I Like Berries...

Yes, I do.I like berries...How about you?

Reasons to Constantly Sweep the Floor #39

As I was making dinner last night, Robbie was crawling around my feet. At one point I looked down and saw that he was chewing on something. I hesitated for a few seconds before I decided that I should find out what it is. I mean, it could have been a blueberry or a cheerio or something benign. And then, why bother? But, the good mommy won out and I stuck my finger in his mouth. You know what I pulled out? A HUGE piece of fat I had cut off from a piece of bacon.

EEWWWWWW.....

Glad I decided to check.

Culinary Delights

This morning while I was making Padyn's lunch, Kate was insistent that she wanted salami with peanut butter on it. I tried to assure her that, no, she really didn't. But you know how stubborn 3 and a half year olds can be...

So I did what any good mommy would do. I smirked and gave her what she wanted knowing that within 17 seconds I would be proved right.

First bite: MMMM! Yummy, Mommy!"

Mommy experiences momentary confusion.

Second bite: I don't want anymore, Mommy. I don't like it.

Awww, the universe is restored.

It reminded me of this exchange with Padyn a long long time ago...

I don't think Padyn has ever tried that combination again, either.

Two Firsts for the Six Month Old

Seeing as how the boy turned six months old on Saturday, I figured it was probably time to break out the rice cereal. I was ready for it to be a flop, for him to hate it and spit it out all over me. I really wasn't prepared for him to like it. Boy, was I ever surprised.

Getting ready...he didn't even mind the bib. But see how we're set up outside? I figured it was going to get messy.Going in for the first bite. Here's where the surprises began...he actually opened his mouth willingly.And after the first bite, he was willing to eat MORE! He can't possibly be related to his sisters.Getting toward the end of the bowl and he's still eating...And this was about how messy he got.Miracle of all miracles! He seems to like rice cereal! The next day he ate another entire bowl (and by "entire" I mean about two tablespoons). He didn't spit it out, make yucky faces, refuse to open his mouth or turn his head away. Very different from this child. And while I wasn't blogging at the time of Padyn's first solid adventures, she wasn't keen on it either. Her pictures look similar to Miss Kate's.

Oh, I said there were two "firsts." The other happened the same day. We let him cry himself to sleep and he slept through the night. Ok, that might be a total of three firsts. But he didn't wake up at all between 9pm and 6am. That has never ever happened before. I don't know if the letting him cry it out contributed, but whatever the reason, I'll take it.

He did the same thing again last night. He did wake up a couple times during the night, but I left him to cry and he promptly went back to sleep.

Wait, you don't have enough information. This is huge because for the last week or so, he's been waking up every hour and a half during the night. And what do I do? Go in, give him his pacifier, re-swaddle him, and he promptly goes back to sleep. Mommy was getting tired. Getting 7 hours of sleep in a row? HUGE!

Oop, I hear the little man now. Best go get him up. He's slept now for about 12 hours

Kate's Daily Lunch

I wan peayut budda toast, not toasted, wit peayut budda spreaded on it, cosed, wit a nakin.*

Translation: a peanut butter sandwich

She asks for it the same way everyday. And if I say, "Do you want a peanut butter sandwich?" She says no and gives me the spiel again.

And if it isn't peanut butter, it's strawberry yogurt in a circle cup with a straw. That would be drinkable yogurt in a sippy cup with a straw attached, for those not in the know.

At least she knows what she wants.

*I want peanut butter toast, not toasted, with peanut butter spreaded on it, closed, with a napkin.

It's a Cruel, Cruel World

Acid Reflux has set in with this pregnancy. I remember experiencing it with Kate when I ate Chicago style pizza, but I don't remember much else triggering it.

This time, things are a bit different. I seem to be experiencing it daily, regardless of whether pizza is on the menu or not. So, in an attempt to be pro-active (because really...who wants to constantly feel like they have food in their throat if they can help it), I looked up the foods that trigger acid reflux. I am not happy with what I've found.

Fatty Animal Products: non-lean meat, cheese, eggs
Citric Foods: lemons, oranges, tomatoes, vinegar, etc
Soda
Coffee/Tea
Chocolate
garlic
mint
Dairy-milk shakes, ice cream, sour cream
Mashed Potatoes
French Fries
Potato/Corn Chips
doughnuts
salad dressing
cookies

Can you see why I'm depressed? Chocolate? Ice Cream? Coffee?!?!?! How will I get through the next 3 months without those things? I eat so many of these things every week. I don't know if I can reasonably restrict them from my diet.

So, maybe feeling this way is really not that terrible. Maybe I can live with it. I'll just keep avoiding tomato sauce...

