serves 4 - 8 (if you follow the 1/2 cup serving size).

This is a refreshing treat for a hot summer day, and there is virtually no coconut flavor since the berries take over. It's also super easy to make!

New, new, new

What's new: Joe and I started a new business last week with Ambit Energy. We are pretty excited about the opportunity to help people save money on their energy bills and also to partner with other people who want to build their own business. If you live in Texas, New York, Illinois, Maryland, or Pennsylvania and want to learn more, visit our customer website or watch the introductory video! (Another cool thing: It's FREE to become a customer! And it really does save you money!)

What else is new is a firm decision in regards to my future. I have decided to leave my current job and become a full-time stay-at-home mom! (Otherwise known as an SAHM. Say it with me, saaahmmm.)

I will still be working part-time, either at my current place of work or on our own businesses (in addition to Ambit, I also do project management for companies who need graphic/web design or marketing, and Joe is currently in the process of purchasing our first rental property - yes, we do keep busy), but overall I am so looking forward to being able to focus on being a mom first and work second! Right now it's hard to keep it that way when I only see him for a few hours most days.

This is going to be a big change but it's a good one!

Nine months!

Joseph is nine months old as of last Wednesday. I can hardly believe it!

As he has grown, each stage has had some challenges, but mostly lots of fun watching him learn how to do new things: rolling over, scooting/crawling, sitting up, learning how to go from sitting up to crawling without banging his head on the ground, standing, 'dancing' (him stepping around in place while I'm helping him stand up), smiling, babbling, cooing, giggling, 'talking' (he does say mama and dada! although not directly to us).

One afternoon when I picked him up from auntie Lauren he crawled over to me on the floor! It was wonderful. :) He is such a determined little guy when there is something he is focused on.

However, I'm having some trouble figuring out his new feeding schedule. I'm trying to keep him on a 5 breastfeeding, 3-4 solid feedings/day schedule because I'm worried that my milk production will decrease otherwise. However, some days he doesn't really seem to want to nurse fully (he's focused on everything BUT nursing), and some days he skips breastfeedings. Anyone have any experienced mommy tips for me? I want to adjust to his needs as they change, but I still do want to keep some semblance of order in our feeding schedule as well.

Happy June!

June is my favorite month. (Most likely because it is my birthday month!) Also, the flower of June is a rose (my favorite!) and the gemstone is a pearl (also my favorite! My engagement ring was a pearl.).

June is also the gateway into summer... picnics, swimming, sunshine, ice cream (well, not so much for me this year!), watermelon, grilling, walking, beach-going, and lots of time outside.

Of course, there are also the unpleasant aspects of summer: mosquitos, weeding my garden (something I really need to do!), bee stings, sunburn, and being tired from trying to cram in too much activity.

However, overall I must say that summer in Rochester is beautiful. Sometimes muggy and HOT, but still beautiful. I look forward to this summer and hope yours is wonderful too!

Making up some deliciousness

For a Memorial Day party this past Monday I brought a dairy-free modified Hershey's cake (used Earth Balance and almond milk in place of butter and cow's milk) and this tasty little side dish:

Ashley's Zesty Fresh Corn Salad
Also known as The using up stuff in my pantry salad!

Ingredients:
5 ears roasted corn, sliced off the cob (or use two cans of corn)
6 medium tomatoes, sliced into 1/2" pieces
1 can medium black olives
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
6 cloves roasted garlic, diced
2 tsp dried rosemary (or 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary), chopped
2 Tbsp brown mustard
1/4 c. olive oil
1/8 c. lemon juice

Process:
Mix garlic, rosemary, mustard, olive oil, and lemon juice in dish (I used a Pyrex measuring cup). Stir until well blended. (Add more olive oil if the taste is too sharp for your liking, or add more lemon juice if it's not sharp enough.) Place corn, tomatoes, olives, and artichokes in large bowl. Pour dressing over top and mix well with large spoon. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days. Serves about 10 (or more). 

The flavoring gives it a nice, refreshing feel. Also makes a good topping for burgers (per my husband).

Feeding baby

One of the great things about making baby food is that it allows me to regain an appreciation for the wonderful colors and textures of food. I've always loved the entire experience of food and eating--the color, the smell, the taste, the texture, and the visual appeal of a well-plated food--and now I get to share that with my son. I also get the responsibility for helping him to start and continue healthy eating habits, which will also help me to better plan my family meals to include more fruits and vegetables.

Joseph is now up to 3-4 solid feedings a day, in addition to his 5 breast feedings. This requires me to plan more in regards to what foods I have in the house, since he gets to try one new food every 4-7 days. However, it also means that I have to keep the foods he's already had available to round out his mealtimes. Case in point: over the weekend I roasted two butternut squashes (such a lovely bright orange color!). This made an entire bowlful of squash, which I will be packaging for freezing. However, my husband and I can also eat some of it, since a serving for a baby is 1/4 to 1/2 cup. I don't normally eat squash, especially in the summer, so it's good for me to add some more color to my veggie mix!

