Making Baby Food

Frozen Carrots

Frozen Plums & Sweet Potatoes

Carrots

Sweet Potatoes

So I have been inspired by the gals from my bulletin board to try my hand at making baby food. So far I have made plums, sweet potatoes & carrots. I have 8 servings each of plums & sweet potatoes and 16 of carrots. I made the carrots this past weekend and just for fun gave Joshua a taste. He wasn't interested. What little managed to get in his mouth he spit out or I should say it came out because he didn't really spit it out. He still has the tongue thrust reflex which keeps newborns from choking. His tongue pushes out anything that isn't liquid. He also wouldn't open his mouth for more even when I made the spoon an airplane. Oh well, I guess he's not ready yet.

Joshua's 1st trip to the zoo

These guys really are small in person, probably the size of a kitten.

Holding his own bottle! He can hold a bottle as long as there's not more than 3 or 4 oz in it but he can't tilt it up so when it gets really low we have to tilt it for him so he can get the last little bit.


Aren't they adorable? It's like they were posing!

So sweet!

It really was a zoo there! We got there around 9:15 just after they opened and it was already crowded. By the time we left, 2 1/2 hours later, there were no open parking spaces! It wasn't too hot when we got there but by 10 it was hot. Supposedly it was only 82 but it felt like 95! There wasn't much shade nor many clouds so it felt like the sun was beating down on you. Joshua was pretty good but after 2 hours he'd had enough as had I because it was so hot. We purchased a membership package so we will be going back but probably not until the fall unless we get a cool day or at least a day without much sun so it won't feel so hot. Still, I can't imagine going there in the heat of the summer.

5 Months!!

One year ago today we got the first view of our little peanut. It was so amazing to see that there was actually a tiny human growing in my belly. I had gotten the BFP (big fat postive) preggo test but to actually see what would grow to be Joshua was incredible. Hard to believe what a difference a year makes.

Here he is today! Tomorrow he will be 5 months old. This past Saturday we had him named at the synagogue. It was wonderful! We had 10 people there including us. Joshua's cousin Nicole and friends of the family Robin & Steve finally got to meet him. It was a beautiful service. Baby namings are normally done on Friday nights but since everyone would be traveling 2-4 hours to be there it seemed that Saturday would be better. I'm so glad we did it on Saturday because the Rabbi plays the guitar and it is also a smaller crowd so it made it feel more personal. Everyone said they enjoyed the service and that the Rabbi was very warm and welcoming. I take this as high praise as for most of them it was their first time at a synagogue. My mom was here last week and it was nice to spend time with her and for her to spend time with Joshua. It's the first time she's gotten to do that for more than a day since he was born.

I'm guessing my big boy weighs about 15lbs and is 26 inches long. He is still wearing 3-6 month clothes but I can tell he won't be for much longer as his sleepers are getting tight length wise anyway. He is definately not a chunky monkey. Most of his clothes still have plenty of room in them width wise. I'm sad to say he'll be moving out of the swaddlers soon. He wore newborn diapers for 2 months and then size 1 for about a month and now he's going to be moving into size 3. Swaddlers only go up to size 2-3 so we're going to have to move up to baby dry or cruisers. I bought a small pack of cruisers to see if we like them. They have the same mesh as the swaddlers so I figured they would be similar. Plus it says on the box of swaddlers that cruisers are the next stage.

For the past 2 weeks he has been sleeping 10-12 hours at night in his crib!! He is also now sleeping on his belly. One night after I put him to bed on his back I went back in and he had rolled onto his tummy and was still asleep. Now that's what he does most nights. He is able to roll from his belly to his back now so I'm trying not to worry. His new bedtime (which he set himself, by the way) is between 7 & 8pm. He will sleep until at least 4 am but most mornings it's 6am before he wakes up again. Whenever he wakes up Jamie brings him into our bed until he has to get up for work and we all go back to sleep for a while. He usually wakes up to eat around 7 so I feed & change him and then we go back to sleep until about 9.

