Mommy Moment #3

I meant for the "Mommy Moment" post to happen more frequently and offer a little a humor into our sometimes chaotic life.  Truth is, every moment is a mommy moment.  Some are a funnier than others (like when I fling poop across the room), others are sentimental, and others are just plain full of frustration.  These moments happen all day, every day and rarely do I have time to sit down and document. 

Today, however, is a real mommy moment.  Today, Kannon is 7 months old.  For the first time since Kannon was born, I looked at him not as a newborn, but as the little man is starting to become. 

Our day was easy.  We slept in, made pancakes, and laid on the living room floor.  We played outside and took a nap.  Kannon laughed, picked up blocks, and tried to crawl.  He was in charge, he made all the decision--like going for the red block instead of the blue.  He flirts, giggles, and knows how to get attention.  Kannon is a charmer. 

7 months ago, Kannon was just being born.  He was perfect, peaceful, content, and my heart grew bigger than ever.  He is still perfect and peaceful, but he is so much fun now!  I am not going to lie, I loved him as an infant and can't wait to share those days again with bean#2 but this age is so amazing!  Everyday is full of learning and everyday my heart grows bigger and bigger at the awesomeness that is motherhood. 

No poop in this mommy moment, just straight up love.  Happy 7 months.

solid sundays:: spice it up!

Kannon loved this week's food exploration.  He discovered mangoes, his new favorite treat and the wonders of spices.  We were able to turn those carrot frowns upside down with the simple addition of a few spices and reward all his chomping with some yummy frozen mango.

Mangoes::
Peel and dice mangoes and gently steam for a few minutes just to soften the fruit.  Puree and freeze in ice cube trays.

Kannon LOVED mangoes.  He slurps them right down and wiggles his hands and feet with excitement.  I can see why--they are sweet, tangy, and have a pudding like texture.  I will admit I bought 2 mangoes for Kannon but 1 disappeared into my breakfast :)

We mixed mangoes with everything in site.  Carrots, strawberries, sweet potatoes, butternut squash all found themselves companions with mangoes.  These combinations must have been tasty, because Kannon fought us tooth and nail when we tried to give him just sweet potatoes or just apples.  He is under the mango spell, so I am off to the store first thing to replenish our mango stash.

Spices::
Spices don't appear nearly often enough in baby food.  All around the world, babies are being introduced to cinnamon, curry, ginger, cloves, turmeric and more.  Yet our baby food stays rather bland.  We discovered the world of spices and began adding little bits to highlight already delicious food. 

This week Kannon got a taste of::
Carrots with Curry Powder
Carrots with Turmeric
Apples with Cinnamon
Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon
Butternut Squash with Cinnamon

I think the spices caught him by surprise.  I gave him a bowl of carrots and he hesitated at first, took a bite, and was excited for the next round.  His carrot rejection disappeared!  In a few months, baby food will be easier as Kannon grows to eat more like Dale and I do.  The opportunities are limitless...garlic, herbs, bring it on!

Finger Foods::
Steamed apple rings--core and slice an apple in rings, steam until soft, and freeze for later use
Rye Bread
Strawberry--cut into very small pieces

Next Week Preview::
Asparagus--already made and ready for eating!!!
Lentils
Parsnip

Every so often I find myself staring at already made baby food in the the store.  Sometimes my week is busy, or I want to try something without making a huge batch.  Our selection of organic or locally grown produce is scarce and I am tempted to buy the 89 cent jars.  Every time, I walk away and reach for fresh or even frozen produce instead.  The truth is, making baby food is really easy.  We don't eat TV dinners or processed food so why should Kannon eat out of a jar? The food I make for him is already food I am making for us---I just puree it, so why spend the 89 cents?

mama confesses:: addictions

I have so many addictions.  Addictions to chocolate, food, my camera, long walks, new places, my son, my husband, my computer....

My computer has always been a problem.  Ever since I got my first laptop as freshman college student, my computer found a way to distract me from term papers, studying, and life in general.  Now, my computer drags me into a world of baby gear, parenting philosophies, and fellow bloggers. 

Even without internet, I still find a way to sit idly at my desk tinkering with photoshop or organizing and re-organizing my external hard drive space.  Sometimes its just hard to turn off. 

In our old house, the internet consumed me.  Kannon would nap 3-4 hours at a time, Dale was at work, and I found myself hours later, with a sore butt, tired eyes, and a very dirty house. 

