My Picky Eater

For those out there who have ever thought a baby or child with a picky appetite is that way because of their parents, you better stop right there! Charlotte is one of the pickiest eaters and I swear I have done nothing wrong!! It absolutely drives me crazy as I try to give her a balanced diet, yet she eats only a small list of foods, and sometimes will even refuse these.  I pull my hair out at meals while trying to keep a calm and pleasant demeanor for her sake. Foods she likes: waffles, mac n' cheese, grilled cheese, cheesy rice, Cream of Wheat, boxed cereal, applesauce, canned carrots, yogurt, and almost any Gerber snack (yogurt melts, puffs, wheels, crunchies). She'll occasionally eat string cheese and oranges. I've tried so many other things, and a lot of kid classics.  Epic failure.  Without even giving most foods a chance, she will tighten her lips, arch her back, fling back her head and push the food away with both hands. What a pistol!
I worry most about her protein intake. This is such an important nutrient for her development.  For fear of lack of nutrition, she gets toddler formula when she wakes up and again before bed.  I try to mixed canned chicken into a few of her foods and I have been meaning to try tofu. Peanut butter has not gone over well.

Are there any mothers out there who have had picky eaters and can give me some advice? (Mom - I know Meagan wasn't always a good eater.) I'm looking for advice on how to disguise foods or hide nutritious things in other foods. Please help me feed this baby and regain my sanity!

Food, Inc.

We rented Food, Inc. last night. This is a very thoughtful documentary that reminded Brian and I why free range poultry and grass fed beef are really worth their extra expense. A mother spoke of losing her 2 year old son to e.coli from hamburger. The recall on the hamburger wasn't announced until two weeks after her son died. Of course, Charlotte doesn't eat much more than mac n' cheese and cereal these days, but someday she'll love being an omnivore just as much as her parents.
Portions of the documentary picture how the cattle and chickens are contained in tight and dirty living quarters. I really didn't feel so bad for the chickens. I guess I feel their brains are so small and they are only alive for about 30 days. Is that bad? I felt worse for the chicken farmers who take on about $500,000 in debt to own these large chicken houses and follow the standards of companies like Tyson and Purdue...but they only make $18,000 on average/year. The farmers have so many health hazards from being around these antibiotic fed chickens that they tend to become allergic to most antibiotics themselves. They also spoke about how the meat packing companies ship in immigrant farmers, mistreat them, and then allow them to get arrested with no defense.
Brian and I have already looked into the pricing for organic and high quality beef, chicken and pork. In a quick internet search, we found several local farms Liberty Family Farm, Pelican Ranch and Crestwood Farms. They have beef for as little as $3/pound. I'm going to make some freezer space and make a trip out as soon as we can. I'm ready to speak out as a consumer by putting my money into something I can support.

I am now initiated into Holland

Today was the annual sale of Dutch costumes put on by the Holland Newcomer's Association.  There are a variety of new and used costumes to pick from.  I arrived at 5 pm on the dot, but was shocked to see a line around the building!  It was like a true initiation ceremony to have to wait in that line for an hour and then rush in and clamor for the last costume in your size.  Fortunately, I've done enough Black Friday shopping to know my way around a sale crowd.

I chose the Volendam style because this is what Charlotte has.  Charlotte was laughing hysterically when I put it on and tried to steal my hat.  Brian has one too...not a dress.  Now who doesn't want to move to Holland when you see this cuteness?

And when Charlotte outgrows her current costume, I would love to see her in the adorable Isle of Marken costume seen here.

Yesterday we took advantage of the sun and went to visit the butterflies at Frederik Meijer Gardens. We met up with Carl, Jessie and their adorable son, Aaron. He is so great with babies and spent a lot of time chasing Charlotte around for me.


We couldn't help but dress Charlotte up in this butterfly costume in the children's garden. I think she was a butterfly in a prior life.

Here is Aaron spotting a few butterflies drinking their nectar. We were excited to find a lot of blue morphos. Usually they are few and far between, but they really steal the show.




