No Fuss, No Muss Homemade Baby Food

With our 1st child I spent hours in the kitchen each week preparing, cooking, and pureeing baby food, then freezing it in ice cube trays or small plastic containers. It was exhausting, messy, and required a lot of cleanup.

On occasion, we splurged and purchased baby food pouches. These things were a godsend! No jars or bowls to scrape or wash. Just squeeze straight into the spoon…or baby. No fuss, no muss, but at $1.50 a pop they were a luxury.

By the time baby #2 was ready to try solids, the pouch craze had peaked and was becoming more accessible. I decided to try the Infantino Squeeze Station. This system enables me to make my own baby food and stuff it into pouches myself. Very little muss, but still a bit of fuss.

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A few months ago I started researching juicing…for myself. We ended up purchasing a Nutri Bullet as a starter juicer and it just so happens that it is also a great tool for making baby food!

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The Nutri Bullet allows me to feed my baby whole raw fruits and veggies…peel and all. If the recipe gets too thin, I just mix in a little steamed rice, quinoa, or organic rice cereal. It’s also great for pureeing steamed or cooked foods.

Teaming the Nutri Bullet with Infantino Squeeze Station makes baby food prep, storage and feeding NO muss, NO fuss! And, if you’re brave, you can even let baby feed himself from the pouch.

Of course, some foods don’t require any special preparation at all and can be served straight from your plate. Once baby can tolerate a bit of texture, rice, quinoa, banana, avocado, potato, and applesauce are great on-the-fly foods for when you’ve not had time to plan ahead. No fuss, but maybe a little muss.

I also use a few strategies from the book Baby-Led Weaning by Tracey Murkett. A cleaned carrot and frozen peas can offer an entire mealtime of enjoyment for a teething baby. Following this method can also be no fuss, mo muss. Baby eats what you eat.

Now for the adaptive part…

The Infantino Squeeze Station is a great piece of adaptive equipment. The entire system is usable for those with limited mobility. However, the plunger makes a very tight seal when pressing the puree into the pouch and is hence a bit difficult to remove one handed. I have a Swedish Cutting Board with a gripping vise that I use to adapt tasks such as this. Cleaning is a bit tedious because there are 6 pieces, but all are dishwasher safe.

The Nutri Bullet is another effort saver. This is one of those rare times when healthier is easier. Most veggies just need to be washed, cut, and tossed in. Fruits may require pitting and peeling, but some can be left intact. If you’re new to whole raw diets, be sure to do your research before diving in. Cleaning is also simple, just 3 pieces to rinse and put in the dishwasher.

Here’s the bottom line…

The Infantino Squeeze Station and Nutri Bullet  will cost you a one time total investment of $143

Empty single use pouches are $17 for 50 pouches (reusable pouches are also a great option, but not compatible with the Squeeze Station) vs. about $75 for 50 commercial baby food pouches.

Knowing everything that goes into your baby for a control freak like me…PRICELESS!

What’s your favorite way to feed your baby solids?

Milestones

Today marks the day my son has been in the outside world longer than he was in my belly. Yes, mommies can have separation anxiety too.

Chase turned 39 weeks/9 months old at 7:19 this morning.

During the 1st 9 months, a baby is 100% dependent on mom for everything and mom is able to protect every fiber of their being to the best of her ability. A nurturing bond forms. It’s a bond that cannot be broken…hence the separation anxiety.

The 2nd 9 months is SO much more fun. Each day is better than the last.

So why is this 9 month milestone such a big deal for me?

My baby is growing up and I must adapt. It’s just that simple.

Today marks the day Chase and I have been separated longer than we were intertwined. He no longer depends on me for everything. He is gaining independence through enjoying new foods, crawling, communicating…He still needs me, and always will, but each day he depends on me a little less.

I adore the little boy he is becoming. I am thankful for each new act of independence he exhibits…no matter how much it frightens me or causes me to gasp for air. It’s a big scary world out there and, as a mom, I am driven to protect him.

Our next major milestone will be weaning. I will again have to adapt to a new level of his independence. I will lose the ability to comfort and protect him through nursing. Thankfully, I have months and hopefully even years before he self weans, but I know a time will come when he joins his sister in the land of “I’m not a baby, I’m a big kid!”.

Until then, I will soak up every moment, adapt, and collect as many marbles as I can.

Happy 3/4 birthday Baby Boy!

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What are the milestones that hit you the hardest? What are your favorite milestones?

Don’t Lose Your Marbles!

I keep a copy of “Song for a Fifth Child” saved to my phone for times when I feel overwhelmed by parenthood.

