First Year Must-Haves

First Year Must-Haves

(1. Britax Travel System 2. PBK hooded towel  3. Taggie Mirror  4.Stroller Cover  5. High Chair Fisher Price  6.Leap Frog Table  7.Immersion Blender  8.Beaba tray  9.Books (The Sneetches and Sandra Boynton's books)  10.Chamois Stroller Blanket  11.Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred)


I cannot believe baby girl is almost one! Everyone says that babies grow up so fast and they aren't lying. Besides the obvious (naps, wine and friends!), these are the things that I could not have lived without for this first year.

1.  We loved our Britax travel system (B-Safe and B-Agile). I read a million reviews and test drove every stroller at Babies R' Us while I was pregnant and I decided on the City Mini stroller. However, Daddio talked me into the Britax (I don't know how, I'm pretty hard to convince anyways but at 6 months pregnant I was a force to be reckoned with) but for the first and only time in his life he was right. I love the Britax. The stroller is light weight, folds with one hand and only takes up half of our Honda Civic's trunk.  It rides smooth, has a large canopy and the best part is that the car seat clicks in so easily. So when baby girl decided to nap in the car we could just click her into the stroller without waking her. Love, love, love it. Added bonus is that the Royal Baby, Prince George used the British version of the same car seat, so it must be good.

2.  I am obsessed with Pottery Barn Kids.  Like most of their products, their hooded towels (and washcloths) are awesome.  They are great quality, absorb well and are super soft.

3.  Baby girl loves tags and mirrors so this was one of her favorites for almost the entire year. It stands up for tummy time in the early days and later on baby girl would pick it up and put her face right up against it and wave.  Hours of baby entertainment.

4. The car seat cover was great for blocking the sun in the car or for keeping a dark, calm place for baby girl to nap while we were strolling.  You can usually get this half off or free (just pay s&h), try promo code "FBLOVE" and check out their facebook page.

5.  We love our Fisher Price Space Saver high chair. We started using it at about 5 months and it converts to a booster seat for the later years. It is easy to clean and straps to any chair.

6.  When baby girl started standing on everything we didn't have much furniture that was the right height. We had a pack of toilet paper we weren't allowed to open because it was perfect height and she loved it so much!  We got this LeapFrog musical table from baby girl's aunt and it was perfect. It is sturdy enough to pull up on and entertains her while standing. It plays a ton of songs and makes a lot of different noises so she can get a lot of exercise dancing and bouncing while holding on.

7.  I made 99% of baby girl's baby food and I used this Cuisinart immersion blender for everything. It made baby food prep fast and easy and it is easy to clean. Bonus, I now use it to make smoothies for myself.

8.  This is the other half of my baby food prep. Once I puréed her food I poured it in this Beaba tray and froze it. I had a whole freezer of ziplock bags with little frozen food cubes. (Check out my posts on baby food basics here and transition to finger foods here)

9.  Books! Baby girl rarely sits still long enough for a whole book but something about the cadence of Dr. Seuss's and Sandra Boynton's books, she just loves.  Our close family friend/3rd mother to me/lifetime educator gave baby girl most of these books.  She knows what babies love!  Warning, you will probably memorize half of  Boynton's books. "Hey I'm a chicken!!"

10.  When we finally decided on baby girl's name I bought this PBK chamois blanket and embroidered her name on it.  Not only did I want to seal the deal and not change her name again before her arrival, I had gotten one for our nephew a few years earlier and I loved how it felt. It is soft and warm and the perfect size!  We brought her home from the hospital cuddled up with this blanket and are still using it.

11.  The 30 Day Shred DVD has three workouts that are only 20 minutes each. Some days that is all of the free time a mama can get and Jillian makes it feel like an hour long workout. You need a couple of hand weights for the workouts but that's it. It definitely will help keep you sane when baby is napping and you just need to move!

Transition to Finger Foods

It figures that right after I whip up a slew of purees for baby girl her doctor tells us to start with finger foods. I probably could've seen it coming but I decided to go ahead and make her purees of peas, carrots, spinach, lentils and pears just three days before her nine month appointment.  I stopped by Target on the way home from the doctor and bought all of the Gerber finger foods they had (fruit and veggie puffs and yogurt melts).  At her next meal I gave her the puffs and after a little while she figured out how to put them in her mouth and that she liked them!  However, she can't eat puffs at every meal so I began searching for good beginner finger foods.

Below is a list I compiled of beginner finger foods.  She still has a hard time getting them from her tray to her mouth and I think half of what I give her ends up on the floor or under her bottom but she is getting better at it every day!  The good news is that she is still eating the purees and I plan to keep giving them to her until they run out or she refuses them, whichever comes first.  Sometimes I add some bigger chunks to the purees so she has a mix of textures and sizes and so she can get more used to larger chunks of food.  Another note about going from purees to finger foods... it used to take us about 5-10 minutes to eat lunch and now it takes three times as long and she only gets about half of what she used to in her belly.  Oh boy!

Beginner Finger Foods

   

Everything that I used to puree, I just give her a "chunky" version of (peas, green beans, carrots, pears, banana, squash, etc.)

