Sweet Dreams

Dear Baby I,

Tonight while (trying) putting you to bed, Delilah (on the radio), was speaking to a caller who is having difficulties with her 15 year old son. The caller talked about how she had her son at 15 and had felt like she grew up alongside of him. Unfortunately, now her son has hit peak adoloesence, and the Mom said her son suddenly had become a stranger to her. As we laid in bed with you squirming, pinching, and kicking me with your daily restless sleep drama, I couldn't help but think how sad it would be for my perfect little sleepless hellion to someday feel like a stranger to me. I felt so bad for that caller as she cried to Delilah all she had been thru with her son and their unfortunate current state of affairs. Delilah told her teens will be teens and there is nothing to do but wait it out and reassure her son that she loves him. As I stroked your little perfect cheek, all I could think about was how that could be us someday. What would I do? What if you grow into one of those angst teenagers who hates me?? What if you think I am the "Lame Mom" who does not understand you, your music, your friends, ANYTHING!!! Ugh! How could one brief caller to the Delilah show ruin my whole night and have me set out to pasture by my own futuristic teenage son!?!?
That's it!! No more growing up for you! YOu are here by ordered to stay my precious lovable baby forever! But I am also ordering you to sleep better too :)
 I have also decided this first year of your life, is all the torturing you are allowed. So there, you blew it! You wasted all  your potential teenage torture now! Ahhhhh...problem solved!
In other (non mental mommy) news, you had your first dip in the pool this past weekend! You and daddy had some quality fun in the sun! It is not exactly hot enough for mommy to punish herself with a bathing suit yet. I have to be REALLY hot for that!
YOu are getting more vocal than ever! Your giggle can stop traffic! It is the cutest darn thing I have ever heard! I live for those toofy smiles
Let's not forget that you got kicked out of the gym daycare again this morning. Lovely. I will be amazed if you let me make it through my trainer session on Thursday. If not, that will be the quickest money I have ever spent!
Well baby, that is all for now. Just remember how much mommy loves you and no matter how big you get you will always be my baby who I danced to sleep every night.
Sweet Dreams Little Monster - may your next 2 hours be filled with uninterrupted bliss. After that, I know the drill...(sigh).
I love you Baby,
Mommy

PS...Mommy hates the new layout of this blog! why do they have to change things on me once I get the hang of it! ugh!

Baby Food TIps

I have to admit, I am unexpectedly delighted by the amount of feedback I have been receiving on Isaac's Big Day. I am so happy that so many of you have taken the time to read about our daily ups an downs! So much has happened over the past 17 months that I can hardly remember a time I wasnt thinking about Sir I. 17 months ago I had all these crazy ideas of being the perfect Mom, and for the past 8 months I have been praying daily just to make it through the day! Gone by the wayside are my ideas of all organic clothes, cloth diapers, no tv, all natural everything...I don't know what I would do without my daily PBS Kids!
But one pre-baby ideal I have stuck with has turned out to be completely satisfying for both I and me:  Making our own Baby food. I LOVE to do it and it is not nearly as daunting of a task as you may think!
Many of you have asked me what Baby I eats and what I make, so I thought I would jot down some notes & tips for all us (and maybe this would be a good refresher for me if I am ever brave enough to take on a Baby #2!, although I doubt it!)
 1. When to start? The general rule is 4 to 6 months. I would stick with introducing solid foods at 6 months or later. We tried at 4 months and Isaac couldn't be more disinterested. We held off and by 6 months we knew he was ready. Really there is no need to rush, Baby will be eating the rest of his/her life, enjoy the simplicity while you can!
2. Rice Cereal. I had a lot of issues with rice cereal. For one, it was an automatic poop stopper - literally. Secondly I couldnt figure out why we were supposed to be feeding our babies white (or brown) rice. It is not a significantly nutritious food. So why was it Rice! Rice! Rice! Well it turns out "back in the day" rice was fortified with iron and  given to babies because formulas were not fortified with any Iron. Basically it was a yummy Iron supplement. Fast forward to 2010, Our formulas (and breast milk) are already fortified with iron, so adding rice cereal to them is simply adding starch and carbs to our baby's diet. It doesn't magically put the baby to sleep or stay in their tummy's longer, it simply adds  calories. I would use it as a thickener for runnier baby foods, but as a major meal component I would opt for something a bit more nutritious and satisfying.
3. Avocados. What can be a more nutritious and satisfying food for your baby than rice cereal? Avocados are a miracle baby super food! Chalk full of nutrients, vitamins, and monounsaturated fats (the good fats), avocados are a perfect addition to the Baby's diet in numerous ways. Isaac (and babies) love it's mild and nutty flavor. Mash it up with a fork for a perfect no-cook ready to eat meal, puree it in the blender for a liquid thickener to a bedtime bottle, or dice it up for a yummy finger food! Isaac loves his avocados! I am surprised that kid isn't green by now! I add mashed avocado to his morning fruit to make breakfast a more fulfilling longer satisfying meal.
4. O or No? There is much debate over the benefits of an Organic diet.  There is little debate, however, that an Orgnaic diet is the healthier choice especially for babies and small children. Baby, unlike mommy and daddy, has not built up the immunity to harmful pesticides yet, so an organic diet is best. Certain conventional foods, however, are generally as safe as their organic counterpart. In general anything with an outer discardable "skin" is OK to buy conventional - such as bananas, oranges, avocados, squash, melons, and mangos. Anything you eat with the skin on, such as apples, pears, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, berries, and tomatoes are best to be Organic.

