Garrett's First Haircut

Garrett has had three at-home haircuts. I did his first one when he was just 4 months old and the nappy little hair on the back of his head that everyone kept waiting to curl didn't! I couldn't stand it. I've been trimming him up with nose-hair scissors ever since (blunt ends). It was finally time to get the back of his head (shown above) cleaned up and get the front all trimmed because those little flips (shown on the left side of his head below) were not consistent nor forming curls. *Sigh*

So, we put on our superhero capes and bucked up for Garrett's first 

REAL haircut! Daddy came along with the camera and my little baby went from the disarrayed and adorable BABY mess above. . .

I have no idea why his blonde locks look so brown once they hit the floor!

to the well-groomed little BOY you see here! Even after having cut his hair before, I still teared up as his neckline got a straight-across buzz and his hairline (a slight widow's peak we knew was under there) became trimmed and proper. Now, he looks even more like his daddy. . . lucky thing!

DIY Gifts: Photo candleholders

These were a steal but the personalization makes them special! These cream-colored distressed wooden cube candleholders were half-off half-ff. Yes, they were already half-off at Gordman's price and then half off that because they were Halloween on one side with three other sides left for craftiness! I took the only three left to make some Christmas gifts:

I got pics of my sisters and their kids right off of facebook and cropped them to size 3x3" printed in sepia on stickers. Then, I cut and placed them for this finished product (3 total):

Big heart; Small cost!

Recipes to Share: Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups

This was another one of those times where I just needed to get something in for dinner. I had pre-cooked half a dozen chicken breasts over the weekend to use for weekday dinner fixes to make my life easier with quicker dinner prep. Of course this was pinterest-inspired but I never follow directions. That would mean I would have to go out and buy ingredients I don't already have from the 10-ingredient recipes I find. NOT QUICK.

Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups

Lasagna noodles, boiled to al dente (a whole box to make sure you get a dozen useful ones)
Italian Cheese and Herb Philly Cooking Creme (1/2 the tub is all so 5 oz)
15 oz ricotta (reduced fat if you're like that. . . I am)
2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
8 oz shredded parmesan (split in half)
Italian spices to taste
1 jar alfredo (you can make your own but the cost and gut rot of heavy whipping cream aren't for me)

Preheat oven to 350.

Lay cooked noodles out on parchment paper.

Mix chicken, ricotta, philly cream and half of your shredded parmesan in a bowl. Sprinkle in some other spices to taste. I used Mrs. Dash garlic herb seasoning and omse garlic powder. I wanted desparately to also mix in some chopped veggie but I knew the hubs would scoff!

Spread the chicken cheese mixture on to the noodles and roll.

Place in a lasagna pan and cover with alfredo and sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese. (I actually baked 6 in an 8x8 and froze the other 6 for an even quicker dinner option later.)

Bake for 30 minutes until heated through and serve with veggies and rolls!

Thank You for Baby Steps

I've never been one to easily appreciate "baby steps". Leaps and bounds are more my thing. Now, that's all changing. As a parent, I have found that worry comes with the territory (by leaps and bounds no less). As such, I tried to remain aware of my level of paranoia over every little milestone in baby's first year. I tried hard not to fret and sweat if each objective couldn't be checked off the list as each 3-month phase came to a close. I really didn't want to have my "perfectionist" reputation (up to which, by the way, no one can live) come to light through my parenting ALREADY!

However, this challenge was growing exponentially throughout year one until I'd taken enough brush-offs and all-but-shut-ups from my doctor and others wishing to reassure me that "everything would be fine". After all, it's normal though there really is no normal! After missing the mark at 6 months, 9 months, and getting close to 12 months in age though not in reached milestones, I couldn't shake the feeling anymore. My dismissal of my motherly instinct would hold me back no longer from finding out if something was up.

