Buttercups and Bumblebees

Today's blog is brought to you by the letter B. Before I begin, because it's been bugging my brain, a baby that backwards-crawls begs the question: when the heck are you going to learn to go forwards!!? I've always loved alliterations, can you tell? But seriously now, today's letter is indeed B, and I fully intend on finding a topic that goes with my alphabetic theme. Hmm. B..b...b.......b....b. Hmm.

B is for BabySteals.

Because really, what else could it be? If you don't know about www.babysteals.com (or KidSteals, or ScrapbookSteals...), you're absolutely missing out! Every day at 9:00am, they post a new 'steal' for the day. Usually, it's a hot ticket item that is offered at half-price, or even less! I have bought many a steal from them and have been wowed by their awesome customer service, inexpensive international shipping costs, and quick turnaround. My ErgoBaby carrier came from them, and there is NO way I would have been able to afford one at full price. Some of Sprout's favourite toys, like her HABA soft puzzle blocks, have come from BabySteals. I have bought BabyLegs from them, and more recently, a set of cloth GroBaby diapers that are amazing!

Am I a little bit addicted? Yes. Do I have to remember that clicking a button IS the same thing as putting cash in someone else's hands? Yes. But it's really hard sometimes when it's a reeeeeally good steal! It's a great place for picking up baby gifts, like the Lollitop hats that pop up every once in a while, and nice to find things on the KidSteals site for when Sprout gets a little bigger! Anyways, I've been blogging for a while and hadn't mentioned it previously, so I thought I'd give those of you who didn't know about it a BIG heads-up!

Short blog again, but at least it was done sooner rather than later! Now for another B...I'm finding a way to acquire a Bumble bag, Sprout. Not really for you, but to hold all of your beautiful clothes and cloth diapers! Our current Lug bag is just not big enough. Bargains, here I come!

xoxoxo

Mommy

Today's Blog...brought to you by the letter...A!

I have decided that I need to have some kind of motivation to keep blogging on a regular basis. Even if nobody else reads it, I find it good to vent...except that I am having a hard time pulling things out of my life to vent about. For my upcoming 'themed' blogs, I am going to do the age-old, easy-peasy alphabet trick. I'm going to write about something that begins with each letter of the alphabet. Am I going to write every day? Probably not. I'll try though, and that (hopefully) counts for something.

A is for Applesauce

The first post is going to be boring. Sorry, but life has been so hectic lately - as it is every summer - that I just wanted to give a few tidbits out on teething tricks that have somewhat assuaged my daughter's screamy days.

I have found that the best things to give Sprout when she is really, REALLY bitey (when she scooches over to me on the floor to bite my feet, legs, arms, etc.) are ice cold applesauce right out of the fridge, and partially thawed frozen strawberry chunks in a mesh feeding bag.

Fruit really seems to hit the spot when she's teething, and the cold variety seems to help a lot with what appears to be frustration (she bites everything and then shakes it while biting - hilarious, but a little too much learning going on from the dog, I fear...)

Please use caution with strawberries, as they are a high-allergenic food. Sprout has been fine with all of the so-called allergenic foods except for dairy, but her cousins don't do well with cinnamon or strawberries so we watched her closely after her first couple of interactions.

Sorry for the boring blog, but life is kind of relaxed and peachy right now. On my way to put more applesauce in the fridge, Sprout. Lucky girl, this time it's a blueberry-apple blend (unsweetened, of course!). Enjoy the rest of your nap!

xoxoxo

Mommy

All things change with time.

So it's the eve of the last time I am going to pump for Sprout, and I am feeling so many emotions. I know that it's not the same as breastfeeding - it's not like I had some kind of deranged attachment to my pump or anything - but I still feel a little sad that I am not going to be supplying sustenance for my daughter anymore. The plan is to continue feeding her frozen breastmilk combined with a small amount of formula to get her acquainted with it until we run out of my icy supply from the basement. Is it completely irrational for me to still feel a minute amount of guilt about the formula?

It is my decision to stop pumping. I could continue, and that is the driving force behind my guilt. I have already had to let go of breastfeeding, and now that Sprout is close to crawling (she doesn't quite get up on her knees, but she does push herself all the way up on her hands and perform a mad backwards shimmy) I just feel like she's growing up too fast. Pumping for her was the one thing that I was doing that let me hold on to the baby phase.