One thing I am a little nervous about starting is meats. I know my little guy will need more protein as he grows, but I am not looking forward to seeing the changes in digestion (most specifically, the smells). We bought a free-range chicken at the Public Market last weekend so I'm trying to decide if I save some of that for him to try or get some lamb or turkey per the recommendations in one of my baby cookbooks. However, something I found interesting was that I didn't totally enjoy the chicken, even though I know it's supposedly better for me. It tastes fine once it's got Dinosaur barbeque sauce on it (what doesn't?), but the texture was totally different than any chicken I've had before (more gamey/rubbery). Not bad, but different.

The crossroads

Here I stand, at the crossroads of my life.

“You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make. Forget your past. Who are you now? Who have you decided you really are now? Don't think about who you have been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully.” - Anthony Robbins

Thankfully it's not a life or death decision, but merely one with financial, mental, and spiritual implications: Do I leave my 'cushy' job (and the opportunity for a new job at same company that sounds interesting) for the unknown wilds of full-time motherhood and part-time freelancing?

I guess the overall big picture question that I often don't ask myself is WHAT DO I WANT? What do I really want out of life? What would I like to look back over my life and see? Watching The Secret (via Netflix - for those of you who have it, I highly recommend watching it) this past week has challenged me to really take a step back, visualize where I want to be in life, and then focus on those goals every single day.

So why haven't I done this before? I think a lot of mothers (and people in general) don't really ask themselves that question. Probably because a) it's challenging! and somewhat scary and b) we tend to focus too much on the limitations (real or perceived) within our lives.

As a Christian, I also think I haven't asked myself that question because I felt like it wasn't 'right,' as though there would be some divine road map handed down to me that I must follow no matter what. Although I do believe that doing God's will is the highest call of my life, some of my recent reading/thinking/dreaming has led me to believe even more firmly that God really wants us to enjoy the lives we have on this earth. If I don't figure out what I want within myself (what He has put within me to desire wholeheartedly) and then set goals based on those desires, I won't really enjoy life because I will get caught up in the day-to-day grind of what I 'have to do'. (This world system can be so frustrating with the 'have to dos'!)

His will for me (the plan and purpose of my life) is infinitely bound up in the being that He made that is me! I was created for something amazing, and I plan to achieve that even if it's not what the world would deem as success.

I am at a crossroads. I am choosing a path. I look forward to seeing it revealed along the way.

Vacation reading

Hi everyone! I'm back from a wonderful week-long vacation in Virginia. We had beautiful weather the entire time, and I did not check e-mail, use my phone, or really look at a computer for almost the entire week! (Which is a huge accomplishment for a techno-geek like me.)

We did the usual vacation stuff, including getting sunburned, going in the ocean, sitting in the hot tub, and eating lots and lots of good food. Family breakfasts were a lot of fun - it's nice waking up to someone else making you eggs and bacon and strawberry pancakes (although I only ate one the entire week as a way to avoid the milk in the mixes). Joe and I also went on a date to a very nice restaurant with amazing food. My first course of a three-course tasting was pan-fried goat cheese (chevre) over sliced tomato, baby spinach, and golden balsamic vinaigrette - it was out of this world! I plan to try to recreate it at home very soon.

Before leaving on the trip, I had purchased some books on feeding and child nutrition that were recommended by the dietitian who taught a nutrition class I took at work. I've started the first one, Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense (by Ellyn Satter), and I have been enjoying it very much so far. I'll give a brief recap since I'm pretty far in to the book:

1. Division of responsibility in feeding. Parents are responsible for the what, when, and where of feeding, while children are responsible for the how much and whether of eating. Satter's overall point is that children are born with an innate sense of how much they need to eat, so trust your child to 'tell' you how much is enough. Instead, focus on providing nutritious meals in a warm, welcoming environment (can we say family meals anyone?) and enjoy the process of feeding.
2. Parents freaking out = kids getting eating problems. Satter doesn't constantly harp on the horror stories that she's experienced in her work, but she does provide a few examples that illustrate the principle of children knowing how much is enough. In cases where parents either try to force feed their children (because they're not eating 'enough') or where they try to limit calories or types of foods (because they don't want their child to 'get fat') the kids often develop problems that may get worse as they get older.
3. Relax and enjoy your child! Even though Satter is a dietitian, she doesn't give strict recommendations about types of foods to eat or avoid. Her focus is on what works best for your family.

Overall, I've been enjoying the book because it has helped me to calm down in regards to Joseph's solid feedings. I've been starting to stress about what to feed him and when and if he's getting enough or eating too much (since he seems to love eating!), so instead my plan is to chillax more and continue to follow his lead. Some changes I am going to implement from reading the book are the reintroduction of iron-fortified baby cereal and offering more finger foods. (I haven't been using cereal since it seems to be constipating, but I want to make sure Joseph is getting enough iron.) I started this morning with thick cereal (and a side of pureed spinach) and allowed Joseph to feed himself off his tray. It was messy but we had fun!

Tools of the trade

A friend emailed me to ask about Sophie the Giraffe from my last post, so I thought I'd dish a bit about the "tools of the trade": the essentials that I use everyday!

