Right on track

This past weekend was a nice mix of quiet time, productive activities, friends and family. Friday night Dad and I made pizza and hung with B - who is cutting teeth and didn't nap all day...it was a touch-and-go evening. Saturday we cleaned out the master closet in preparation to put our house on the market then went to a surprise anniversary party for one of our best friend's parents. Sunday I packed for my 10 day trip to LA and my dad, sister and brother-in-law came over to watch football.

While at dinner Saturday night I was chatting with a BFF about her New Year's resolutions. On that list was the resolution to stop comparing her 10-month-old son to other children and not obsessing over his developmental progression.

Technologically advanced?

We have all been there. From the moment they are born you wait for the first poop, wet diaper, smile, laugh, etc. You read the development books, download the accompanying apps, consult with your pediatrician, ask your parents for reference and interrogate friends with babies remotely comparable in age. And then there is social media...

We had several walkers that really helped him learn to walk.

It's hard not to focus all your attention on this with the research indicating that 1 in 200 children are autistic...or wait, is it 1 in 90 now?! I can't keep up. And I did and do all of this. It took me a while to realize that the precious creature I birthed is fine and, honestly, not particularly exceptional. 

He sat up by himself at around 7 months, crawled a little after 9 months, walked about two weeks after his first birthday. I cannot understand a single thing he says besides Mama and Dada. He prefers french fries, chicken fingers and fish sticks to grilled chicken, veggies and fruits. He has an attitude, he has hit me in the face (and laughed), he likes to throw things and whines incessantly if he doesn't get his way.

Sometimes the pacifier and blanket have to brought out before nap/bed time.

Now for the typical mommy-blogger wrap up...I love him, can't imagine life without him, and he has changed my world for the better. DUH, he is my child. I carried him for 37 weeks, bore him without the help of drugs, milked myself like a cow for his nutritional benefit and think about him at every waking moment.

Just loading up the spoon with oatmeal.

And he is normal and I couldn't ask for more. So like my friend I am going to make an effort to relax and let him progress at his own pace. We will see how I do when he brings home his first report card, starts playing sports, or takes up a musical instrument.

Or forget the spoon, the oatmeal tastes better on my fingers!

Tidbit Tuesday: Baby Food Recipes

B was two months old when he breastfed for the last time. I will tell you that I quit because my supply couldn't meet his demand or that anything I ate seemed to upset his stomach. But the truth is, I didn't like breastfeeding. This was tough for me to admit because I thought I would breastfeed until he was at least a year old. Realizing that not everything works the way you want it to is frustrating, especially when it comes to your baby. 

What Dad and I realized was that we were all happier with formula. It smells terrible, is a pain to mix, but it makes B's stomach happy, lets Dad connect with B during feedings and gives mom a break. We consider this a win/win/win. 

So I told myself after switching to formula, that when it came to baby food, it would only be the good stuff. So far so good! He has had some minimally processed foods, only the occasional food from a pouch and no french fries. Of course as he gets older and experiences new foods he will inevitably come across preservatives and highly processed snacks. But for now, I am going to keep him healthy with some of the following concoctions: 

• Sweet potatoes - steamed with cinnamon and ginger, or roasted with savory spices
• Peas - steamed and blended with olive oil, or served whole as finger food (which B hasn't quite mastered)
• Corn - sauteed with cumin and/or garlic powder, blended with olive oil
• Brussels Sprouts - steamed and blended with olive oil
• Zucchini - steamed and blended with olive oil and garlic powder
• Yellow Squash - steamed and blended with infused olive oil
• Green beans - steamed and blended with olive oil and garlic powder
• Lima beans - steamed and blended with olive oil
• Spinach - steamed and blended with infused olive oil
• Asparagus - roasted in the oven and mashed
• Apples and Blueberries - 3 small green apples (peeled) with one cup frozen blueberries, steamed and blended
• Peaches - fresh or frozen, blended and served with oats
• Bananas - blended or mashed with cinnamon and/or ginger
• Strawberries - chopped and blended, served with oats
• Cantaloupe - cut and blended, served with oats
• Mango - cut and mashed
• Barley - cooked according to package directions and served with veggies
• Bulgur wheat - cooked according to package directions and served with veggies or fruit
• Steel cut oats - cooked according to package directions (plus about a tablespoon of coconut oil when making 4 servings) and add to fruit 
• Chicken - grilled or baked with a variety of spices (Asian, Italian and Mexican, to name a few)
• B first ate chicken at about 8 months old. I can't bring myself to blend meat, so he gets small bites. 
• Chia Seeds - I started adding these to thicken some of the fruit. Great nutrients and they absorb liquid to help with digestion. I add these to my own greek yogurt and oatmeal. 

I use a Cuisinart food processor to blend and ice cube trays to freeze the food. I like to make baby food on a weekly basis, but usually only get to it every other week. Each night I get together his breakfast and lunch for the day to go to school. At first I blended the food so it was very smooth. Now, as he is exploring new textures, I like to leave it a little chunkier. He typically gets fruit and oats for breakfast and veggies for lunch and dinner. Sometimes he gets more fruit as dessert.

Ready to freeze - Blueberry/Apple, Banana and Spinach

So far he has been incredibly receptive to all types of food and spices! He definitely has weeks when he prefers fruits to veggies, but we try to mix it up so he doesn't get bored. And he has an extremely fickle appetite. I also like to be sure we eat meals together so at night we sit at the dinner table, turn off the TV and enjoy our dinner as a family.

B enjoying his first taste of rice cereal at 4.5 months.

Enjoying some sweet potatoes on the go!