So What does Isaac eat?
It may be easier to start off with what Isaac DOES NOT EAT. Obviously everything he eats has been mashed or pureed, but there are some things that babies should not eat under the 1 year mark.
Dairy (Yogurt may be given after 6 months)
Citrus fruits ( too acidic for babies tummies)
Meats, fish and Poultry
Processed foods
Honey (can lead to baby botulism)
any Unpasteurized juices
Foods with a high content of added sugar or salt

Making Isaac's food is actually quite simple. Organic Fresh fruits and veggies are always the best options, but frozen fruit and veggies are also Okay to use, just be sure they contain NO added salt or other ingredients. A clean food processor/blender/food mill is all the equipment you need to get started. We started with a few simple root veggies (carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes) to test out his palate. From their we moved onto simple fruit purees of apples, pears and mangoes.
I maintained a 3 day rule (most of the time) with the introduction of each new food to observe any allergic reaction. As his list of "happy"foods grew we began mixing and matching flavors and combos. Butternut squash and mangoes/avocado are sure winners right now. Sweet potatoes and green beans have moved to the bottom of the leader board!

Simply steam (boiling destroys the nutrients) the fruits or veggies you are planning to serve until soft and then puree when cooled. Use the water in the pot as a thinner for thicker foods. I freeze everything as soon as I make it to preserve the freshness. Food can be frozen into clean Ice cube trays, milk bags, ziploc bags or plastic containers.
Use all frozen food within 1 month of freezing for optimal taste and to avoid freezer burn.
Most importantly have fun with the introduction of food to your baby. Isaac loves to eat - or at least try to eat. Be prepared for some messy, yet camera moments. The looks on Isaac's face after every taste were priceless. He acted like everything we put in his mouth tasted like a sour lemon! But watching him discover food was a Mommy highlight regardless!

Well, I know these ideas are pretty scattered but if anyone has questions or comments I whole heartedly welcome them all! I never thought Baby food would turn into such a passionate "hobby" for me, but I love making it - almost as much as Baby I loves to fling it! Maybe someday You will be seeing Baby I's favorite foods in your grocery stores! Ahh...to have the spare time for that to come true!
Thanks again for reading our blog and I look forward to hearing form you all soon!

Happy #8!

Dear Baby I,

I cannot believe our little boy is already 8 months old! Saturday was your 8 month mark and what a day we had! It started out slow - the usual, no sleeping all nite, breakfast all over your face and the kitchen, crying through your afternoon naptime....the usual! But what a great afternoon we had! We took you to the IrishFest...er...Scottish Fest (apparently there is QUITE a difference!). YOu had so much fun. I am almost certain music is in your future! You absolutely love live music. Festivals, church, street players - anything musical lights you up automatically! Everyone kept telling me how cute you were - as if Mommy didnt already know! Being outside (in the oncoming heat) did you in for the rest of the day! You were pretty much lights out after dinner...well until midnight that is!

