life with baby

Baby Food, Trial 2

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You might recall the time I tried to make baby food, and realized at the very end it was not cooked. Oops.

As it turns out, I was lazy busy and didn’t try again until the other day. Brian and I did it together, making the whole batch of peas, green beans, peaches and carrots in about 45 minutes. (For the technique, visit my failed venture, since I got everything right except, you know, the beginning part where you cook it)

They turned out colorful and tasty! Just like real food.

However… so far, Jameson has been less than thrilled with the new texture flavor everything. The gagging and revolted face tell all.

I’m pretty sure he’s pissed at me. Also not sure, but the opening and closing of his hand, maybe that’s his first desperate sign for “all done, all done!”

In all seriousness, I am not really sure where to go to from here. The gagging dissolves into crying and that into screaming which results in no eating, which is also no good. So much for healthy!

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life with baby, pets

A Moment

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Usually I take photos of events, when people come to visit or Jameson is learning something new. However, Tuesday night the week before last, I took these photos for no reason at all. Sasha came outside and when we called her over, she actually sat next to Jameson. The editing was difficult and we were in the shade, so the tones in these photos are slightly vintage. It was a great moment!

It is chilly this morning, the sky is clear and the air is crisp, my “fire plants” (burning bushes) are starting to turn. I know fall is on the way, so it was nice to capture this before summer ends.

P.S. In the spirit of full disclosure, it was so impromptu, Jameson had his dinner all over his outfit. I actually edited the food off his outfit. Maybe that’s cheating, but there you go.

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general life, life with baby

Embrace the Camera

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Last week, Jameson and I hung out outside for a little while before Brian came home, and I (of course) decided to take some photos. I got some great shots of Jameson, and then I had a crazy idea to try and take a self-portrait without the tripod.

The Nikon D5100 is a hefty thing, but I love the swivel screen. The screen comes all the way around so you can see yourself as you’re taking the photo; which meant that Jameson could see me smiling at him. What do you know, I got us both grinning and in focus by simply holding the camera above our heads!

Though I was a little unhappy with my appearance (it was after work you know), it really captured a cute moment of us. And it didn’t even require anyone else to take the photo!

Love this camera.

P.S. I’ve linked this post up with the anderson crew‘s Embrace the Camera link up. The idea of embrace the camera is to get out from behind the camera and get in the photo! I’ve noticed I stay behind a lot, trying to capture the moments instead of being a part of them. What a great idea!

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life with baby

8 Months

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Yesterday we did our usual monthly photo shoot. However, it was anything but usual. Suddenly, I couldn’t get a smile out of him! I couldn’t distract him from the blocks! Even a spare block wasn’t enough to deter him from the tasty looking 8 MONTHS blocks.

The photo shoot was a shambles. I took 238 photos, and after my first mass deletion I still had 111. And none of them really spoke to me the way they have in the past, except for a couple where he wasn’t smiling and there were no blocks.

I suppose I am the one making up my own rules though, so these were my favorite of the non-block photos. And I suppose in their way they reflect the way he really is at 8 months — moving, looking, touching, tasting. He was fascinated with his overalls too.



I moved the blocks to the foot rest to try and get them out of his reach.

And then there was this magic that happened. Right after I thought maybe I’d gotten one clear shot of him smiling with the blocks (I hadn’t), he became so determined to get at the blocks that he did some magic move that landed him on his knees for a minute. Is this the beginning of crawling? No? Maybe swimming?

I have always called this child a little lazy. He doesn’t roll except in his crib where are there bars to push off of. But apparently when there is something he really wants, he will find a way to get after it. I will need to start watching him closer!

And then, I confess, I cheated a bit and photoshopped some blocks in. It came out okay.

But this is really what the photo shoot was all about.

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general life, life with baby

I Smell Fall

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On Friday last week, the humidity dropped and whenever that happens I can smell fall on the breeze, no joke. (I can also smell the worms after the rain and sometimes pre-rain, like a sixth sense) It was confirmed for me this morning when I woke up and after my shower, it was still dark outside.

However, humidity is back up, so I guess that means 6 more weeks of summer? Wishful thinking.

In any case, I feel like I need to capture these small moments while I can, especially enjoying the outdoors (so I tell myself as I skip church for the 3rd week in a row)

But really, this Sunday we had some friends over after the rain killed our zoo plans (guess we really didn’t spend any time outdoors anyway), and in the evening we had dinner with Brian’s family for his mother’s birthday, which was a lot of fun.

Brian killed his diet for an evening of Italian debauchery, and I enjoyed a heavenly mushroom ravioli.

We discussed the benefits of having extra large paintings, like the above classy man behind Becky, made of us individually to fill the awful space over our bed which currently has an awful off-centered painting. I think somebody nixed the idea though, maybe Brian’s dad.

Jameson was almost-but-not-quite-a-nightmare. We came prepared with highchair cover and plenty of not-too-noisy toys, he had eaten and had been changed. But it was close to bed time and there were too many people to look at and holler at, and maybe make some pterodactyl noises at. It was still a blast.

