Homemade Baby Food Results

I am officially low on the baby food. I am down to just carrots, which she WILL NOT eat. I have tried everything you can suggest to try and get her to eat them. Honestly, I do not blame her because they smell yuck. I plan on just trashing them eventually, but I will hold on to them and try again a while later. Other than the carrots, I do still have some bananas which all of a sudden she does not like anymore. I thought that was weird.

Anyways, I spent $25.49 on all the baby food I made her and that's with some expensive organic apples. That is including two ice trays to pour them in as well ($2.70). I bought the food on the 24th of February, and it has lasted me over a month. Actually would last me longer if she ate the carrots and bananas, but that isn't happening. I also ended up not making the squash---I was tired! Making the food is a lot of work, especially when you compare it to opening a container of Gerber baby food. I get a 5 day reminder of how easy that is--ha-ha!

2 squash: $1.32 4 pears: $3.88 2 avocados: $2.00 6 bananas: $1.80 2 bag of frozen green beans: $1.00 1 bag of carrots: $1.69 2 ice trays: $2.70 5 Apples: $6.19 (I KNOW!) 4 sweet potatoes: $3.31 (the best!)

So, I am at a point now where I need to decide if I am going to make more food or buy Gerber. I think that I am convincing myself to continue making it because it is saving money and it is better for Madison. I figured it up that Gerber would cost about $40 a month. That is if I buy them 9 for 10$ on sale at Babies R Us and she eats solids twice a day.

So with saving money and it being better, I am sold even if it comes along with work.----Shower & to the store Madi and I go.

15.9 Pounds of Fun

On March 15th Madison had her 6 month appointment. Her appointment was at 1:45, there was not a single person in the waiting room and we were taken straight back. That was the fastest her and I have been in and out of there. Anyways, I just wanted to share her new measurements!

Weight: 15lbs 9.5 ounces, 32% Length: 25.5, 30% Head Cir.: 16.5, 26%

Dr. Smiley is happy with her growth as it is consistent for each visit and is moving along on the charts, but she said we have a petite girl! She did her usual routine--- ears are good, she does have two bottom teeth, no visual signs of coming through on the top yet, eyes are good, hips, and so on. She did have her shots and she did awesome with them during and the days after.

Other than the doctor visit, at home she is hitting many milestones. She is consecutively rolling across the floor, next thing you know she is about to roll off the rug or has rolled to her friend Kinleigh and is stealing her toys. What she doesn't know is that Kinleigh will be following right behind her doing the same.

A few other new things she is doing--sucks on her passy when going to sleep now, wakes up in the middle of the night at 4ish, sucks her toes, gives kisses, she will not go to just anybody, does not do well in the church nursery and she has been 4 or 5 times now, all of a sudden hates bananas?, moves backwards in her walker, reaches for people and has the cutest belly laugh! Gahhhh, I love her so much! <3

Hippies

Atleast it has not been over a month, but pretty close and even before her doctors appointment.

Madison is a rolling, smiley, solid food eating, super fast growing, nap fighting little baby girl. :) She is rolling over and over and over across the floor. I will put her on a blanket or her Taggies bear and next thing I know she is at my feet pulling on my pants. Oh and does she fight sleep! This past week has had some irritating moments, but eventually she just has to give in. You would think she would sleep for a good while after fighting it so hard, but no not her! 20-30 minutes tops! Then at night, she instantly rolls to her belly and goes to sleep!

She is eating very well. Peaches, apples, sweet potatoes, squash, ummmm....I think thats it? We ran out of her Gerber stage one foods just this weekend. I knew I was going to have to buy some more, but then started thinking about making some. Thanks to facebook friends for sharing their advice and resources, I have successfully made sweet potatoes(maybe a little too much), carrots, and pears. So far pears have been the easiest. I plan on making apples, avocados, bananas, and squash tomorrow. Also, the websites that tell you it takes an hour...FALSE. I spent 30+ minutes prepping the carrots--washing, peeling (yea, I peeled some skin on my finger too), and slicing. Thats just prepping them, not factoring in the time to cook and such. In the end though, I think I will be glad I have decided to try this out.

When I told John that I was going to make my homemade baby food he said "oh great...." and something about hippies. Haha, he doesn't want to be "one of those parents". I told him if it saves money and is better for then why not try it out. Hopefully she will like them. I am thinking that I will have to water them down and ease into the stronger taste of the homemade veggies and fruit. I will update with what I spent verse the Geber later!