The rest of the weekend was just as nice. NOt much of anything really happened. You got to spend some quality with Daddy. You really loved that - you both did. You are a very lucky boy to have such a great Daddy. He is so into his Baby Boy! I have a feeling you are going to be his little shadow as you get older, following him around like a puppy! YOu are going to have to fight off Doc for that title!

I really cannot believe how big you are getting! It really is amazing. Everyday it seems you grow a little more into a little boy and less of my baby boy. Before I know it you will be running around and then off to school and then off to college and then married (or not) off! All that and Mommy will still only be a very young 32 years old! Hoy Vey! I dont know if I can handle all of this! Maybe you should just stay my little baby forever! My little baby that sleeps thru the night! (Mommy can dream!) It is amazing what that little giggle of yours or your toothless grin can do to make my long day complete!

The weather is definitely heating up around here! But the winds are also kicking in, which means your poor little allergies are in overdrive! The sun is also going to be a big problem for you this summer. No matter how much sunscreen I put on you, I dont think it is enough to battle off the Vegas sun. I do not think we are going to be outside very much - unless we are in the pool. I guess we will have to hang out inside with Super Why on those Steamy Hot Summer days!
8 months old and still no teeth or crawling. I have a feeling that they and walking are going to hit us all at once. Hopefully sleeping thru the night will be in the mix too! You are learning how to unsnap your onesies and pull off your diaper though! I am pretty sure that is a disasterus combo in the making! You would love to be naked all the time! So much like your daddy!
Well baby we are off to another food fight in the kitchen. You vs me and the peas and carrots! You always win, but one day I will get them in your mouth with out a fight! You are doing much better with the finger foods - cut up watermelon, avocados, bananas, and grapes. I am not sure you ever got a piece of them in your mouth but the dogs sure love licking them off you and the floor!
Happy 8 Months of Sleepless Bliss Baby! Mommy and Daddy Love you so much and cannot wait to see what Month 9 has to bring. You are our beautiful baby blessing and we wouldn't change a thing (except the sleeping) for anything!
I love you Baby I!

Love, mommy

Yeehaa!

Dear Sir I,
What a week we had! Even better were the weekends! Last week you got your first visit from the Easter bunny! You must have been a good boy - or maybe the Bunny doesn't check up on you at bedtime :)
The following weekend was even better! We had a family day trip to Zion National Park in Utah on Sunday. You, Mommy, Daddy, Prada, Doc & Zorro. We loaded up the car and off we went. Normally this would be your Daddy's thing, (but SHH! don't tell him) it was actually a very nice trip. Mt. Zion is a beautiful place and a cute little town. The dogs loved running around and you just enjoyed being outside all day. I have a feeling this trip is just one of many more to come if Daddy has his way. Although sooner or later I am sure he will want to be camping and such...ugh! I am sure the two of you will be ganging up against me sooner than later!

The weather is getting warmer here in Vegas. Pretty soon you will be in the pool all day long! That is not all you be doing this summer too! I have a strong feeling you will be crawling (and then very soon) walking all over the place. We bought you a walker last week and you love it! Frontwards motion is a bit of a struggle, but you are a pro at going backwards. And Zorro loves that you can feed him Cherrios off the tray! The dogs think you are a roaming treat cart!

I hate to say it, but bedtime has taken a step backward this week. I am hoping it is because of the yogurt I gave you. I was thinking it would help your tummy, but maybe it is just not time for dairy yet. You actually didnt like it as much as I thought you would anyway. All week long you have been tossing and turning all night. Not so much crying, just unsettled. Maybe the dairy was giving you cramps? Or maybe it is your teeth - although that excuse is getting old. We have been blaming your teeth for the past 4 months - and still no signs of your baby pearly whites!

No teeth surely doesnt stop you from chewing on EVERYTHING! You are a pro at Cherrios these days. I am not sure if giving you cereal to "play" with is a good idea. Am I pacifying you with food already? I do not know, but it surely keeps you occupied!
Well baby we are off to the Dog Bakery for a Birthday Cake for our boy Zorro! 4(ish) tomorrow! I cannot believe it! Soon enough I will be saying the same about you!
I love you Baby!
Love, mommy

Sleep Hostage

Dear I,
Well its one of those random mornings when Mommy woke up covered in pee, puke, and snot....and an oddly random cherrio on her face...NONE of which are mine!!!!
Hmmm....maybe it IS time to for you to have YOUR own bed! ...and just when we were doing so well!!!