 

Song for a Fifth Child

Mother, oh mother, come shake out your cloth!
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking!

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby, loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.)

Oh, cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
But children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby. Babies don’t keep.

-by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

There’s just something so pardoning about those lines. After all, babies are only babies for a short time and it’s ok if the house gets a little dusty or if I have to resort to paper plates from time to time.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”– Ferris Bueller

Birthday parties, dance classes, running errands, family vacations, school events… When do we have time to enjoy the memories we work so desperately to create?

My husband likes to refer to the special moments as “marbles”. Every marble is uniquely different, sometimes they can be difficult to hold onto, and eventually as we age, many of us will lose our marbles (pun intended).

So…  How do we hold onto our “marbles”?

In my work as a speech pathologist, I spent a lot of time helping patients retrieve the important “marbles” in their lives. Often a very simple and basic scrapbook would enable a patient to retrieve a long lost story. For some, a simple song sung in younger years would bring back a flood of memories. And still, for others, the smell and or taste of a comfort food would retrieve one of those long lost marbles.

We just need to choose the right marbles. Remember that it’s the simple things that matter. The lullabies, the midnight feedings, and the lazy Saturday mornings; these are the moments that we will miss most. If we spend all our time focusing on the big events,  many of the smaller marbles might fall and roll under the table to be lost forever.

A Few of My Marbles

As a mom, it’s always a daunting task to balance tea parties, breastfeeding, diapers, cooking, housekeeping, and laundry, all while maintaining my sanity.

As an adaptive mom, those everyday tasks can take twice as long, with my endurance sometimes giving out long before the job is complete. Sometimes a chore may be just outside of my ability and I have to ask for help.

I continually adapt my priorities to allow myself to just enjoy the moment…even if that moment is filled with clutter, covered in poop, and hasn’t showered in a week. These are the moments I will cherish.

What moments do you cherish most?

Happy Mother’s Day…and don’t lose your marbles!

Fisher-Price Rock ‘N Play Sleeper

The Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper was a lifesaver when my babies were small and tops my list of newborn must-haves.

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The Rock ‘n Play is perfect for newborns because it’s extra deep with a structured insert that surrounds baby in comfort and makes them feel secure.

The rocker is manual, but if you have hardwood or tile floors the rocker will stay in motion for a bit requiring less mommy effort. The only thing I would add to this product would be a vibration option, but both of our babies were able to survive without that feature and the trade off having such an otherwise all in one tool was well worth the sacrifice.

The Rock ‘n Play is very lightweight and fold-able, so it’s easy to move around the house. I easily moved it from bedroom, to bathroom, to kitchen as we went through our morning routine.  Thanks to our rocker, I am proud to report that I rarely missed a shower or a meal because baby transferred from room to room with me without much fuss. 😉

Helpful Hint: I fastened a belt to ours for easy pulling from one room to another so even our 3 year old daughter was able to help Mommy by pulling the (empty) rocker between rooms.

The Rock ‘n Play is elevated so it does not require the back wrenching leaning over to pick up baby like most baby seats.  As an adaptive mom, with use of only one arm, our rocker was essential for me safely lifting baby into my lap to breastfeed. I was able to get situated in my glider with my Boppy (another must-have, blog to follow) before picking baby up from the elevated Rock ‘n Play.

The seat is inclined, which is perfect for babies with reflux. We used our Rock ‘n Play as a co sleeper. Both of our babies suffered from reflux as infants and were fussy when laid flat.

The Rock ‘n Play includes a three-point restraint to keep baby safe and secure and a washable insert for clean comfort and support.

Fisher-Price Rock ‘N Play Sleeper is an all in one tool…rocker/swing, baby seat, sleeping wedge, etc. I LOVE this product and my babies did too!

Here are some details from the Fisher-Price website:

Developmental Guidelines: Use only with a child unable to sit up unassisted or grasp side of seat and pull upward.

Maximum weight: 25 lbs. (11,3 kg)

A perfect solution for …

Sleep & play
• Toy rattle

Portability & storage
• Easy-push button fold

Easy-care
• Removable, machine-washable insert

Convenience
• Storage pocket for little extras

There was a recall in January 2013, but it was an easy fix and should only be of concern if you purchase a used model. The Rock ‘n Plays were recalled because it was found that mold could develop between the removable seat cushion and the hard plastic frame of the sleeper when it remains wet/moist or is infrequently cleaned.

Boob Camp

Last week was a whirlwind.

I attended the Healthy Children’s: Center for Breastfeeding Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) training. Eight hours per day for 5 days culminating in a 100 question exam and 2 video practicums.

