Diary of a First Time Mom

Archive for the ‘Baby Led Weaning’ Category

I recently discovered the website KidsHealth.org while looking for easy, healthy recipes to make for all of us.  It’s actually funny because when you Google “clean family recipes” you get tonnes of amazing cook books  that are also in the library.  But when I bring them home, I discover words like “reduction” and “coulis” and while I may know what these words mean, that does not mean that I want to tackle them while chasing after a newly-walking baby and kicking the dog out of the kitchen every two minutes.  In fact, these days, even the words “cous cous” make me close the book.  And I’m from the West Coast!

Enter KidsHealth.org. It’s a website for all sorts of parenting advice as well as first aid, growth and development and of course the recipes section.  At first I thought it was just another “one of those” websites, but it is simple and easy to navigate.  No pop ups or garbage to wade through.  And when you click on “Recipes for the Whole Family” it gives you a simple, alphabetized list of all the recipes.  That’s it!

Today we started with the recipe for French Toast.  We used organic eggs and whole grain bread.  Oh and Frontier Organic Vanilla Extract!  So good.  I kept saying how the whole house smelled like Krispy Kreme!

Officer Ducky Looks On

Wyatt and I both slept through lunch, so dinner was Chicken Salad & Greens. I modified the recipe by using Vegenaise instead of mayo.  And left out the red onion as we ran out of time (aka – patience waiting for Mommy to finish chopping).  Wyatt has recently connected the idea with me being in the kitchen and food.  When he smells food, he goes “mmmmmmmmm!” enthusiastically.  so tonight while making dinner, and kicking out the dog, I heard -slap slap slap slap- of his hands crawling on the tile and “mmmmmmmmmm!”

So I put him in his little high chair, and gave him spoons filled with Fage Greek Style Yogurt.  He showed his appreciation by smearing it all over his mouth (inside and out) and letting the dog lick his fingers clean, as to not waste any!

MMMMMMMMMMM!

Sharing

We both enjoyed the chicken salad with some Annie’s Mac & Cheese. Mmmmmm!

First Bites

Cheese!

Loves his Sporks

Tonight we got home at dinner time after going out late to buy groceries.  I bought two rotisserie chickens from Whole Foods to pick apart and use for dinner tonight, as well as subsequent meals in the next day or so.

We made BBQ Chicken Sandwiches for the whole family, and slightly modified it for Wyatt.  One of the principles behind Baby Led Weaning is to make it as easy as possible, by making one meal that the whole family can enjoy.  I also enjoy making meals that are very quick to make, easy to clean up, and contain clean and healthy ingredients.

Here’s how to do it:

Sautee half a medium red pepper and two small bell peppers (or one large one) in a bit of olive oil.

Onions and Peppers

Add about 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken.  I prefer to use organic or at the very least, natural chicken that has not been raised in a cage.

4 Cups of Rotisserie Chicken Added

The next step is to add about a cup of BBQ sauce.  However, I have not found any BBQ sauce that does not contain sugar.  Wyatt just does not need sugar (do any of us?) so I took his portion out before adding the sauce.

Heat briefly after adding the BBQ sauce and serve on buttered buns.  We had a little side of fresh cucumber slices with ours.

All Ready for Dinner

Quick and easy to make and clean up.  A perfect meal for those grocery shopping or long work days when you get home beat.

As I navigate being a new mom, I am starting to see what initially looked like separate threads all come together. It seems that moms who are into Baby Led Weaning, also (for the most part – but not all) use cloth diapers, breast feed their children, and are into Elimination Communication.

Is there a club? There should be! All are welcome! Bring your ideas and different ways and discuss!

Is it weird that I would want to consider having another baby just so I can try all this out from the get go? Wyatt and I are learning all this new stuff at eight months old (him) and thirty fours years (me). Imagine what it would be like to put these ways of life into practice from birth?

I do look back on the birthing experience and see a whole lot that I would have changed. I would have had Dr Mills come to the hospital and give Wyatt OMT adjustments from the day he was born, rather than wait 12 weeks. I would have had a midwife rather than an OB. I still think the hospital was the right decision for our first baby, considering we had no idea what to expect. I am glad I was able to labor at home for those 59 hours… And had that time been a lot shorter, I am sure I could have delivered naturally. But three nights awake and you lose some pushing steam, if you know what I mean. (and if you do, then you REALLY do know what I mean!)

