Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
JAY WALKING!
TA-DAH!
These were taken on September 9 (Friday) and 10 (Saturday morning in his jammies). By Saturday afternoon he was walking everywhere and even tried to run while following Weston and Davis.
**sorry for the shaky cinematography, stuffy nose and high pitched "Walk to Mommy" over and over. I have a lot to learn before I make my big screen directorial debut.**
These were taken on September 9 (Friday) and 10 (Saturday morning in his jammies). By Saturday afternoon he was walking everywhere and even tried to run while following Weston and Davis.
**sorry for the shaky cinematography, stuffy nose and high pitched "Walk to Mommy" over and over. I have a lot to learn before I make my big screen directorial debut.**
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Because life is funny...
Since posting the results of our 1st week of the food challenge Jay has eaten:
6-7 chicken nuggets
2 entire packages of Banana Cream Pudding
Goldfish
10 French Fries
at least a gallon or two of Milk and Water
3 Soft Batch Cookies
1 Biscuit
Last Tuesday Jay spiked a fever, stopped eating all together, then broke out in a rash covering 1/2 his body, followed by major tummy troubles. After 9 days I am happy to report we are fever and bump free with a normal poop rotation.
So, maybe we will get back to the wholesome and balanced road sometime soon. I hope this virus-triggered hunger strike has not put an end to my great eater all together. I suppose only time will tell..
This is just another lesson in life's unpredictability and a testament to the fact that we're all only human. Oh, and you cannot force a 13 month old to eat. It is LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
6-7 chicken nuggets
2 entire packages of Banana Cream Pudding
Goldfish
10 French Fries
at least a gallon or two of Milk and Water
3 Soft Batch Cookies
1 Biscuit
Last Tuesday Jay spiked a fever, stopped eating all together, then broke out in a rash covering 1/2 his body, followed by major tummy troubles. After 9 days I am happy to report we are fever and bump free with a normal poop rotation.
So, maybe we will get back to the wholesome and balanced road sometime soon. I hope this virus-triggered hunger strike has not put an end to my great eater all together. I suppose only time will tell..
This is just another lesson in life's unpredictability and a testament to the fact that we're all only human. Oh, and you cannot force a 13 month old to eat. It is LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
Friday, September 2, 2011
13 Months
One year and one month have (almost) gone by. Here's what's new with Jay these days.
Teeth: 11
Clothes: 18 months, but our options are becoming limited.
Diapers: Size 5-Huggies Slip-Ons are making our changes easier these days.
New Vocabulary Words: "Done", "No"(luckily he only repeats that one, he has not learned to use it at will), "Gur-key" (Turkey), "Dede", "Sadie" (Our friend Miss Sadie Chavers-he's repeated her name a few times), "Fan", "Liieee" (Light), "Goo-kie" (Cookie), "Cheeesssee" and he says two syllables after Mommy sneezes, I think they are "Bless You" :)
Animal Sounds: Sheep, Cow, Doggie, Kitty, Duck, SNAKE (that little "hissssss" is my new favorite), Monkey, Horse (50/50)
Can Idenitfy: Tummy, Foot, Nose, Mouth, Tongue, Ears, Eyes (75% of the time), Hands (50/50)
Mobility: Walking up to 10 steps if you get him balanced and give him someone to walk to. He will cruise and take 3-5 steps on his own several times a day. I'm still waiting for the day *(soon)* that he becomes a "walker". He loves all of his push toys (including the dogs) and they have a zillion miles on them in the few weeks since his birthday.
More fun: Jay can really "play" with lots of toys now the way they were meant to be played. He uses a shape sorter and tries all of the various options until he gets it right. He knows that blocks are for building and knocking over, not just shaking and throwing. He rolls trucks and cars while making VROOM sounds. He attempts to put Little People in the barn with the animals instead of blocks and balls. It is really fascinating to see how much he learns in a week or even a day.