When I was pregnant, I was baffled by the amount and topics of people's questions as though by body had become fair game. In parenting, the questions continued. . . well-meaning bless-your-heart style friends family and acquaintances would continually ask, "Is he rolling all over the place now? Crawling away from you every diaper change by now, eh? Is that kid up on two feet yet?" While these would normally be seen by Mommy as invitations to boast and bask in the joys of the baby phase, they were anxiety-provoking reminders that my answers were too often "no". Add to that any old man who feels his opinion matters blurting out that perhaps your kid is too fat, lazy, or spoiled to want to do anything for himself, and I was beyond exhausted from playing Pollyanna in sugar-coated responses while choking back tears wondering why I couldn't answer "yes" to all of the above at times that should normally be appropriate.

Luckily, I have a sister in social work that sensed my frustration and downplayed level of concern. She told me that the local AEA would do an assessment without any need for a professional referral. So, I made the call, made the appointment and hoped they'd simply reassure me that my level of worry was normal, that his delays were normal,  and we could continue on with life as normal. However, I still knew there was a possibility that my worries were founded and there could be a bigger issue to tackle. An evaluation, hearing test, physical therapy and educator home visit all took place within the next month. He can hear. He's delayed. There's no physical or neurologiocal ailment to explain why or give us any worry that his progress toward catching up won't be quick. WHEW!

Was I sad to hear things about my kid like "5th percentile" or "siginificant delay"? Of course. Was I happy I'd finally gotten my questions to the right people with answers that might actually help Garrett and help us know how to work with him as parents? A thousand times yes! Can I now tell people that he's making strides by leaps and bounds? . . eh maybe. Will he? Likely. Am I ashamed of him? Heck no. Knowlegde is power and I had exhausted the realms of my knowledge in knowing how to approach G's delays and realized I needed someone else. It takes a village, right? Besides, my own pursuits of further knowledge were pretty scary WebMD search results outlining some worst case scenarios and labels I didn't want to assume upon him without a real evaluation. My kid doesn't have a label. Although if he did have one as in the name of a disability, I'd still be happy to have found out and learn how to work with it too.

Every milestone is important to parents as they watch their baby grow. I'll admit that I imagined Garrett flying through his and documenting on camera and video each new movement and sound. Life moves far too fast and is far too short to dwell on what isn't rather than enjoying what is. So, every little inchworming movement he makes toward a new toy is a joy. Each time he reaches across his body to grasp something is a milestone. Each time he turns in response to his name, holds an item in each hand at the same time, pulls his own weight with help up to the couch or lunges forward to get a fistful of Tucker hair is sheer bliss; not a reminder that these are things other kids would have done 3-6 months ago.

After all, 3-6 months from now, this could all be a blur. With bi-weekly visits that are basically play therapy from a PT and an Early Education Specialist, a change to a new daycare center for some increased interaction with kids his own age, and some intentional homework where we know how to work with him, we're doing all we can and taking it in stride. So, the nest will still be blessed though much more of a mess because spending our time with this little guy is soooooo much more important! How could you not love this face whether he's  laying, rolling, sitting, walking, talking, or running?

Little Man's Birthday Continued: Decor & Games

1) Birthday Tree

What kid wouldn't love to have their own birthday tree? I love my skinny prim Christmas tree and it doesn't tak eup much room and has lights pre-strung so it's not a huge hassle. It's only a month early to put the tree up in October so. . . why not?!?! I deocrated the tree for around $10. I got the wooden number 1 at Hobby Lobby 1/2 off for $3.50 and another 1/2-off purchase was the big aqua bow it's hanging on. The rest was a $1 clearance purchase for the aqua stringy paper and another $3 for 3 6-packs of aqua bottle caps with white polka dots that I just taped white ribbon on and hung. This left room for birthday cards to be displayed and he had fun looking at the twinkling lights in teh evenings leading up to the big shabang!

2) Pin the Mustache on Garrett

I really got magnets; set of 6 for $7 and printed an 11 x 17 and laminated it. No one actually played this. I put it down at kid-level but they were all more interested in eating or opening G's presents for him!