Oh, and please forgive any typos and spelling....this laptop does not have word so I don't have the spell check. :/

The Latest

It has been a really long time since I have updated. Madison is growing and growing. Since the last post we have had our first sick visit, 4 month check up, and started on cereal plus veggies.
The beginning of January I took Madison in for her first sick visit. She had a cough, low grade fever, and she was going #2 often. Turned out to be nothing but a cold---but as a first time mom of a first time kid I wanted to be safe.
A about a week after her appointment we had her check up appointment. She was doing much better with her cold. She was in the 30 percentiles for her height, weight and head. Previously her head had only been in the 30's, but now they all are in the 30's and Dr. Smiley is ok with that. She said everything looks great. Madison also had to get her shots. She did very well with that.

A few days after her appointment, we started cereal. She kind of played with it in her mouth for about a week. After two weeks on cereal, we started veggies. Peas were first and she did not like them at all. She gagged and made the most awful face to it. We moved on to sweet potatos and she loved them. Right now we she is eating squash, which she loves as well. I did try the peas again and they are a no go.

Also, this month Madison has made a new buddy. Her name is Kinleigh Bree and I began watching her this month. She is 6 weeks younger than Madison. They do not really acknowledge each other at this point, but soon I am sure. Two littles? I know, I thought it would be hetic. Some days they are both fussy, but even on those days we make it. Then days one of them will be fussy and some days both are awesome, we like those days. :) Regardless, I just feel beyond blessed to be home with my baby girl. Then to make a little bit of money is just a bonus.

John has been home with us a lot this week. He is currently back working at fairburn. He now works 3 days one work and 4 days the next. As of now he is days, but will be going to nights....I think I might be bummed about this. The most important thing though is that John is happier now. :)

Thanksgiving

...was almost a month ago? I am just now getting/making time to update.

This year for Thanksgiving we had my side of the family over with some of Johns side of the family. It was so nice to not have to go anywhere for once. Also, first year taking on the task of cooking. It turned out really well and super yummy. I was nervous about the turkey, the rest I knew I could do and it was just the timing of it all. The turkey came out awesome too, and it was an awesome looking one. Bummed that we didn't get a picture, haha! I believe I have made two new staples for the thanksgiving meals---homemade mac and cheese and corn casserole. YUM! Also, my mother in law made an awesome cherry cobbler that is amazing and my moms sweet potato souffle will ALWAYS be a regular after last year!

What I learned from cooking a Thanksgiving turkey: *cook 25 mins for each pound
*if you like more of a crispy skin unwrap it and let it sit in the fridge the night before you cook
*it has to have many days to thaw (ours took 6days)
*you have to pull out the nasty stuff from the inside of it
*the skin is super thick and if you put some butter or whatever you prefer, underneath it then you have a much more moist turkey
*you have to get up super early to put in the oven

Madison was a little crabby that day. At this point I think that she is just not a huge fan of big gatherings? Although, she loves going to stores and the mall because she is perfectly content (I know we are creating a monster on the shopping deal).

Overall we had an awesome thanksgiving filled with tons of food and the people we love minus a few. :)

I did get some pictures of the food after everyone diged in in order to make up for it.

Let the Laughs Begin

I just wanted to share this post of Madison laughing. She started this last week. Now every time she laughs at something we repeat it over and over. A few mintues in I realized I kept saying Dookie Butt. Whatever it takes I guess! Now she likes the noises I make while acting like she is boxing.

Enjoy! Laughing Talking

Go To Sleep Little Baby

So the past few weeks I have been thinking about moving Madison to her crib. I told myself I was going to at 2 months old, that didn't happen. Then I said I was going to when she was 3 months old and that happened by accident!

Every night I give Madison a bath around 8ish or 9ish. I usually wait until she has just ate or right before she is going to eat, that way she is nice and full after her bath. Well on Tuesday while I was setting up her humidifier, I laid her down in her crib with the mobile going. After reading the directions and getting it running I went back to get her to bring her downstairs with me for a little bit. She was asleep! I ended up leaving her in there, but she did wake up shortly after and I ended up putting her in her bassinet to sleep.

The next night I did the same while I changed the water in the humidifier after her bath. She was on the border line of sleep, so I sat in the glider to make sure she was actually going to go to sleep. She did and she slept in her crib that night for the first time. She also slept in it last night and she is currently sleeping in it tonight. Granted her crib is still technically in the room with us, just over in the little nook area, but still it is different not having her next to me in her bassinet.

Also, Madison has slept through the night as early as a little before she turned 2 months old. The first night she did sleep through the night I was up checking on her and a few nights following I still continued to check on her in the middle of the night. It is nice now though, because I can really enjoy a good nights sleep or atleast more than 4 hour naps. One night she slept from 10pm to 7 am and this was before she was 3 months old. Her typical schedule is 10ish bedtime and she wakes up around 5am at the earliest and 8ish at the latest. Occasionally she will wake up at 2ish if she doesn't eat enough before bed.

I am for sure thankful to have such a good baby. She is so happy in the mornings and I am known to be the opposite. We balance each other out! :)