1. Ergo carrier - The Ergo Baby carrier is a recent addition to my mom arsenal, but it has quickly become my favorite! I haven't had back or shoulder pain (which I've gotten from other baby carriers, including the Bjorn and a sling) and it's way less work than wrapping myself with a Moby wrap. (Loved the concept of the Moby but just couldn't get it to work for me...) Joseph loves being held, and with the Ergo I can strap him (carefully!) onto my back and do housework, walk, or just bounce around with him.
2. Singing monkey toy - This has been one of Joseph's favorite toys since birth. We strapped it onto his carrier car seat, and now when we put him in his "big boy" car seat we still play it for him. Even if he's grumpy the music and lights make him smile!
3. "Crinkly" baby books - Another all-time favorite. These are great for traveling because they have handles that can be attached with links or straps so they don't get lost. Joseph also loves to teeth on these!
4. Baby banana toothbrush - Brushing teeth doesn't sound like fun, but we make it fun with this toothbrush (no toothpaste needed yet... although at the rate he's teething we may need to start using it!) and mommy's fun toothbrush song (which I may release as a CD sometime soon... keep your eyes peeled haha). Joseph also likes to chew on this as it's more like a teether than a brush.
5. Planet Wise wet bags - For the cloth diaperer, an essential. These bags keep the diapers ready for washing, and I haven't noticed too many problems with smell (although if they aren't zipped all the way some odors do emerge!). These also could be used for dirty laundry if you're not into cloth diapers.
6. Grandma El's diaper rash cream - The best diaper rash/prevention cream we've used to date. It is safe for cloth diaper usage (shouldn't use traditional diaper rash creams with cloth as the zinc oxide and other chemicals can cause the diapers not to absorb as well), smells good, and is more natural so baby doesn't have a ton of chemicals on his booty!
7. Roobeez baby shoes - Love these! Lose the baby socks (you will lose them anyway!) and go for Roobeez or Bobux - you won't regret it! They stay on all day and allow Joseph to use his toes for gripping/learning to walk while providing protection against the environment. Plus, they are pretty darn cute!
8. Tommy Tippee bottles - The only bottle Joseph liked enough to use. We also saw a decrease in gas (and the associated spit-up) with these.
9. Infant tylenol. 'Nough said. I don't advocate drugging children, but some days this is all that will help my teething guy.
10. Fuzzibunz one-size diapers - I know I've raved about these before, but it's true: they rock! They are so easy to use and it's pretty rare to have a leak and even rare-r to have a blowout. (I don't think we've had a blowout since before starting solids!)

As Joseph continues to grow I'm sure our "must-haves" will grow with him, but for right now this is where we're at! Anyone else have any tools of the trade to share?

The throes of teething

My poor little boy is so sad. All of these big white teeth are trying to pop through his little gums. Sigh.

At least there is one consolation: he has discovered the joys of using a cold teether straight from the fridge, which seems to alleviate some of the pain. (Previously he refused all cold and/or wet items such as frozen washcloths.) I also bought him a Sophie teether, which he really seems to like. Another good purchase was a teething necklace, since he likes to try to eat my jewelry anyway.

Why oh why does benzocaine have to carry risks? We were using it before (since Joseph has been teething since 4 months old) and it seemed to help. However, I do not want to see any crazy problems like the ones described here. His health is more important than momentary discomforts.

Too many teeth!

I have a teething machine. Joseph had 2 teeth come in at 4 months old, and now at almost 8 months of age he has 7 teeth (with more on the way!). I'm glad he's healthy and so "advanced," but sometimes I really, really wish he was a late bloomer who didn't get any teeth until he was 1 year old!

Thanks to the teeth, this past week we have been having problems with feeding. Joseph is a "hasty latcher," meaning that he clamps on very quickly. This wasn't a problem until recently when he started using his bottom teeth instead of covering them with his tongue. I was trying to work with him to get him to open wider, but he was struggling against any interference so I just dealt with the pain and figured it would get better.

Then, on the eve of Mother's Day, he bit down very quickly and got my nipple. Can I just say OUCH!!! I started bleeding and was freaking out a little bit because it's very emotional (and painful!) to feel like you can't figure out how to feed your own child. I was even down on myself a bit because, as a working mom, I sometimes feel like I'm not truly a mom in any way except in being able to breastfeed my son. He spends more time with his auntie and grandmas during the week than he does with me, which, although I am grateful that we have family to help, does sometimes make me concerned about his attachment to them vs. to me in the long run.

I ended up pumping that night and twice the next morning. Joseph wasn't having my interference when I tried to get him to latch in the morning, and he actually reached for the bottle that was sitting on the table nearby. (Talk about rejection.) I also was very nervous about getting him to latch on because I was looking at those teeth just waiting to clamp... Yikes!

I wasn't sure how things were going to end up this week, but (thanks be to God!) my Mother's Day present was being able to work with Joseph to get him to latch on pain-free! Yay! :)

In case anyone else is dealing with a similar problem, this is what I did: I used the hand that's not aiming the breast to push the bottom of his chin open as wide as possible - kind of like you're about to milk a snake (haha). The information I found online recommends cupping the hand underneath the chin, but that's a) uncomfortable and b) he doesn't like that even more than he doesn't like this! I also aim the breast at his nose per the recommendations found on kellymom. (It sounds weird but it does help!)

My husband also wrote me a really nice note in which he reminded me that mothering is about more than just feeding our son, and that he thinks I'm a great mother to Joseph. Of course, that made me start crying again, but it was really nice and it did help me to get out of the emotional valley I was stuck in.