For a short time, we were on a roll to have this sleeping thing under (somewhat) control....the only caveat - Mommy Is a "sleep hostage" - but as long as you were clocking in some quality snooze time I was OK with that! The only way I could get you to sleep was to lay in bed beside you until you fell asleep. NOt only that, but I had to rush to your side every time you woke up! Crazy I know, but SOOOO much better than the alternative! Ok, I will admit I secretly love the fact that you fall asleep holding my face tight, you are Mommy's beautiful little monster...but deep down I know I am not helping the situation by letting you sleep in a bed! And quite honestly I can do without you one by one pulling out the hairs on my head at night...(and they say you are not evil!!!)
Normally you would sleep all night though.  As long as you could hold onto me or see me you go right back to sleep - and in the "whatever works method" that is fine with me....But sooner or later (hopefully sooner) you are going to have to put yourself to sleep. Ah...I can dream at least! I read it isnt my job to put you to sleep, it is to teach you how to do it yourself...Hmmm... That is a GREAT theory, now if we could only execute it!
In other news your appetite has greatly improved! You are eating far less formula (thank GOD!!!) and more big boy food! I must say I LOVE making your baby food! It is so much fun and I love knowing exactly what you are eating (except for when you crazy daddy lets you try things when I am not looking...GRRR....) To all my prego friends I highly recommend making your own baby food....It costs way less and it is so easy to do ( I will blog on that one later!)
Cereal is also the new greatest thing that has happened to you! Cherrios can keep you occupied for hours! And the dogs love sitting under you picking up (ALL) the ones you drop! Honestly I am not sure one has ever even made it to your mouth....but you sure have fun trying! And I am loving how occupied it keeps you.

The Easter bunny made his first trip to the house! Some how Daddy made out better than you! But you were definitely a fan of all the purple grass in your basket. Next year I bet he will hide your goodies and you AND daddy can find them!  - or you can help daddy look, because he isnt that good at finding his eggs yet!
You are a huge fan of shopping carts these days. You love to sit in the cart and scream and giggle in the stores...you are quite a hit at all the local markets! I cannot wait to get you in the pool! I can barely get you out of the tub. This summer you are definitely going to be a water baby! Oh the fun you and Bratty will have all day in the pool while Mommy sleeps in the house (hint hint)!

Well Mr. Monster, you and I are off to a fun filled day of waiting at the DMV. I am sorry. We tried yesterday, but the 200 people standing in line wrapped around the building was a HUGE turnoff. I would sooner let them revoke my license than stand in that! I will never understand why the DMV is on Hell on Earth - but until they figure that out, we will go wait wait wait!
I love you Baby Monster Mash!
Love, mommy

Allergies Oh my!!!

Dear I,
Well I hate to break the news to you so early in life, but it looks like I may have no choice. There are EVIL little fairies that live outside in the trees. They sprinkle their green and yellow toxic little fairy dust all over the place. Dont be fooled baby, these fairies are pure EVIL and their fairy dust does nothing more than get into your precious little nose and eyes and ears and wreak HAVOC on us! They are the allergy fairies and their evil pollen fairy dust. I  didnt know you would be susceptible to them so early but I was unfortunately wrong! My poor baby!

Ever since we have been back in Vegas your tiny little beautiful eyes have been tearing up all day long, your nose runs like a faucet and you sneeze more than ever. Now I know your awful Nono and Noni will be quick to blame your precious brothers zorro, doc and prada....but even they have fallen victim to the evil fairies.... no one is safe from the evil pollen monster! Mommy has been living on Claritin ( and I have yet to decide which is worse, the pollen or the disgusting aftertaste the medicine leaves in your mouth!)
Dont worry My little monster, the allergies in Vegas will soon go away when the unbearable heat rolls in....Lucky us! These are the perks of living in "Fabulous Sin City". Ugh... but I digress....
In other news you are getting bigger and more vocal daily! I have a feeling that you will be crawling and sprouting teeth VERY soon! EVERYTHING goes in your mouth these days. Just wait until you figure out this crawling thing....Mommy and Daddy will be in for a HUGE surprise then! After that, I have a feeling those babbles will soon be making sense to us! Talking already??? It must e all that (educational) TV Mommy lets you watch....All for the greater good Baby!
In celebrity news, you are on your way to stardom earlier than I thought! YEsterday while at the UPS store, you shot your very first TV commercial! Apparently they are doing a Summerlin Promotional commercial and your cute little face...(ok, it was your hat..) caught the eye ofthe director and BAM DONE you were all Lights, Camera, Action!!!We will forgive the director for thinking you were a cute liitle girl, she was obviously taken by your star quality!  Hopefully I will be able to get a copy of it...but for those of you in the LV area it will air after May 10 on all channels! YEAH!! Mommy and Daddy are on our way to retirement!!!