On the positive side of things, I can start eating dairy again! That, and I can have the occasional glass or two of wine and not have to watch the clock before I pump. I don't have to stay up past midnight every night for the last pump of the day, and I don't have to scramble to pump first thing in the morning. Going out during the day will have many less restrictions, which is awesome. I won't have to worry about getting home at a certain point in the afternoon and leaving events early so that I can pump. No more pumping in the car on road trips, running the dishwasher more than necessary to clean the pump parts, buying supplementary pump parts to replace worn out ones, etc. etc.

On paper, it looks like the pros list is much longer than the cons; however, the way that I feel creates a list of emotions about five miles long. So here's a toast to the nutrients I have been able to provide for you, Sprout. I am so proud of how you have grown, and I cannot help but smile when I think about the fact that I have monumentally contributed to your development and physical growth. I hope that you continue to stay healthy and happy, and I know that this switch will affect me much more than you will even notice! Mommy is going to move on to a more relaxing hobby of crafting. I love you more than life itself, little Sprout.

xoxoxo

Mommy

How many bubblegums do you wish?

Oh boy. Here I go again, overloading myself with "things to do". Not only am I working as a massage therapist two evenings and every other Saturday, I have added to my list of activities lately, and am feeling a little fuzzy-headed! Ah well, all is good when I am occupied and frazzled. I seem to function better when I'm busy.

I am also doing a technical writing project for a company based out of E. that I worked for when I was pregnant. It is a little painstaking at times (verrrry boring work) but I am trying to plug through. Teething has set in with a vengeance, so I'm finding it hard to sit down and get stuff done (why I'm blogging right now when I could be working? Hmm...).

I have OPENED MY OWN BUSINESS!! Yay!! As of this past week, Little Sprout Designs is now open via Facebook. Custom orders can be placed through littlesproutdesigns@gmail.com. I haven't been able to get all of my items up on the page yet, but I've started small - pacifier clips! Some are glittery, some are embellished, and all are just plain cute! Tell your friends...

I'll also have embellished hooded towels, tulle tutus, and flowered hats/headbands by the end of July (hopefully). We'll be participating in the Little Monster's Swap Meet in Spruce Grove in August with fellow mompreneurs Sophie Madison (absolutely gorgeous baby blankets), so keep your eyes peeled!

I don't know if the business will go anywhere, but I am having a blast so far doing it, and Sprout just looks cuter and cuter wearing each new creation. She's a very willing little model - always has a new pose! This is a short blog, because I'm running around trying to get ready before Sprout wakes up and we have errands to complete before I dash off to work tonight. Check out our Facebook page, and make sure you direct anyone you think would be interested!

Keep snoozing, Sprout. Maybe if you sleep through a tooth coming in, it won't be so painful (for both of us!).

xoxoxo

Mommy

Domestic...disturbance?

Oh, just kidding. Not in the way that you're probably thinking. Nope, I'm not talking about a vase-chucking (or apple-chucking...), crazy, all-out psycho husband-and-wife spat. What I'm actually referring to is the fact that I have had my culinary curiosity return in the form of creative (and tasty) baby food making spurts. Call it a disturbance of my regularly scheduled domestic duties. I have really been enjoying making meals for Sprout, even when they stem into day-long sessions of steaming and blending...and chilling...and freezing...and transferring frozen cubes to labelled Ziploc bags. Whew. Even that sentence was exhausting.

So while I may not be feeding myself the most nutritious meals all the time, I certainly have discovered that I have the knack for whipping up some delicious treats for my wee one. I have chosen to share three of the "recipes" (I don't usually cook with a recipe, but I've been asked enough times that I have written out a rough guideline of sorts) that Sprout has enjoyed the most, starting with two MEATY dishes. Meat is the hardest thing to get kids to like, usually, and Sprout was a champ at gagging on simple pureed chicken and beef, so these recipes incorporate a couple of tastier additions that actually help to make the food a little smoother. If your baby has a texture aversion, this might help a little. Enjoy cooking, bon appetit to your little ones, and I hope you enjoy your mini-culinary adventuring.