Has anyone else had any special breastfeeding hurdles they've had to conquer?

Dairy-free brownies... yum yum!

Since choosing to go dairy-free, I've been so thankful for the Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book I received as a wedding present. All of the recipes are "made from scratch", so they are very easy to modify for making them dairy-free! The following is my modified version of the Cake Brownies recipe in this cookbook.

Ashley's Choco-licious Dairy-Free Brownies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Earth Balance soy-free, melted in a bowl
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or try almond extract!)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I like King Arthur)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate rice milk (use this for best results... you can use almond milk but the brownies will be drier. I haven't tried other non-dairy milks yet.)
• 1 cup chopped almonds, walnuts, or pecans (optional)
• 1 cup semi-sweet dairy-free/casein-free chocolate chips (or chopped dairy-free/casein-free dark chocolate) (optional)

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan (or 13 x 9) and set aside. (I use Pam for greasing, it's easier!)
3. Melt the Earth Balance in a microwave-safe bowl on high for 30 seconds (or however long your microwave takes. Mine is very powerful!)
4. Add sugar and cocoa powder, cream until well combined with wooden spoon.
5. Add eggs and vanilla and beat lightly until just combined, scraping down sides of the bowl periodically.
6. In a separate small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
7. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, mix until well blended after each addition.
8. Stir in nuts and/or chocolate chips, if using.
9. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
10. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
11. Cool on a rack, cut, and serve.

Note: I've found if you let them sit overnight they 'coagulate' and become even more delicious! However, ours don't normally make it that long...

I used to make these every weekend, but I'm trying to slow down on the sweets consumption so I haven't made them in a few weeks. If you try them, let me know how they turn out!

Fuzzibunz sale!

I had to post a link to this for all of my cloth diapering moms: Buy 5 one-size Fuzzibunz, get 1 free!

Singing to my baby

I make up songs for Joseph quite frequently. He is a music lover and has stopped to listen to piano songs in movies we've been watching (such as Pride and Prejudice). It seems like singing things, even ordinary everyday things like "let's change your diaper yea yea yea" or "time to take a bath! hooray!" make him smile even if he's not that excited about it.

And, of course, the other reason is to make him smile just for the sake of seeing him smile! I have a 'special' little ditty I made up for him that I've been singing to him since he was born. Each and every time I sing it to him he smiles. It's one of the best things ever!

My mom (first-time grandma) also has a song she made up for him that has been repeated quite frequently, and he has the same reaction. (However, the rest of the family has gotten tired of hearing it... but she doesn't care! :)

I may not sing in public ever, but at least I can sing for my favorite audience and get rewarded with love.

Reflections on logos

Today I'm taking a break from mom posts and instead posting about something near and dear to my professional heart: logos.

As a marketing professional with a background in graphic design, I've designed logos for bands, companies, et cetera. I won't claim to be a professional designer, but I've done it.

That being said, something that irks me to no end is when companies change their logos. I read a press release today about a company launching new logos with its' structure change. I do understand the theory behind changing a logo with corresponding corporate changes--i.e., this is a 'new' company, so we should have a new logo!--but I think that, in most cases, the change isn't needed. If your brand/logo has positive, long-standing associations with it, why change it? Change the rhetoric, change the way you do things, but keep a well-designed logo in place!

Examples of bad logo changes:

• The Gap
• This change was so bad that the Gap went back to the old one...
• Old logo on R below, former new logo on L

• Xerox
• C'mon, really? What does the "shiny marble" really add? Oh well.
• Old logo on L below, new logo on R

•  Best Buy
• Yes, let's swap our totally recognizable logo for a new blase one!
• Old logo on L below, new logo on R

Well, that's the end of my rant for today. Anyone else have any other bad logo changes they can think of?

Making baby... food

You thought I was going to title this something else, didn't you?

As a new mom, I didn't know anything about feeding babies. Thankfully the What to Expect the First Year book was given to me so I could learn the basics. I also received four different baby cookbooks that give some information, but a lot of it is contradictory to the other books. Asking other mothers and the doctor for insight (mostly) resulted in replies like "oh, you know, just start them with a little and see what happens." AAAGH. My nerd-like instincts to read everything available aren't very helpful when the information is vague.

However, the cookbooks have been helpful because baby food is rather pricey (especially if you are buying organic) and Joseph rapidly progressed from 1 solid 'feeding' a day to 3. (He'd like to advance to more, but we are holding steady for now since I'm trying to make sure the breast feeding stays steady too!) I started making my own baby food and think it's super easy! If you're interested, read on for the basics of how to do it yourself.

To make baby food, you don't need very much. My recommended tools are:

1. Steamer basket - this is the one I bought: Progressive International 11 Inch Stainless Steel Steamer Basket
2. Baby food containers - I like Fresh Baby So Easy Baby Food and Breast Milk Trays and Annabel Karmel Stackable Food Pots (or just use glass jars!)
3. Food processor - we were given one for Christmas a year ago, whoo hoo!