For being so young, I really think Charlotte understood what was going on. She watched the butterflies fly around and reached towards them on the flowers.




I highly recommend anyone with kids make it to FMG for the butterflies this spring.

Hawaii!

Our Hawaii trip was quite the whirlwind tour. We left by 6 am on Thursday morning and arrived to our hotel around 7:30 pm. We spent all 5 nights on the big island in Kona. Despite my knitting projects, books and movies on my iTouch, the long flight was very trying. The hillbilly family eating beef jerky in the next row didn't help matters much. BUT, I did get to fly on a jet with two aisles, that was a first for me.
We stayed in a private bungalow at our B&B, Honu Kai. The entire place was beautiful. We got to eat a delicious breakfast on the lanai each morning and learn from the other travelers. Geckos feasted on jam along the porch rail and birds flocked for seed on the feeder. The owners, Wendi and Dave, went out of their way to make us comfortable and provide us with supplies each day. She even loaned me her socks and tennis shoes for hiking and horsebacking riding. I couldn't believe my big ole' feet fit in the tennis shoes of a former Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. The B&B was the best part of our trip.
We joined up with Dave and Julie the next day for horseback riding in Waipio Valley. The drive down into the valley was almost life threatening, but the views from the bottom were some of the prettiest I have ever seen. Our horses all treated us well. It was Julie's first time on a horse. I think she was pleasantly surprised.
The next day was "Tsunami Saturday." David and Julie were evacuated from their beach front hotel, so we decided to stay on high ground for the day and explore the National Park at the volcano. We found some great hikes along the steam vents with beautiful views of the caldera. There was even a winery at the top of the volcano. We stayed until night to see the lava glow from a far. I've seen tour books where they could walk right up to the lava. Unfortunately, we're at the mercy of nature. We were lucky to see the lava at all.
I haven't said much about the tsunami because there isn't much to say. As you know, it failed to happen, which was a blessing for the Hawaiians. We watched it from a hilltop and basically noticed the bay grow more shallow and then fill back up again. Brian did take advantage of the media blitz, though, and managed to score a live interview on Fox News.
The rest of the trip was spent snorkeling, exploring beaches, and eating lots of fantastic food (Oh, and drinking great Kona coffee).
Although we had a relaxing and memorable trip, I couldn't wait to get home and have Charlotte back in my arms. It really puts meaning into the phrase "Home Sweet Home" when you have someone to come home for. Big thanks to her grandparents for taking such great care of her.
You can find my favorite pictures on this Flickr Slideshow.

13 Months

I am going to overwhelm you with videos because I finally found time to upload a few. Charlotte is 13 months now and learning new things every week. Last weekend she got very good at standing all on her own, then come Monday night, she was walking like a champ! I went to pick her up from daycare and she walked across the long room to me. I was so proud of her. By last night she was doing laps around the house.
I showed her this video on the camera. She was too funny because she nodded like "Yeah, I know I'm awesome." Then when the video was done, she clapped for herself. She's so much like her daddy.



Also, last night, she surprised me by showing me that she's picked up some baby sign language. I signed "more" to her once, and the next thing I knew she was using it. This morning she did it with no instigation from me. That brain is like a sponge.



And now for some overwhelming cuteness.



Her new words this week (as far as I can understand) are apple and bunny. Some of her favorite things to do, listen to her Winnie the Pooh birthday card, play in Maggie's water dish, hand feed Maggie food, and climb the stairs. Her absolute favorite food right now is a grilled cheese sandwich.

This week we leave for Hawaii. I am so excited to relax and explore, but have a nervous spot in my heart to be away from Charlotte. Luckily she has two sets of grandparents who are more than happy to help and to get some bonding time in. I'm sure the vacation will fly by, as most do. Another thing I remind myself is how nurturing our marriage is the best thing for Charlotte because it is important for her to have parents who are happy and in love. So palm trees and mai tai's - here I come!

