Thanks Emily, for the idea...
So what if I...
*Don't clean the floor often enough even though my child licks it
*Let the dog and the baby play with the same toys - oh how it entertains Sam and gives me a break!
*Don't always leave the house during the day
*Hide LOTS of things under the bed (and we have many beds!)
*Eat ice cream at least once a day! (And sometimes twice, oops)
*Can still wear clothes from high school, and possibly junior high :-(
*Love my husband enough to let him sleep in just about all the time - but then secretly get mad when he takes advantage....
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Making baby food..
So I am making my own baby food today. I have done a little before - mostly because I had a whole bunch of home-grown pears and I couldn't eat them all fast enough. But now I'm getting into it.
So today I bought (for baby food making) organic apples, organic pears, bananas, organic squash, organic carrots and sweet potatos.
How did I decide which to buy organic...mostly from this article: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/01/dirty.dozen.produce.pesticide/index.html?hpt=C2
though I do plan to read more.
Cost of organic jar of 4 oz baby food (and they were on sale today: $.89)
Cost of carrots - $2.19 and the bag made approximately 20 oz or 5 jars and amounts to a savings of $2.26
Cost of apples - $1.94 and the 3 I bought made approximately 14 oz or 3.5 jars and amounts to a savings of $1.17
I have yet to do the others...it may wait till tomorrow. I got these done (and ate lunch) during Sam's mid-day nap!
The baby carrots were already washed and peeled, though I did wash again then I boiled. With some of the boiled water I pureed them with my magic bullet. (I'm sure a blender would work too, but the bullet is smaller for cleaning)
The apples I peeled with a vegetable peeler (because I'm really bad skinning with a knife) then cut into pieces and steamed. I added a little water and pureed these too.
Then pour into ice cube trays and freeze. I think it would last a few days in the fridge also, but I never know how fast Sam will eat it. Plus I also still have a bunch of jars that I bought recently and I like to give her variety every day.
I prefer to defrost in hot/boiling water (be sure to use a safe glass container like a measuring cup - I broke one of our glasses using it...) because I think the microwave could damage some of the nutrients, but the microwave will work too and be a little bit faster.
So today I bought (for baby food making) organic apples, organic pears, bananas, organic squash, organic carrots and sweet potatos.
How did I decide which to buy organic...mostly from this article: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/01/dirty.dozen.produce.pesticide/index.html?hpt=C2
though I do plan to read more.
Cost of organic jar of 4 oz baby food (and they were on sale today: $.89)
Cost of carrots - $2.19 and the bag made approximately 20 oz or 5 jars and amounts to a savings of $2.26
Cost of apples - $1.94 and the 3 I bought made approximately 14 oz or 3.5 jars and amounts to a savings of $1.17
I have yet to do the others...it may wait till tomorrow. I got these done (and ate lunch) during Sam's mid-day nap!
The baby carrots were already washed and peeled, though I did wash again then I boiled. With some of the boiled water I pureed them with my magic bullet. (I'm sure a blender would work too, but the bullet is smaller for cleaning)
The apples I peeled with a vegetable peeler (because I'm really bad skinning with a knife) then cut into pieces and steamed. I added a little water and pureed these too.
Then pour into ice cube trays and freeze. I think it would last a few days in the fridge also, but I never know how fast Sam will eat it. Plus I also still have a bunch of jars that I bought recently and I like to give her variety every day.
I prefer to defrost in hot/boiling water (be sure to use a safe glass container like a measuring cup - I broke one of our glasses using it...) because I think the microwave could damage some of the nutrients, but the microwave will work too and be a little bit faster.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Christmas Card 2010
Dazzle And Shine Christmas 5x7 folded card
Create modern Christmas cards at Shutterfly.
View the entire collection of cards.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Holiday Card Bargain - Just Do It!
So I guess I'm a little behind because I have yet to get Christmas cards. And yes, two of my sister-in-laws shamed me when I got their cards in the mail Tuesday! The past few years it seems more and more people are sending photo cards and I absolutely love it. I love seeing everyone's families growing and what they've been up to during the year. Its so fun!
So shutterfly is making it easy for bloggers to get Christmas cards this year with their awesome giveaway:.
They have quite a card collection so I'm sure you'll find the perfect one for your family. Check out their Christmas cards.
I personally like this one:
Also, if you're quite behind like me, you could always do a New Year's Card or a photo calendar
They definitely have good prices compared to lots of other places and if you sign up for their emails, you'll get some good promotions and discounts.
I got started with Shutterfly over 3 years ago after my wedding. So many photos and never enough time to do a scrapbook. So I added them to Shutterfly and got photobooks! Also, it was really easy to get 3 copies to give to the parents of the bride and groom. And they loved it too.
The photographer we just used uploaded the pictures to shutterfly before she got the CD to us. An easy and private way to display our pictures and right there already loaded for printing. I'm definitely excited for that and might just have to do another photobook! (Especially right now since its buy one, get the next one 50% off) That's all I've used for Sam's "baby book" because I'm just a lazy mom - or should I say techinically developed! Its all just so easy to do and so easy to personalize and have it come out just right. :-)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Its been over 6 months...
