Adventures in Baby Food

Once Kenleigh turned 4 months old we started trying out some food.  She was seeming like she was always hungry and sometimes fussy.  She also watched us eat very intently and had started reaching for our plates and cups.  Those are some signs that a baby might be ready and the pediatrician gave us the go ahead at our 4 month appointment.  

I had decided before K was born that I wanted to make my own baby food.  My main reason was the ingredients in a jar of baby food are unrecognizable and it is somewhat disturbing to me that you can have a jar of bananas that stay good for much longer than a banana should be good.  I guess I have taken some what of a granola approach at baby raising when it comes to what is going into her perfect little body.  However, I now have another reason....cost!  I found these little pouches of organic baby food with very few ingredients, but they are $1.49 each.  That is only for one food and one serving of that food.  I can make pears for .30 each serving!  That is $1.19 savings at each meal.  That would add up!  I can make apples for .38 per serving.  Therefore, I have more money left over to buy cute clothes for this little baby girl!  :)  It is a win for all....K gets healthy food and cute clothes....I get to shop more...My husband is happy that I am saving money!  And...it doesn't take long at all!  I need to get more organized and prepare larger batches at a time, but she isn't really eating that much yet, so it has been working fine so far.  

I have a handy dandy baby bullet that purees the food, but I'm sure you can use any blender or food processor.  You simply steam the fruit or veggie...add a little water and blend.  Then you can pour it in to ice cube trays or little trays that are made for baby food.  I freeze pretty much everything I make and then I thaw it as needed.  Once K starts eating more on a regular basis, I will thaw food in the fridge the night before, so it is ready to go for the next day. So far, I have made sweet potatoes, apples, pears, peas and asparagus. Kenleigh has tried cereal, sweet potatoes and pears.  Tomorrow she gets to try apples!  Yummy!

An attempt at Paleo

I've been reading a lot about different ways to eat/diet and one that stood out to me was the Paleo Diet.  In a nutshell you eat like cave people!  They were hunters and gatherers.  The diet eliminates dairy, grains, sugar and all processed foods.  You focus on eating real foods...meats, fruits, veggies and nuts.  Initially, I thought I would do this 100% for 30 days and see how I felt.  I've been doing more reading and I think realistically I can probably eat this way 80% of the time.  I think that cutting out processed food is a great start to eating this way.  I don't really need to be consuming loads of sugar, so I plan to cut that out as well...except for the occasional cupcake!  :)  Let's be real people!  As for dairy...I've noticed that when I have too much dairy, Kenleigh gets a really bad tummy ache, so I've already tried to cut back.  Grains are going to be the hardest thing to cut out.  I'm a carboholic!  Today was day one and I was 100% cave girl!  :)  My goal is to lose the rest of this baby weight safely and healthily and to be an overall healthy person.  I also want to be in the habit of eating lots of fruits and veggies, so that when the time comes, I will be a good food role model for KG.  I've heard day 3-4 are the hardest...I'll keep you posted.

Spring Break

Who says that almost 30 year olds don't still have Spring Break?  Last week we celebrated Spring Break with Trey, Kayse, my Mama, and the lovely Shurack girls.  We had a great time and packed a lot of fun into just a few short days!

The week started with picking up Trey and Kayse in Baltimore on Tuesday!  We decided to take advantage of being in Baltimore and we went to see the Inner Harbor.  We planned to take a tour of the 4 historic ships, but we missed the last tour, so we toured the aquarium instead.  It wasn't the best aquarium in the world, but we still had a fun time.

KG loves her Uncle Bubba!

One of the ships we did not get to see. :(

The boys with the baby

Adorable couple!  Seriously!!!!

My family!

Another cool ship...guess we will be making another trip to Baltimore!

Wednesday morning I took Kayse and Trey into DC to see a few of the monuments.  It was fast and furious, but it was good exercise and we got to see the new MLK memorial.  

That afternoon we picked up the Shuracks and Nonni and headed directly to the beach!  It was perfect weather, an awesome hotel...but the trip was just too short.  We did soak up a few rays and sat by the pool during the day.  For dinner we had some amazing seafood, took a walk down the boardwalk, ate ice cream, chatted by the fire and played games!  Sadly the very next morning we had to leave! :(

Eating at Mahi Mah's

Beach Baby!

Eating breakfast at Citrus!  Best french toast I have ever had!

The beautiful Shurack girls!