With this move, I decided to "unplug myself".  Naptimes are now spent vacuuming, cleaning, hanging out with my husband.  We go for walks, make dinner, play games.  I have reduced my computer usage to a mere 1 hour per day rule.  Trust me, the hour goes by quick but I unplug myself.  I savor my quiet time with Dale or sneak into Kannon's room to witness his sleeping position acrobatics or simply sit in my rocker and let Bean#2 kick away inside me.

I apologize for the hurried blogs, fewer pictures, less frequent updates, but I unplugged myself and it feels sooo good. 

photo therapy:: the great outdoors

Our new house has the best backyard: high fences, tall grass, and lots of birds.  It has become a haven for everyone.  The cats have taken a new liking to exploring the bushes in search of birds, bugs, and butterflies.  Emma has discovered a hole in the fence from which to taunt the neighbors chickens.  Kannon has started spending time in the grass, touching, tasting, and smelling its bounty.  As a family, we have grown to love our outdoor time as an opportunity for closeness, reflection, and relaxation.

::the 21 week bump::

::bright eyes::

::tasting::

::touching::

::watching::

::Loving::

::Playing::

::Rockin'::

mama confesses:: little things

Dale and I have been struggling to hold it together as chaos ensues around us.  Lately, it has been one thing after another.  Yesterday, my back window in my car broke.  Today, the towel rack in our bathroom came loose.  Just a few minutes ago, the shower door tumbled out.  We are keeping our patience, holding it together best we can, and remembering the little things that make us smile, laugh, and cry.

::little things::
Kannon sleeps with his right foot in the air.  I have know idea where he got this from but when we catch him, it makes us smile.

Kannon looks like a super-hero in sunglasses.

Emma crawls in bed with us in the morning (while we are sleeping) and Dale and I wake up to dog breath and one passed out princess.

Our cats wrestle like gladiators.

The smell of fresh rain and grey skies soothes me.

I am a better driver than Dale.

Dale looks a little like Frankenstein in the morning....but I love it.

The taste of coffee first thing in the morning....especially when I don't make it.

Kannon has discovered his tongue and spends most of the day looking like a lizard.

The little baby kicks in my belly.

My dinner table.  I love making dinner and eating as a whole family.

Watching Emma play with Kannon.  He laughs, she is happy, and I am content.

Sinking down into clean sheets after a long day.

Pumpkin pancakes....well, anything pumpkin really.

Remembering how much I love Dale and the family we have created.

solid sundays:: grains and mixes

This week we introduced some grains.  Kannon was already experimenting with bread but we decided to add some jazz to his vegetables by adding brown rice.  After he figured out the sticky texture he lapped up dinner faster than ever.  Clearly, he prefers the texture and flavor brown rice adds to his somewhat boring veggies.

I was going to start asparagus this week but had no luck finding quality bunches.  After the rice proved successful at spicing up some hated veggies I decided that I would spend this week revisiting and mixing some veggies.

Brown Rice::
I steamed brown rice in a rice cooker until finished and then pureed in the food processor with leftover carrot stock.  There are a variety of ways to make pureed brown rice.  Pureed rice doesn't freeze well on its own, so if you do freeze, add some veggies or fruit.

We tried rice in everything.  Peas, carrots, butternut squash....even bananas.  Kannon usually hates carrots but mixed with rice and a little formula he had no problem finishing his bowl.

Kannon has started making "raspberries" noises to avoid making contact with a spoon

Mixes::

Call me black and white but I can't mix my veggies.  On my plate, peas and carrots don't even share close borders.  I am picky.  Shoot me.  However, after becoming annoyed watching my son refuse to even open his mouth for carrots, I had to think fast.  My kitchen turned into a mad scientist's lab as I began mixing the strange and unusual....really, the combinations were not too unusual but clearly tasty enough for Kannon.

Bananas::Strawberries::Carrots
Carrots::Applesauce
Carrots::Peas::Rice
Pears::Butternut Squash
Cauliflower::Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes::Strawberries::Carrots

As you can see, my whole mission revolved around finding a place for carrots.  Now, I just have to find a way to blend peas....because Kannon has decided on no more peas.


Next Week Preview::
Mango
Spices

mama needs:: more family pics!!!

Shoot me.  I entered Kannon into a Mother's Day Photo Contest to win a free session and prints with a local photographer.  We need some family pics in our home!!! 

