The Attack of Beige Food

Oh hey, remember this post - Baby Food Recipes - the one with all the fancy baby food recipes? Those were the days...the ones when B would eat anything off a spoon and trusted mom and dad to feed him. As of a few weeks ago, those are gone.

He now refuses to eat off of any utensil and prefers beige food, mainly chicken. This has led me to extreme frustration and, honestly, some hurt feelings. Not the proudest of mommy-moments.

Waffles are beige...
B will have that, hold the eggs and oranges.

Something beige in hand...
get that pouch out of here.

I tried for about two weeks to basically force feed him. Pinning him to the high chair and putting food in his mouth when we would open it to cry. This sounds terrible, but most of the time he would stop crying and gobble it up. Then one day he didn't stop crying and it felt like I was torturing him. So I had to stop, or dad begged me to stop...that's besides the point.

In the meantime, I got creative researching recipes with hidden vegetables and strategically placed fruits. Some attempts worked (for a day or two), others failed immediately. I am still finalizing my plan of attack and luckily some of his hesitations have diminished. He got over a little case of hand, foot and mouth and has two new teeth. I have some recipes and tips that I will stick with and even more left to try.

He has decided he will eat out of a pouch, but only when he decides he is ready. He likes to feed other people, and will maybe take food out of your hand after close inspection. Then some times, he will gobble up anything on his tray regardless of color or texture. I am at a loss but will not give up.

So far we have tested... 
Vegeta-balls: Savory and packed with lentils, celery, sweet potatoes and mushrooms. BIG HIT and easy to make.

Banana-Apple-Carrot Muffins: Recipe calls for dates, but I used some apple chunks instead. B likes these about half the time, but would prefer other things given the option.

Sweet potato sticks: Cut sweet potatoes into french fry shape, toss in olive oil, and roast in the oven on 450 for about 15-20 minutes. Sometimes B will chew on these, depends on the day.

Chicken: The favorite...chicken any way he can get it so I just give him whatever we are having. BBQ, Asian, grilled with our favorite seasoning, rotisserie, etc.

Waffles: No Eggo's here. B likes Van's Ancient Grains (I swear they taste like carrot cake, Dad disagrees) and we are trying Nature's Path Buckwheat Wildberry next.

Multi-Grain bread: He likes it plain or with peanut butter, love the fresh stuff at Publix made with peanuts only! I recently topped the peanut butter with some wheat germ for added nutrients and he didn't mind.

Grilled Cheese: I pureed chicken and broccoli together with some fresh shredded cheddar, slathered that on multi-grain bread then topped it with another thin layer of cheddar. Toasted it up and tore in to pieces. He liked this a few times, but wised up quickly...much to my dismay.

The chicken/broccoli grilled cheese.
He liked this the first two times, not so much the third.

Cheesy Eggy Triangles: I made these twice, first time he loved it, second time not so much. I will try again though because it was easy and eggs are super nutritious!

Fruit Shredz: He loves these, the shape and texture are perfect for him. I like them because they seem healthier than the puffs. 

Veggie Burgers/Patties: I got the Publix brand veggie burgers and B seemed to enjoy those. Next we are trying the Boca Burgers to see what he thinks.

"Pizza, where have you been all my life?!" - B

So those are just a few things I have tried to get him through the teething and beige food stages. He seems to have moved on, although his preference for bread and chicken has not gone away...he is just more willing to select other things as well. This will do for now. And he has decided to sample some of my homemade concoctions from the pouches I make with the Kiinde system. This has been great! He actually prefers these to the store bought ones, so that makes me a happy mom!

Banana/Apple/Carrot Muffin and a homemade pouch
with blueberry, apple, banana, oats and spinach.

B's lunch on Wednesday.
Top: Vegeta-ball, roasted red pepper, chicken
Bottom: Strawberries and watermelon pieces

One Year Later...

This morning at 5:11 a.m. I was half way through the squat track during a Body Pump class at 24e thinking to myself:

I might not make it to the end of this...I think I added too much weight. My legs may give out. Is my quad supposed to burn like that? Oh man, I drank too much wine last night. And that bread pudding might not have been worth it.

Then I realized that exactly one year ago I was experiencing the worst pain of my life, followed by indescribable, surreal joy...followed up with more pain, then back to joy.

Barrett William Seal graced us with his presence at 5:11 a.m. on August 18, 2013. He was three weeks early, but fully developed and ready for the world. Mom and Dad were extremely naive and thought we were prepared. Needless to say, we have learned a lot in the past year and I am sure B has MUCH more to teach us.

B at two days old, still in the hospital.

I made it through the squat track and the rest of the workout because I kept thinking of the one, all-encompassing phrase that sums up the past year.

"This too shall pass."

From sleepless nights, endless feedings, seemingly pointless crying fits and miserable car rides, to runny noses and countless pediatrician visits...all the hard times dissolve into warm snuggle sessions, toothless grins, first words and baby laughter. The thing mom and dad have to remember is that all these times pass just as quickly as the others; being aware and present in the good and bad times is equally important. Knowing that B won't only eat beige food forever and will eventually stop teething is hard to comprehend in the moment. At the same time, while he is jabbering to himself, peacefully playing with his toys (or the remote) we have to take the time to adore the preciousness that is our sweet B.

Dad is seriously hysterical! 

"Ma, it's pizza...it's beige and I like it." - B

Parenting is hard. Harder than the squats I did this morning, fighting traffic, or managing challenges at work. Seeing his sweet face, hearing him mumble "ma-ma-ma," and even waking up in the middle of the night puts everything in to perspective.

Ready for Auburn Gameday!

Missing Mr. B

When B was eight weeks old I went back to work. I was ready to get out of the house and back to a routine. I didn't cry when we left him at daycare, but I was beyond excited to see him by the time I got home. School is great for Mr. B and the routine is good for Mom and Dad.

That being said, sometimes making it through the work day is ridiculously difficult knowing B is doing important things without me. Teething, crawling, eating, napping, babbling, and walking attempts are the most essential things in life at the moment. While I am at work attempting to be a productive member of the team, I keep reminders of B everywhere.

In front of me.

Above me.

To the left.

Behind me.

On the go.

These pictures help throughout the day because I remember the exact moment all of them were taken. I feel happy to have such special memories and beautiful images, but am also a little sad that I can't squeeze B at this exact moment. 

I won't lie and tell you I miss him every moment...sometimes mom needs a break, whether it is work or a solo trip to the grocery store. I know that I enjoy working because it helps me to fully enjoy the time I have with B. I only occasionally envy my stay-at-home-mom friends, ya know, once or twice a weekday and every other hour on Sundays.