3) The Photo Booth

I already had this blanket to use as a backdrop. It's Mommy's blankey. Have you ever felt a THRO brand blanket? I got Garrett one and then sought one out for myself. Ahhhmazing! Then, I painted an open frame with some leftover paint I had from a mis-tint I bought at Lowe's a few months ago. So, the whole cost was maybe $5 I guess. And we didn't get as many pictures as I'd hope but they were all good ones:

4) Name that Stache

This was fun and easy and I only spent $2 on the poster board which I had previously used for another project so it was almost free in that regard. As you can see, I printed out the mustaches of some well-known men, added some clues, and then numbered them and left out cards for guessing. A few people took the time to fill them out but it was mostly a conversation piece. I was happy with that because it got people talking that otherwise may have sat in silence or conversed about nothing more than the weather. . .

5) The favor station

Everyone got a mustache tattoo for their finger. However, many kids put them right on their lip! It was kind of a messy favor since their was water involved in the application but still fun. I handed out a few of the leftovers for Halloween trick-or-treaters and they thought they were pretty sweet. I still have over a hundred left. . . any ideas?

Below shows you the cakes. I already did a tutorial on the bow tie cake and the mustache cake was even easier (though neither were perfect)! Here, you can see the menu, food labels, 12-month photo display and the streaming video playing of his 1-year photo shots! So much time and energy. . . he's going to kave to skip his second birthday at this rate! :)

Recipes to Share: Pork Chop Parmesan

Yum and then some! We eat lots of white meat. I make pork chops in just a couple simple ways over and over and was looking to try something different. Breading chops can take a lot of time and that's not a resource I have in excess. So, I did this a totally easy and lazy way. Don't judge until you try it and see it didn't make a huge difference in the end.

You'll need:
A glass or ceramic baking dish
6-8 chops (or 3-4 butterfly chops)
bread crumbs
olive oil
oregano
garlic powder
Mrs. Dash garlic herb seasoning
(You wouldn't need the extra seasoning if you have Italian bread crumbs)
spaghetti sauce
shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat baking dish with olive oil. Sprinkle with bread crumbs to lightly cover. Lay pork chops on top and repeat drizzling a light amount on olive oil over the chops and then sprinkling with bread crumbs. Then season each chop with a couple dashes of each of your preferred Italian seasonings.

Place dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. You can flip after 10 if you'd prefer and check for progress toward doneness. At 20 minutes, top each chop with sauce and sprinkle with the shredded parmesan. Place back in the over to heat through and melt cheese before serving.

Beccause these weren't breaded the traditional way, I scooped up some of the bread crumbs that were cooked in the oil in the pan and crumbled them on top of each chop when serving for some extra goodness. For 1/2 an hour or so of work, these were delish!

I also paired it with this pinterest find.


As you can imagine, I didn't follow her directions to a T. I put all the biscuit pieces in a sprayed round cake pan and poured the melted butter and seasonings over the top of all of it. Then, I sprinkled some of the remaining shredded parmesan cheese from the pork chops and served it with some excess spaghetti sauce. This baked up in about 10-12 minutes.

Bow Tie Birthday Cake

For Little Man's Mustache Bash, we used mustaches as well as bow ties to represent, well, big men in a smaller version. One way I tied in the theme was with a bow tie cake. I made a large one to share and a mini one for Garrett's smash cake! See below:

One 8-inch square cake was cut diagonally and then a mini cake was put in the middle. Mine is square from my Pampered Chef brownie pan but a round cupcake would work too. Once frosted, the side frosting of the center piece will hold it all together. Of course, frosting the cakey sides is a pain so coat it on thick in those two areas!

The reason I used the brownie pan was to make G's mini cake. I cut the rectangle mini cake diagonally and then cut the center out of another mini cake to be the middle piece.  The frosted result looked like this:

Mac & Cheese for the Masses!

I served this for a party where we hosted 40 people. I can't say they all ate some but it got rave reviews from many so I'm going to safely say you could feed 25-30 average appetites with this as the side dish! I looked for a couple recipes and most large mac & cheese recipes called for a crock. Well, I had already planned to use my crock for the maid rites served so I wanted to use my electric skillet. Couldn't I have used the skillet for maid rites? You bet! But, it was already set in my mind that that wasn't happening.