Chocolate is the Best Bribery Tool

Kate actually ate green beans tonight. Not just one or two little ones. A whole (though small) serving. This has never ever happened before. She's put one in her mouth before and promptly spit it out. She's even asked for them before. But she'd never actually swallowed them before tonight. And said she liked them. Miracles abound.

Sure...I bribed her with the head of a chocolate bear. What good mother wouldn't? I gotta get her to try green foods some way. I'm not ashamed.

But knowing this child, I'm sure she won't touch green beans again for a year, even if I offer her the ENTIRE chocolate bear. She's funny like that.

"Dis Is Good!"

That's what came out of Kate's mouth as she ate her breakfast...a combination of foods that she created:

Scrambled eggs on Peanut Butter Toast

It reminds me of another creation my other child came up with a long long time ago: a turkey and peanut butter sandwich.

I don't think I'll put this one on my food blog.

What's Up Doc?

Padyn has always had a decent relationship with carrots. She normally eats a few mini carrots a day, without complaint. But I wouldn't say she loves them. She doesn't ask for them by name or anything. She's happy to have them, but wouldn't invite to go to Tahoe for the weekend.

Until tonight.

We've been getting carrots in our farm box for the last couple weeks. Real carrots-like with the stems still on them and everything. So far, Padyn hasn't really been interested in them. She thinks they're fun looking, but she has preferred to keep eating her mini carrots. Then, for whatever reason, she asked for one yesterday. She specifically wanted it whole. So, I peeled it and gave it to her. She ate it up, no fuss.

Tonight, I put another one on her plate, along with her hot dog, avocado, and blueberries. The carrot was the first thing she ate, and then she asked for another. She ate that one, along with the rest of her dinner. Then she asked for ANOTHER one. And polished that off. She would have eaten more, but that was the last one.

Now, granted, these aren't huge carrots, but they probably total 5 mini ones at least. That's still a healthy dose of carotene.

Hopefully she won't turn orange or start tormenting little fat hunters with a lisp.

Photo Friday-Table Does and Don'ts

This Photo Friday, I thought I'd enlighten you with a brief tutorial in proper dining etiquette, as understood from a 2 and 4 year old perspective. I have included photos so as to minimize any confusion. Feel free to use these techniques at home. They are not yet copyrighted.

First off, the table isn't just a place to scarf down your chicken nuggets and dehydrated peas. No, no. It is a place of rest and relaxation. You should sit, stand, kneel or lie any way that makes the consumption of your meal most enjoyable. Kicking back with your feet on the table is particularly helpful in digestion. (Especially if all you are digesting is air.)

Secondly, despite what you may have heard in the past (usually by well-meaning, but misinformed parents) food is a toy. Playing with it actually makes it taste better. Making your gummy vitamins dance around, taking your grapes off your plate one by one to count them, and rolling your cup across the table (to watch it roll off the table) are all fun, easy ways to better enjoy the meal set before you. Balancing food on one's face is especially satisfying.

(you have to know that Kate actually did this first, and Padyn copied her. That's why Kate looks so pleased with herself.)Recent studies show that chewing food with your mouth open may actually lead to less choking, better circulation of oxygen to the lungs, and more stimulating table conversations. Using sticky, gooey food substances with this method are particularly encouraged.Lastly, wrestling and other forms of contact play are most fun when the risk of bruising oneself on the hard edge or corner of a table is present. Don't limit yourself to wrestling or playing on the soft carpet. Where's the fun when no risk is involved? Go ahead...tackle your sister, brother, mother or father tonight at the table. Everyone will love it.Happy Friday

Family Portraits-The Dinner Edition

Like any decent family, we attempt to eat dinner together a couple nights a week. It's usually only a couple because by the time Daddy gets home many nights, the girls are needing to be in the bath. But tonight was one that we all sat down at the same time and attempted to eat the same food. For whatever reason, the camera eventually came out. I think it started with Kate showing us her ladybug stamps (as opposed to eating) and went downhill from there. We managed to get a close-upish picture of everyone, although, obviously, by the time we got to Kate, she was ready to be DONE.

What do your family meals look like?

It IS the Season of Miracles...

After a week or so of eating almost nothing by crunchy snack food and air, Katelyn stunned us this evening. She ate:

Two helpings of Trader Joe's Curry Chicken (CURRY! TWO!)
Two helpings of blueberries (BOO BERRIES!)
A small helping of rice (first time ever)
A Strawberry YoKids Squeezer yogurt (no surprise...she thinks it's candy)
3 apricots (she's been boycotting apricots lately)

I'm still scraping my jaw off the floor.

Don't worry...I'm sure she'll be back to air tomorrow. The universe will be restored.

I just have to record this in case it never happens again...

Yesterday, Kate ate a TON of chicken and she ate scrambled eggs.

Two foods see NEVER eats...in the same day.

Landmark occassion.