Any toy or video (there are many) that play the tune "If You're Happy and You Know It.." will make Jay stop whatever he is doing and clap his hands along at the right time. He gets the biggest grin and looks to make sure I'm watching and it makes me SO proud.
He knows "Pat-a-Cake" and parts of the "Itsy-Bitsy Spider"...all of this is almost unbelievable and he knew none of it a month ago.
He'sobsessed with interested in my camera these days. Says "cheessseee" when I take the first picture then tries to wrestle it away from me....
he wants to look at the preview window on the back and say "Jay" over and over. Goofball.
We have so much fun together these days. I'm so thankful, honored and humbled that I get to be his Mommy all day, every day. I just hope he's as proud of me as I am of him.
Teeth: 11
Clothes: 18 months, but our options are becoming limited.
Diapers: Size 5-Huggies Slip-Ons are making our changes easier these days.
New Vocabulary Words: "Done", "No"(luckily he only repeats that one, he has not learned to use it at will), "Gur-key" (Turkey), "Dede", "Sadie" (Our friend Miss Sadie Chavers-he's repeated her name a few times), "Fan", "Liieee" (Light), "Goo-kie" (Cookie), "Cheeesssee" and he says two syllables after Mommy sneezes, I think they are "Bless You" :)
Animal Sounds: Sheep, Cow, Doggie, Kitty, Duck, SNAKE (that little "hissssss" is my new favorite), Monkey, Horse (50/50)
Can Idenitfy: Tummy, Foot, Nose, Mouth, Tongue, Ears, Eyes (75% of the time), Hands (50/50)
Mobility: Walking up to 10 steps if you get him balanced and give him someone to walk to. He will cruise and take 3-5 steps on his own several times a day. I'm still waiting for the day *(soon)* that he becomes a "walker". He loves all of his push toys (including the dogs) and they have a zillion miles on them in the few weeks since his birthday.
More fun: Jay can really "play" with lots of toys now the way they were meant to be played. He uses a shape sorter and tries all of the various options until he gets it right. He knows that blocks are for building and knocking over, not just shaking and throwing. He rolls trucks and cars while making VROOM sounds. He attempts to put Little People in the barn with the animals instead of blocks and balls. It is really fascinating to see how much he learns in a week or even a day.
Any toy or video (there are many) that play the tune "If You're Happy and You Know It.." will make Jay stop whatever he is doing and clap his hands along at the right time. He gets the biggest grin and looks to make sure I'm watching and it makes me SO proud.
He knows "Pat-a-Cake" and parts of the "Itsy-Bitsy Spider"...all of this is almost unbelievable and he knew none of it a month ago.
He's
he wants to look at the preview window on the back and say "Jay" over and over. Goofball.
We have so much fun together these days. I'm so thankful, honored and humbled that I get to be his Mommy all day, every day. I just hope he's as proud of me as I am of him.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Easy ABC's
This was a fun little decor project for Jay's room. I completed it a month or more ago, but just got it mounted on the wall this week.
$0.99 Letters from Hobby Lobby
Spray paint- I did his initials in lime green, all the other letters in his name are white and the left over letters are blue or turquoise.
I attached the letters with small wooden craft sticks on the back and hot glue and mounted with 6 velcro Command strips.
$0.99 Letters from Hobby Lobby
Food Challenge: Week 1
Something you should know before we get started: As a rule, I am the most boring grocery shopper ever. It really NEVER occurs to me to "shop" while I'm getting groceries. I buy what I know and that is it. I am largely brand-loyal and boring. Some of these things may seem like no-brainers to you but for me this week has really been shaking things up. Overall I think week 1 went well for all of us!
Wednesday Lunch:
Black Bean and Cheese Quesadilla-whole wheat tortilla with mashed black beans, cheddar cheese, toasted (I didn't want to cook it in a pan with added butter), pineapple
Result: Jay loved it! Very Easy. Day 1 is a success.
