Today Ross and I went to lunch together and halfway through lunch he said, "we have some hunting to do tonight." I didn't know what he was referring to and figured he meant we needed to do some searching online to find a product or something at a lower price.
I don't really remember how the rest of the conversation went, but I quickly realized what we needed to hunt for: the mouth guard that he wears overnight to protect his teeth due to grinding them. This is the funniest thing to me! He's worn the mouth guard for quite a while and he said that every now and then he loses it over night. In bed. While sleeping! He doesn't know if it falls out or if he takes it out, but just wakes up with it not in his mouth.
About a month ago or so he lost the mouth guard in our bed and we had to really search for it...searched the nightstand, under the bed, in the sheets, in the pillowcase... but did not find it. I finally found it on my side of the bed in the bedspread. We had the best laugh about this!
So tonight before we go to bed, we will spend some time hunting for Ross' mouth guard.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
Baby Food
For the past six weeks or so we've been feeding Lucy solid foods. Solid foods meaning pureed foods. We started with rice cereal mixed with breast milk and then slowly started adding in other foods. We bought some baby food and tried bananas first, which she did not like at all. I don't blame her because the looked and smelled gross! They were even pink which was surprising to me because bananas are not pink. I realized it was probably the preservatives that changed the color.
I did not start out planning to make her food and am not against canned food at all, but after talking to some friends who make their own baby food and my sister-in-law who is making my niece's food, I became more interested in making the food. I looked up a few websites and checked out a book from the library to read more about this process. I found that it didn't seem to be that hard to do so decided to give it a try. I started with pears and actually enjoyed making them. It really wasn't hard at all. I peeled and sliced the pears and put them in a pot with about 1/2 cup water and let them simmer for 20-30 minutes until they were pretty tender. I let them cool and then pureed them in my blender and they were ready to go. (I didn't buy the Baby Bullet. I'm sure it's great, but my Ninja blender works very well.)
The homemade food only keeps for three days in the refrigerator due to not having preservatives, so I had to freeze some of the pears. From my research I found that ice cube trays work really well for freezing. Each cube is about one ounce, making it very easy to portion out as needed. I froze the pears for about 24 hours and popped them out of the trays, just like ice cubes, when they were ready and stored them in a freezer bag. Defrosting them is an easy process, too. I simply take out the number of cubes I need and pop them in the microwave or set them out at room temperature for a few hours and they're ready to eat. So far I've made pears, green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, bananas, carrots, plums, and peaches. Lucy has liked most of what we've given her. She wasn't so much into the green beans, but we mixed them with a little sweet potato and she ate them okay. She really likes the sweet potatoes!
Today I'm going to try an avocado. I've read that babies really like this, so I hope Lucy does, too. I feel really good about feeding Lucy this fresh food and plan to continue the process until she's eating table foods...or until I get tired of making it! But really, it isn't that hard. It does take more time, but if I make a few different foods at once it's not too bad at all.
I did not start out planning to make her food and am not against canned food at all, but after talking to some friends who make their own baby food and my sister-in-law who is making my niece's food, I became more interested in making the food. I looked up a few websites and checked out a book from the library to read more about this process. I found that it didn't seem to be that hard to do so decided to give it a try. I started with pears and actually enjoyed making them. It really wasn't hard at all. I peeled and sliced the pears and put them in a pot with about 1/2 cup water and let them simmer for 20-30 minutes until they were pretty tender. I let them cool and then pureed them in my blender and they were ready to go. (I didn't buy the Baby Bullet. I'm sure it's great, but my Ninja blender works very well.)
The homemade food only keeps for three days in the refrigerator due to not having preservatives, so I had to freeze some of the pears. From my research I found that ice cube trays work really well for freezing. Each cube is about one ounce, making it very easy to portion out as needed. I froze the pears for about 24 hours and popped them out of the trays, just like ice cubes, when they were ready and stored them in a freezer bag. Defrosting them is an easy process, too. I simply take out the number of cubes I need and pop them in the microwave or set them out at room temperature for a few hours and they're ready to eat. So far I've made pears, green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, bananas, carrots, plums, and peaches. Lucy has liked most of what we've given her. She wasn't so much into the green beans, but we mixed them with a little sweet potato and she ate them okay. She really likes the sweet potatoes!
