Mommy Monday: Transitioning to solids

Sloane has her 9 month appointment on Wednesday, I'm pretty excited to see how much she has grown! Also I have a few little questions to ask the doctor. Mostly pertaining to feeding Sloane solids. I'm not so concerned on what she can eat but how much she can/should eat.

Should she be having a meal and a bottle? That's pretty much where we are right now. She can eat a whole package/container of baby food but she still wants the bottle after. Should I be trying to feed her more? Maybe make it a more rounded meal with like a thing of baby food and then also a solid to make it more filling. I have started doing that a bit lately cause I feel like we should have cut out a bottle by now.

It has also been a bit of a process actually getting into the habit of feeding her solids. We were just feeding her solids here and there and then I remembered that the doctor said by 9 months she should be half solids half bottle so I talked to Mat and made sure we were on the same page that we should be giving her three meals a day.

We wake up, she will have a bottle and I will feed her typically baby oatmeal with something for flavor mixed in, either a fruit or some peanut butter. Then at her first nap she will have another small bottle and then wake up and have lunch of typically a veggie mix. She will have another bottle at her second nap. She will have dinner some time after her second nap where she will have a veggie and hopefully some meat if we can get her to eat it. Finally she will have another bottle before bed. So typically 4-5 bottles a day and 3 meals.

We will also give her little nibbles of whatever we are eating because she pretty much insists that we do.

She's a very good eater and will eat pretty much anything except the baby food meat. I gave her some lunch meat once and she really liked that so I thought about giving her that but I think it has a lot of salt in it.

I also want to ask about sippy cups. We have one for her that we just keep filled with water so she can try it out from time to time but she doesn't really seem to understand the concept that she has to suck on it to get the water out. I'm wondering if it is just too early to be giving her a sippy cup or if I should be trying a different type. The one we have has two handles for her to hold on to and the sippy part is soft which I read is good for a first time sippy cup.

Then finally I want to ask about her choking while eating. I feel like it is a pretty normal thing to do when first learning to eat solids and as long as she is working it out she is learning. She actually hasn't choked in quite a while and I think it's cause she's learned. She also has gotten very good about chewing/gumming, so that might open up the possibility to other new foods to feed Sloane. The one meal I'm pretty excited/frightened to give her is spaghetti. I just love seeing a messy baby with marinara sauce smeared all over the place!

 

 

 

How did you transition your baby to solid foods? I don't know why this seems like such a hard thing to do but I guess I just don't know what pace we should be progressing at. Leave my a comment below letting me know what you think of how we're going about this. 

Mommy Monday: We have a walker!

OK well Sloane isn't exactly a full blown walker yet but I know those days are right around the corner!

Saturday afternoon, right before I went off to work Sloane took her first steps! She took the first 4 steps to Mat. He has been trying to get her to walk for probably over a week pretty consistently and Saturday she decided to do it!

I sat there watching in complete amazement. I can't believe this is happening already, and she isn't even 9 months old. I was nearly in tears. Then I realized I needed to catch this on camera so I quickly grabbed my phone and caught the second time she walked.

 

She is just adorable and so proud of herself in the video.

She has been walking while holding on to things for quite a while and for the last month or so she has been standing up without holding on. We knew the walking was coming but I didn't really think it would be so soon, I thought for sure it would be after 9 months.

Now I will say she hasn't done much more walking after that. My mom said she took two steps on Sunday while she was watching her. I know we will be working with her each day to see if we can get her to walk just cause it's too adorable!!

Also just a note, Sloane has three (almost 4) teeth now and her smile is just too cute!

I can't wait to see what the next mile stones we will have in store!

Mommy Monday: Colors of the rainbow tag

Hello and happy Mommy Monday!!!

My dear friend Kristin over at Cupcakes and Cosmos tagged me in this fun tag. All the blogs/vlogs that I have seen have done this on beauty and fashion things, but I thought I would switch it up and do a mommy version by high lighting things for Sloane.


Red: Sloane's Cat in the Hat quilt given to her at my first baby shower from a family member, Melody.

 

 

Orange: It's a beach blanket roll up with a pillow. I'll be honest I haven't brought it to the beach yet but we use in to prop up Sloane while she is having a bottle. It's a great thing to have while she learns to feed herself.

Yellow: Fisher Price Rock and Play, given to us by a friend. This is an amazing thing we have used continually since she was born. It was the first bed she would sleep in and now I use it to keep her contained while I shower.

 

Green:  The doll Sloane was given at Kells in Seattle. She loves this doll and I just think it is so special because they gave it to her, made our day in Seattle that much better.

Blue: My keys, I swear these are Sloane absolutely favorite toy. When ever she is being a bit fussy I can give her my keys and she's nearly instantly happy. It's funny too cause she prefers my keys over all others.

 

Indigo: So.... I'm not really sure what color indigo is and I don't really think I have anything that is indigo so I chose her favorite actual toy. This is her singing monkey. We put my old iPhone in there and it has an app on it where she touches the screen and it goes through the alphabet and counting and colors and shapes and sings. She just loves it some much and it amazes me that she has learned to touch the screen to make it change.