So, I dove into some experimental cooking. Great idea when you're about to feed a large amount of people, right? Well, planning ahead has gone a bit by the wayside in the last year so I dared to do it anyway! This could be done on the stove top for a family-size portion instead by doing just about 1/3 of the recipe.

You'll need:
Large electric skillet 
3 lbs noodles
2 pkg velveeta shreds
2 12-oz cans evaporated milk
1 can cheddar cheese soup (low sodium recommended)
10 cups water
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tbsp salt (I used part seasoning salt)

Bring water, evaporated milk, noodles and salt to a constant simmer over medium-high heat.

Stir periodically until noodles are tender.

Add cheese soup, shredded cheese and pats of butter and stir until mixed thoroughly.

Reduce skillet temperature to warm and serve.

The result was thick creamy cheesy goodness that will probably taste even better reheated the next day! If you wanted to do thsi as a main dish, you could easily add in some meat. I'd suggest adding just a bit more of a moist ingredient however so it doesn't dry out. Try adding 2 pounds of browned ground beef to the tender noodles and 1 more can of cheddar cheese soup. Go ahead and experiment: occasionally, it works out! :)

Garrett's First Birthday Letter

Dear Garrett-

This is the first of many letters I hope to write to you throughout your childhood. Every year on your birthday, I plan to take time to reflect on the year past and make assumptions about the year ahead and share them with you in this format. You will quickly come to learn that this format is no longer common: a written letter, one on real paper with an envelope and the word “Dear” in the greeting.  By the time you learn the art of letter writing, it will be on some hand-held tablet that I’m too old to figure out. That’s technology!

This year has flown by. Everyone told me it would but it truly did. There were some extremely long days and short nights in the beginning. You came into our lives in time for lunch last October 25th in an extremely fast delivery and changed our world forever. You made me a mother and the next few months made me a mommy. Learning to understand your wants and needs is still a work in progress but finding ways to enjoy every little piece of you has come quite easily.

You love to laugh. I mean, we all love to make you laugh, but it is clear you enjoy laughter tremendously yourself. It’s as though you look at me sometimes just begging me to do it again; whatever “it” is on any given day that will rise up that gleeful giggle. Your laugh is contagious! You will laugh until you let out a deep-bellied sigh because you even wear yourself out with joy. You can cry just as loud but you rarely do. You’ve been an amazing baby. It did take you seven months to sleep through the night, but I’ve already forgiven you.

You’ve grown so much but are still a little squirt. You’re a skinny little thing yet often referred to as a “ham” over your amazing smile and flirty demeanor. We get “he’s so adorable” all the time (in public and on Facebook which I’ll show you when you’re older, you poor electronically-exploited child)  but they don’t stop there; people feel the need to reiterate that they’re not just telling us you’re cute because you’re a baby but that you’re REALLY CUTE. We get it (and we love it). Someday, you’ll get compliments about how amazing and smart and funny and special you are beyond being cute; don’t worry. And, yes, someday, an important special someone will use a word like hot or handsome instead but the most important woman in your life will use other phrases for a long time coming! That woman is me. Don’t forget it!

You do things on your own time. I’m guessing that is a trait that will stick with you and be a point of contention between the two of us for years to come. You’re not crawling, walking, talking, waving, climbing or standing alone at a year. I have about eight different sources telling me that this is, in fact, a problem. However, you are smiling, laughing, loving, growing and thriving in so many other areas. You will do the rest only when you are ready and I will continue to struggle to balance both my fear and faith in the meantime.

You love your parents and you show us every day. How lucky are we? I hope you continue to do this for years to come. You love your dogs and they’re pretty tolerable of your tiny hands and feet. . .  and lips on them so far. You really enjoy bouncing, swinging, and being thrown in the air and you smile slyly every time I sing to you whether it’s our morning song, clean-up jingle, kitchen dances, or bedtime. You laugh when we open our eyes from a dinner prayer. I think you’re confusing it with a very formal game of peek-a-boo and you must outgrow this habit! You are prayed for every night. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. I feel like I couldn’t possibly love you more but my prediction for the years to come is that you will show me otherwise.