So VOTE PIC #1 for Kannon!!!  Voting ends at midnight on the 17th so get those votes in....and spread the word!!!

http://kimstadlerphotography.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/mothers-day-photo-contest-vote-now/

mama vents:: worst week

Usually these vents come on Tuesday, my least favorite-- usually very bad day of the week.   Tuesday came and went and before I had a chance to post I watched our life go out of control.

Moving is always rough.  We were busy setting up new utilities, changing information, finding new doctors.  It has been go, go, go since Monday morning.  Dale met his new boss, which went great.  We finally found a grocery store that carries our favorite local and organic products. I celebrated my first Mother's Day....so I cant say that our week was all bad.  Until yesterday.

I am a backseat driver.  It drives Dale nuts but he loves me for it.  My backseat driving has saved us from missing exits and turns but no matter how loud I screamed "BRAKES" yesterday, we still found ourselves slamming into the back of a 4Runner in front of us. 

We drive a 1998 Ford Explorer and yesterday when we approached the stoplight Dale suddenly found himself with no brake pressure, pedal to the floor, like sliding on ice.  We slammed.  Everyone was fine, even Kannon who was mostly shaken up with excitement.  We exchanged information, got a tow home, and thought the worst of our day was over.

Our car was parked in front of our house, which is slightly sloped, but nothing that caught our attention yesterday.  We checked the mail, grabbed some belongings out of the car, and reached our front door only to see our car ROLLING DOWNHILL!!!!  The parking brake had failed!

Dale dropped everything, ran after the car, and tried to turn the wheels but ended up jumping out of this moving vehicle as it approached the busy street below us.  Thankfully, we watched our car run over a mailbox, a fence, and finally land in our neighbors front yard instead of the street. 

All in all, we are very lucky.  The brakes could have gone out on the freeway; the car could have rolled into the street; somebody could have been killed.  The damage is really minimal to all involved, but we sadly said goodbye to the Explorer today as we know we will probably not see her again.

The brake estimate is $1300 (best case scenario) and the damage sustained is at least $1000.  Our car is only worth $2700.  Our insurance company will cover damage sustained by the accident but the brakes are our responsibility.  Being as we just moved, putting nearly all of our savings into this, we are saying good bye.  Thankfully, we never sold my Toyota Camry.


I know I am 20 weeks pregnant...but tonight, I am soaking in a bathtub with a glass of red wine and welcoming the weekend. 

photo therapy:: innocence

I will post an update in a minute but many of you know, we have had more than a stressful week!  Amidst all the chaos of dealing with insurance companies, auto claims, and bringing the explorer back to life, I have been finding peace in Kannon's innocence.

Enjoy::

We played peekaboo with a curtain....Kannon loved it::

Then we moved on to a basket::

the fruit bowl::

and finally the floor::

What a day.

solid sundays:: stinky berries

I had every intention of introducing some more green vegetables into Kannon's diet this week.  That plan was crashed when everywhere I searched lacked those pretty green beans I was so desiring.  So I settled on a white head of cauliflower and some strawberries.

So this week, Kannon tried a little white and red.


Cauliflower::
Quarter the cauliflower and break it down to smaller florets.  Steam them for 15 minutes and let cool.  Puree in food processor.


Kannon warmed up to cauliflower after a few bites.  I added some cinnamon and he seemed much happier with the flavor.  However, Dale and I spent the rest of the day holding our noses because cauliflower baby farts STINK! 

To prevent stinky baby farts, we started combining flavors.  This week Kannon had cauliflower and carrots.  The stink was gone and hey, he likes carrots now!


Strawberries::
I probably didn't have to cook these, but I thought letting them reduce for a few minutes might tone down the tart flavor.  It made them easier to puree and highlighted their sweetness.  I pureed them with bananas and froze in ice cube trays for little Kannon snacks.

I was very hesitant about introducing strawberries because most agree that berries should be introduced when babies are a little older.  This is because of the likelihood for food allergies and reactions.  Dale and I have no allergies.  Kannon has thus far been okay with all the foods we have given him and when I found Dale letting him suck on a frozen strawberry, I figured 'what the hell'.  Our timing couldn't have been better, strawberries have invaded our nearby grocery stores.  Big, juicy, and organic strawberries.  Kannon even flapped his arms with excitement when he saw the plump berries.


 Kannon loved the strawberry-banana combination. After 4 days of starting strawberries, he has had no reaction except sticky fingers and extra kissable lips.  Because of his developed love-affair with strawberries and bananas we will be keeping them on our menu.