Violet: Her very first Care Bear she got for Easter from her Auntie's Tara and Kristin. she plays with this thing all the time and loves to suck on it's ears.

Pink: Fisher Price Night light Sea Horse. This is the first item I bought for her that wasn't very necessary but I had heard that babies sleep well with it so I quickly purchased it when Sloane was probably under 2 months old.

Multi-Color: Her Baby Einstein bouncer, she loves this thing. We have added a bunch of things on it for her to play with. She still only likes if for 15-20 minutes max but it is a great thing while we are trying to do dishes or pick up a little bit.

 

 

Mommy Monday: The Liebster Award 2013

I was nominated by Hannah over at The "krustee" BLOG to do this tag. It's a bit of a random blog but I thought I'd do it for my Mommy Monday blog post since I am the mommy and this is all about me! I remember doing things like this on MySpace all the time and I have to admit I loved doing them so this was right up my ally, plus hello easy blog post!

(I guess this is what this is called)

Requirements:
- Name your nominator and provide a link to that persons blog.
- Post 11 facts about yourself.
- Answer 11 questions from your nominator.
- Nominate 11 other bloggers.
- Ask 11 questions for your chosen bloggers.


11 Facts about Me:
1. I was in labor for 6 hours, pushing and all.
2.I realized I was pregnant when I weighed in during a biggest loser weight loss competition and had gained weight.
3. I tend to link my toes together when I'm sitting around bare foot.
4. My second two (pointer toe?) is the longest of my toes.
5. I'm completely addicted to watching Vlogs on YouTube. I don't even watch TV anymore.
6. When I was in elementary school I would spend my recesses either helping teachers or in the library.
7. I was full grown and fully developed by 10 years old.
8. I have had 7 cars in the 12 years I've been driving
9. when I first started shopping for myself I thought I had size 10 feet but as I got older I realized
I was actually a size 9
 10. I've lost 40-50 lbs twice in my life and then gained it all back. I'm back at it now and I hope I can keep it off for good this time!
11. my best friend of 20+ years, Tara,  and my boyfriend of 7+ years have the same birthday but a year apart.


My 11 Questions to my Nominees:
1. Do you or did you play any instruments?
I attempted the flute in middle school and the guitar in high school... I just don't have the patients or strive to practice to get good.
2. Which animal best represents your personality?
hhhmmm... this is an interesting question... ( let me sit with my hand on my chin and ponder this) thing is I don't know the behaviors of all animals... I'll go with a kangaroo for my personality right now as a mommy.
3. How do you like your coffee or tea?
NEVER! don't like either... OK well I have on occasion drank tea but I'm picky so it doesn't happen often.
4. What is your ideal Sunday afternoon?
spending the day with Mat and Sloane probably out doing something fun either a pic nic at a park, exploring the city or taking a hike... my ideal day is NEVER a day sitting around doing nothing, there is too much I want to do in life to waste time like that.
5. What is the meaning behind your name?
I know my name is French but I don't know what it means. My mom just liked that name and wanted people to call me Dani Lee (like Sara Lee) but no one did... My family does call me Dani however.
6. Favorite dessert?
Ice Cream!!! forever and always. I have done very good lately at cutting back in the ice cream intake lately however!!
7. What type of organization is your favorite to donate time/money to?
Children's Hospital. I have toured their two main facilities here in the Seattle area, I have volunteered for several different events and I just think it is so important for children to have somewhere to go when they aren't well that they will feel comfortable. Seattle's Children's does a great job of that I think. It also is more important now that I have a child because it gives me piece of mind knowing that there is somewhere like that for my child if it is ever needed.
8. Favorite social media site?
Twitter of course!!! I say anything and everything on Twitter. I'm sure people hate me for it but, Hey I have nothing to hide!!
9. You’ve just won a $5,000 dollar shopping spree to ONE store (clothing, furniture…), where are you going?
hmmm a place where that $5000 could stretch a long way and get a good variety of items... The best place would probably be target.
10. Explain in detail your dream car.
I'm not really a girl with a dream car... I have always enjoyed big vehicle's where I could fit all my friends. I have always wanted an Escalade; to make it my dream car it would be completely electric so I wouldn't have to pay for the crazy amount of gas it would take.
11. If you could choose the sex of your child, would you? Boy or girl?
I'm happy with my daughter but if I was to choose my next child I guess I would choose a boy just because we are only going to have two kids and it would be nice to have one of each but two girls would be absolutely adorable also. Plus cheaper cause we have everything for a girl.