While my mom was here she helped me make babyfood for Joshua. We made plums & sweet potatoes. It wasn't easy but I'm glad that I did it. I'm not sure how much I'll do in the future as it's pretty time consuming and Joshua has been pretty fussy lately but I'm glad I got to do some. Like how I feel a sense of accomplishment for breastfeeding, I feel the same way about making babyfood for him. Yes, we've made it 5 months exclusively breastfeeding! I'm so proud that I have been able to do this for him! I think I may be feeding him rice cereal before he's 6 months but not for another 2-3 weeks. His pediatrician wants us to start before his 6 month appointment so I think I'll try in 2-3 weeks.

Joshua's Baby Naming

Joshua is named at the Tree of Life congregation in Columbia, SC.

Intro to Joshua's Baby Naming

The Rabbi inviting us to come up to the Bimah for Joshua's naming.

Easter

Joshua was very good this past weekend. We got to Jamie's mom's Friday afternoon and we stayed until Sunday afternoon. My mom was there Saturday & Sunday as well. On Sunday Joshua was just amazing! He wasn't fussy or cranky and he just let everyone pass him around. If he had fussed I would have taken him away but he was too good. He's currently making up for it, ha ha. We had lunch at Aunt Anita's and the whole family was there. He had time with all his Aunts: Anita, Nancy & Amy plus his Grandmas.

Way Back Whensday

Our wedding day. July 17th, 2004. 3 more months and we will have been married for 5 years, wow! It was such a wonderful day and everyone that attended said it was the best wedding they had ever been to! I love that we created such a wonderful event. It was exactly what I wanted it to be. I felt like a princess. It was the most special day in my life, until Joshua was born.

Makes My Monday

So I'm reading a lot of other blogs and came across the themes for the day of the week and I'm going to try to do them. Monday is Makes My Monday. Wednesday is Way Back Whensday. Thursday is Thanksgiving Thursday. Friday is Finished for Friday. Sunday is Super Sunday. If anyone knows of a Tuesday or Saturday theme let me know.

I guess that makes today Makes My Monday. This one just makes my week. This weekend is Easter and next week my mom will be here with us for the whole week! I am really looking forward to her spending some time with Joshua. She hasn't really gotten to do that much since we live so far away. The best part of all is Joshua's naming next Saturday and Nicole is going to be there! She may even be spending the night Friday night. I am so excited about next weekend but I'm not ready for it to be here yet because then it will be over. Some more Makes My Monday is all the packages that will be coming in this week! Joshua's high chair is the most exciting! I love getting packages!! For more Makes My Monday check out twinfatuation.blogspot.com.

Refund!

Do you like his new shades? They are just his size, shatterproof lenses, block UVA & UVB, have an adjustable neoprene band and came with a plastic case. They should last at least a year.

We found out we're getting a tax refund, yay! Here's what we've bought so far: Joshua's outfit for his naming, A Hatful of Seuss (book), high chair, additional pacifiers (same as the one he got from the hospital), plastic bibs & spoons for when he starts eating baby food, crest spinbrush (for me), new razor (for Jamie) & a high chair toy. I think Joshua is getting more out of our refund than we are. Here's the link to the outfit I bought, it is much cuter in person than in the picture http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/baby/gifts/giftsets/PRD~441671/Winnie+the+Pooh+5pc+Coveralls+Set.jsp. Here's the link to the high chair we bought http://www.amazon.com/Graco-1751640-Blossom-Highchair-Townsend/dp/B001QFJ10I/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1238894410&sr=8-1.

Another Cute Video

Here's Joshua babbling and blowing bubbles while swinging in his swing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXIfQcv2mXg

Cute Joshua Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hohmz2UKd18

Joshua is 4 months old!

As of today Joshua is 4 months old, wow! He also had his 4 month check-up. He is 14lbs (50th percentile) but that is with a full stomach and full diaper. He's also 24 inches (25th percentile) and his head is 17 inches around (90th percentile). The pediatrician was very impressed that he has already rolled from back to belly. She said he should be laughing any time now, something we are really looking forward to. She is increasing his dosage of Zantac due to his increase in size. When he's able to sit up by himself we can try to wean him off of it.