Place the steamer basket in a pot with enough water at the bottom to avoid burning the pot (which I did once and had to toss the carrots as they tasted metallic... yikes!). Bring to a boil and let steam (covered) for 6-12 minutes, depending on the type of food you're cooking. Dump the results (carefully... don't get burned!) in the processor along with some or all of the water from the pot (based on your preference). Puree to desired consistency, cool, place in containers, and freeze! It'll keep for up to 3 months.

Types of foods to try: sweet potatoes, carrots, sweet peas, green beans, butternut squash, pumpkin, pears, apples. Most of these need to be peeled and cut up before steaming. (Also, it might be easier to do squash and pumpkin in the oven and scrape the ooey goodness into the processor after.)

In summary, pretty much anything you can get at the store in a jar you can make yourself! I have yet to try meats but they will be coming up on the menu soon! :)

Also, for the lazy moms out there (can I get a what what?) ripe bananas and avocados are super easy-- just mash them up, add some breast milk for texture--and they have been a big hit with the little guy!

And, on a side note, I've stopped giving Joseph rice cereal. It just seemed like it was constipating him (which also has happened with bananas and carrots too) and I think he is getting enough iron from the milk without needing more. Anyone else have any thoughts on that?

Guilty pleasures and actors/models

I don't view myself as a celebrity stalker. I dislike the concept of paparazzi. I'm not into reality shows. I don't even watch TV (we don't have one, although we do have Netflix via a Wii and a projector).

However, I know more about the love lives and activities of celebrities than most people. How so? My 'guilty pleasures:'

• Reading celeb magazines (i.e., People) in waiting rooms. 
• Looking at the red-carpet photos the night after a big event (i.e. the Oscars).

I'm sure other people out there do the same thing... but I cringe from telling people this (although now that it's on my blog, it's out there for all to see!). Perhaps it's because I'm supposed to be 'smart?' Or because, quite honestly, who cares who is dating whom or working on what movie? Regardless, it's something I find myself gravitating towards every time I'm at the doctor's, dentist's, or anywhere else with magazines.

On a semi-related topic, how does this whole beautiful people dating beautiful people thing work? Do people just walk up to each other at events/parties and say, hey, we should be beautiful together? Is it all the work of managers/publicists? Is it just because these people get thrown together because of their 'fabulous' lives and they realize that they like each other?

Delicious and dairy-free?

Q: Is it possible to make delicious foods that are also dairy-free?
A: You betcha!

Since we found out that Joseph had a cow's milk allergy/intolerance, I've changed to eating dairy-free. That has been hard for me as 1) I like cheese! And lots of other dairy products! and 2) I was used to using cheese, milk, sour cream, etc. in my cooking. Although I haven't been able to find alternatives that work for all of my favorites, I have been able to use alternative products in many of my favorite 'treat' recipes. This has helped me to feel less deprived as I'm avoiding dairy.

Every once in a while I plan to post the results and/or recipes for my dairy-free experimenting. Today we will discuss the hot cross buns I made for Easter!

Original recipe: Martha Stewart's best hot cross buns

My dairy-free version (substitutions are in bold italics):

Ashley's Delicious Dairy-free Hot Cross Buns

• 12 Tbsp Earth Balance soy-free, melted and cooled
• 1 cup So Delicious vanilla coconut milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 1/2 tsps instant yeast
• 1 Tbsp coarse salt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 orange
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/3 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 4 Tbsp Earth Balance soy-free, melted
• 2 Tbsp wildflower honey

1. Butter a large bowl (with Earth Balance); set aside. Take second large bowl and mix together the sugar, salt, butter, zests, eggs, and yeast until smooth with wooden spoon. Place 1 cup coconut milk in a small saucepan, over medium heat. Heat until milk reaches 110 degrees on a candy thermometer. Pour milk into other ingredients. Add flour, and mix until dough forms. Continue kneading, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, until smooth.
   
2. Add raisins; knead briefly by hand. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead briefly to evenly distribute raisins in dough. Shape into a ball. Place dough in ('buttered') prepared bowl. Turn to coat with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour or so.
   
3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Knead briefly and roll dough into a log. Cut log in half and cut each half into 6-8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a tightly formed ball. Place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Cover baking sheets with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until buns are touching and doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
   
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks positioned in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Snip crosses into top of buns with kitchen shears. Transfer buns to oven and bake until golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheets after 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
   
5. Meanwhile, melt butter in microwaveable bowl. Add honey and mix. Brush mixture over buns with pastry brush.
   

 Enjoy! My family had these and couldn't tell that there was no cow's milk or butter in them.

Cloth diapers - the sequel

Here's the skinny on some of those other cloth diaper questions that I had when starting (and you might have if you're considering cloth):

Overnights: Now that Joseph is bigger, we realized that using the same type of diaper for day and overnight wasn't working anymore, so I investigated overnight options. There are lots of opinions out there, but what we found to work best so far is using the Fuzzibunz covers (since that's all we have! :) but stuffing them with Bigger Weeds hemp prefolds wrapped around the small Fuzzibunz microfiber insert. We also have recently purchased a medium-sized LoopyDo hemp/microfiber insert (recommendation from the Luvaboos' store owner and mom) and really like it - absorbs very well and is easier to assemble and clean than the prefold/insert combo. I’ve ordered some more of them and will be discontinuing use of the prefolds as they are more bulky.