I nominate:
Kristin
Molly
Hannah (I know you already did it but I don't know many bloggers!)
(the rest of these bloggers I don't know and I don't know if they will even see this blog!)
Aunt Becky
Sara
Amber
Katelin
Melissa
Megan
Whitney
Jen 


11 questions for my nominees
1. what is your middle name and do you like or hate it?
2. where is your favorite place to go on vacation and why?
3. what is your favorite thing to do, out and about, on your weekend?
4. how often do you workout and what are your workouts like?
5. what is the meal you would have as your last meal?
6. what are two of our favorite names?
7. what chore do you hate doing?
8.What is your longest relationship?
9. Do you have a favorite number? If yes, why is that your favorite number?
10. Are you crafty?
11. Do you or will you have kinds? How many?

 

Mommy Monday: Gift Exchanges with strangers, and a give away!!

Since becoming a mom a whole new community has opened up to me. When I was pregnant I had the What to Expect When Expecting app on my phone. Within that app there was a November due date community board that I kept in touch with because it was nice to see other mom's that were in the same stages of pregnancy as me. That group spun off a Facebook group and that is where I keep in touch with them now. It is so great to have a group of women that have babies around Sloane's ago that I can go to for advice or support.

I'll admit I'm not a frequent poster in the group but I read posts in the group daily and from time to time I'll comment on a post when I have something to say. Overall I just enjoy having the group to follow. A fun way that the group stays connected is by doing gift exchanges.

The first one I participated in was the Mother's Day gift exchange. A couple group members organized the whole thing through Elfster.com This is an awesome website that helps you pair up people in a secret Santa type fashion. You can also make a wish list on the website to help your secret mommy get a better idea as to what types of things you would like as a gift.

 

I was so excited to participate in this gift exchange that I was trying to decide what to get the mother I had for a month! I looked at so many options and finally decided on something that I thought honored the Mother's Day theme. I got her a silver cuff bracelet with an inspiring inscription about mom's on it and "Are You My Mother" by P.D. Eastman, on of my favorite books when I was a child.

 

I sent the package through the US mail and unfortunately I got it out a little late so it didn't make it before mothers day. The gift I got however came well before mothers day.

The mommy who had me sent me a Passion Fruit Daiquiri Philosophy Shower set that came with shower jell, body scrub and lotion. I have always wanted to try out the Philosophy brand but just never had so it was exciting to get this as a gift. The package also has a recipe for a Passion Fruit Daiquiri that I want to make. I have searched for passion fruit around where I live and haven't been able to find any but I hope to find some so I can include that in my review blog of the product.

I am actually signed up to do two more gift exchanges now, both with a summer theme. One is once again through the group and the next is just signed up through a blog I follow. I'm excited to see what I get from those exchanges and I'm excited to go shopping for these exchanges as well. I love giving gifts!

Now for the give away!!! I got my very first from Inflenster, which is a sight that you basically do reviews on products and share the reviews you do through your social media. There is just some little things you have to do, like linking your social media and answering a short survey, to qualify for the FREE boxes. So my first box had Palmolive Soft Touch dish washing liquid in it. It came with two bottles so I figured why not give away one! To enter all you have to do is write a comment on this blog post (not a comment on the Facebook post but on this actual blog post) I'll randomly draw the winner on Friday5/24/2013 and contact you to get your shopping information!

 

 

Mommy Monday: My changing world view

Welcome to another Mommy Monday! It's amazing how my outlook on the world has changed. I remember all the things I said I wouldn't do before having a child. Also I remember how annoying parents and their children were before I had a child and how I said I would never be like them. I have quickly realized that being a parent is a lot about survival and a lot of the things you said you wouldn't do suddenly doesn't seem so bad.

I was at Walgreen's the other night and a little girl was hanging out over by the door leaning and banging on the theft detector. Her father was a little ways away in line. He tried to get her to come back over by him but she was enthralled by whatever was by the door. I though the whole time that the child was adorable and just trying to explore the world. My friend who was with me however thought the child was out of line and that the parent should have controlled the little girl more. My friend said the little girl was banging and leaning on the theft detector so hard she could have broken it. This is when I realized how my views have changed since having a baby. I understand the parents side so much more. If the dad had tried to get the daughter away from the door it most likely would have resulted in a fit, which as parents you try and avoid as much as you can.

Now don't get me wrong I don't think you should ignore teaching your child manners and the correct way to behave but there are some times when you should just let your child have a little freedom to explore while you also get to keep your sanity. Children learn from trial and error, even if it is doing something annoying in public.

I'm also not saying that I think parents should allow there children to run around stores and do whatever they want, I think I just get less annoyed by it now. Especially at work, I remember always thinking people were so horrible if they had their baby cry and they didn't do anything to sooth it. I have learned from my very vocal baby that sometimes they just cry. Well Sloane usually cries when she is tired and the best thing to do for her while in public is to let her cry covered in her car seat otherwise she'd get over stimulated and never fall asleep.

I don't want to cause some debate on the importance of parenting with anyone but I just thought I'd share how my thoughts about the world around me have changed.

If you have kids, did you have changes in your thoughts like this? Also if you don't have kids how do you view parents and kids in public and what would you wish you saw more of? IE: disciplining, containing to carts, leashes?