Going Granola

You will not believe what I've been up to.

Now that the Olympics are over I have a lot of spare time on my hands. Baby's mood and napping continues to improve that the time I have found myself with has sent me into accomplish-weird-and-strange-things mode.

I have been making baby food.

Living on a farm produces a lot of produce. I figured it would save me $$ if I utilized the goods at my fingertips and made my own baby food. Plus, my garden was ultra fabulous this year and there was no way I could possibly consume 1,000,000 zucchini (that is really not that big of an exaggeration).

So far I have done: plums, green beans, yellow squash, zucchini, and corn. I will also, by the summer's end, do peaches, pears, cantaloupe, carrots, and apples (and maybe apricots).

If your interested boil the desired fruit/vegetable for a really long time--longer than you think. Drain. Puree in a food processor until everything is just about smooth. Sometimes you will need to add 1/4-1/2 cup of water to help maintain a thin texture. Fill ice trays with the puree and place in a freezer until frozen. Pop the frozen puree out and fill a zipper bag and store in the freezer until baby is hungry.

Update on Me Part II

My daddy calls me his boy

My mommy says I'm cute and smart

I like to visit my mommy at work.  I used to get so much therapy before I was born that I've been going through withdrawls!

On my four month checkup my doctor said I was handsome.  He also said I was in the 75th percentile for weight and height.  I turn 5 months Tuesday!

My acid reflux is still really really bad.  But, my mommy has finally figured out how to give me my medicine so I ingest most of it and I spit up none or little of it.  In turn, that has been helping me a lot with my attitude and my sleeping.

Here are some developmental milestones I am doing:

-I now sleep almost 10 hours at night

-I take three naps per day, hopefully totaling five to six hours

-I will nap in my crib now, but I still prefer my swing

-I eat oatmeal because even though I started out liking rice cereal, it was harder on my reflux

-I am able to roll both ways--from my back to my front and from my front to my back--but I usually refuse unless no one is looking.  My mommy has only seen me roll a few times but she has certainly found me in different positions which tells her I do roll.

-I squeal, scream, and holler

-I play with all of my toys.  My new favorite toy is a fabric book that crinkles when I touch it that my Grandma Beth gave me

-I can hold my own bottle for at least five minutes while my mommy washes dishes.  Sometimes I don't want to though, and I just want her to hold me.

-I only cry about an hour per day which is average for a baby my age

-I like to grab my toes and even suck on them when I don't think my mommy is watching

-I like to chew on everything, mostly my fists

-I can spit bubbles and my food

Here are things I really like:

-My mommy, daddy, and kitty Damn (except we're calling her Wu right now because of the Olympics)

-Eating

-My swing

-My toys

-Being outside, I will even forget I am grumpy and hungry and tired

-Being social

-My babysitter

-My babysitter's son (I cry and throw a fit when he doesn't pay attention to me)

-Music and music videos

-Joshua from So You Think You Can Dance

-Kisses

-Funny noises

-My mommy's fake vibrato

-My bath time

-Books, especially those animal ones you can touch the different textures

-Being tickled

-Parties and BBQs

-Attention

-The Olympics, especially volleyball

-Teasing my uncle AJ (My mommy talks for me and tells him that I will be his cheerleader when he is in the NBA--he really hates the idea of me becoming a cheerleader)

-That cheerleader moving, Bring It On

-Texting

-Cell phones and remote controls

-Watching people eat

-My daddy's beard

-Touching people's faces

Here are things I do not like:

-When my mommy and daddy go to work

-Nap time, even though I do it

-Being on my stomach

-My acid reflux

-My mommy ignoring my hollering

-Relief Society, so my mommy is making me try out Elder's Quorum with my daddy

-Going to the dentist with my mommy

-Getting my nose suctioned out

-Having my fingernails cut/filed

-Not being the center of attention

-Doing things I do not want to do

Here are things I am working on:

-Being patient

-Telling what I want nicely

-Having a better attitude when it's nap time

-Being quiet in Relief Society

-Being motivated to roll instead of my intense desire to stand and sit

-Being nice to my babysitter in the afternoons

Shake It

Baby loves music and loves dancing.  As you know, Baby has not been easy.  He didn't grow out of colic until 4 and half months, he was chronically sleep deprived due to acid reflux and sensitivity to stimulation, and he has struggled with constipation.  BUT, every Wednesday evening was different.  We had a standing date in the basement to watch our favorite show, So You Think You Can Dance.  His favorite contestant was Joshua and he NEVER, EVER cried or fussed when Joshua was on stage.  I have videos of him watching but it's hard to see the television and so I included him dancing to one of his favorite songs instead to show you how bright he gets when listening to music.  

He likes all sorts of music.  We start our mornings with CMT while he eats his breakfast.  His favorite songs are Jessica Simpson, Come on Over and Brand Paisely, Waiting on a Woman.  

Radio favorites include anything by Usher, Chris Brown, and Timbaland. He also likes Apologize by One Republic.  Baby's cousin is an avid music lover, I think they will have many things in common!

Baby and Usher

Being a Therapist

I don't talk about some things out of deep respect...so I am left with vague expressions to describe soul-deep mourning.

When in the presence of genuine suffering it is my response to fix it or at least offer comfort. But sometimes it is necessary, therapeutic, to let them suffer. I did that today. I only hope it was worth it.