Timing-wise, he’s now in a diaper for 10-12 hours with no bad results that I’m aware of.

Other cloth diapering moms have also recommended Drybees or other special “overnight” diapers. I haven’t tried any of these but if you have comment and tell me what worked for you!

Cleaning: At first, my hesitation about cloth was cleaning (otherwise known as, what to do with the poop?). However, things haven’t been that bad. I will be honest and say that smells are a problem from time to time, but honestly the worst smells have been pee (surprising to me!) and the smell of the diapers when you put them in the washer after they’ve been sitting for a day or so. The poop didn’t really smell that bad, and breastfed poops are pretty mild in terms of volume and leaking. The diapers (covers and inserts) do have some stains on them, but I’m looking forward to sunning them once spring is officially here in Rochester and seeing the dingy diapers turn clean again!

Switching to solids: So far, Joseph LOVES solids. So what has this meant for his diapers? Well, not too much of a change actually - in fact, they’ve actually gotten a little better to change! (Yes, I was surprised too.) Although the poops are bigger (occasionally) and more “formed” (yes, this is the part where I gross you out with TMI!), they actually come off the cover more easily (so far!) and (if caught early) don’t stain as much as some of the breastmilk-only poops did.
--
Well, that’s it for my cloth diaper series! I hope you learned something and that you investigate the option seriously if you haven’t done so yet. Good luck and have fun with your diapering adventure!

Breastfeeding and culture

I've been thinking about this a lot lately as Joseph continues to grow: how long will I keep breastfeeding him?

There have been several incidences when I was thinking about not continuing anymore (ex: two days ago when the teething monster reappeared and bit me several times! tears and stress my friends.) but if I take things on a day-by-day basis these kinks tend to work themselves out and we've been doing really well overall.

However, will I keep breastfeeding once he is 1 year old? How about 14 months? 2 years? (Of course, this will depend on him too - if he self-weans I'm not going to keep pumping or try to get him interested in starting up again.)

One of the things I've been thinking about in conjunction with this is the cultural taboo of breastfeeding once your baby can walk/talk/reach your breast without aid. Girls in my eighth grade class used to share stories of a little girl called 'B' who was 4 or 5 and would ask her mom for milk in public. The negative connotations were obvious: ewww that's gross! She's too big to breastfeed! And ewww moms are old and shouldn't be sharing their boobs in public!

Now that I'm grown-up (and I do use the term loosely ;) I have a much different perspective. I think breastfeeding is the best for a variety of reasons, but I still find that I have an aversion to older kids breastfeeding. I watched the movie Babies when it came to the Little and was rather shocked at the nonchalant way in which the African mothers would hold out a breast to their kids (and possibly others' kids too?) of various ages. (Of course, there may be economic reasons for continuing to breastfeed too, but I think it's more cultural than anything else.)

I had another shock when I attended a La Leche League meeting and saw a mother with two kids tandem feeding - on one side was the 2-year old (or maybe older?), standing up and suckling, and on the other side was the 3-month old baby. That weirded me out! (Plus the older kid was sort of jealously staring at the baby while nursing.) And of course there is the obvious reference to the Grown-Ups movie with the "48-month old" demanding milk from his mom.

So is this merely the by-product of the culturally ingrained prejudice against breastfeeding for longer than 1 year? Or is it just weird? Tell me what you think.

Breastfeeding reflection interlude

I have 5 minutes to write and thought I'd take a break from cloth diapers today.

Breastfeeding is still going well - although Joseph has 5+ teeth (with more on the way) he's learned not to bite down on me while he's feeding. We still do have some contact issues (i.e., when latching or when he falls asleep while nursing) but 99% of the time it's all good!

However, as he's started eating more solids, he has been decreasing his milk consumption, so he's down to 6 feedings a day from 7-8 feedings a day. I'm sure he's still getting enough ounces (The boy is not losing any weight! He's my chunky monkey!) but it's a little weird to get used to the decrease after being so used to nursing frequently for 6 months. However, one big plus has been that I only have to pump 2 times a day instead of 3 or 4. Makes me happy and it doesn't take as much time away from work. So that is my happy thought for the day.

Also, who knew that unsalted rice cakes were so yummy?

Cloth diapering: The options

There are lots of options nowadays for cloth diapering. Here's a quick run-down:

• "Traditional" prefolds - This is what most people think of when they hear the term cloth diaper - the kind with the folding (aka assembly required) and pins. However, there are many types of prefolds on the market, and there are these awesome things called Snappis that work just as well (if not better than) pins. Most people also use 'covers' or 'wraps' with the prefolds to avoid leakage - these range from the classic 'plastic pants' to the many different styles of wraps available. My rating: 2 out of 5 stars. The price is nice, but I couldn't get the hang of folding the diapers (had a lot of leakage) and when Joseph was really small it was hard to find plastic pants that would work.

• Wraps with inserts - You buy a cute, cloth outer “wrap” and then fill it with inserts (or folded prefolds). Voila! My rating: 3 out of 5 stars. We tried a few different wraps (Flip covers were a favorite), but found that the mess (leakage) was higher depending on what kind of insert we used. More experimentation may have led to better results however.

