Adventures With Food

Trying tofu: Jan 09-Loves the texture and the ability to feed himself.

Either counting peas or trying to pick them up.

So sleepy.
Yay for dessert!

1st Pickle: New Year's Eve

Eating in the Bumbo Chair!!! He uses it in the shower or to eat or whenever he needs a seat.

Tried Fish for 1st Time: 1/11/09 Stop taking pictures mom! I just woke up and want to eat in peace. Avocado, Fish, Raw spinach leaves, and french fry.

What? Why would you think I need a bath? These are leftovers. Fine, give me the bucket and soap...I'll do it myself, just like I fed myself.

Busy Saturday

Yesterday was fun and busy! Adrian and I went to the photo shoot for the new brochures for Children, Youth and Family Services for Dept of Human Services. It was interesting b/c they didn't tell us what to do, just 'sit here' or 'look out the window'. Adrian and I just did what we do...he bit my chin, hit me with his toy, pulled my hair, and I probably made awkward faces whenever the camera clicked. Maybe we'll get to be ont he brochure for the HUB and mediatation with the subtitle; 'Do you and you child fight? Come to the HUB and seek mediation to help resolve your issues resorting to physical violence.' The new logo and brochures are awesome however.

After that we went to Target to get snacks for mom's group at Julie's. Of course we spent more than we thought we would but mom remembered we needed cat food and papertowels, etc. Adrian is such a big boy sitting up in the front seat of the shopping carts now!

Then mom's group at Julie's was our next destination. Let it be known that on Jan 10th 2009, Neshamah arrived early and before anyone else to her destination. Being on time or closer to on time than usual is always a new year's resolution. Now that I got that out of the way I can move on with the year!

Mom's group was fun: Julie and Cavyn, Christie and Maddox, Rachel and Leo, Selene and Collette, Shannon and Leah, and Neshamah and Adrian all attended. We all brought food and sweets and ate, talked and fed babies, Julie had some good information printed up for us as well as some fun baby facts 'such as babies born in May (Adrian and Collette) weigh more on average than babies born in ANY other month', we took lots of pictures and decided to do the next one on a Sunday in Estes at Rachel's. Our fun activity was 'plaster hand/foot prints' of our babies. Adrian laughed so hard when I made the compression of his feet...which must have tickled! Everyone hung out for about 2.5 hours but Adrian passed out as the last person besides us left. I let him nap and hung out with Julie and Cavyn.

Then we decided to go out with Julie and Chris with their friends who also just had a baby to go bowling. I picked up Barry and we hung out till 11. Sadly our baby doesn't just sleep everywhere anymore. He loved to watch everyone bowling from his perch in his stroller. Amazingly there were many babies and children out bowling on Sat night. Who knew?

Something new I learned about my son is that dogs scare him. I think that is a good thing and for safety/self preservation since it is only dogs he doesn't know or when our dogs bark ferociously. Last night I locked the door and when Barry came home he rang the doorbell and the dogs barked really loudly. Adrian freaked out, clawing at me and screaming. He was so terrified and it took some time to calm him. I felt so bad and yelled at Barry to knock on the stupid door at midnight.

Adrian does love playing with the cats and dogs though. In the morning he wakes up and rolls and scoots all over the bed trying to get the cat who likes to curl up by my feet. The animals are getting used to him and let him pet them. Of course, we would never leave him alone with the animals since no animal can be trusted 100%.

Modeling

Well...Adrian's first modeling opportunity is here. My work needs volunteers for brochures and this saturday at noon is his 1st gig. After that we will be attending a mom's group hosted by Julie!! Busy day.

Adrian came to work with me this evening to help me pack up my desk. He reached out and wanted to be held by other people. He's so outgoing and social! We are moving to a new building this week ... very excited!!!

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS...

IS MY TWO FRONT TEETH!

8 Months & Happy New Year!

Grandma & Grandpa gave Adrian his present when we got home last weekend. HOW COOL!!!!! He just loves them and they are so good to him. I’m so thankful that they can be part of his life every week. Family is so important and it’s awesome having some of both of our families nearby as well as being given opportunities to visit others.

Adrian had a happy new year last night. He woke up right before the ball dropped. We went across the street to our friends’ house and we got to also see some friends that we haven’t seen since Adrian was born.

Baby and mommy stayed till the ball dropped but daddy stayed till the wee hours of the morning and is paying for it today…hehehehe. Adrian and I are going to Aunt D’s BBQ and get to FINALLY meet cousin Maddox.