Fix, Freeze, Feast

Two weeks ago, I joined forces with Jessie and Montelle for an afternoon of freezer meal preparation. We've done this once before, so this time we had a little experience to work off of. We did our best to prep sauces and chop vegetables at home. This time we prepared several recipes out of Jessie's new book, "Fix, Freeze, Feast." What a fantastic book! These recipes are designed to make bulk quantities and, of course, freeze well. They even give recommendations on what size foil pans to buy. However, many recipes are designed to drop into freezer bags. The beginning of the book focuses on tips for saving money with warehouse shopping.
We prepared veggie lasagna, chicken parmiagna, cheesy chilada bake, broccoli chicken bake, and more. The recipes were uncomplicated and inexpensive. Brian and I have eaten a few already and found that there was enough for leftovers.
I haven't ordered my copy of the book yet, but plan to. These days, I don't see the value in spending a lot of time preparing a meal. However, if I could spend just a little more time and end up with one dish to eat then and 2-3 to store in the freezer, I think I'd be the happiest mom on the block.

I will find time to post a blog. I will find time to post a blog. I'll just keep telling myself that.

Today was a big day for a mommy. For months I've been complaining about Charlotte's, for lack of better terms, dietary habits. I longingly watched babies younger than her munching on finger foods while Brian and I struggled to get our baby to eat much more than pureed fruits. And not just any pureed fruits, only store bought baby food because something about my puree skills were not to her liking. She gagged on just about all other foods or else wouldn't even let the food near her lips. I complained to anyone who would listen.
Well, I have to think these ear-tubes have helped her turn over a new leaf. She's now refusing baby foods. Today she was loving her soggy Cheerios in milk for breakfast. At snack time she wolfed down chunks of orange and then said "String cheese? I want that in my mouth!" For dinner, sliced carrots, mashed potato, yogurt, and wait for it...shredded chicken. Damn near brought tears to my eyes. My big girl.

How Depressing...

I happened to catch this story on ABC news today. I was pretty sad about it until I realized that's still in the area of 36,000 eggs. I guess the news story wouldn't have been so impressive had they told me that. Now back to eating Cheeze-Its for dinner.

A couple of my friends and I scheduled a day of preparing meals to freeze and store for an upcoming Saturday. We did this back in the fall and had so much fun with it. We made stuffed pasta shells, soup, chicken pot pies, chicken enchiladas and lots more. We can't wait to do this again, this time armed with new and improved recipes. Well, it seems we're not the only ones doing this in February. One of my favorite blogs, Money Saving Mom is rallying the troops.
Since we lost our Super Suppers and Main Dish Kitchen in Holland, I have struggled to find the time and creativity to have a cooking marathon. However, if you get together with friends, you can each bring enough ingredients to make your dish multiple times, saving money and creative brain cells. But unlike Super Suppers, we get stuck with the dirty dishes.
Does anyone have any favorite freeze ahead recipes? I know my SIL, Jacqueline, just had a cooking marathon so perhaps she has a favorite Italian recipe to share. I'd love to hear all of your tips!

As many of you know due to the wonderful world of Facebook, Charlotte had tubes put in her ears last Friday. For those with medical curiousity - I'll explain the situation.
The ear is as structured below. When an ear infection develops, it is a result of fluid backing into the open space in the middle ear. Fluid typically comes from an upper respiratory infection (aka "cold") or allergies. The warmth in the ear creates an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. In children, the eustachian tube is almost horizontal, making it difficult for the fluid to drain down into the throat. Ear infections can have serous fluid - a yellow, sticky fluid, or purulent fluid - cloudy/pussy.



Here is a good example of what a provider sees when they look into the ear. On the left you see a normal ear drum. The right is an infected ear with purulent fluid. You can see that the ear drum is bulging, red and pus behind. If you had this, you'd pop Motrin like candy and be up all night complaining of throbbing pain. This is what poor Charlotte had to deal with for two months on end.