• Pocket diapers - Similar concept to wraps but these inserts/liners come with the diaper (in most cases) and are sized for the diaper. There is a ‘pocket’ from front to back that you stuff with the liners. To clean, pull the liners out, rinse, rinse the cover, and toss in a wet bag. Perfecto! My rating: 5 out of 5 stars. These had the least leakage (depending on if the snaps/sizing was correct!) and were some of the least labor-intensive to clean. Also much easier to explain to our babysitters than the different insert options!

• All-in-ones (AIOs) - These are the mack trucks of cloth diapers. Essentially, they are pocket diapers without pockets - the liners are built in, which means no assembly required and very easy to rinse. The downside? Takes longer to dry after washing. My rating: ?? We never used these, but I’ve heard very good things about them from friends!

The next sub-category is sized diapers vs. one-size (or adjustable) diapers.

• Sized diapers mean that you buy diapers in a size (i.e., XS, S, M, L, XL) so that they fit well at whatever weight/length the baby is. The downlow: These should get less wear and tear than adjustables, as they won’t be used as long. However, you have to buy more of them (i.e., 10-24 in each size if you don’t want to do laundry every 3 hours), which makes them more costly.

• One-size diapers mean that they adjust to fit the baby, using snaps, velcro, and/or elastic. Most say they fit from 8 - 35 pounds (which may mean different things depending on the baby). The downlow: These are more cost-effective (i.e., buy 24 of them and use them until potty training is over). However, since they will be used more frequently, they may not last as long. (I’m hoping to get two babies’ worth of use out of ours though... time will tell!) Also, adjusting the size as baby grows is not always 100% on target with the recommended sizing.

Our experience: We started by buying a bunch of different types of diapers at one of Luvaboos' gently used sales - I think we ended up with some pockets, some prefolds, inserts, and wraps. (No AIOs though - I've never used them to date!)

Our favorite brand was (and still is!) Fuzzibunz. We used the XS sized pocket diapers when Joseph was tiny, and they worked really well - hardly ever leaked and the snaps are super easy. Once we had decided on the brand, we then moved to the one-size diapers as my husband was much happier with spending the $$ on something we could use until Joseph was 2. Fuzzibunz also had a pretty cool one-size diaper that they had recently launched (with neat elastic bands!) that we liked better than some other one-size options. (These other snap-only versions were very bulky... Joseph looked like a sumo wrestler!)

Recently, we did have to contact Fuzzibunz as one of our diapers had some peeling of the inner waterproof layer. (They have a one-year warranty on all of their diapers.) I was nervous about contacting them but the customer service was fast and very helpful! We mailed in the problem products and they sent us back a new diaper and some baby leg warmers (too cute!) within one week of receipt.

And no, Fuzzibunz isn’t paying me to write this. However, I’ll take free diapers whenever they want to send them to me though! (Hint, hint.)

Cloth diapering: Why use cloth?

We started using cloth diapers when Joseph was about 6 weeks old, and are still going strong at 6 months plus. I thought I'd write a little bit about our experiences in case anyone out there needed a guide. However, please note that all of these are opinions and I don't claim to be a "diaper expert!"

Our journey began before Joseph was born. Rochester is fortunate to have an actual cloth diaper store, Luvaboos (visit their website if you're curious!), which allowed us to go see the diapers in person. They sell a lot of other cool organic and earth-friendly baby and mom products too. My first experience was buying some gifts for my cousin's wife's baby shower, and it was rather overwhelming! I came back to the store with my husband, Joe, for their “cloth diapering 101” class, where we learned about the different types of cloth diapers and the benefits. Here’s a summary of the benefits we learned about:

• Cost benefits: To be honest, this is the main reason we went with cloth. The Luvaboos comparison showed us that we could save several thousand dollars by using cloth. My simplified comparison (with approximate numbers from our actual purchases) is below:

Cloth diaper costs:
26 one-size pocket diapers @ approx. $20 each = $520
4 wet bags @ $20 each = $80
Diaper sprayer ($30) + Cloth wipes ($32) = $62
Increased water costs (+$10 every 3 months over 2 years) = $80
Diaper-friendly detergent ($0.30/load x about 243 loads in 2 years) = $73
Hemp inserts (for overnight) = $35
Cloth-diaper friendly diaper rash cream (projected cost for 2 years) = $104
Grand total of about $954.

Disposable costs:
Assuming 8 diapers/day over 2 years (8 diapers x 730 days = 5,840 diapers used) x Average cost per diaper of $0.21 (based on Sam’s Club prices) = $1,226.40.
Add to that the cost of wipes ($0.025 per wipe x 10 wipes/day x 730 days = $182.50), a diaper genie with its little weenie bags ($25 + $144 = $169), and traditional diaper rash cremes (let’s say $60 over 2 years) equals...
Grand total of about $1,638. 

The difference: $1,638 - 954 = $684 saved. (In actuality, probably a bit more.)
Other savings: 5,000 less diapers in a landfill. AND - I can reuse the diapers for baby #2! 