Cousins: Adrian Touching Maddox Being Held by Cavyn
Just Chillin'
Today Adrian is 8 months old! He tried egg yolks-scrambled with quinoa (an old-world super grain) for lunch. He is eating lots of finger foods and loves it although he’ll still eat when mom feeds him with a spoon. He loves holding his own spoon and practices putting it in his mouth while eating. He loves drinking water, not from his sippy, but from mom’s glass (eewww floaties). Sometimes he gets to try seasoned food from mom’s plate also…today he enjoyed some green chili on his eggs. The other day he tried swiss chard (green tops of beets) cooked in chicken broth. Dad would like to give him hot sauce however mom has to intervene, not until he can protest with words. So far he likes everything he’s tried but especially LOVES yogurt and avocado and cheerios.

Adrian FINALLY slept through the night for two nights in a row, Monday and Tuesday. Our routine is bath and/or just jammies, lotion, cuddling and maybe a story, nurse, fall asleep, put in his bed at 9pm. He sometimes wakes at midnight and again b/n 2-4am and again at 6am and gets up at 8. It varies night to night but on Tuesday I needed some sleep so I put him to bed at 9, closed his door, closed my door, turned off the monitor and woke up at 5:20 surprised and very worried that he hadn’t gotten up yet! He was fine and must have smelled me or heard me and woke up 2 seconds later. Next night I did the same but fed him at 11 while he was half asleep to ensure that he would stay asleep and he did until 5. Also he’s been sleeping later, he used to get up at 7:30 and he’s slept till 8 or 9 lately. Of course traveling threw him off his past schedule a little. Last night I screwed it all up with going to bed late and leaving him in my bed but we’ll get back on track.

Trip Review

We all had fun..it was great to see our family. I'm glad Judah could be there with us.

Adrian flew on his first airplane ride and did great! Only cranky at naptime but settled right down and fell asleep. Other babies wailed from the pressure when taking off and landing but Adrian was fine!

Adrian met his Gpa Biss and Mima (Karen), Great G'ma Phyllis, and the rest of the family: Uncle Shane and Uncle Bobby(again), Aunt Leanne and Aunt Veronica(again). We had breakfast on Christmas morning with the Biss Family.

Adrian also met his Great Aunt Sharon and Ann, Great Uncle Joe, Great G'pa Amato, Cousins: Eric and Justin and Lauren. Spent Christmas afternoon for dinner with the Amato family.

He tried strawberries, blueberries, multi-grain cereal and cheerios. He's eating cottage cheese now also. He's doing great picking up finger foods like cheerios, curds of cottage cheese, and pieces of whole wheat bread or dried fruits or bananas. He's still eating home-made foods and Barry got me a food processor so I can make even more baby food faster!

He was spoiled with toys and clothes including Baby Uggs from Aunt Ronnie, and professional photos from Great G'pa. We only had to have 3 boxes shipped back to us plus Judah brought an extra suitcase full of jackets, etc from Gpa. G'pa Biss' friend gave Adrian a basketball hoop and a bumbo chair also! They were so excited to meet him since they'd heard so much about him already.

Home Again

We got home yesterday. Flight left a few minutes past 9am. Landed a little past noon. We stopped at Johnson's Corner and grabbed a bite to eat. Judah drove us home and hung out for awhile although I don't know when he left b/c baby and I took a bath and went to bed at 5:30pm. Stayed there till 8am. WOW!

NJ for the holidays

Made it to NJ! Flight was straight from Denver. We made it to the gate 10 minutes before we took off! The flight landed 1/2 hour early. Adrian did great...except for crying for his bed at naptime. Finally fell asleep for about 40min nap, then we landed.

Got to aunt's house and had dinner. Everyone was so excited to see the baby! He was in a great mood...especially loves his cousin Eric.

A Boy in a Box

Although Adrian could be perfectly happy with his box playpen, toilet paper roll toy and box toys...here is a link to Adrian's Amazon Wishlist...books, etc...! Seriously I don't expect anything...people just keep asking what he needs so I thought I'd at least think it through and know what I wanted/needed for him.

Here is my wishlist on Amazon. I'm not out in a shopping mood this year. I think I got Barry and Adrian something...then sent out xmas pics. Sorry for the humbug-ness but I feel like I don't have time...HOWEVER...I am planning on having an after xmas get-together/party at my house maybe on Sat 3rd Jan. for all those who missed Adrian's 1st xmas and who we missed during xmas-time. Maybe potluck style and we'll pick up some beer and wine.

We're leaving tomorrow AM!!! I packed us up today, cleaned the house, did some shopping/returning of things not xmas related, then cleaned house more. Adrian had a tough time falling asleep....probably feels like he's going to miss something with all the comotion around here.