I am coming to this birthday with so many emotions. I rarely cried (or hugged or expressed much excitable emotion at all) before you were here and now, I’m overwhelmed with tears over every happy and sad thought that comes to mind.  I am mourning the baby phase already but elated about what is to come; the things I can imagine and hope for and the things that will blow my mind and cannot be planned.  I will not be sad. We will celebrate. Probably overboard for a first birthday. Welcome to a likely scenario to be played out for the remainder of your birthdays under my roof. You are, to date and in conjunction with your father, my life’s greatest work and I look forward to your training!

Your biggest fan,

Mom

A Happy Hiatus

There's been quite some time between this post and my last! There's a really REALLY good reason:

Mommyhood is tough and rough and tiring. It has plenty of glory and fun to share on a blog but plenty of reasons to find to spend time doing other things. Nonetheless, I'm back. I'm making no promises that I'll be as active as before but I do swear I'll have good stuff to share. And it won't just be about Garrett (but bear with me because a lot of G Man is likely). I've got projects and before-and-afters to show you. I've accomplished more projects than I would have thought possible a few months ago. So, while I had a happy hiatus, I'm glad to be back on the eve of my Mommyversary!

Sending you love already! ~Breezy

No More Mommy Wars

So, the headlines and news channels have been buzzing with interviews and stories covering the "Mommy Wars". It's been getting special attention during the political season with references to "stay-at-home" moms and "working" moms and differences, similarities & comparisons that supposedly place value on the two. It's crazy. I certainly hope that, as mommies, we are beyond being at war with each other and that this is only a war about others' (shall we say outsiders'?) opinions. In other words, I hope that today's Mommy Wars are about protecting the reputation of all moms rather than pinning those who stay at home and those who work against each other.

I've had many conversations about the two different roles, the struggle many go through in deciding, and the sadness that comes with the lack of being able to decide while forced into one mom role or another. I'm glad I made the choice to be a mom and had no idea that I'd have any internal struggle with the choice between which "kind" to be. I never knew the angst that leaving for work would bring with a beautiful baby to be left in the care of someone else (no matter how stellar she is). I never dreamed I would even consider not working after finishing two degrees and taking out my share of stduent loans (while my two shares, really). I also never truly knew (though never doubted) the WORK that goes in to caring for a child.

The mommy roles are still seperated into two categories: "stay-at-home" or "working". Neither of these terms is really appropriate anymore. As moms, we're all working and far more than the traditional understanding of full-time. To separate us into full-time and part-time moms would be equally misrepresenting because you're a mommy all the time even if you're not the one directly caring for your child. The most approriate term I've come across for a working mother is one who "works outside the home", but what does that leave for stay-at-home moms. How often do moms really stay at home when caring for kids non-stop? Perhaps, briefly during the baby stage but after that, they're running around to activities, errands, etcetera. Manager and CEO of (insert home address) Inc.? Perhaps. . .

We all have our own reasons for the choice we make about whether or not to work outside the home. There are personal pros and cons to both with reagrd to every family member's effectedness. For many of us, it's the financial impact first and foremost. Speaking of the financial factor, that brings me to another point.

Parent magazine shared a poll finding that over half of working moms feel guilty about the time they miss with their child(ren) and over half of moms at home feel guilty about not contributing to family fanances. Really? "Not contributing"? Savings on the cost of child care is just the tip of the iceberg. There's likely gas savings (no commute), often grocery savings (you have more time to coupon-clip and bargain-hunt at home, right), and many moms are finding other ways to add financial gains to their time at home (sales opportunities and caring for other children for example). Those are the financial contributions which can't possible take into account the advantages offered to the children and the entire family from such a decision. So this is shout-out to all the moms who are at home with their kids-you are valuable in both concrete and in immeasurable ways!