The first two days were spent unlearning many of the things I thought I already knew about breastfeeding. The rest of the week was a blur of discussions about skin-to-skin, inviting babies to the “breastaurant”, latch, latch, and more latch, pumps, formula (yes, formula…the good, the bad, and the ugly), hormones, anatomy (more than meets the eye), sore nipples, ethics, and a multitude of other equally important, mind boggling facts and issues. My brain has not felt so overloaded since grad school (which was…um…several years ago).

The thing that impressed me the most about the CLC training, was that the entire curriculum is built on evidenced based research. So much of what women learn about breastfeeding, myself included (hence all of the unlearning I had to do), comes from well intended advice from friends/family and Google searches. Myths about a mom’s breast size, milk supply, stress level, nutrition, and exhaustion discourage or deter women from breastfeeding because they may fear failure. The truth of the matter is that breastfeeding can be the most empowering experience in a woman’s life and if more women understood the facts, we could adapt our culture into one where breastfeeding is the norm. Hospitals should be encouraging moms to seek out professional lactation support and evidence based resources like OurMilkyWay.org, KellyMom.com, and BreastfeedingUSA.org rather than passing out formula samples (I’ll save that rant for another post).

Another unique aspect of the CLC approach is that it’s a “hands off” approach. Many women report being turned off by lactation support that consisted of grabbing and touching mom and baby. The reality is that healthy term babies can locate their mom’s breast and latch correctly if only given the opportunity. Lactation support may require little more than educating and encouraging mother and baby. Sure, there are special cases that require more assistance and problem solving, but many of the “problems” moms encounter are created by too much interference and not enough faith in mom’s ability to meet her baby’s needs.

For me, this “hands off” approach means that I am not limited by my physical abilities. The CLC program is one that would be easily adaptable and accessible to anyone able to complete the training. The only requirement is possessing a determination to help others.

In the end, I learned a ton about lactation, breastfeeding, and counseling. I highly recommend the course to anyone interested in helping moms and babies.

Now, I sit and wait while they grade our assessments for the next 6-8 weeks. Oh the torture!

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Eczema…it’s so much more than a rash.

My son, Chase, has a wicked dairy allergy resulting in horrible eczema.
He was about 4 months old when the eczema manifested itself. He had always suffered from digestive issues, which I later discovered were linked to the daily whey protein shakes that I was drinking (talk about feeling guilty!), but no abnormal skin issues to speak of.

At Chase’s 4 month check up His peditrician refered us to a dermatologist. The dermatologist diagnosed Chase with eczema, impetigo, and infantile seborrheic dermatitis or cradle cap. He sent us home with a prescription for an antibiotic for the impetigo and several recommendations for over-the-counter creams as well as two prescription lotions. Nothing really seem to help.
In February, I was introduced to Essante Organics. Essante not only offeres an organic protein shake that is soy, dairy, and gluten free, but they also have a 100% organic baby line. Desperate to help our son, we ordered their baby wash and baby lotion immediately. With the use of these products Chase’s eczema cleared up in three days. I still have to avoid dairy and know every ingredient in the food I eat and introduce to him, but the hardest part of the battle was over…or so I thought…

*Update*
We have now added Essante Sanitizing Spray to our eczema regime. This spray is powerful enough to sanitize my diaper covers, yet safe and gentle enough to spray on raw scratched spots.

Unfortunately, since Chase spent most of his early months scratching, it had become a habit. He had learned that scratching would get my attention and often lead to nursing for comfort (smart kid, right?). Any gains we made were often lost due to scratching and irritating his fragile skin.

We were unable to find long sleeve onesies with fold over sleeves in the larger sizes that my son needed. We tried mittens with velcro and even homemade ones with secured draw strings, but as a seven-month old Chase became very skilled at taking them off. Not to mention, mittens can be very difficult to put on a protesting active baby and even more so, wrestling him down with one hand in the dark at 2am.

Then we found Scratch Me Not.

ScratchMeNots are a uni sleeve or cardigan type contraption with fold over mittens that can be worn year round. Each ScratchMeNot is made in the USA from a Bamboo/Cotton blend. The mittens also have a silk outer layer that provides reduced friction against the skin..

ScratchMeNots come in sizes up to 3T. However, should you need a size that is not listed, they will create one especially for you!

I love this company and I have been very pleased with their customer service, as well as, the products.

Thanks to ScratchMeNot, my son is sleeping better and I am not waking up to pulled hair and fresh scratches (on Chase and myself) each morning.