• Health benefits: One of the key benefits from our point of view was less chemicals on baby’s skin. Yes, you can buy chlorine-free disposable diapers, but most disposables have lots of chemicals in them. We did use disposables for the first 6 weeks however, as 1) meconium is nasty to clean up and 2) we were given a diaper cake for our baby shower and felt obligated to use it. We also have used disposables when we went on a family road trip instead of trying to clean cloth diapers on the road (although we switched back to cloth on the day we were traveling home). Joseph didn’t seem to mind either type particularly but I did notice that he seemed to get  rashy with the disposables. (However, he tends to get rashy in his leg area anyway, so that’s not a conclusive argument against disposables.)
  
  
• Sustainability/"green" benefits: Less trash in a landfill. Reusing instead of disposing. The list goes on. (However, more water is used to wash the diapers, so that could be a downside. But I’m pretty sure that the water can be ‘cleaned’ and reused for something, and it’s still better than putting tons of plastic into a landfill!)
  
  
• Other benefits: We’ve heard rumors that it’s easier to potty train when using cloth (I’ll have to post if that’s true for us when the time comes!). And yes, one psuedo-benefit is that the diapers are cute with a capital C! 

In summary, we have been very happy with cloth diapers. Next time I’ll write about the different kinds out there and what we found when we tried some of them.

Working and breastfeeding

Sometimes I don't like pumping. It's noisy, a little painful sometimes, and it forces me to take breaks even if I'm working on something important.

However, I was realizing today how blessed I am. I have the ability to produce healthy, wonderful food for my baby boy while I'm away from him. I'm even more blessed to have been able to afford a great electric pump that works really well (even though it's old!). And I'm able to work a "real job" to help obtain the income our family needs while my extended family helps us by watching our son. (And we are able to help my sister by paying her to watch him too!)

So, even though I'd rather be home with him all the time, I'm still very blessed. And I do like my job! Which is more than a lot of people can say. God is so good.

Formula is expensive!

So continuing on from the last post, I did some research into formula options today. Joseph is, indeed, supposedly allergic to cow's milk protein, so I am still going dairy-free. We do have the option to use some hypoallergenic formulas that have the protein more broken down, but after looking into cost (it will likely be about $12/day for formula!) and the ingredients (lots of corn and syrup and weird sounding things) I am just going to have to suck it up and keep breastfeeding.

I love my little boy and want him to have the best - even if that means I can't have cow's milk or *sob* sharp cheddar cheese.

However, one positive thing in the food arena has been the discovery that chocolate almond milk tastes very similar to chocolate milk! That is the new staple in our fridge. And yes, it's sweetened. :) The unsweetened stuff tastes too chalky for me. I like almonds, but not plain almond milk. (Weird, I know.)

Rice milk is still iffy but I have found that it is way better for baking than almond milk (seems to make things moister). I've been making homemade bread and brownies (using dairy-free "butter" and rice milk) and all of the above are delicious! However, I have to be careful because I could eat brownies all day long!

Breastfeeding... not for the faint of heart!

Joseph is now about 5 and a half months old. He's had two teeth since he was 4 months old, and now is teething again with the top two and two more on the bottom coming in. (Poor little man!)

I find it interesting that one thing people always seem to say regarding breastfeeding is that "it will get better." I heard it back when I was struggling to get started with breastfeeding--when sore, cracked nipples and cluster feedings from 10 pm to 1 am threatened to destroy what was left of my sanity--and now when my sore, cranky little boy occasionally chomps down when he's in pain. My philosophical wondering is if it will "get better" then why does it have to suck so much in the first place? ;)

I know that breastfeeding is best for a variety of reasons, but I am honestly VERY tempted to switch over to formula from time to time. Now that we are on more of a feeding schedule it's not nearly as bad sleep-wise and sanity-wise as it has been, but it's still a huge commitment (no doubt made more stressful by having to pump and try to keep my supply up while I'm at work four days a week). Also, we are pretty sure that Joseph has a dairy allergy, so all cow's milk dairy products have to be avoided while I continue to breastfeed him. This has been a challenge to me, both personally--I really and truly enjoy cheese and yogurt and even just plain old milk--and in regards to my cooking--how can I suddenly change the ingredients I'm used to using and still make good food that tastes good too?

Thankfully there are others who have gone through similar issues and have succeeded and who are willing to share their wisdom with me, but it is hard sometimes. I wonder if I was a stay-at-home mom if I would have the same qualms about continuing to breastfeed? I think it would be easier in many regards. But I'd still really miss eating cheese.

However, perhaps this ban on dairy is a blessing in disguise... after all, no dairy means no chocolate, no ice cream, no fatty (and delicious!!!) cheese fries from Outback, etc.

Status update

I haven't written on here in a long time. Thought I'd bring this up to speed so I can move on.

Our son, Joseph, was born on September 15, 2010 at 7:12 pm after 2 days of labor. I ended up having a Caesarean but he was healthy which was the most important thing! Being a mom is alternately wonderful and exhausting, but I wouldn't trade my little boy for anything.

Our dog, Link, did very well with Joseph. However, he seemed to have some sort of sickness that worsened when we switched him to a raw diet, and we had to put him down the weekend after Thanksgiving. He was only 10 months old. It was really, really hard (and sad) but we are happy that he is no longer sick. We miss him.

Life is very full and continues to change each day. I love my family and look forward to what is ahead!