Last two nights he's nursed then almost falling asleep starts laughing when he looks at me, which makes me laugh, which makes him laugh harder. It gets to the point where if we look at each other, it's a new burst of laughter. He's so happy!!!

He's definitely thinning out too. Not as 'healthy' as I was when I was a baby-as my dad said, I was 'too healthy'. Barry said he looks like me today...that made me happy b/c he's always looked soooo much like his daddy.

7 months 2 weeks

Baby Soup! YUM!

Wow! Congrats to all the new mommies and babies out there: Rachel and Leo, Christie and Maddox, and Angela and her little angel! Everyone's story is unique and all we can hope for are healthy babies no matter how easy or hard that road is. I can't wait to meet my cousin/nephew Maddox. I'm sick and can't go visit till I'm well but I can't wait to meet him.

Adrian's such a big boy and I can't believe it because if feels like he was just a newborn! Now he's trying to figure out crawling. He can scoot onto his knees and rock, propell himself backwards away from his toys (?), and move from sitting forward into crawling then SPLAT position! He doesn't cry when he falls backwards or forwards or sideways but he also has pretty good balance and doesn't fall much. I always hope that babies don't skip a step such as 'crawling' or whatever b/c in my experience they tend to be super clumsy! Maybe that's what happened to me.

He also loves standing and holding on, he's pretty good at it and is so strong!

He is becoming so intentional with his social interactions. He leans forward for snuggles and rubs his face to mine. I've gotten a few big open mouth kisses on the cheek! He loves looking at himself in the mirror as well as playing with other babies such as Ashden at childcare. Ashden showed him how to stick out his tongue! I guess today he was getting kisses from Madalynn at childcare and was cracking up for a long time! She's 3 and loves playing with him. He usually laughs at her games.
Adrian Found His Tongue! Now he can't stop feeling his tooth with it and chewing on it. He makes lots of new faces that I've never seen before.

On another note, he's been sick and fussy. We've both been sick. Also whenever he's bored and not being held, he lifts his arms and makes the most sad pathetic 'I'm going to cry with real tears if you don't pick me up now' face when you look at him. If you turn away and are busy in another room, he just moans. He's so dramatic! I have no idea where he gets it. He's moving into the separation/stranger anxiety stage but only gets anxious when he's tired. Otherwise still easy going!

On Dec 11th and 12th I had that training in Denver for work so Adrian got to hang out all day Thur with Aunt Christie and Aunt Doreen!!! And Friday he hung out all day with Aunt Doreen!! He had an absolutely wonderful 'spoiled' one-on-one time!!! The training was interesting: ADHD and Disorders. I was sick with an extreme sore throat, cough, and congested...still hasn't gone away. I feel bad for Adrian who has the same thing. I wonder if it could be strep but who knows. It better be gone before xmas vacation!

Adrian in Aunt Doreen's Nursery!

Adrian has also added a few things to his diet! Broccoli, Spinach, Cheerios broken in half! He's practicing using his pincer grasp and putting them in his mouth. Today was the first time he was consistently successful. His faves are still avocado and yogurt! He likes all his fruits and vegies so far-as long as they're the right texture.

7 Months & 5 Days

Yes...the days still count.

Barry's xmas party was tonight at the Stonehouse Grill downtown. Barry said the food is all Scottish and it was very good, especially the dessert. I met Barry late after I got off work. I was busy until 7 which was when it started. I made it in time for everything though.

There is a big xmas party for my work on the 13th however we have our unit retreat at our supervisor's house this coming tuesday.

Adrian slept from 10:15 until 2:30 this morning at Amber's!!!! He is fighting off a cold with stuffy sniffles and a little cough. He's in a good mood as usual just sleeping more and sounding stuffed up. Due to his long nap he of course did not want to go to bed for G'ma and G'pa tonight and finally fell asleep at 11pm for mom.

My house is in disarray! HELP! I still haven't called my neighbor although I talked to her and she's up for coming over and cleaning for me.

Lots to do this weekend:
Make more baby food-spinach and broccoli
Go to Library
Take pics for xmas card
Set up xmas tree
Clean house
Laundry
Shovel back yard
Clean car
Pay Bills
Make Adrian's xmas gift
Finish ornaments
Cuddle my baby every second I can

Adrian's Christmas List

I've set up a Christmas list for Adrian on the left hand side of the blog...We have tons of toys, no puzzles though-Melissa and Doug make really cool wooden puzzles and some have sounds! Adrian also loves reading!! Just some ideas fo those of you who were planning on getting him something. Also he now weighs 18.6 lbs. That Robeez Shoe site is cute...I love the boots! and some of the shoes are adorable...they keep babies socks on so also very helpful and not just cute!