Thursday Lunch:
Egg Salad Sammy-Easy and a no-brainer? Check and check..BUT since we're breaking the mold here Jay had cereal (like a big-kid) and fruit for breakfast and he is not a big meat-eater, so I thought Egg Salad for lunch would be a good way to get in some protein.
Result: B, the only negative being that Jay isn't really wild about cold foods, but we're learning!
Thursday Dinner:
Chicken and Broccoli Penne the best thing about this recipe? I had everything to make it already at my house! Fast and simple. It's amazing what happens when you look at the back of the box! *Note: I used some Tyson Simply Grilled diced chicken that was already in my freezer, so my version was even faster and easier. Also, I think it would serve 6 people easily. I froze half and we still had leftovers.
Result: A
Friday Snack:
Yummy Muffins from this Yummy Recipe I found over at The Mastins-Whitney mentions when giving the recipe that it could be a little sweeter, so I added about a cup of Golden Raisins that I just had in the pantry. The muffins were good and veggie-packed, Jay ate two for snack.
Result: B+, Daddio was not a fan, but I drizzled just a touch of cream cheese frosting on some that we ate for breakfast and they were much better for him.
Saturday Breakfast:
Multi-grain frozen waffles, cream cheese and strawberries
Result: A+ added bonus of the house not smelling like Waffle House. :)
Sunday Dinner:
Pre-made refrigerated Spinach and Cheese Ravioli--yes, it was convenient and another good way to get a few servings of veggies in without heating up canned, processed veggies, so it achieved my main goal. It was very quick and something I've never tried before. I probably could have made a more wholesome choice here, but it's better than spaghettios and something we could all eat.
Result: C, Fast but a tad "blah".
Monday Leftovers.
Tuesday Lunch:
Chicken Salad and Crackers, Hummus and Crackers and fruit
Result: A++. The hummus was very well received! Maybe it will be helpful as we add more meats and veggies.
That wraps up week 1. I hope to continue our challenge next week so we can keep expanding our wholesome food horizons. I'd love to hear what your kids are eating and what keeps things interesting and healthy for you!
Wednesday Lunch:
Black Bean and Cheese Quesadilla-whole wheat tortilla with mashed black beans, cheddar cheese, toasted (I didn't want to cook it in a pan with added butter), pineapple
Result: Jay loved it! Very Easy. Day 1 is a success.
Thursday Lunch:
Egg Salad Sammy-Easy and a no-brainer? Check and check..BUT since we're breaking the mold here Jay had cereal (like a big-kid) and fruit for breakfast and he is not a big meat-eater, so I thought Egg Salad for lunch would be a good way to get in some protein.
Result: B, the only negative being that Jay isn't really wild about cold foods, but we're learning!
Thursday Dinner:
Chicken and Broccoli Penne the best thing about this recipe? I had everything to make it already at my house! Fast and simple. It's amazing what happens when you look at the back of the box! *Note: I used some Tyson Simply Grilled diced chicken that was already in my freezer, so my version was even faster and easier. Also, I think it would serve 6 people easily. I froze half and we still had leftovers.
Result: A
Friday Snack:
Yummy Muffins from this Yummy Recipe I found over at The Mastins-Whitney mentions when giving the recipe that it could be a little sweeter, so I added about a cup of Golden Raisins that I just had in the pantry. The muffins were good and veggie-packed, Jay ate two for snack.
Result: B+, Daddio was not a fan, but I drizzled just a touch of cream cheese frosting on some that we ate for breakfast and they were much better for him.
Saturday Breakfast:
Multi-grain frozen waffles, cream cheese and strawberries
Result: A+ added bonus of the house not smelling like Waffle House. :)
Sunday Dinner:
Pre-made refrigerated Spinach and Cheese Ravioli--yes, it was convenient and another good way to get a few servings of veggies in without heating up canned, processed veggies, so it achieved my main goal. It was very quick and something I've never tried before. I probably could have made a more wholesome choice here, but it's better than spaghettios and something we could all eat.