The poor nurse tried for 10 minutes to get him to take his oral vaccine and he wouldn't swallow it. She thinks he got enough of it but wasn't very happy about it. Of course it wasn't as bad as the shots, it broke my heart to hear him scream but by the time we got out to the car he was asleep. He then slept for about 2 hours.

So we had the big discussion about solids. She said we could start now if we wanted to. She doesn't believe that babies are any more likely to develop food allergies if they start solids early. She thinks because he can hold his head up he can start now. She also claimed he has doubled his birth weight but he hasn't. He was 7lbs 13oz at birth. That means he has to be 15lbs 10z to double his birth weight. He has 1lb 10oz to go, that will take at least a month if not more.

She claimed that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting between 4 and 6 months. I read that they recommend waiting until 6 months along with: World Health Organization, UNICEF, US Dept of Health & Human Services, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Dietetic Association as well as Australian & Canadian health organizations.

These are the signs that babies are ready for solid foods. Baby can sit up well without support. Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue. Baby is ready and willing to chew. Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development. Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth. He isn't showing any of these.

These are the reasons to delay solids until at least 6 months especially for breastfed babies. Delaying solids: gives baby greater protection from illness, gives baby's digestive system time to mature, decreases the risk of food allergies, helps to protect baby from iron-deficiency anemia, helps to protect baby from future obesity and helps mom to maintain her milk supply. Ok, I'll get off my soap box now. He is a very health baby boy and I am thankful everyday that he's here.

We went on Sunday to the Jewish Food Festival at the temple and spoke to the Rabbi. Joshua's naming will be Saturday, April 18th, yay! My mom is super excited because she will be spending almost a week with us, the week prior to the naming. She is going to help me plan everything, I'm excited! I have to find out if the food we bring has to be kosher, if so we will have to figure out if we are cooking or if we can buy kosher food. I am going to be getting a cake and I would like it to have his hebrew name on it. I also have to get party supplies and get him an outfit for the naming. We will be busy that week for sure.

One Year Ago Today....

I got this! It was 5am and I just had to go. That was a long wait but there it was! I pretty much already knew. I was already having nausea, my bra didn't quite fit right and I was extra tired. It's also my mother's birthday. Happy Birthday Grandma! We kept it a secret for 4 weeks! We wanted to wait until my 8 week appointment when I would have an ultrasound which would prove there was actually a tiny embryo in there. Well it was Easter weekend so we went to Mullins and then I went to Little River to see my mother. So that whole weekend we had this big secret that we kept from everyone. It was sooo hard but I'm so glad we did it. It was our little special secret for a whole month. Then we went to that appointment and saw the tiny embryo on the ultrasound and it was real. So that night when we got home we told everyone. I just can't believe it's been a year! Joshua will be 4 months old on Monday, WOW!

Joshua's First Stroll

So I was inspired by a fellow blogger who took her baby on a walk and also by the beautiful weather we are having. When Jamie came home from work he loved the idea so we took Joshua out in the stroller and it was so nice! I got my workout for sure. I love our stroller, it's so easy to push but it's still a workout. We have a park within a quarter of a mile of our house with a playground, walking trail and soccer field. I thought it had a baby swing but it doesn't. So we will have to go to another park one day soon that does have one. I know he's too little for it but I absolutely must get a pic of him in the baby swing.

In other news, I am still waiting to hear back from the Rabbi and I am rather frustrated about it. I called him on Monday and left a message on his voicemail. I called again yesterday and actually spoke to a woman who I gave my name and phone number to. I asked that he call me. I'm still waiting. I hope I hear back by tomorrow afternoon or I might have to go to Friday night services to see him. Either that or on Sunday we can go to the Jewish Food Festival (I want to go anyway).

Joshua Rolled Over!