So why tubes? Well, if you look back at the first picture you'll see the eustachian tube. If this becomes congested, there is no avenue for the pus to drain. So you can hit the patient with antibiotic after antibiotic and get nowhere. High dose steroids could treat the inflammation, but you have a lot more risks with that. Tubes allow the fluid to drain through the drum and ear canal instead. The tubes are inserted through a small incision. Eventually the body will "spit" the tubes out as the cells on the ear drum regenerate. The hope is that the artificial tubes stay in place long enough for the child to develop better draining eustachian tubes.



Charlotte has a pair of white tubes now. She still seems to be in pain, but not nearly as bad as before. I just hope these are the only tubes she needs, because having to do this procedure multiple times can cause scarring to the ear drum which could eventually affect hearing to a degree. And you know, my future concert pianist needs her hearing ;)

I love my mop

Brian bought me a Shark Steam Mop for Christmas. I'm having so much fun with it. He says I'm just like Stanley Spadowski from UHF.


There are several reasons why I'm infatuated with this appliance. It uses no chemicals, leaving no soap residue. Pure unadulterated heat and steam penetrate the dirt and residue on my floor. I like to imagine it's like running my floor through an autoclave. And that makes me feel much better with Charlotte crawling all over it. It's as fast to mop now as sweep, maybe even faster with very little equipment to mess with. So now I can mop once a week instead of once a month. The floor dries immediately. No more tip-toeing over the wet floors for a 1/2 hour after the chore. I freakin' love it.

Minor downsides are that the mop will not pick up debris or hair, so you really do have to sweep ahead of time. Also, it doesn't rotate or fit under low shelving, so for a perfectly clean floor, once in a while I'll have to get down on my knees with a we rag. I re-iterate, these are minor downsides.

This week I'm in a hurry. Morning and night. Pack the baby bag. Pick up the dry cleaning. Call the vet. Call the doctor. Call daycare. Go to Junior League. Organize event for Junior League. Pay the bills. Balance the budget. Freak about how unbalanced the budget is. Clean out the left overs. Fold the laundry. Buy a greeting card. Get to the gym. Fix my Ebay mistake. Oh yeah, and work.
Nothing special - but this week I can't stop the to-do list from spinning through my mind like a roulette wheel. I know so many of you out there feel the same way. How do you unwind? I usually would say I knit, but doesn't seem I make the time for it. Really what I need is a good dose of perspective, so here it goes. I am lucky to have these responsibilities, it means I have a job, money to pay the bills, clothes to keep me warm, food to nourish me, a wonderful daughter and loving dog. It's not so bad after all, is it.
Alright, now I can go to bed with a quiet mind.

Happy Birthday!

Today my baby girl turns one, and I thank the Lord for that. This day is a day of gratitude and reflection for me, not only to God, but to so many. I'm grateful for Brian for being a great father to Charlotte and for helping me bring her into this world. I'm grateful to her grandparents for supporting us in her care. And I thank Charlotte for being patient with us as we fumbled through our first-time parenting.
After one year I thought things would be a little different. I didn't realize I would still stop in her room at least once a night to check if she was breathing. I always thought I would be the coordinated easy going mom who takes everything in stride - instead I find myself still constantly worrying about working around Charlotte's so-called schedule. I imagined myself making all of these homemade organic baby foods, but instead we battle through meals until I settle for her eating a few Cheerios and banana bread.
But, I also could've never imagined how great things are. I didn't realize how much I could love just simply being together, like I'm falling in love all over again every day. It is awesome how we can just dance to music, spin in a chair or roll around on the floor and laugh hysterically. And not like she does anything unique to other babies, but when I first see her hands form the itsy-bitsy spider or rock her baby doll, I just can't believe how fast her little brain is learning. And she gives the best hugs in the whole world.
She's my precious baby girl, who's no longer a baby. Happy Birthday Charlotte.

One Year Old! *almost

We started at ended the year with two very similar portrait sessions - Charlotte crying through most of it! But you'd never know by looking at these pictures. They turned out pretty well for as much coaxing and cheering that we had to do. And I don't know who ever came up with the concept of a "smash cake" for a 1 year old. This baby wanted nothing to do with it. I had to smear the cake on her hands and face. The only time she was interested in touching the cake was to dig out the Cheerios I hid in the frosting.
Please excuse all of the vignettes on these photos - I couldn't figure out how to turn the photos from the PortraitCD I got to take home (from Sears). Here's a sampling of some of the right-side-up pics.