Today I'm going to try an avocado. I've read that babies really like this, so I hope Lucy does, too. I feel really good about feeding Lucy this fresh food and plan to continue the process until she's eating table foods...or until I get tired of making it! But really, it isn't that hard. It does take more time, but if I make a few different foods at once it's not too bad at all.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Wedding Showers vs Baby Showers
A few weeks ago I attended two showers on the same day: a wedding shower and a baby shower. They both began at the same time and I wanted to go to both of them so I had to split my time. I went to the wedding shower first and stayed there for a little over an hour and then left to go to the baby shower. Luckily both places were within a mile of each other and both were maybe two miles away from my house so it made it easy to get to each.
The wedding shower was for a girl from our church. She and her fiancé go to our home fellowship group and we have enjoyed getting to know her. The shower was so nice and feminine...each lady at the shower was in a dress or dressy capris. The tables were decorated with pretty tablecloths and candles. The food table looked so inviting and the dessert table, which was full of cupcakes, was so pretty and decorated so nicely. The presents, which came in beautifully designed white bags, were displayed next to the desserts adding to the décor of the room. The room was quiet with light music playing in the background and dim lighting...just a very nice, sophisticated, feminine setting. Chicken salad and a vegetable salad were served for lunch and it was very tasty. After we ate, we were invited to select a cupcake and Ashley began opening her presents. I only saw a few presents opened because I had to leave, but she got some very nice dishes, serving platters, serving bowls, towels, everything you would expect to receive at a wedding shower.
The baby shower was held a tea room located in a large antique flea market in Springfield. When I arrived everyone had just finished their lunch and was starting on dessert. I laughed to myself once I sat down and looked around at the setting - although this baby shower was very nice, it was just SO different from the shower I had just come from! It was a more causal atmosphere, most everyone was in jeans or capris (nice but definitely not fancy), there weren't any decorations except for a few "welcome baby" balloons, and kids. That was probably the biggest difference to me - the kids at the baby shower! There were lots of little kids and babies there and, as you would expect, most were rowdy and loud. Such a different atmosphere than the wedding shower!
It was just funny to me the difference in the two. Both were very nice in their own respect, just completely different. Like two different worlds that day. And some day Ashley, the bride having the wedding shower, will be the mommy-to-be having the baby shower!
The wedding shower was for a girl from our church. She and her fiancé go to our home fellowship group and we have enjoyed getting to know her. The shower was so nice and feminine...each lady at the shower was in a dress or dressy capris. The tables were decorated with pretty tablecloths and candles. The food table looked so inviting and the dessert table, which was full of cupcakes, was so pretty and decorated so nicely. The presents, which came in beautifully designed white bags, were displayed next to the desserts adding to the décor of the room. The room was quiet with light music playing in the background and dim lighting...just a very nice, sophisticated, feminine setting. Chicken salad and a vegetable salad were served for lunch and it was very tasty. After we ate, we were invited to select a cupcake and Ashley began opening her presents. I only saw a few presents opened because I had to leave, but she got some very nice dishes, serving platters, serving bowls, towels, everything you would expect to receive at a wedding shower.
The baby shower was held a tea room located in a large antique flea market in Springfield. When I arrived everyone had just finished their lunch and was starting on dessert. I laughed to myself once I sat down and looked around at the setting - although this baby shower was very nice, it was just SO different from the shower I had just come from! It was a more causal atmosphere, most everyone was in jeans or capris (nice but definitely not fancy), there weren't any decorations except for a few "welcome baby" balloons, and kids. That was probably the biggest difference to me - the kids at the baby shower! There were lots of little kids and babies there and, as you would expect, most were rowdy and loud. Such a different atmosphere than the wedding shower!
It was just funny to me the difference in the two. Both were very nice in their own respect, just completely different. Like two different worlds that day. And some day Ashley, the bride having the wedding shower, will be the mommy-to-be having the baby shower!
Monday, October 7, 2013
MOPs
I am now officially a member of MOPS - Mothers of Preschoolers. Taken from their website, MOPS is...
My sister was involved with MOPS when her boys were little and I have lots of friends who are involved in it, too. I'd always planned on joining MOPS when I was "eligible" and that happened on April 28 of this year!