Well it happened the first time on Sunday but today I caught it on video! It's a very short video but here it is!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuCArvZGhJI

For some reason I can't paste the video here.

Another first! He held a toy voluntarily for quite a few minutes and even tried to put it in his mouth!

Joshua's Name

So I think I need to clairfy. Any of the names I would have chosen would have been for a family member. James was Jamie's dad, Jane was my grandmother, Elias was my grandfather and Mildred was my grandmother. So I've decided on Eliya for Elias and in a way also for me. His hebrew name will be Yehoshua Eliya.

I am going to call the Rabbi on Monday and let him know we've made a decision and that we'd like to do the naming on April 18th. We have multiple family members who would like to come and Joshua is much better in the morning so I hope we can do it at the Saturday morning service as opposed to the Friday night service. Friday night service isn't until 7:30 and when we were there it didn't get over with until 9 and then we have the Oneg so it would be very late for people who would be driving back that night. The Saturday morning service is at 10am.

Choosing Joshua's Hebrew Name

These are the names I like. I want to do a first and middle name. I think I want to use Yehoshua which is the hebrew form of Joshua for the first name and use one of the others for the middle name. I'm not sure though. Help!

Yehoshua - Joshua meaning the Lord is my salvation
Yaakov, Yaacov, Akiva or Jacob - James meaning protector
Yochanan or Yohannan - John (masculine of Jane) meaning God is Gracious
Eliyahu or Eliya - Elias (my mother's father) meaning the Lord is my God
Malachi , Malachai, Malachy -masculine form of Malka meaning Messenger of God; angel

Planning A Baby Naming

Here's a little background for ya about this. I am Jewish. Jamie is not, he's Methodist. We talked about how we would raise our child(ren) way before we even got married. We're raising him Jewish but he will know that his father is Christian and he will probably go to church at Christmas and Easter when we are with Jamie's family. It is Jewish tradition that dates back thousands of years (and is the reason that boys are circumcised in the first place) that a boy have a Brit Milah or Bris when he is 8 days old. We didn't do that. It is becoming more accepted now especially in Reformed synagogues not to do it (Reformed Judaism is the most liberal sect, it is also the largest Jewish community in North America). Partially because health insurance doesn't pay for a Mohel (the person who performs the circumcision) but does pay for a doctor to do the circumcision in the hospital. So we didn't do a Brit Milah or Bris. Joshua was circumcised by a doctor in the hospital the day he was released. We are going to have him named in the synagogue which means to give him his hebrew name, thank G-d for our little bundle, ask for his blessings and welcome the baby into the Jewish community and into the covenant of Judaism.

I am not yet a member of a congregation but chose Reformed as it seemed to best fit our family. Jamie being Christian makes us a mixed family religion wise and Reformed are the most welcoming. While still pregnant I contacted the Rabbi of the Reformed congregation here in Columbia. I told him that I was having a baby and wanted to have him or her named there (possibly a Brit Milah or Bris). He was very nice and we communicated back and forth through e-mail. When I filled out my pre-registration papers for the hospital I listed my religion and the Rabbi at this congregation is the one who comes to the hospital when you list that you are Jewish. So he came when Joshua was born and met with us while Joshua was still in the NICU. I told him I didn't think we would do the Brit Milah or Bris and he said that was fine and to contact him when we wanted to do a naming. So here it is 3 months later and I did contact him a couple of times before he got back in touch with me and we set up the meeting I had with him today.

Let me say how incredibly nice he is. He made me feel very comfortable and was very easy to talk to. He has a great sense of humor too. He wanted to know my religious background so I told him that my mother was brought up Orthodox but became Conservative and my father was an athiest although he was brought up Jewish. I went to a Conservative synagogue growing up and went to Young Judaea summer camp, Sprout Lake and then Tel Yehuda. I have one very good friend I still talk to who I met at Sprout Lake when I was 11 or 12. Then he wanted to know Jamie's background. So I told him that he is Methodist. He isn't a member of a church here but went to church a lot growing up. He always goes at Christmas and Easter when he is in his hometown and sometimes a little more often than that.