I have been getting you ready for your First Easter this Weekend. I have been telling you all about the Easter Bunny and how he will be hopping into town this Sunday.... your Daddy is skeptical, but somehow I think the Easter bunny found him first... how else can you explain all the Fruit Roll-ups, Twizzlers, Candy  and sodas we find under his bed???? Hmmmmm??? It must be the Bunny, Right???!!!!!
Well Baby I, we are off to the gym for MOmmy's 20 minute workout. Thankfully you give me just enough time to get on the treadmill before you have a meltdown....Thats ok though...Mommy isnt that big on working out just yet! :)
I love you Baby Monster!!!
Love, Mommy

Mile High Monster

Dear I
This one will be quick, but I just wanted to report that we are back in Vegas and slowly getting readjusted to West  Coast time.
The flight home?? How can I answer  this one with justice...Hmmm...Let's just say you know things are NOT going well when the entire flight crew offers you free drinks the entire flight! Thank God we were sitting next to two angelic women on the plane! They did all they could to calm you down! They even offered to walk up and down the aisle with you when I got tired of doing it!

Ugh I was a wreck! (of course!) I could not calm you down to save my life! You would sleep for 15 to 20 minutes and wake up screaming as if I dropped you. The ENTIRE flight!!!! I know all the other passengers wanted to kill me, but they were very graceful in their attempts to look unaffected by your tantrums. I will have to keep that in  mind next time I want to go off on somebody wrongfully existing in my presence - ok I will try at least!
The vote is unanimous  - you are an official Mama's Boy! Who would of thought??? I tried my hardest to pawn you off on others, but you always made your way back to me...I will remind you of that someday when you think I am the dumbest person alive!! :) Mama's Little Monster!

But lo and behold we are back on solid ground. Daddy was so excited to see you (he said me too, but the jury is still out on the sincerity of that..) He missed us so much that he even put together our very own room so we dont have to wake him up at night when you are screaming! How nice of him huh?? Zorro was glad to see you back, he was very worried with out you in his eye sight, but I think Doc was pretty content thinking we were gone for good. Oh well Doc, maybe you would be happier at the pound without us there to ruin your day? HUh tough guy???
Seriously I love the room though....The room looks great and it is great to see out "Tigger" back up on the wall.  I will have to tell you the story of "Tigger" someday!
We do miss all of our NEPA crowd though. After that last flight they are all definitely on the hook to fly out here for the next visit! We are going to put your cousin Brat to work this summer! We will drag her out here to be our full time nanny  - Mommy will need a break by then.... and Daddy and I could use a date night without getting puked on!
By the way your Dr  (Shaeic, We LOVE her!!) says I cannot let you be an only child. Drs orders! We had to take you in because you spiked a fever on our last day in NEPA right before our flight out. SHe laughed and said Mommy is a hypochondriac, but baby is fine. When I told her you are still as difficult as ever she said, the next one will be easier.... but we wont tell your daddy that!
And just a little shout out to US AIR: I think it is a BRILLIANT policy that you would rather have a sick kid with a fever on your plane rather than allow us to reschedule our flight. It makes perfect sense to me. Why not put him in a floating germ capsule to infect every one else right?? The odds of it being contagious are slim to none I am sure. Great Policy. Koodoos to management! I hope we never have a silly pandemic that would encourage people to secretly fly ill rather than allowing them switch their flights (without a $200 penalty). That probably would NEVER happen. Bacon or Ham anyone??
Well off to make the morning coffee...you have been up since 3AM, Hopefully it is just because you are sill on East Coast time - but I am being generous I am sure!
I Love you my little baby Monster, but you are SURE lucky your are cute!!!
To all the NEPA peeps we miss you very much and cannot wait to see you again!! Thanks for a great visit and we love you all very much!!!
Love, Mommy