It's been more than 6 months since...
*I've slept all night
*I've had a clean shirt at the end of the day
*I've cooked dinner with both hands
But I do enjoy my little girl!!
She is sitting up all on her own, crawling backwards and army-style crawling forwards! She will go especially fast when you put down something she shouldn't have...like a phone. :-)
*I've slept all night
*I've had a clean shirt at the end of the day
*I've cooked dinner with both hands
But I do enjoy my little girl!!
She is sitting up all on her own, crawling backwards and army-style crawling forwards! She will go especially fast when you put down something she shouldn't have...like a phone. :-)
Thursday, November 4, 2010
5 months and counting
So I haven't posted a lot and this will be fairly uninteresting, but I thought I'd take a minute to comment on Sam's sleeping. I keep asking my mom questions about when I did what and she says "I dunno, I'd have to look at your baby book" Well, being the bad mom I am, I don't have a baby book for Sam, sooo, I thought I'd post here before I forget.
On sleeping. I remember the first night she went more than 5 hours (or so) was the night after my brother's wedding. She slept straight through 8 hours and I kept checking on her in the last 2 hours to make sure she was ok!! It was a tiring evening for her, so I can imagine she was exhausted! That was at 6-7 weeks of age. The 8 hours didn't happen again for a couple more weeks.
Somewhere between 3-4 months, she started regularly sleeping 8 hours, on occasion 10 hours. Of course, when she went to bed at 7pm, getting up somewhere between 2-5am was still the middle of the night for me. Her pediatrician thought this was great though, so I didn't push to have her sleep 12 hours.
She regressed right after 4 months and started waking up all the time in the middle of the night and needing to be fed at least twice just so she'd go back to sleep. I thought at first it was traveling, then maybe a growth spurt. I think now it was because I had started nursing her to sleep even at nap time (because although she was sleeping well at night, naps weren't going well) Nursing her to sleep got her to take fairly good naps, but I think it messed her up during the night. After 3 weeks of getting up with her 4-6 times and feeding at least twice in the night, we started letting her cry at nap time and I did my best not to let her fall asleep while nursing (during the day) It cured the night time wake ups within a few days. Thank goodness. Because I was so tired and irritated that she was about to be an only child forever.
So at 5 months she made her first real all-nighter by sleeping 12 hours. She has now done this twice, I think and I'm really hoping we're getting closer to this being a regular thing. She takes 2-3 naps during the day, depending on how long they are. Usually she gets pretty fussy by 6pm, but I start cereal then and bath time and nursing and she can usually make it right to 7pm before she falls asleep. I think it has been 2 weeks since she was up past 7:15pm.
Today was beautiful for sleeping. I laid her in bed for nap #1 and she cried a few minutes, I put her paci back in her mouth and she fell asleep. Nap #2 she fussed about 30 seconds and put herself to sleep. And bedtime she was a little awake and fussed once and went to sleep on her own. New trend?? I sure hope so!
Most told me letting them cry it out worked after 3-4 days. I have been doing it somewhat consistantly at nap time and not consistantly at night (because she mostly falls asleep at the end of nursing) for about 3 weeks. This is because I'm a pushover and I don't like her to cry too much. I never let her go the alloted 5 minutes (usually its 2-3 minutes) And she still pretty much needs her pacifier to fall asleep. I also am not a wonderful scheduler and when we're out or we have people over or we're at someone's house....she's a little off and I don't usually let her cry. Or she's so tired watching people in the store that she falls asleep in the car on the way home and the schedule is off.
But what I did worked for me. I don't mind that it has taken 3 weeks for her to fall asleep without crying at all. I like how I did it and it fits my schedule. I hope it starts working more often and she cries less.
We are also (finally) slowly transitioning her to her own room. We tried in the midst of the 3 weeks of wakeful nights and thought that was also a contributing factor. We are being better now and going slowly (nap time but not night time) and I hope that it helps.
I write this all so that I remember for next time that things don't work like a book (unless maybe you are as strict as the book) and that some things do work better than others. I vow not to nurse the next one to sleep (at least not every nap time) and I hope to let them cry a little more than I let Sam cry at first. And the next one will come with their own personality unique with his/her setbacks and wonderful milestones.
I also want to work harder to enjoy every age. Now that Sam is sleeping better, she is so much more joyful during the day, she grins ALL the time and laughs pretty often. She is beautifully and wonderfully made.
Thank you Lord for a gorgeous, joyful daughter!
On sleeping. I remember the first night she went more than 5 hours (or so) was the night after my brother's wedding. She slept straight through 8 hours and I kept checking on her in the last 2 hours to make sure she was ok!! It was a tiring evening for her, so I can imagine she was exhausted! That was at 6-7 weeks of age. The 8 hours didn't happen again for a couple more weeks.
Somewhere between 3-4 months, she started regularly sleeping 8 hours, on occasion 10 hours. Of course, when she went to bed at 7pm, getting up somewhere between 2-5am was still the middle of the night for me. Her pediatrician thought this was great though, so I didn't push to have her sleep 12 hours.