Sweet Sweet Steak (Slow-cooker)

1 round steak, fat trimmed off

2 medium sized sweet potatoes

1 cup green beans

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp freeze-dried garlic or garlic powder (optional)

Place sweet potatoes on the bottom of the slow cooker; put whole steak and green beans on top. Add water, bay leaf, and garlic. Cover and cook for 10 hours on low, checking the water level occasionally. Allow to cool, and puree/blend to the texture of your choice. Serve warm, or chill for a few hours prior to freezing. Can be stored frozen for up to 3 months.

**I have found that the food processor worked best on this one, and on all beef recipes. A handheld food mill is also great when babies can start eating a little chunkier food.**

Chicken In Disguise

2 chicken breasts, defrosted and cut into chunks

2 apples (whatever kind you like), sliced & cored

5-6 large carrots, washed and cut into chunks (you can peel them if you like, I just give them a little scrub)

1/2-1 cup of water

Pinch of dried rosemary and/or thyme

Place all of the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until chicken is tender enough to break down slightly on its own (usually about an hour). Can be pureed while hot if you are using an immersion blender; otherwise, allow to cool slightly before pureeing in a blender or food processor. Serve warm, or chill for a few hours prior to freezing. Can be stored frozen for up to 3 months.

Sprout's Favourite Breakfast

1 can coconut milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup oatmeal (either ground or not, up to you)

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 tsp cinnamon (if you're doing spices)

2-3 apples or pears, cored and diced (skin on/off, again up to you - I leave the skin on)

Put the coconut milk, water, and oatmeal into a saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and add fruit and cinnamon (if using), then cover and simmer until fruit is soft enough to be mashed with a fork. Puree or blend to a texture you are comfortable with. Serve warm, or chill for a few hours prior to freezing. Can be kept frozen for up to 3 months.

You may have to adjust the measurements accordingly...I kind of just wing it, so I tried to narrow it down! You may use more/less water and more/less oatmeal, but the coconut milk is always one can, and the fruit measurements are pretty accurate. I have done this recipe with apples, pears, figs, blueberries, and mangoes, and Sprout seems to LOVE anything made with oatmeal and coconut milk - and I have to admit, I couldn't help but take spoonfuls of the blueberry batch - YUM!

For now, it's off to dreamland for Mommy, Sprout. Time to get some shut-eye and dream up a few new recipes. The neighbour said she made ratatouille for her little guy. Maybe we'll be adventurous and give it a whirl! Get ready for some more new tasty treats. It won't be as bad as the curried sweet potatoes or roasted beets, I promise.

xoxoxo

Mommy

Feeling funky?

After last week's episode of Glee, which the husband and I watched last night (thank you, PVR), I couldn't help but noticing that I've been feeling rather down and in a funk myself. Not as fun when the world around you doesn't break into song and dance every 10 minutes or so. I could do it on my own, but I think I might get thrown into a psych ward. Sure, my days do consist of many different songs and dances to entertain Sprout, but it's not quite the same.

I have no idea why I have been feeling so out of it lately. It's like I have no motivation anymore. I think that I have finally fallen victim to the hurried, busy life that I have created for myself over the past 7 months. All things considered, I'm pretty impressed that I have lasted until now.

Here's the shit I've had to deal with for the last little while (oh, listen to me whine...just for a little):

- Baby. Breastfeeding. Pumping incessantly. Doctors.

- Thyroid flareup. Hair loss. Mood swings.

- NO period. (NOT pregnant) Cramps for weeks.

- Going back to work at 3 months post-partum. BIG mistake.

- Teething. Screaming. Fever. Miserable baby. (This is a recent development)

- Giving dog away. Tolerating other annoying dog.

- Grandpa dying in the midst of Sprout's arrival and first two months.

- Money. Lack thereof. Stress.

- Taking on too much outside of baby and work.

I think I'm just burning out. I wouldn't call it depression, but more along the lines of exhaustion. Even the things that I normally love doing (singing, playing piano, guitar, writing, and a new development - sewing/crafting) seem tedious. All I want to do is take a nap! I'm having a hard time getting motivated to do the fun stuff, let alone clean the house. The days that I have to work in the evenings, I just want to sit around with Sprout (especially if she's in a mood) in my pj's until I absolutely have to shower and get ready. And then I go to work, and have to physically exert myself and scramble to get home before 10:30pm so I can pump and get to bed.