There are several groups that meet around Springfield at various churches (you don't have to be a member of that church to attend) and I decided to join the group that meets at Central Assembly of God, next to my old workplace. I could have joined the group where my friends go, but decided it would be good for me to join my own group. You know, forcing me to meet new people and make new friends instead of staying in my own little clique.
So far I've enjoyed it. We meet the first and third Tuesday of each month from 9:30am-11:30am. Childcare is provided and they encourage you to use the childcare in order to have a break from taking care of your kiddos and to enjoy the meeting a little more. Each person is assigned to a table for the entire year (September-May) so you get to know those people on a more personal level.
The meetings are structured (which I really like) with a schedule of brunch/fellowship time, announcements, an activity/video/speaker/something along those lines, and then discussion time before ending promptly at 11:30am. Each table takes a turn providing brunch throughout the year.
It is a really well-run machine. There's a minimal fee each year which covers childcare costs and supplies for any craft activities we might do. This past Tuesday we watched a video about comparing ourselves to other moms and families and then had a discussion about it at our table. It was a really enjoyable morning and I look forward to the next meeting.
...a grassroots movement that believes moms are world influencers.
We also believe that incubating hearts and giving just-because-hugs can change the course of history. That’s why we connect moms all over the world to a community of women, in their own neighborhoods, who meet together to laugh, cry and embrace the journey of motherhood. MOPS groups are rallying women to be more honest, to feel more equipped and to find our identity by journeying along side one another.
We are moms, and we believe that better moms make a better world.
My sister was involved with MOPS when her boys were little and I have lots of friends who are involved in it, too. I'd always planned on joining MOPS when I was "eligible" and that happened on April 28 of this year!
There are several groups that meet around Springfield at various churches (you don't have to be a member of that church to attend) and I decided to join the group that meets at Central Assembly of God, next to my old workplace. I could have joined the group where my friends go, but decided it would be good for me to join my own group. You know, forcing me to meet new people and make new friends instead of staying in my own little clique.
So far I've enjoyed it. We meet the first and third Tuesday of each month from 9:30am-11:30am. Childcare is provided and they encourage you to use the childcare in order to have a break from taking care of your kiddos and to enjoy the meeting a little more. Each person is assigned to a table for the entire year (September-May) so you get to know those people on a more personal level.
The meetings are structured (which I really like) with a schedule of brunch/fellowship time, announcements, an activity/video/speaker/something along those lines, and then discussion time before ending promptly at 11:30am. Each table takes a turn providing brunch throughout the year.
It is a really well-run machine. There's a minimal fee each year which covers childcare costs and supplies for any craft activities we might do. This past Tuesday we watched a video about comparing ourselves to other moms and families and then had a discussion about it at our table. It was a really enjoyable morning and I look forward to the next meeting.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Lucy's Baby Book
Yesterday I completed a task I've been thinking about for probably 10 months now: I completed everything I could up to this point in Lucy's baby book. I'm so proud of this! My mother-in-law bought the baby book for me last Christmas and since then working on the book has always been in the back of my mind. I have heard so many mothers say that they wish they would have kept up with the book when their baby was little and decided I was going to keep up with Lucy's.
I saved lots of items from pregnancy, her birth, her first five months, and other miscellaneous things that I though would be good for her baby book in a tub and last week got serious about putting her book together. It was kind of overwhelming at first, but once I got into it, it was fun. I found that the book didn't have enough pages for my pictures, so I got some scrapbook paper that matched the theme of the book and simply made my own pages. This made completing the book a whole lot easier for me.
I am so happy to have this done, for now at least! The book goes through age 5, so I'll continue adding to it as the months and years go by. I feel like a big weight has been lifted and honestly I kind of feel a little lost now knowing I don't have it to work on! But, I'm sure I'll find something else to occupy my "spare" time, though!
I saved lots of items from pregnancy, her birth, her first five months, and other miscellaneous things that I though would be good for her baby book in a tub and last week got serious about putting her book together. It was kind of overwhelming at first, but once I got into it, it was fun. I found that the book didn't have enough pages for my pictures, so I got some scrapbook paper that matched the theme of the book and simply made my own pages. This made completing the book a whole lot easier for me.
I am so happy to have this done, for now at least! The book goes through age 5, so I'll continue adding to it as the months and years go by. I feel like a big weight has been lifted and honestly I kind of feel a little lost now knowing I don't have it to work on! But, I'm sure I'll find something else to occupy my "spare" time, though!
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