She regressed right after 4 months and started waking up all the time in the middle of the night and needing to be fed at least twice just so she'd go back to sleep. I thought at first it was traveling, then maybe a growth spurt. I think now it was because I had started nursing her to sleep even at nap time (because although she was sleeping well at night, naps weren't going well) Nursing her to sleep got her to take fairly good naps, but I think it messed her up during the night. After 3 weeks of getting up with her 4-6 times and feeding at least twice in the night, we started letting her cry at nap time and I did my best not to let her fall asleep while nursing (during the day) It cured the night time wake ups within a few days. Thank goodness. Because I was so tired and irritated that she was about to be an only child forever.
So at 5 months she made her first real all-nighter by sleeping 12 hours. She has now done this twice, I think and I'm really hoping we're getting closer to this being a regular thing. She takes 2-3 naps during the day, depending on how long they are. Usually she gets pretty fussy by 6pm, but I start cereal then and bath time and nursing and she can usually make it right to 7pm before she falls asleep. I think it has been 2 weeks since she was up past 7:15pm.
Today was beautiful for sleeping. I laid her in bed for nap #1 and she cried a few minutes, I put her paci back in her mouth and she fell asleep. Nap #2 she fussed about 30 seconds and put herself to sleep. And bedtime she was a little awake and fussed once and went to sleep on her own. New trend?? I sure hope so!
Most told me letting them cry it out worked after 3-4 days. I have been doing it somewhat consistantly at nap time and not consistantly at night (because she mostly falls asleep at the end of nursing) for about 3 weeks. This is because I'm a pushover and I don't like her to cry too much. I never let her go the alloted 5 minutes (usually its 2-3 minutes) And she still pretty much needs her pacifier to fall asleep. I also am not a wonderful scheduler and when we're out or we have people over or we're at someone's house....she's a little off and I don't usually let her cry. Or she's so tired watching people in the store that she falls asleep in the car on the way home and the schedule is off.
But what I did worked for me. I don't mind that it has taken 3 weeks for her to fall asleep without crying at all. I like how I did it and it fits my schedule. I hope it starts working more often and she cries less.
We are also (finally) slowly transitioning her to her own room. We tried in the midst of the 3 weeks of wakeful nights and thought that was also a contributing factor. We are being better now and going slowly (nap time but not night time) and I hope that it helps.
I write this all so that I remember for next time that things don't work like a book (unless maybe you are as strict as the book) and that some things do work better than others. I vow not to nurse the next one to sleep (at least not every nap time) and I hope to let them cry a little more than I let Sam cry at first. And the next one will come with their own personality unique with his/her setbacks and wonderful milestones.
I also want to work harder to enjoy every age. Now that Sam is sleeping better, she is so much more joyful during the day, she grins ALL the time and laughs pretty often. She is beautifully and wonderfully made.
Thank you Lord for a gorgeous, joyful daughter!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
5 months
Things did get better soon after that post. Then they went a little sour and now they are better again.
We at least have a morning routine. From there its kinda hit and miss. Sam takes 2 or 3 naps a day, at least 45 minutes sometimes as long as 2 hours (those are my lucky days)
She stays entertained alone for a little while and I'm able to get things done around the house and also to sew!
I am trying hard to get a business going. I need to be able to advertise better so I can get customers. But the products are coming and I'm getting to actually use some things myself with Samantha. I'm very excited that I'm working on 2 different quilts. I hope to have them finished soon, especially with my mom in town next week :-)
We've traveled so much of October, I'm sure that's why Sam doesn't have as much of a routine as I'd like. She also slept 12 hours the other night without feeding, but that only happened once. She has often gone 8-10 hours, but since she goes to bed at 7pm, I like the 12 hour stretch the best! I'm hoping that now that we won't be traveling till Christmas (except maaaaybe one weekend) we'll be able to enforce her schedule and she'll get back to that 12 hour night. Then maybe, just maybe, I'll get 8 hours of consecutive sleep. Oh that'll be the day!!
We at least have a morning routine. From there its kinda hit and miss. Sam takes 2 or 3 naps a day, at least 45 minutes sometimes as long as 2 hours (those are my lucky days)
She stays entertained alone for a little while and I'm able to get things done around the house and also to sew!
I am trying hard to get a business going. I need to be able to advertise better so I can get customers. But the products are coming and I'm getting to actually use some things myself with Samantha. I'm very excited that I'm working on 2 different quilts. I hope to have them finished soon, especially with my mom in town next week :-)
We've traveled so much of October, I'm sure that's why Sam doesn't have as much of a routine as I'd like. She also slept 12 hours the other night without feeding, but that only happened once. She has often gone 8-10 hours, but since she goes to bed at 7pm, I like the 12 hour stretch the best! I'm hoping that now that we won't be traveling till Christmas (except maaaaybe one weekend) we'll be able to enforce her schedule and she'll get back to that 12 hour night. Then maybe, just maybe, I'll get 8 hours of consecutive sleep. Oh that'll be the day!!
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