We left the beach for a girls shopping day in Georgetown and the boys headed to the gun range.  I got some cute new clothes that are NOT maternity!  They aren't my pre-preg size, but they are cute and will be good transition clothes while I'm working on it.  And no trip to Georgetown is complete without cupcakes! These are my FAVORITE cupcakes in the world...and I've tried a lot of cupcakes.  We finished off the trip with pizza and games and sadly said "see ya later" the next morning!  Please come back and see us soon!

My little Chick-a-dee!

Over the past few days I have had a blast dressing KG in all of her cute Spring/Easter outfits.  They are way too cute to only be for Easter!  Kenleigh is getting more and more fun and has the funniest little personality!  She loves to squeak, squeal and babble and her most favorite activity is grabbing her toes and rolling up in to a ball.  She has had a bit of a runny nose, but never stops smiling.  These are a few of my faves!

Cherry Blossoms!

Ever since we found out we were moving here, we have heard that we had to see the cherry blossoms!  So...today was the peak day and it worked out with our schedule, so we checked it out!  It definitely did not disappoint!  If you ever are planning a trip to the area, cherry blossom time would be a great choice!

By the way...if you have any type of fancy pants camera, this is the place to go!  Great photo ops and tons of people who know how to work your camera can take a picture of your entire family!  Bonus!  It was a beautiful morning and it wasn't too terribly crowded.  

Spring Break 2012

Must Haves!

I know that we were totally overwhelmed with baby "stuff" when we started registering and shopping.  So, I thought I would compile a list of my personal favorites and things I could not live without!

1.  The Boppy pillow-  This bad boy has multiple uses and we have used it from day 1 and still use it now.  If you are nursing, it is a great support pillow.  Also, we have used it to prop her up and now I can sit her up in it and she can play.  And I guess you could use it for a neck pillow on a plane, too!  :)

2.  The Baby Einstein Playmat-  Kenleigh loves this!  It is great entertainment for her and it allows me to do other things for a short period of time.  She has just recently started rolling off of it, so I'm not sure we will use it too much longer.

3.  The BOB Revolution stroller- I debated whether this stroller was actually worth the money...It is worth every penny!  It is awesome!  I compared lots of joggers and this puppy was the best in all categories.  Thanks to my sweet Mama, we were able to get it!

4.  Pampers Swaddlers and Pampers Sensitive wipes-  I'm sure every diaper is good in their own way, but we tried several kinds and these are my favorite!  They are a soft material and have the fancy yellow line to know if they are wet.

5.  Medela Swing Pump-  I only pump about once a day.  It suits my needs and also has batteries so you can use it on the go.

6.  Summer Infant video Monitor-  This thing is awesome!  It has video and sound.  We have the one you can carry around.  It is perfect, because our TV room is on the opposite side of the house from K's room.  We can see what she is doing all the time without having to go into her room at every sound.

I think those are the big things that we LOVE!  Some other things that have been great are boogie wipes, the little toys that hang from the carseat bar, zip up jammies, and swaddle sacks!

One thing I WOULD NOT buy again is:
Safety 1st Froggy bathtub- It leaks...it is a pain...I don't like it!

4 months old!

Yum Yum!  Rice cereal!

I love my little piggy!

Happy 4 month old girl!

4 months old!

Tummy time!

Uncle Bubba

My friend Whitley

Relaxing in the tub

Hanging out with my friend Camden

Kenleigh and Nonni

Kenleigh and Mimi

Kenleigh and sweet Miranda

Kenleigh and Steph

Happy girl loving her bath!

You are growing up way too fast!  This month you traveled with Mommy to Texas.  We spent 2 weeks hanging out at Nonni and Papaw’s house.  We saw lots of friends and family, and even Uncle Trey came home from Lubbock to see you for a few days.  This month you have started playing in the jumparoo and exersaucer, but you need a pillow under your feet because you are still too short.  You love to lay on your back and kick on your playmat.  You really love to put your fingers in your mouth and you have just started grabbing toys with 2 hands and bringing them to your mouth.  You like to snuggle with your lovies, but you put them over your face and it scares Mommy and Daddy!  You light up with a smile when Mommy and Daddy talk to you or come to get you up from a nap and it is the cutest thing ever!  You are napping better and sleeping for 8-9 hours at a time at night!  At your Dr. appointment, you weighed 15 lbs, 3.8 oz. and you are 25 inches long!  That put you in the 73% for weight and 76% for height.  On your 4^th month birthday, we tried to give you rice cereal for the first time.  You opened your mouth for each bite, but you spit most of it back out.  I think we will wait another week or so and then try again.  We can’t wait to see how you continue to grow each day!