And to those mommies not at home feeling a bit of that mommy guilt, I have no great words of advice. I'm only mostly at peace with my own circumstances working outside my home and away from my little man. The only shout-out I've got for you: I'm with ya! Obviously, I think about this topic quite a bit to spend my lunch at work writing about my decision to be here whilst thinking about the spoon-feeding mess I'm currently missing out on followed by the snuggle during a bottle and the finger-crossing for a solid hour or two nap that SHOULD follow!

Mommies Unite! No more wars amongst ourselves devaluing one role over another. We all need support as mothers and the RIGHT choice is the one that is best for your family. There is a SUPERWOMAN in all of us!

Garrett's First Easter

Easter has not lost its meaning in our family and I love to see that represented in the next generation. I found myself missing Sunday School this Easter season. Remember how exciting the bible was the way you learned it as a child? Recall the excitement that was portrayed through every story and how it stuck with us as kids? Easter could get a little dark in the details but you still had the overall series of events and most of its meaning down by the time you were, what, four?!?

This recollection made me both excited and nervous for the Easter seasons to come (and other holidays). I want Garrett to get excited to hear those stories AT HOME! Can I be that interesting? Do I know enough of the bible? I know it's too early to actually feel any anxiety over this topic but I saw future Easters playing out before my eyes. Just knowing how quickly the past few months have gone, the Easters that he'll remember will be here before we know it. Maybe Mike and I should take a class!

Okay. I'm not really that nervous but I am reminded that parenting changes your perspective on so many things; now to include holidays and celebrations. I am so grateful to be a child of God who can be forgiven, taught, and blessed through His grace and His word. I've never felt like I needed it more than I do now with someone else relying upon me to share it with him. This little bunny has brought so much meaning to our lives. I look forward to every holiday and day with him in it. God is good. To Him be the glory (and in Him, the faith that Garrett finds us interesting for future holidays and bible story-telling)!

I hope you all had an amazing celebration with your own blessings!

Garrett goes Bananas!

More solid foods: Garrettt goes Bananas!

I'm not going to lie. While I thought this would be a fun way to introduce food, he doesn't end up taking in much so those "sleep benefits" so many refer to after starting solids are still not seen in our house, so I'm about to go bananas myself. I think we'll be adding some purees to the mix just to ensure he's actually EATING! But still, how cute is this:

Tree Removal

Make way for a new deck-or an outdoor oasis as I'd like (unrealistically) think! :)

We recently had the tree removed from our back yard. There goes the shade. Then, Mike tore down the old small deck of rotting wood and has big plans for another one. Guess what he'll be doing most weekend this summer? My hope is that it will be ready by Garrett's 1st birthday party in October! :)

Garrett tries a Carrot!

Going orange in the veggie category! I boiled some baby carrots and let Little Man go to town. He got at least half the carrot down. I could tell at the dinner table but was reaffirmed in the next morning's diaper! Good job Garrett!

Baby Led Solids: Broccoli

Today, Garrett got to venture past his Baby Mum Mums and into the land of veggies. A cooled piece of steamed broccoli made it way into his hands during lunch and he became an adventurous little guy. Cutest pics yet!

A New Light

My poor hubby always has a project waiting in the wings. This basket has been intended as a pendant light since last summer's flea market find. The basket was $3 and the pendant kit was $10 on clearance at Lowe's. It replaced the ugly old tube light that used to be above the sink. I love it. I think we may need to lower it a bit so it's beneath the valance but it's pretty cool and the baset makes the light shine in a funky way too!

Baby Led Solids: Month 4

Our first food: Baby Mum Mums

Have you heard of Baby Led Weaning or Baby Led Solids? The fancy coined term basically means allowing baby to feed himself skipping purees and parent-directed spoon-feeding. Well, I'm on board for giving it a try! Why? Well, lots of reasons!

For instance, handing baby a well-softened portion of a healthy non-processed piece of food and letting him explore it on his own sounds pretty hands-free and, perhaps, less stressful than mixing the rice with water warm enough making cereal runny enough to force-feed my kid on a spoon. Not that anyone else is force-feeding by not doing BLS but I definitely felt as though that's what I was doing when we first tried rice cereal. We did so fairly early (with doctor's approval) due to a baby with an insatiable appetite who is still showing no signs of sleeping through the night at 4 months.