She loved cocking her head to the side - her bashful look. And Linda- I had to think about you - I know how much you "love" the food on the face look.

Again with the cocked head - I can picture her senior portraits already.

My favorite - the Gerber Baby. Who needs hair?

I know it's sideways, but I still needed to share her diva meltdown.

A few of my favorite pictures as of lately:

New Year's Eve dinner at Johnny Carino's. I love this new sweater that her Aunt Chris bought her - reminds me of the Gap Christmas commercial. And now it's stuck in your head.



This morning - she was supposed to be eating breakfast. Instead she was playing peekaboo with her bib.

I have hesitated to post about our final bathroom remodel for a while because I am too nervous about criticisms. We spent a lot of hard earned money on this project and we're quite pleased...so here goes nothing.

We love our new dark wood vanity. We searched high and low for a vanity that was small enough to still allow an average size adult to make the pass through from the office door to the kitchen gracefully. Brian was nice enough to install an extra shelf inside to hold all of my crud. The sink top is a white ceramic and it came with a fun modern faucet. We purchased the medicine cabinet separately, but the woods, luckily, matched. I love this medicine cabinet as opposed to the traditional plain mirror because it seems very disguised.
Also, you can glimpse the tile here. We ordered white pinwheels with a blank area in the middle so that we could drop the grey color instead of the traditional black. Our contractor hated us for this detail, but Brian and I wouldn't agree on anything else.



The tub surround mimics my friend, Linda's, bathroom - subway tile with a dark grout. Our contractor came up with the idea of filling the storage closet with tile too. Too bad he also remembered to charge us for the extra labor. We also ordered custom glass doors for the closet and laundry chute to replace the prior wooden doors. Of course, we had to have one of those new shower curtain rods that curves outwards to help expand our small space.



Last, we picked up a great shelf for towels at the Restoration Hardware Outlet in Birch Run. We still have to install the towel rack below. The toilet was the only thing we saved from the old bathroom. One more great improvement not pictured is our fan-light combo. Since we stripped the bathroom down to the studs, we were able to install ducting for a fan. What a big difference that makes.



Now all we have left to do is a new curtain and save money for new doors. The jury is still out as to whether I am going to repaint (at least the door) trim chocolate brown. I really do like our orange paint, but I think I would appreciate it more if there wasn't such a stark difference between that and the white.

Stay-cation

I'm just finishing up the kind of vacation that every working mom dreams of, the kind where you stay home and complete everything on your to-do list and a few extras. We (finally) baby proofed the house. I'm already thoroughly annoyed by the locks on the cabinets. And don't get me started on the gate at the stairway. Maggie (the dog) can no longer move about the house freely, so she'll stand at the gate and whine if we forget to bring her up with us at night. But, my baby will no longer risk falling down the stairway "keester over teacup." We even went as far as bolting the bookshelf to the wall. Beyond that, we've weatherproofed doors, shredded old documents, hung portraits, touched up wall paint, set up a new work out area, frozen meals for Charlotte...the list goes on and on.
So here is to starting 2010 in an organized fashion. I can't think of a better way to get a good night's sleep than that.

Sunday morning we were greeted by loads of our wonderful lake effect snow. It was fresh and beautiful, so we bundled up in snow pants and took our Charlotte's new sleigh (gift from Grandma B). Maggie used up some of her energy leaping through the snow drifts, which really made Charlotte laugh.



We found a small hill in a playground and pushed Charlotte down. She didn't go much more than a foot at a time, but still seemed to get a kick out of it.


What a fun daddy


Of course, we had to take advantage of this virgin snow with some good old fashioned snow angels.


Eskimo kisses


After about 30 minutes of all of that, Charlotte was ready to move on to warmer things. I had a lot of fun and look forward to some real sledding at VanRaalte park when she gets older.