1st Thanksgiving Feast and Family!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! We ate turkey lunch at G'ma Biss' house with Aunt Laurie and Uncle Wally, and Grampop Tim and Uncle Steven! Friends also came. There was turkey, turkey soup with dumplings!, brussel sprouts, stuffing, sweet potatoe casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, ham with pears!, perogis with cheese or cabbage or onion stuffing and cranberry sauce! Tons of pies and desserts! Barry got some double chocolate stout beer! Very delicious! Adrian slept for 2 hours and then got up and was super happy to see all his family!

Then we picked up Uncle Judah went to Aunt Doreen and Uncle Mark's with Julie, Chris, Cavyn, Christie, Ty, Melissa, Tom, G'pa and G'ma Kay! Other friends and family dropped by also. There was deep fried hot sauce turkey, reg turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, salad, berry salad, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, crab legs and butter, cheese cake and pies! Adrian sat at the table in a high-chair like a big boy and ate green beans and sweet potatoes.

Daddy's Horoscope

Patient, Practical, and Purely Indulgent
As a Taurus parent, you provide a wonderfully grounding influence in your children's lives. Practical and patient, you're always ready with a smile and a hug when a child needs one. You have a good sense of what truly matters, so you rarely get worked up about nothing. No, your main fault as a parent has more to do with indulgence! You're a pushover when it comes to your kids' requests for cake, ice cream, trips to the movies or the amusement park... Hey, you just want them to be happy, right? Still, use common sense to make sure they eat good foods and get enough exercise. That shouldn't be much of a problem, though, since you're naturally connected with the earth. You enjoy a variety of healthy, natural foods, and you love sharing meals with your family. Taking a walk together after dinner will benefit your family's physical and emotional health. Your kids are likely to be quite secure in your love. You're affectionate and enjoy cuddling with your little ones. You'll teach your kids all about the essential Taurus values of loyalty, hard work, and endurance. You enjoy being surrounded by the people, pets, and things you value most, so your family home is most likely a cluttered, colorful, and comfortable place. Just make sure to be flexible when your children do and say things you don't expect. Stubbornness is one of your famous flaws, but children need open-mindedness as well as stability.

Baby's Horoscope

Built for Comfort, Not for Speed
Salt of the earth -- that's your Taurus child in a nutshell. Even as infants, these children are sweet, affectionate, and cuddly. They also tend to be strong and hearty. Introduce your baby to the great outdoors as early as possible -- the young Taurus thrives in a natural environment. Older Taurus children often enjoy having a small garden, houseplants, or animals to care for, and they're quite diligent in their duties. Children of the Bull experience the world through their senses: They like the way things taste, feel, sound, and smell. In fact, from the moment they're born, they love to eat -- although they may develop a short list of preferred foods and stubbornly refuse to try anything new. If so, don't worry! Calmly offer them wholesome foods, and they'll eventually branch out. But do avoid sugary snacks, which can interfere with their naturally healthy appetite. Even when young, Taurus children are practical and good with money. A primary need for Taurus folks of all ages is security. Small Taurus babies like to be swaddled and held, which makes them feel safe. Some Taurus children are clingy, while others develop an attachment to a security blanket or hoard their possessions. Let your love be their haven. Taurus children aren't hurried. In fact, they're downright slow -- which you as a parent will need to adjust for in your scheduling. Don't pack too many activities into a day, and don't expect your Taurus child to pick up the pace. It's just not going to happen.

Mommy's Horoscope...

A Sense of Belonging
As a Cancer parent, you're probably very involved in the childrearing process. You enjoy and learn from every miraculous moment of pregnancy, birth, and your child's growth. You're loving, protective, sensitive, and compassionate. If you're a typical Cancer, you may be a nurturing dynamo, creating a safe and cozy home environment for your loved ones. Caretaking is how you show your love, and this is your seat of power -- but it's not control you want most. You have a primal need to feel safe, secure, and needed. You try to do everything for your family, so that they'll depend upon you. This is perfectly appropriate when you're caring for a baby, but every Cancer parent must remember: If you do everything for your children, they won't learn to take care of themselves. Be sure to teach them the skills you've mastered. Overprotectiveness is another pitfall the Cancer parent should try to avoid. If you constantly hover over your child, letting go could be a challenge as you watch them grow and change. Deep inside, of course, you know it's all part of the cycle of life. Tradition speaks to you; some may even consider you old-fashioned. Holiday customs, family rituals, even ceremonies of religion or faith feed your soul with that strong sense of continuity and community that helps you thrive. The irresistible sensation of your feet on your home turf, surrounded by loved ones and protecting your brood under your generous wing: This is what you live for.