And lest we forget the adaptive part…this alternative to traditional mittens is a lifesaver when it comes to putting them on a squirmy baby. No more fastening and tightening or wrestling to put them back on. I simple put his ScratchMeNot on like a jacket and fold over the mitten cuffs. Easy peasy! Chase has yet to figure out how to get out of his ScratchMeNot and I don’t foresee that becoming a problem as long as I keep him in the right size.

****Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. I am an executive with Essante Organics and only receive compensation through their outlined system (sales, bonuses, commissions, etc).

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Essante organics sanitizer

Chemicals vs. Baby Poop

This whole “going organic” process has made me painfully aware of how strongly chemicals smell. Products that I’ve used to clean for years and that never bothered me, now make my nose and throat burn…baby poop ain’t got nothing on chemical stench!

I’ve also become more concerned about washing off the chemicals that I touch, than I am about washing up after changing a poopie diaper. That may sound gross to you, but watch 10 Americans or The Toxic Truth and you might understand.

So here’s how I’m adapting

I refilled my Swiffer Wet Jet bottle with a water, vinegar, and organic essential oils  (for a better smell and to condition my wood floors) solution. I also refilled my Scrubbing Bubbles automatic shower sprayer with a water and vinegar solution. I am replacing all of our sanitizers with an organic sanitizer, because bacteria & fungi find it almost impossible to survive in 100% stabilized oxygen, the primary active ingredient in Essante Organics Sanitizer. This stuff is safe enough to spray on my baby, yet powerful enough to sanitize our toilets!

You don’t necessarily have to give up your conveniences to live chemical free. Just find ways to adapt the products you love.

Sanitizer

The magic of a tea party

If you are blessed to have a daughter, never take for granted the magic of a tea party.

While I was pregnant with our second child, the pregnancy took such a toll on my body that I chose to resign from my job and become a full-time stay at home mom to our then 2 year old daughter. My husband and I had already planned to become a single income family once our son arrived, but my tough pregnancy sped things up a bit.

I’d hoped that this was going to be the perfect opportunity for me to enjoy the last months of our daughter’s “only child-hood”. I was preparing her to become a big sister, an experience as unfamiliar to me, an only child, as it was to her. I dreamed of tea parties, baking together, trips to the park and pool, dancing in the living room, and lots of arts and crafts. Instead, I uncomfortably settled into my glider and propped my huge puffy feet on my footstool for 3 months. The best I was able to offer for mommy daughter time was climbing into bed with her for naps. Unfortunately, these “naps” often consisted of me dozing off while she jumped and climbed all over me until she either got bored and fell asleep OR left the room and found trouble in another part of the house….but that’s another post all together.

My inability to interact with my daughter on her level, really took a toll on our relationship. She had always been a Daddy’s girl, but during that last trimester I felt lucky if she acknowledged my existence when my husband, a much preferred option, was available.

After our son was born…and I recovered…and I got a bit of rest…and we established a breastfeeding routine…and all the other challenges one must face with a new baby…my daughter and I were still having difficulty finding our bond again.

I had researched dozens of ways to best utilize spare moments with a new older sibling to help her feel connected and appreciated. As many of you know, even the best laid plans often fail with an active and independent preschooler…so I had to adapt.

One day it finally happened, I stopped planning (a difficult task for this type A mom) and started letting her lead. It was as simple as attending a tea party…literally. As we sat and sipped on our delicious invisible tea and crunched on our plastic tea cakes, all wrongs were slowly righted.

My son is now 7 months old and my daughter and I are closer than ever. In fact, she is snuggling with me on the couch as I write this. Maybe we’ll move from tea parties to blogging together someday. 😉

 

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The Who, What, and How of It All

Welcome to Adaptive Mom!

To be a mom is to be adaptable.

Here I will share my thoughts, stories, and experiences, as well as, tips and tricks for making the circus we call motherhood a bit simpler.

I am a wife and mom of 2 kids, a cat, a dog, and 2 horses. By degree, I am a speech-language pathologist, but I’m blessed to be a stay at home mom for the time being.  I am also a sales executive with Essante Organics and a lactation counselor. I love staying at home with my kiddos while my other activities keep me connected to the outside world. This is how I adapt.

As a mom, you must perfect the fine arts of joint attention, multitasking, juggling, policing, finding the humor in unlikely situations, and staying sane all at the same time. That’s the fun part!

Sometimes life requires a bit more than we readily have to offer so we must adapt. This blog was created to share some of the ideas and solutions that I’ve found to help me survive as an adaptive mom, wife, and “momtrepreneur”.

My goal is to provide readers with humor, tips, tricks, and products to survive in this fast paced world with a little less stress.

Enjoy and thanks for following!