It is strange that I would look back eight months and wish I could have done things differently. Especially considering how healthy, active, vibrant and happy our little boy is. Perhaps I could look back fondly at all the learning we have all achieved together instead.

Still…

I wouldn't change a thing!

Baby "Long Arm". Eight Months Old!

With so much going on lately, it seems like it has been ages since I have sat down and written a post here.  Wyatt turned eight months old last Friday.  He is crawling faster and faster each day.  We started on solid foods full-time (following the Baby Led Weaning book) after Scott and I returned from Mexico.  That was another first…  Leaving The Baby for 5 days.  That was really hard but I honestly think I was able to really appreciate him more when we got back.  I have not had the chance to actually MISS Wyatt as I work from home and am with him full time.

My website design business is rapidly picking up and I am very grateful for this.  Combine that with an extremely mobile baby, who is determined to walk before Halloween (place your bets, but know that I am in no rush).  It makes for a busy household.  Scott’s work keeps him very busy too, so when we do get time together, it is usually spent on the floor in Wyatt’s room playing and hanging out.  Those are the times that I really value, and we seem to slip into a sort of timeless space involving play and baby-proofing.

The next step I am introducing to our household is called “Diaper Free Baby“.  I just read the book and am hooked on the idea.  However there is a real process that is involved especially if you start in late infancy, like us.

The general idea is that babies, like most people, don’t like to mess themselves.  They are born with a natural instinct to know when they need to eliminate.  Anyone who has heard the story of Wyatt’s birth already knows how he refused to pee for the first two days of his life.  It was quite an ordeal for the nurses too.  One night I remember the nurse taking his diaper off and holding him up under his arms saying “pee pee.  pee pee.”  She called it the “pee pee dance” and that most babies will go right after you take the diaper off.  But not Wyatt.  First they gave him an ultrasound to make sure his kidneys were working.  Then a catheter to finally relieve him.  And relieve him they did.  It blew out the catheter, covering the walls and the two nurses.  All this at two days old!

Wyatt was communicating with me from the moment he was born.  I am very grateful and happy to have a strong connection with him, and I am always looking at new ways to expand this.  When we got home from the hospital, we began to notice that every time he peed, he cried.  He never peed with his diaper off.  I wondered if it was memories of the issues in the hospital.  But after time, it didn’t seem to bother him as much.

Now I understand that this unhappiness at peeing himself is a natural instinct that after time, goes away.  EC (Elimination Communication) encourages this instinct to remain strong, or in our case, come back.

A long time ago, I had heard whispers of people who took their babies to the toilet and held them over it so they could pee.  I think I even laughed at the idea, but something in the back of my mind filed it away for future use.  And here we are people.  Let the Diaper Free trials begin!

Not convinced?  Have a look at it in action.  Here is a video from Andrea Olson, new mom and author of EC Simplified, which I know will be my new favorite book as soon as I read it.

Who knew there could be so much to say about poop and pee!?  (Although those of you who know our family are not all that surprised…)

Click here to visit EC Simplified via my Affiliate Link.

It has been a busy few weeks and sure does feel like more than 4 weeks since our last post.  Wyatt is crawling up a storm but really likes to stand and practice his balancing.

Here he is last Thursday…  Weighing in at 17 lbs 4.5 oz!

7 months and 17 lbs!

The Baby Led Weaning experiment is still going strong.  At times I have to just do it and not think about all the mess and clean up.  Other times, we skip a day because I am beat or Wyatt is too tired.  Anyway, each time we sit down for a meal, it is a relaxed and positive experience.  He loves trying new foods.  And then spitting them out!  But I know he is eating some too.  Want to know HOW I know….?  Just ask me the next morning!

A Rainbow of Variety

I did not take an “After” photo.  But let’s say that the veggies left over looked like they had been put through a blender.  And this may be because Wyatt just cut his FIRST TOOTH!  Yes it’s true.  My gummy baby will soon be gummy no more.  I am actually surprised at how excited I am about this.  What’s next?  Learning to drive?  They say it goes by fast, but I was really unprepared at how fast baby-hood really does fly by.

Anyway, if you want to keep more up-to-date with Wyatt (oh, and me too if you’re interested…) I spend more time on Facebook than his blog so feel free to visit us at www.facebook.com/canadadre

Day One:

Lentil and Cheese Wedges