Result: C, Fast but a tad "blah".
Monday Leftovers.
Tuesday Lunch:
Chicken Salad and Crackers, Hummus and Crackers and fruit
Result: A++. The hummus was very well received! Maybe it will be helpful as we add more meats and veggies.
That wraps up week 1. I hope to continue our challenge next week so we can keep expanding our wholesome food horizons. I'd love to hear what your kids are eating and what keeps things interesting and healthy for you!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Issuing a challenge
I receive a number of daily emails from parenting and pregnancy websites and magazines filled with updates on safety recalls, top 10 tips for getting baby to do this or that, shedding baby weight, etc. Usually I scan through a few every day or so, sometimes while in line on errands, waiting for Jay to wake up and what not.
Because I scan through them haphazardly, I retain very little of the information but one tid-bit I read months ago has stuck in the back of my mind for months-
"If you ate only what your child ate for a week, would you be healthy?"
I have to say, the answer is yes, probably healthier than if I am making the choices for myself. But this week I've asked myself, "But would you be bored?" again I think the answer is YES.
At 13 months Jay's daily menu looks like this-
Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg with a dash of ketchup, 1 biscuit with grape jelly and 1/2 cup of fruit, 8 oz. whole milk.
Lunch-Chicken Noodle soup, Spaghettios, Ravioli, Beefaroni, or maybe some leftover pasta, veggies like green beans or Lima beans or cooked carrots, 1/2 cup of fruit 8 oz. whole milk
Snack: YoBaby yogurt, vanilla goldfish or a fig newton, milk
Dinner: Veggies (above) pasta or starch that we are having for dinner, 1/2 cup fruit (almost always strawberries, pineapple, occasionally melon)
Every.Single.Day.
While I take a great deal of pride in his balanced, colorful meals and the fact that overall he is a good eater, I am somewhat ashamed by the fact that lunch and snacks everyday are canned-pre-made and boring.
So, I'm challenging myself over the next few weeks. My goal is to introduce new foods and present balanced meals everyday that are outside of our standard, mindless grab a can from the pantry and nuke it.
Not that I am trying to become a baby gourmet, but the hope is that everyday we will be able to enjoy new meals while maintaining the easy mealtimes that we both love.
Wish us (all) luck!
Because I scan through them haphazardly, I retain very little of the information but one tid-bit I read months ago has stuck in the back of my mind for months-
"If you ate only what your child ate for a week, would you be healthy?"
I have to say, the answer is yes, probably healthier than if I am making the choices for myself. But this week I've asked myself, "But would you be bored?" again I think the answer is YES.
At 13 months Jay's daily menu looks like this-
Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg with a dash of ketchup, 1 biscuit with grape jelly and 1/2 cup of fruit, 8 oz. whole milk.
Lunch-Chicken Noodle soup, Spaghettios, Ravioli, Beefaroni, or maybe some leftover pasta, veggies like green beans or Lima beans or cooked carrots, 1/2 cup of fruit 8 oz. whole milk
Snack: YoBaby yogurt, vanilla goldfish or a fig newton, milk
Dinner: Veggies (above) pasta or starch that we are having for dinner, 1/2 cup fruit (almost always strawberries, pineapple, occasionally melon)
Every.Single.Day.
While I take a great deal of pride in his balanced, colorful meals and the fact that overall he is a good eater, I am somewhat ashamed by the fact that lunch and snacks everyday are canned-pre-made and boring.
So, I'm challenging myself over the next few weeks. My goal is to introduce new foods and present balanced meals everyday that are outside of our standard, mindless grab a can from the pantry and nuke it.
Not that I am trying to become a baby gourmet, but the hope is that everyday we will be able to enjoy new meals while maintaining the easy mealtimes that we both love.
Wish us (all) luck!
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