Favorite Finds 6-26-09

This weeks fav finds are simple every day items that have made a world of difference for me.

BabySteps Complete Feeding System - What I use most in this system is the Electric Food mill. It is super easy to clean, quiet and fast. The freezer trays are a bit hard to twist, but they are space saving and I do not have to keep the food in them until my son eats it. Once the food is frozen, I put it out and place it in freezer bags. Then I can fill the trays up again with a different flavor. The manual food mill takes a bit of strength, but it is hand for travel or going to a restaurant. My second favorite item is the bowl with lid and spoon. The frozen food fits right into the divided tray and the spoon comes with its own carrying case. Super convenient and handy.

Soft-Tip Infant Spoons - 6pk - These spoons are comfortable in my hand and have a long handle. The colors are fun and my son enjoys banging them on his tray. Unlike the other spoons I have used, these have not become stained by carrots or other colorful foods. These would also make a great baby shower gift/center piece by putting them in a bucket with sand and tying bows just below the spoon.

Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube - My son loves this item. What I like is that it does not get on my nerves like other noisy toys. He enjoys the cause and effect of touching the buttons and he can add and subtract the different instruments. I find myself singing with the cube from teh other room when I hear it.

I hope you enjoy these items as much as I do. Please feel free to purchase from these links as it helps to pay for hosting fees for my blog. Thank you!

Baby Food Time

As I am about out of the supply of homemade baby food in the freezer, I am thinking about different veggies to try with Dustin this time around. So far, he has like carrots, green beans, eggplant, zucchini, acorn squash and sweet potato. The only thing he is not a huge fan of is bananas.

While at the grocery store today, I was hoping to find something fun and new to try. Unfortunately, the only veggies that looked good were ones we had already tried. I will make up some sauteed zucchini with onion and garlic this evening and blend the extras for Dustin a place in the freeze. The easiest way for me to make his food is to just make extras of whatever my husband & I are going to eat.

To blend, you really do not have to have anything fancy. I use an Electric Food Mill. What I like best about this one is how quiet it is and easy to clean. Dustin freaks out by the sound of my food processor because it is so loud. Really, you can use any appliance that allows you to puree. Once it is to the consistency I desire, then I scoop into a freezer tray and wait for it to solidify. After it has hardened, I remove from tray an place in labeled freezer bags. This method allows me to reuse the freezer trays before Dustin has finished all of that fruit or vegetable.

Dustin seems to enjoy food better when I use a little bit of spice. For example, I pair green beans with basil and pepper, zucchini as mentioned above with garlic and onion, acorn squash with cinnamon and cumin, etc. I welcome any other suggestions you may have for flavor combinations. What is your child's favorite meal?

Get Out of My Head, I need Some Sleep

Postpartum depression and anxiety. We were all told about it while we were pregnant and supposedly knew what to look for. With your hormones doing crazy things, it is hard to recognize if you are experiencing "Baby Blues" or postpartum depression. For me, it took fantasizing for 3 days on the possibility and logistics of a parental "eject button" to realize that I needed to talk to someone. I was spending more and more time thinking about how I could escape from my role as a mom. The sobbing and sleeplessness for some reason seemed normal - go figure.

This hard to write about because I never wanted to admit I had lost control. One of the best things that happened to me was meeting a lactation consultant, Linda D., who was interested in my health, as well as my son's. She stated that if we took care of me, then my son would automatically improve. I have been having trouble with breastfeeding and milk supply since the beginning. At about 6 months, Dustin started losing weight and was label "failure to thrive" which is why I saw this lactation consultant.

During this time, I was having a difficult time sleeping because thoughts would play like a broken record in my head each time I tried to go to sleep. Usually, I watch Doris Day movies during these situations. Who can resist falling asleep while vegging out to a saccharin sweet comedy with an adorable blonde trying to find love? Alas, it is not possible to find her on everyday. When I did finally fall asleep, I never wanted to get out of bed. Enter into the my world of depression, exhaustion and anxiety. Linda suggested making an appointment to see a therapist.

Ok, I did not make this appointment right away because I was resisting the idea I really needed help. A few days later, when I was especially resenting my new role and the helplessness I was feeling, I made the appointment to see someone. Seeing a therapist was not an overnight fix-all. However, she has given me some ideas of ways to express myself, ie. this blog, and help me to be honest about what I am feeling. As GI Joe would say, "Knowing is half the battle."

The other half was medication. I was feeling better one the day to day, but still having trouble with the sleeplessness and anxiety. The truth of the matter is I have issues with needing to take anti-depressants and have been brought up to believe it is a sign of weakness. Setting that aside, I have been religious about taking the medication and noticing a difference. Each day I enjoy sharing in my son's experiences and developments, instead of dreading the moments he is awake. Whoo Hoo! Yay, Me!