He wanted to know how we plan to raise Joshua and told me how important it is to introduce religion to him at an early age and not wait until he is in school when we will be dealing with other things. He said he knows it may be overwhelming to think about but we should start small. We should be involved and then he will be involved. We should celebrate the holidays at home too. He said that in order to do the naming we have to become members. It's not just me and Joshua but Jamie becomes a member too. A lot of the families there are mixed religious families and some of his best volunteers aren't Jewish. He wants Jamie to feel welcome too. So we have to join but there is no set membership dues, just whatever we can afford to pay. Yes, it's different than churches where you put what you can in the collection plate but here they are very laid back about dues.

What we have to do now is decide on Joshua's hebrew name. When I was named in a Conservative synagogue the Rabbi chose the name but I guess that the Reformed allow you to choose the name. There is a hebrew equivalent of Joshua we can use or we can name him after someone or we can pick a name we like. He can have a First and Middle name or just a First name. I have to fill out the membership packet and send it in. I also have to figure out when we would want to have the naming. The one I went to was a Friday night service and they had the naming right afterward. Yes, we went a couple of weeks ago and it just happened to be a night they were having a baby naming. How lucky! So I guess I have a bit of "homework" to do. I'm so excited!

Update - We are thinking about April 17th or 18th for the naming.

Joshua is 3 months old!

I know he won't be officially be 3 months old for another 5 hours but I won't be up at 1:58 to post it so I'm doing it now. So, 3 months ago at this exact time I was lying in a hospital bed drugged up with my epidural and happy. I was contracting away and probably about 8-9 cm dilated. I can't believe it has been 3 months. It doesn't exactly feel like yesterday but it doesn't feel like it's been 3 months either. I know, I'll be saying that for the next 18 years.

So you may or may not know this past week has been a rough one. Joshua was going through the 12 week or 3 month growth spurt. While he did have 2 days he spent mostly sleeping the other days he spent mostly eating or sleeping in my lap and if I tried to move him he'd cry, so I didn't get much done. I think that's over now though, he has been a very happy baby today which of course makes Jamie & I very happy as well.

I don't know exactly how much he weighs but if we go by his past weight gains then he should be up to 12 lbs by now, maybe even 13, he's heavy! I do know that he is 24 inches long which is 4 inches in the past 3 months and since babies are supposed to grow 1 inch per month that is very good. He has outgrown just about all of his 0-3 month clothes. I had already packed up the newborn sized but now I've had to pack up those as well. Kinda sad but I'm excited he's wearing 3-6 month sized now because he has some really cute stuff in this new size. I am now buying 6-9 month sized in anticipation for his next growth spurt which is supposed to be at 6 months. He has started sucking his hands and tries to suck on his thumb or any finger really but hasn't quite figured out how to do it, he's not quite that coordinated yet.

He is mostly sleeping through the night! I say mostly because most nights he wakes up in the middle of the night but goes right back to sleep. Some nights he has to be fed but that's okay because a lot of babies don't sleep through the night this early.

I am still nursing and I am so happy about it. In the beginning it was quite a struggle. I was pumping and he wasn't nursing much at all but with persistance and dedication he has become a good nurser. He eats every 2-3 hours, usually every 3 but it tends to be more at night. When he does drink from a bottle he'll drink between 4 & 6 ounces. He is definately a comfort nurser which is fine. It means that he uses it not only for nourishment but when he is tired or overstimulated because it's comforting and familiar to him. It's not a bad habit but it's like when we read or do other things to relax ourselves, he does the same thing with nursing. It's also probably the reason he may seem like he wants to eat more when we're at my mother-in-law's because that is unfamiliar but nursing is. I am so glad I can be there for him like that. It's very important to me and it's a bond that I really want to share with him. I hope to go the full year, it will also save me lots of $ on formula.