   
Chunks of soft-cooked sweet potato

   
Cooked or canned beans

   
Small pieces of cooked turkey or chicken

   
Well-cooked ground beef/chicken/turkey crumbles

   
Grapes sliced in quarters

   
Bite-sized pieces of ripe avocado

   
Cooked rice

   
Puffed rice cereal

   
Squashed blueberries

   
Squashed cooked peas

   
Cheerio-type cereals

   
Cheese cut into pea-sized cubes

   
Cooked pasta in small pieces

   
Pieces of pancake or waffle

   
Crackers broken into small pieces

Best of luck transitioning to full-on finger foods.  I imagine it is so much easier when they just feed themselves! Almost there! :)

Black Beans and Rice

Some days, ok a lot of days, I lay baby girl down for her afternoon nap, workout and get some free time in and then I realize it is 4:00 and Daddio and baby girl are probably going to want to eat dinner tonight.  Who do they think they are?  After I come to that realization I then remember that I am the one responsible for making sure we do actually eat dinner tonight.  Oh boy.  Sometimes I wonder how we survive with me in charge!  By this time I have obviously forgotten to take something out of the freezer so what does one do?  "Drum roll, please. Drum Roll"...Meatless Entree Night...ta da!  I make this delicious black beans and rice meal on those nights!  Black beans and rice together make a complete protein so this meal is incredibly good for you.  Oh yeah, that is how we survive with me in charge!  I usually have all of these ingredients around so I can make this on a moment's notice and it takes less than 30 minutes!  I recommend serving this with a side of something green!

(Excuse the super fancy plates.  These were taken during the World Series and we had to use them for good luck.  They worked!  Go Sox!)

Black Beans and Rice

2 cans of black beans (drain one can but not the other)

1 tomato (diced) or a can of diced tomatoes

1/4 cup of vinegar (regular or apple cider)

1 large onion (diced)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

clove of garlic

salt to taste

1 cup of rice (dry)
2 cups of water (for the rice)

Start by boiling the water (2 cups) for rice.  Meanwhile saute onions in a skillet until translucent.  Once water is boiling, add rice as directed.  Add garlic and other spices to onions.  Add tomatoes, black beans and vinegar and stir all together.  Reduce heat and let black beans simmer and thicken for 10-15 minutes.  

That's it!  You are done! Congratulations, you have made a delicous and healthy meal for your family.  Now sit back with your feet up while your husband does the dishes! (In our dreams, right?)

XOXO Valentines for your Baby Boy XOXO

(1.  Prince Charming Body Double, 2.  My Mom Rocks Tee, 3. Handsome Tee, 4. Fleece Lined Pea Coat, 5. Fleece Lined Jeans)

Next up, options to dress your little prince for Valentines day.  I usually see way more cute outfits for boys when I'm out shopping for my baby girl but this time, girls win.  I guess there is only so much you can do with boy outfits and hearts.  On a side note, I just love the body doubles, they stay tucked in and your baby's belly doesn't show!  

Happy shopping! xoxo

XOXO Valentines for your Baby Girl XOXO

(1. Pleated Heart Dress, 2.  Heart Print Top, 3. Scallop Trim Ponte Dress, 4. Knit Pants, 5.  Cable Knit Poncho, 6. Dot Bow Ponte Dress)

The Holidays are officially over!  What better way to send off the holidays than to get ready for the next one?  The Valentines displays were up in stores around here on December 26...Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, pass the conversation hearts! While I haven't purchased baby girl's Valentines outfit yet, I have found some cute options!  Aren't holidays so much more fun when you have a little one to share it with?

xoxo

Making 2014 Count

I will make 2014 count by giving the year to my daughter.  She turns one this year and is already beginning to learn important things that will shape her life.  I am so blessed to be able to stay home with her and have the opportunity to watch her grow.

This year I want to give her all of my time that she wants.  She is a very independent little girl (I wonder who she got that from) and she likes to do so much on her own. I know she will only rely on me less as she continues to grow so I want to be here for her as much as I can.  She is also the most determined baby I've ever seen.  If she wants to do something she will try her absolute hardest, fall down and get up over and over until she finally does it.  I love the little girl she is becoming.

This year I will take more time to read to her.  I will help her walk until she does it on her own.  I will teach her signs and words and how to swim.  I will practice patience, contentment and serenity, I will dance and sing loud, I will be more like the person I want her to be so she can learn by example.  I will give her my time and all of my heart.

Comfort Food: Chicken Pot Pie Edition

Isn't winter the perfect time of year for comfort food?  What is better than eating a warm meal in your softest sweats and only having a few dishes to clean afterwards?  This is a quick and easy chicken pot pie recipe that won't ruin your diet and when we are on a more serious diet we usually leave one of the crusts off (either the top or the bottom, your choice!). You can simplify this recipe even more by using pre-made pie crusts.

Ingredients:

One bag of frozen mixed vegetables (between 3 and 4 cups depending on size of pie dish)

One can of Healthy Cream of Chicken Soup

One or two chicken breasts cooked and cubed

Pie crust(s) (Either pre-made or a really great homemade oil pastry)

Recipe:

Mix frozen vegetables, can of soup and cooked chicken.  Pour into pie crust.  Position second pie crust on top and pinch sides of top and bottom crust together.  Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until cooked thoroughly and top is golden brown. 

Seriously, could it be much simpler?