Finger Foods::
Rye Bread
Banana
Soft Carrots


Kannon couldn't figure out how to grab the bananas because they were too slippery, but he was quite excited about the prospect.  He did however devour a piece of rye toast and roasted carrots today.  What a hungry boy!!!


Next Week Preview::
Grains
Asparagus

I am so glad you were born.....

Cottonbabies (the makers of BumGenius--our FAVORITE cloth diapers) is having a Mother's Day contest for a $100 gift certificate.  All you have to do is write a blurb to your child about why you are glad they were born.  I spent most of the morning getting teary eyed reading other posts and finally got the inspiration to write my piece::

I am so glad you were born because the Earth is brighter than it was before.  The grass is greener, the skies bluer, and even rainy days are more silver than gray.

You returned magic to our lives.  You reminded us of our youth and the games we used to play.

You challenge us to become better.  Even when we smell like spit up and are tired beyond belief we still have energy to put socks on your feet.

Around you we can be ourselves--running around like monkeys or singing very out of tune to the Beatles--whatever it takes to make you laugh.

Both of us (even your daddy) smile more smiles, share more laughs, and shed more tears at the miracle that is you.  You have only been with us for 6 months but we have known you all our life.

Now, I rub my belly, and I look at your smile and I am spoiled.  Not only will I share my life with you and your daddy but your little brother is on his way.

Once again, the Earth will become brighter and more full of life.  We live, love, and enjoy life because of you (and your soon-to-be brother of course).  I am so glad you were born....

Happy Mother's Day.

mama confesses:: moving

I am never moving again.  Moving was hard before but try adding pregnancy and a 6 month old.  Every waking moment was spent entertaining Kannon and packing boxes leaving little time for rest.  I am exhausted.

But, we did it.  We moved. We are so happy.

Our house feels like we have always belonged here.  Coeur d'Alene is beautiful, friendly, and full of families. 

I will keep it short, but I wanted to share a few pictures of our new home.

Our kitchen/dining room::

 Our living room/office::

Views from the bedrooms/bathrooms::

Our bathrooms (we have 2, one downstairs and one upstairs)::

Our HUGE backyard::

solid sundays:: blue and orange

This post comes a little belated as we have been moving, unpacking, and waiting for the internet guy to show up.  Both Dale and I fought over the computer after the internet was set up--forgetting ourselves for a minute as we checked emails, blogged, and facebooked. Luckily, Kannon was asleep and missed the action.

So this week, we decided to start pears and butternut squash.  Sweet potatoes were such a success and we assumed Kannon would enjoy lapping up delicious butternut squash.  Wrong.  So after several failed attempts at feeding squash, we gave up and started blueberries instead.  Our clothes are stained blue and orange and Kannon's diaper changes have been magical.

Butternut Squash::
Preheat oven to 350, cut squash in half and lay flesh side down on a pan.  Cook until soft and skin peels off.  Let cool and puree for baby.

Like I said, Kannon hated squash.  He was eager for the first bite and then he started scratching his tongue and flailing his arms.  The next bite, he refused to open his mouth.  We tried again at another feeding and we got the same reaction.  So after 3 attempts, we decided to scratch it and go back to bananas. 

Pears::
I cut pears in half and roasted them in a 350 degree oven until soft and falling apart.  I ran them under cold water to remove skins and chilled them until they were ready to puree.

Kannon loved the pears.  I served him some finger food chunks of pear and let him feed himself and he was quite happy with the outcome...despite the fact that more pears ended up in Emma's mouth than his.

Blueberries::
We used frozen blueberries, steaming them in a small amount of water in a pot for about 10 minutes.  Then we pureed and strained them.  We even froze some cubes for Kannon's delight.

As to be expected, Kannon loved these finger staining fruits.  He had no problem shoving his face full of blueberries and painting the table with his fingers.  Of course, I wasn't so happy when all of his blueberry stained clothes still came out stained.  Word of advice:: Feed blueberries to a naked baby.

Finger Foods::
Whole Wheat Toast
Pancakes
Sourdough Bread

I mentioned last week that we would be introducing some of the baby-led weaning concepts.  So this week, we let Kannon play with breads.  I gave him small pieces and let him feed himself.  It took him a few days, but by today, he was eating small bites out of the pancake I gave him. 

Next Week Preview::

Strawberries (controversial)
Green Beans