 

Oh, I also went shopping again on Saturday and on Sunday. At least this time, I realized I needed to do a thorough cleaning of the closet.

After 5 years, I realized that maybe I will never fit into some of those clothes again. The pain was made palatable though by the booty I came back with from Kohls and the outlets. What is it about walk in closets that make you feel like you can indeed store everything forever?

There is a gap there now, and I emancipated a good number of hangers which meant I could throw away a bunch of those clear plastic store hangers. Or are you supposed to recycle those? Does anyone recycle those?

Anyway, it was a nice relaxing weekend, before the next weekends into September which will be filled with trips and events, and even our first overnight together without Jameson. Whatever will we do with ourselves?

On our list now for the rest of summer are just a few must-do’s:

  • go canoeing/fake kayaking in those kayaks with huge openings so I don’t drown if I tip over
  • go on a little hike to where we got engaged
  • go ride some rollercoasters

Very do-able, right? As long as we get 6 more weeks of summer, anyway.

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life with baby

To Granny’s House We Go

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This past weekend Jameson and I drove down to my parents house for a visit. Poor Jameson just can’t catch a break — after a week of cheerful, happy baby, Mr. Jameson caught another cold. However, there was a silver lining: because he had a fever to go with it and couldn’t attend daycare, I was able to leave earlier on Thursday than originally planned.

Brian didn’t come with us this time, and my dad was out of town so it was just me, Jameson, his grandma and Aunt Holly. A bunch of lovely ladies to fawn over the little dude!

We did some shopping and I managed to purchase a few items that make me feel pretty for the first time in a while; we went on a lot of walks outside and at the mall; and his grandma and Aunt Holly even got to babysit one night while I visited with old friends.

For the first time, Jameson managed to get one of the puffs into his mouth. It wasn’t a pincer grasp though, we are definitely not there yet, but we are practicing! Even a puff on the nose is progress.

Oh, and he’s a champion sippy cup drinker now, but not with the handle-less sippy cups that I purchased originally. This one is a cheapy plastic cup with no valve system. He’s chewing on it here, but he is pretty adept now at sipping and playing with it. Since we only have one though, it is washed daily.

Because he had a cold, he was Mr. Cranky Pants, so we spent quite bit of time outside and on my parents’ deck because that always cheers him up to be outdoors.

Their garden is always amazing, and this year I was impressed with the number of “volunteer” tomato plants and sunflowers popping up on the other side of the garden. I guess that’s what happens when you feed the birds regularly. Next year when Brian and I put together our raised garden beds, we will have to start feeding them.

We came home with zucchini, cucumber, sweet yellow peppers and hot red peppers almost a foot long. The best part? Late harvest strawberries which were gobbled up immediately. Jameson wanted to help pick a few himself.

P.S. The subject is a bit of a joke, because we keep asking what my mom would like to be called and she keeps saying she doesn’t care. We like to threaten her with a Granny title. Hi, Granny!

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children, life with baby

Childhood Classics

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My sister and I talked recently about some old childhood movie favorites. She is having trouble finding Rainy Day Adventures. I have no idea what this movie is, does this ring a bell for anyone?

For myself, I spent last Christmas searching high and low for the Holly and Ivy movie about a doll, and finally uncovered the name The Wish That Changed Christmas. It was a special my mom taped that we watched yearly (you know, on the VCR). I watched it on YouTube to satiate my nostalgia.

But I will never forget the time that I recommended a show to a co-worker to play for his children. It was another favorite of mine, called Watership Down (based on a book). And he came in the next morning telling me I had given his children nightmares and they had to turn it off.

Probably because of this:

And this:

And quite a few more bloody scenes.

Another of my favorite movies has less blood but is also a little disturbing is The Last Unicorn. I now own this movie today because it is an all time favorite.

I can think of a few Disney movies that are also dark, though maybe not quite as bad as this.

However, I think I am a believer in these dark and scary movies. I think of these kind of like germs: in small doses, they’re probably good for you… right? Or am I just planning on giving my own children nightmares now?

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life with baby

The Evidence

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This weekend Jameson and I went to visit his grandma and Aunt Holly. Pardon me while I gather my thoughts for the week, and while I start work again after a few days off. Meanwhile, I finally have evidence. Hundreds of photos and this is the best shot of them, ha.

It was pretty clear to me today that he definitely has teeth as he was fussy at his one and only breastfeeding this morning, such that he dragged my nipple through them, biting me for the first time. Is that too much information? Is this a milestone I should mark in the baby book? It’s Monday.

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life with baby, preparing for baby

A Tale of Two Babies, Part 2 of 2

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Yesterday, I began the pregnancy story about myself and my friend and former co-worker, Danielle, in A Tale of Two Mothers. We ended with high risk pregnancy diagnoses, myself with gestational diabetes and Danielle with high blood pressure.

 

Interestingly, neither high blood pressure nor gestational diabetes actually caused our labors or otherwise complicated our pregnancy.

 

As we neared the end of our pregnancies, Danielle’s baby continued to measure larger than normal and ultrasound revealed him to be in a breach position. The combination led to a scheduled Cesarean. For herself, she was excited to have a date known (before Christmas! our due date was the 23rd which was obviously not the first choice).