Just needed to record it for posterity.

Can't Miss One Day

Here it is, 10:04pm on Saturday night. Normally, it wouldn't even occur to me to post anything now, but it is NaBloPoMo...how many days left? So, while I should be preparing for my Sunday School lesson tomorrow, I'm racking my brain trying to figure out what to post for today.

Tomorrow, I'll tell you about how our morning started with assisting at a house down the street that had caught on fire. But that will take a little more time. For now, you must be satisfied with hearing about my new favorite Thanksgiving meal side dish: Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon and Maple. I made it tonight. We went to our friends for a post Thanksgiving dinner. (We made a Thanksgiving meal tonight because we didn't get to cook one and I was missing the leftovers.) We split the meal between 3 couples. I was in charge of the yams, the salad, the rolls and the apple crisp. All were good, but the Mashed Sweet Potatoes were the best.

I'd give you the recipe, but I sort of combined a few, then came up with the final product based on constant taste testing. I can tell you what was in it...just not all the amounts.

4 yams
bourbon (probably 1/4 to 1/2 cup)
maple syrup (about the same amount as the bourbon
1/2 cup whole milk (would have used cream if I had it)
toasted pecans pieces on top

I mashed the yams (after boiling them) in a potato ricer. (Loved the ricer, BTW. I usually mash my potatoes in a Kitchen Aid, but Shauna had the ricer and I wanted to try it. Super easy and it produced nice fluffy potatoes. It's one of my new favorite kitchen gadgets. I must put it on my Christmas list.)

After mashing, I added the liquids, stirred, tasted, added some more, stirred again, etc., until it tasted pretty good. Then I stuck them in the oven in a casserole dish covered with foil. They ended up being in there on 350 for about 30 minutes, but only because we were waiting on some other guests, and the oven was FULL of stuff, so the 350 wasn't really 350. I covered them in pecans right before serving.

Fabulous, even if I do say so myself.

Oh, and I ate brussel sprouts for the first time ever tonight. I won't ever make them for myself, but they were tolerable. I felt like a right grown-up, trying something new and all.

Working For Peanuts

You'll never believe this. I was able to get Kate to try vegetables tonight. Real ones! Cauliflower and broccoli! And she swallowed most of it!

How did I do this, you ask? What amazing mommy skillz did I pull out to accomplish this amazing feat?

Peanuts. Yes....peanuts. Kate can't get enough of them. And if she ate something I wanted her to eat, she got a peanut. First, I did it with the chicken. I was thought she would eat the chicken anyway, since she did it last week a couple times. But, tonight it was chicken from my orange stir-fry, so I wasn't extremely confident. But man, when I whipped out those peanuts and gave her a half peanut after each bite of chicken, she quickly got the idea. If I eat what the crazy lady is trying to stick in my mouth, then I'll get a small nugget of salty crunchy goodness.

I gave it a go for the veggies. It was not as successful as the chicken, I admit, but she still willingly put vegetables in her mouth. After a few bites she flat out refused more of the tree-like things, so I offered her the veggie and the peanut together. She put down a few more bites this way, but it didn't last long. Soon she was done with the veggies. But still! Vegetables!

I think this was also the first night she has ever actually eaten rice.

These peanuts are some heavy magic. Gotta get me another bag of 'em.

She's a Carnivore!

As many of you know (because you hear me whine about it all the time) Kate seems to have some aversion to meat. There have been only limited times where she has actually consumed it. Very few times have we gotten her to take a bite or two of chicken nuggets. There was that freak incident in Chicago where she ate turkey lunch meat. Sometimes she seems to like bacon. But she has never eaten it consistently enough for me to feel confident she is getting enough protein. Hence, she eats yogurt EVERY NIGHT for dinner. Every single night. That has to get boring for her.

Well, over the last week or so we've noticed a slight shift. Every few days she decides she does indeed like turkey lunch meat and will eat a far amount of it. Then last week when I made a pretzel coated chicken breast. (I know, it sounds weird, but that Rachel Ray does know what she's talking about.) As I do every night, I offered Kate a sample from my plate. And she ate some. Then some more. And still more! She consumed almost as much chicken as her sister did. There was a catch, however. She would only eat it as long as I fed it to her. OK...I'll take that.

Last night she ate about 4 bites of hot dog. Absolutely unheard of in the past.

And tonight I grilled up some chicken. She ate it again! Twice in a row! That's completely unheard of in our world.

I see the light...she will eventually eat a variety of foods. It just might not be until she's in college.