1st Tooth

Okay so we have a.....TOOTH! Bottom left. It's just poking up it's jagged edge since monday. I'm glad his squawking was at least related to something and not a phase of some sort. He doesn't really get fussy...only loud!

I had fun tonight making new batches of baby food for him: I made some apricots, some potatoes, some green beans, and some more pears. I only have a hand mill (***hint: I need a food processor) so it's a process to cut then boil the food, then in small batches feed it into the hand mill to mash, then spoon it into baby food jars which I luckily kept from my days at the daycare center. Then I label with tape what it is and the date, and finally freeze it. I'm so happy we have a deep freezer in the garage!!!! Lifesaver or...baby food saver!

So now he can eat: rice and oatmeal cereal, plain yogurt, avocado, banana, prunes, peaches, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, and soon: potatoes and apricots
I'm worried about squash b/c Barry is allergic however after reading up on it, I may not have to be too worried or wait as they used to say. I can't wait to try broccoli, spinach, and other fun green leafy vegies, as well as beets. Meat may be included pretty soon also as well as more grains such as barley and quinoa. He has already had chicken broth and loved it!

He weighs 19 lbs now also. And I have lost more than I gained with the pregnancy...I just wish I was in shape. I still don't feel like my old body is back, maybe it never will be...who knows.

Yay for Thanksgiving! Happy Turkey Day to everyone! We are spending AM with B's family and PM with my family. We are also doing xmas pics in PM.

Video: Talking and Learning to Crawl

He says 'Mama' ...heehee!

Video: Baby Adrian and Mommy Snuggling

Some Cute 6 Month Pics

<----Auntie Noodles (Laurie) teaches me sign language! 'Peace'





















<----I think I got it down. See....'Peace!'




















<----I LOVE plain yogurt!











<----Sitting tall, smiling pretty!



















<-----Big Boy, Brushing the gums!

<-----Blocks are tasty!

6 mon 3 wks old

It's been so long since I posted but I've been super busy at work. Barry and I both agree that our weeks fly by so quickly now.

Adrian is such a funny kid! He loves hanging upside down, playing peek-a-boo, and chewing on anything that is nearby especially phones, paper, straws, and glasses. He's tried peaches this weekend and likes them a lot. Lately Adrian's been fussier than usual but I think he's going to get a tooth on the bottom left front.....sooooon. He' doing great at sitting unassisted and he's starting to try to scoot but sometime only goes backwards. It's a start to the whole crawling process. I can't believe he's growing up so fast...where on earth did 6 months go?

I've gotten to see my best friend a lot lately which is very nice. Her son spent the night last night. He LOVES my dogs and begs to sleep with them. He got to take them for a walk today. We went out for dinner on Fri, went shopping for boots yesterday and we got pedicures today. Fun weekend although it's over all too soon! Barry took his family up to Estes Park then we had everyone over and Barry made fajitas! Very delicious!

My housework is caught up. I hate having so much to do on the weekend but I cannot keep up during the week. During the week, I generally battle with keeping the kitchen managable, upstairs bathroom clean, and laundry going. Barry helps out a lot during the week too. I'm actually considering hiring someone to do the floors, windows, and dusting once in awhile. I think my sanity is worth $20.

Big Boy Biss

Bath Time!!!

Matching Eyes

6 Months 2 Weeks

Now that I'm 6 months old, I'm getting serious about eating solid food! I've now tried apples, pears, bananas, peas, prunes (pictured), green beans, sweet potatos, watermelon, avocados, rice and oatmeal cereal, and chicken broth! Mommy makes my food herself by cooking and mashing it and then freezing it till I'm ready to eat it! She lets me feed myself sometimes and I think I'm soooo big!!!

Lately my new tricks are gurgling, anything that gurgles in my throat will be gurgled!! It's so fun it makes me laugh out loud!!! I roll onto my tummy really well and sometimes I roll back onto my back but usually I just scream and fuss and someone rolls me back over..heehee! I can sit!!! One day mommy says to Aunt Julie, Baby Adrian can sit up and Aunt Julie says "I know, he did all by himself." Mommy was surprised that I've been practicing without her. I still tumble but usually I can sit for long minutes all by myself.

My aunty noodles is moving out to CO!!! She's teaching me sign language just like mommy and daddy and babysitter Amber! She's teaching me 'Peace'! I already can do it on my own...check it out!

My new babysitter is fun! She took me trick or treating, for walks, she has fun toys and other kids to play with! I still give her trouble about taking my bottle but sometimes I just feel like waiting for my mommy to feed me. I like her though and give her big smiles when I see her!