 

Again, I struggled with feelings of jealousy (she’s going to have her baby before Christmas; and she gets 8 weeks instead of 6 short term disability pay) and the complicated feelings relating to my own labor. Our friend Megan had labored for hours before requiring a C-section; our neighbor had as well. And I felt that if C-sections were inevitable, I would love to have one scheduled for myself! However, it wasn’t meant to be.

 

As Danielle ended her time at work calmly, allowing herself time to wrap things up and have a couple days before baby’s arrival, I myself went into the doctor and had an ultrasound revealing low fluid levels. My level, they explained, was not dangerously low (yet), but definitely something to watch. Danielle told me that hers had always been high; in comparing numbers I was concerned. The doctor recommended I stay home for a day before another follow up appointment to see if it continued. We were two weeks away from our due date.

 

It’s at this time that my turning point occurred at my old company where I determined I no longer wanted to work there. When I requested to work from home for a day, I was given a “let me check” response and no feedback until the end of the day. At the end of the day that I had worked from home, I was told that I would need to take paid time off, that it wasn’t allowed. Aside from discussion over company policy, I was enraged that no one had bothered to get back to me until the end of the day.

 

You would think that my fluid levels would have continued to drop in this stress; Instead, they improved! Another follow up was scheduled for after the weekend. I wished Danielle good luck on her final work day. The next day, I arrived at the doctor’s and ultrasound revealed lower fluid levels than before, with very little around baby’s head. And we heard the words “Let’s get this baby out”.

 

Knowing what I know now, and without the rush of hormones and excitement about finally seeing my baby, I am not sure that I would’ve immediately gone with the doctor’s recommendation. Or maybe I would’ve. I guess there is no knowing. But I was only 1cm dilated, and the hormone they inserted overnight only had me progress by about 1 more before I was started on pitocin.

 

I don’t know anyone else who successfully gave birth vaginally, with no issues, with induction. But I did, after somewhat over 12 hours of induced contractions, doctor-induced water-breaking, an epidural and 1-1/2 hours of pushing. It was December 16, and Danielle had given birth via C-section earlier that day.

 

At a later appointment with the doctor, he impressed upon a co-worker that it was my first baby, I was induced and I didn’t require a C-section. There seemed like there was some surprise in his voice.

 

Danielle and I were both satisfied with our babies, our labors, and our recovery. Neither of us had any problems post-partum, beyond the usual adjustments a life change like that brings. We both delivered at exactly 39 weeks without complication, which we are both thankful for. I opted to breastfeed while Danielle opted for formula. Both our babies are happy, healthy, and growing really well with relatively few illnesses or other concerns (Jameson had a tongue-tie which we had clipped; Carson had a hernia which required surgery).

 

I for one am happy that we were able to experience our first pregnancies together, to share those gross details which I haven’t even shared here (you know the grossness, if you’ve given birth before).

 

It was almost like experiencing two pregnancies in one, and I’m able to reflect better on how lucky I feel like I was, and not get caught up in a lot of the arguments I see online about C-section versus natural versus super natural (you know, without epidural ;)) and also about formula versus breastfeeding. Happy healthy babies = happy healthy parents.

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life with baby

Friendly Baby, Friendly People

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I’ll take him anywhere I need a little help. Maybe the insurance agency, or the BMV, or somewhere else equally unpleasant. Because babies just naturally give off that “adore me” smell look. And now that Jameson rides in the big boy cart seat? Heck yeah, I will take advantage.

Even though Jameson has been sitting up really well for about a month, I was waiting for my cart cover (yes, I’m one of those… you would be too if you read the article I did about shopping cart gross-ness) to put him in the big boy cart seat.

I bought it off of babysteals.com; it’s by Little Luxe. I love that site when they have a hot item, and it was good timing. The cover has some clever loops for hooking toys up to, and is really easy to take on and off. The downside is that there’s isn’t a compact bag with it to fold it tightly when we’re not using it. I will have to find an alternative!

A week and a half ago, Saturday the 23rd, was Jameson’s first time riding in a cart, big boy style. At first when we put him in it, he didn’t realize he could sit up. He leaned himself back and flopped to the side a couple times before getting the hang of balancing.

Does he look frightened to you? It’s all the perspective, I promise. Really, once he was looking around, he was immediately flirting with the ladies at Target, I swear! It’s true people are so nice when you have a (not cranky at the time) baby. We had no less than 3 people chat with him and compliment him. When he was in his carseat at the store before, people mostly peeked at him but didn’t really interact.

Much better perspective! And smaller seats at the grocery. Again at the grocery store, he made eyes at some other ladies, fishing for smiles.

He also pretty quickly discovered that the straps (which are quite extensive for accommodating many cart and baby sizes) were really fun to chew on. We had to give him the pacifier as a replacement, but that didn’t last long. Nom nom nom tasty straps.

Right now, he’s made  grocery shopping rather fun. I hear as they get older and want everything on the shelves they get less adorable. I’ll just take it while it lasts. And the nicer cashiers too.

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