Photo Friday Part 1

I realized I have over 200 pictures on my camera from this past week, so I'll have to do at least two Photo Friday installments. One may happen to get posted on Saturday, but hey...it's not like I'll be penalized for late posting. So, here are some shots I took this week because I wanted PROOF that Kate actually eats something besides snack food. I don't know what turning one did to her, but suddenly she decided that eating soft food in it's natural state would not lead to a slow agonizing death. (That has been her philosophy about food up to this point.) Of course, just because this particular week she happened to eat cheese, grapes, oranges and rice cakes with cream cheese, that doesn't mean it will ever happen again. In fact, as I am posting this, Kate is refusing to eat the string cheese that just two days ago she could not get enough of. What is that about?And since I really can't have a photo post without posting some of Padyn, here's a couple shots of her from that same afternoon. She was being her normal entertaining self. Don't feel sorry for her and think I love Kate more because she has more pictures today. Just wait until you see the Easter pictures. It's all about Padyn.

Peas! and Barley! and Chicken with Wild Rice!

My lament a few days ago concerning Katelyn's eating habits may no longer be valid. Just last night, she ate peas. Yes, real live actual whole peas. She had a bit of trouble keeping them in her mouth at first, but she persevered and managed to swallow a few. Eagerly. With no gagging. After that, I decided to try to hide some baby food that she wasn't eating in an oatmeal and banana mixture like I give her in the mornings. Mixed with the oatmeal and banana, she chowed down on the chicken with wild rice. Yes! Protein! Tonight I'm going to try it with the mixed vegetables she keeps spitting out.

And finally, right now she is eating barley from Padyn's chicken soup. They are slippery little buggers and she can't pick them up herself, so I put them in her mouth and she is happily chewing them up and swallowing them. In fact, she is getting mad at me as I stop to type because she wants MORE. And again...no gagging.

Hallelujah!Praise Be! We might just have an eater on our hands.

Kate's Maturing Palette

I haven't written much about Kate's dietary issues because, well, I was just hoping it would all eventually fall into place and the girl would eat baby food and table food like a, well, regular baby. I really wasn't surprised when at her first introduction to solids at 6 months of age, she didn't want it. Padyn was never a fan of rice cereal either, so it wasn't a big shocker. What was a shocker was the fact that it took her a MONTH to actually swallow food of any kind. You remember the pictures from when she finally ate and seemed to enjoy prunes. There's been more since, but the only thing I can get her to eat consistently is sweet potatoes. Mind you, not homemade ones. She refuses to touch those. Really. She clamps her mouth shut and turns her face away from me. They must be out of a jar. And she seems to prefer the Gerber Stage 2 Sweet Potatoes to the Earth's Best Sweet Potatoes. Why? No clue. Same ingredients. Both organic. So now, everything gets mixed with sweet potatoes. Apples & Plums with Sweet Potatoes. Pears with Sweet Potatoes. Roasted Turkey Dinner with Sweet Potatoes. The only things she'll eat without the help of sweet potatoes is banana (jarred) and yogurt (introduced to her last week.)

Then there's been the table food issue. This child seems to have an extraordinarily sensitive gag reflex because if she puts anything bigger than a quartered Cheerio in her mouth she gags. Then chokes. Then vomits EVERYTHING that she's previously eaten. I've just gotten used to the fact that her highchair will always smell of puke. No, not fun, but what can you do? I've scrubbed and scrubbed, but it's hiding somewhere that I can't get to. Anyway, that's only if she'll put table food in her mouth, which she won't unless it's Cheerios or Saltine crackers. Pasta? No. Bread? Forget about it. Banana? I'll take mine for a jar, thank you.

But today we had a break through. I decided it was time to try cereal again. This time I used oatmeal, which she had previously turned her nose up at. I mixed in a little formula and some baby food banana. And she ate it. Willingly. Many many spoonfuls. I was so proud. Not that this is a turning point or anything. We still have to get past the gagging issue. But still. One step at a time.

The Proof is in the Pictures

My child who doesn't seem to like eating? At least, that doesn't seem to like eating solids? Well, something happened to her this weekend. I'm not sure what, but it must be some personality shift because, now? She's eating. Prunes yesterday and sweet potatoes today. And it appears she likes them. Let us please look at the evidence that supports this conclusion:

Exhibit A: The opening of the mouth for prunes
I decided to try prunes yesterday because her pooping hasn’t been regular lately. I was worried the rice cereal might be messing her up, so I thought we’d go for something a little more complimentary to non-pooping children. I had no idea she’d actually like them. And really, she didn’t just like them, she LOVED them. I’m not sure what the attraction of prunes is, but sign her up.

Exhibit B: Opening her mouth AND reaching for the spoon

Exhibit C: Smiling while eating her sweet potatoes

Exhibit D & E: Trying desperately to get those pesky Cheerios in her mouth

And now for the final, most conclusive proof that Katelyn does seem to like food:

Exhibit F: The empty sweet potato containerThe entire thing. Eaten. Today. In one sitting.

Simply amazing.