Earlier this month we had started planning a trip up to CT & NY but we changed our plans. Joshua used to like riding in the car but now not so much. I really don't know why but I don't want to drive or fly with a crying or screaming baby so I guess it's just not in the cards for us right now. I am hoping my brother will be able to come down and visit us, maybe next month but I know he's busy so it may not happen. I think we will have to start bringing the baby carrier (where he is on your chest) to the store because he hasn't liked being in his car seat at all lately so we've had to carry him around when we go shopping. The only time he's happy in his car seat is usually when he's asleep. Hopefully this is just a phase. I am supposed to be taking him to storytime at the library tomorow but I am kind of nervous about it because of the way he has been in the car lately. I took him out on Thursday and he screamed a good bit of the time in the car. At least when we all go out I can sit in the back with him and that seems to calm him usually. Oh well, not sure if I'm going to go but if I do wish me luck.

Joshua seems to be happiest when he's at home with us. His favorite place to nap is in my lap. He has the sweetest smile that just melts my heart. I really do love him more every day and while I'm sad he's growing up I'm excited at the same time about the milestones coming up. I'm hoping to get him a Jumperoo soon because he loves to kick so I think he will like jumping in it. Lately when we give him a bath he kicks and kicks in the water. I'm also looking forward to this summer and taking him to the beach & the pool. We have already made our vacation plans for this summer and will be in Myrtle Beach the first week in June.

Here's some more big news for ya, we went to Synagogue this past Friday! I can't believe how long it had been since I had gone. I really enjoyed it. I like the congregation and the Rabbi. He came to see us at the hospital when Joshua was born and both Jamie & I liked him a lot. I plan to go again and am going to talk to him about having Joshua named there.

Valentine's Day - Whatever!

Here is how my Valentine's Day went. We got up and prepared to go to Wal-Mart. I had just nursed Joshua so his belly should have been full, well he said otherwise. He was crying so I fed him a small bottle on the way to Wal-Mart. When we got there and the bottle was empty he was still crying so I attempted to nurse him in the front seat of the car. I couldn't get him latched. I didn't have my nipple shield and he was screaming. I had to hand express some into his mouth for him to finally take it. He fell asleep after a few minutes so I suspect he wasn't really hungry. I pulled him off and he woke up and then started screaming. I couldn't get him latched back on. So we decided to leave.

He was fine in the car on the way home but I was afraid he would start crying in the store with us having a cart full of groceries and getting dirty looks from people. We came home and he started fussing so I fed him. He then slept for 4 hours! He woke up and was fed and then went back to sleep.

We went out to dinner, IHOP, while we were there he started fussing so we fed him a bottle. He didn't finish it, had some in the car but still didn't finish it by the time we got back to Wal-Mart (we had to go to get my prescription). We had to finish feeding him the bottle in the store. Even when he finished it he was still fussing. He wanted to be carried around Wal-Mart. So Jamie had to carry him around the store until we were just about done.

We came home and I got in the shower. Joshua started crying while I was in the shower acting like he was hungry. I had just fed him before I got in the shower. I fed him some when I got out but then he started screaming while I was trying to feed him so he wasn't hungry. I was so tired by this point in the day, it had already been a very long one. I just broke down in tears and Jamie took Joshua walking around the house. Apparently he burped like 8 times. He was finally able to put him down in his chair and he played for a bit before going to sleep.

During the last time when he was screaming and wouldn't nurse I was quite upset. Jamie accused me of making Joshua upset. So of course that made me more upset, something he doesn't seem to understand. He thinks he can somehow help me realize how I am acting and then maybe I won't act that way anymore. Yeah, right. First, even if I had the kind of personality that was relaxed in stressful situations I wouldn't expect to be that way when my baby is crying or screaming. Since I don't have that kind of personality I am going to be more stressed out when the baby is stressed. While I do realize this doesn't help the situation it's not like I can change my personality overnight or anything and by the time I did change it he would probably be out of this phase anyway. Oh well. I'm just glad the day is over. I'm going to bed. BTW, those are his baby legs he's wearing in the picture. Check out their website to learn more about them. http://www.babylegs.com/