All of this is just me whining about life, and it's ridiculous, but isn't that what a blog is supposed to be about? Boring people writing boring journal entries about their boring lives? Who the hell reads this crap, anyways?

Wow, listen to me...and really, my life is not all that difficult. I constantly remind myself that I have the happiest, easiest baby I have ever met (most days), and that we are so lucky that the husband has such an amazing job, or else we would have lost our house when I was off on modified rest at 25 weeks. Life will always throw curveballs, and there will always be the "woe is me" days, but I have to throw aside all the self-pitying bullshit and be thankful for what I do have. My family is healthy and happy, and we have done an excellent job of taking care of Sprout so far. She is so beautiful, and extremely easygoing. Let's hope she keeps the laid-back personality into her teen years.

I can hear the soft tapping of fat raindrops on my windows now, and can smell that familiar damp scent wafting through my open ensuite window. Growing up in the city, the smell of rain differs much from the deliciously fresh top notes that arise from open fields of grass, wheat, or barley. We smell wet asphalt and we go "mmmm...". Gross, isn't it? But still...(sniffing).

Enjoy the extra ambiance during your nap, little Sprout.

xoxoxo

Mommy

Rollin', rollin', rollin'...my little girl is rollin'.

Let the babyproofing begin! Ack! I can't believe it's time for this already. That newest realization slapped me in the face yesterday when Sprout rolled across the living room rug and got stuck underneath one of my armchairs. As funny as it was to watch her little legs kick in frustration, I've got to do something about keeping her contained and safe now that she is moving around.

I'm pretty sure she's got a little Zoolander in her, as she seems to prefer rolling to the left. That, and her hilarious poses for the camera...sigh. She's getting so big, so quickly.

Yesterday also marked another new development in Sprout's (and my) life - finger foods! I started her on solids at about 4.5 months, and she has rapidly progressed through almost every fruit, vegetable, and meat, and we've been introducing spices for the past couple of weeks (she looooves her morning cereal even more now that it contains cinnamon). I've given her a few things here and there to munch on with her hands - teething biscuits mostly, and pieces of fruit in those little mesh bags - and she really likes being able to feed herself. So I thought, why not try it with some of her dinner food, now that it has more substance and texture? Ahhh. Good idea? Well...it was sure funny!

I plopped a scoop of mashed potatoes onto her high chair tray and waited. And watched. And waited. It only took her a couple of seconds before she grabbed the whole pile with both hands and squished it between her fingers. Seeming very satisfied with herself, she proceeded to continue mashing the starchy mess all over her hands and the tray. Inadvertently, one of her hands ended up in her mouth, and her reaction just about made me drop to the floor in laughter. Her little eyes bugged out of her head, and she turned to look at me with a huge grin on her face, as if to say "HEY! If I grab that stuff and then put my hands in my mouth, I can EAT IT!?" I don't think I've ever laughed that hard in my life! Once she came to the conclusion that she could actually feed herself, it was a flurry of fistfuls of potatoes, flying from the tray to her mouth quicker than she could effectively grab at the food.

The cleanup? Horrible. There were potatoes everywhere. In her hair, hands, nose, eyes, ears, and all over her sleeper, and then there was the high chair. I cleaned it out last night and again this morning, and I swear when I took her out of it after her breakfast, I saw a chunk of potato fall onto the floor. Whatever it was, it wasn't there for long - thank goodness for dogs!

Was the experience worth the result? Absolutely! I am continually amazed with Sprout's development and her fine motor skills, and can't wait to try some more finger foods as she gets a little bit bigger and hopefully gains a tooth or two. I was one proud mama last night, as I tucked Sprout in and she snuggled her lamb, rolled away from me, and shut her eyes. And then I cried. If you are reading this and you have a little one under six months old, hold onto those first months - they fly by way too quickly, and as fun as each new stage is, I always find myself wondering how we got there so fast!

Well, another day of dragging my Sprout around town lies ahead post-naptime. Get your rest, baby, it's going to be a big day!

xoxoxo

Mommy