Yes, I've heard it: "Perhaps, you started too early". I know. We probably did. It didn't help him sleep (not that he swallowed much anyway) and he wasn't comfortably practicing much head control when we tried the cereal. However, my 80-year-old grandma told me she started feeding her kids jarred baby food at 2 weeks old 45-50 years ago. She then politely mentioned that they slept through the night at just a few weeks old. How lovely. . . :( Don't get me wrong-if my goal were to get him to sleep, I would be more likely to spoon as much food as I could into him and at bedtime (as many have suggested among other things).

Instead, I intend to keep being his main food source (with firmly-crossed fingers that he does, eventually, choose to forego milk for even 4 hours overnight someday soon). Supplementing this food source is just the exploration of food. I've read (and read and read) that they don't actually need the calories and nutritional value of anything but milk (in whatever chosen source: formula or fromama) for the first year. So, why stress over their food intake? I hope not to.

Another reason I want to try baby-led solids is based on research. It is said to develop good eating habits, a wider pallette particularly with a taste for more natural food sources, and a better idea of fullness by self-directing their intake (decreasing obesity later in life). Not one of those findings turned me away. So, are there downsides? It does sound like it may be a mess, I'll admit (and I'm sure spoon-feeding can be too) and I'm sure I will be able to quickly identify some other downsides as we venture into this process with Garrett. However, I'm excited.

I'm excited that he can eat dinner when we eat (between and not in place of his regular milk feedings). I may even get to eat my meal in peace as he has something to occupy his time during dinner. He's really a happy baby but we've clearly identified dinner time as his specific "withcing hour". I'm even more excited by the cool videos I've seen of other babies exploring new foods for the first time. I'm also pumped that it will be nice weather once we really get into this so the mess can go outside as we grill and eat on our deck or patio.

For now, he's only 4 months old so we'll take it slow. I still want to be cautious of allergens with gradual introductions and the 3-day rule for new foods. As our alternative to rice cereal (see, we're not getting too "out there" and untraditional), we're using Baby Mum Mums rice rhusks. They were a gift from Garrett's sitter that I hadn't given much thought until I had researched and settled on BLS for Garrett's food introductions moving forward. I feel good about these for starters as they're healthy, minimal ingredient options and not too far off the beaten path.

So, we started his first adventure of self-feeding at 4 months, 1 day and I plan to stick with the mum mums for at least a couple weeks before trying anything new. He actually ate some! I could tell not only by the fact that it shrunk in his little hand with no crumbs left behind; I could smell a change in his breath later that evening. So far, mum mums look yum yum:

Month 4

It's going fast! Everyone said it would, but it really REALLY is!

Month number four

has seen some almosts & maybes;

some quick and slow changes

much like other babies.

You've yet to roll over

but you'll roll to one side.

You've drooled and gnawed fingers

but there's no tooth in sight!

I thought this might be the month

you decide you can sleep

without waking so much

but you didn't make the leap.

You tried some cereal

with the doctor's okay

but the faces you made

told me to put it away.

You're growing longer and stronger

and we think you might be a leftie.

While you've doubled your weight,

you're still not too hefty.

You're a smiley and giggly

]solid little man

full of "can't waits",

but, wait, yes I can!

Recipes to Share: Freezer-ready Burritos

Easy and Cheap with just three ingredients other than the tortilla shells and fixins!

2 pounds ground beef, browned
Taco Packet, added to meat with 1 to 1 1/2 Cups water
1 pound bag of southwestern veggies in cheese sauce (Great Value brand at Walmart)

Freeze in a gallon bag, thaw, reheat and stuff for a quick and easy dinner!

There are still a few more projects planned before the big playroom reveal. We're trying to make progress while he's still immobile and sleeps a lot! I hope he realizes how spoiled loved he is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Suessed letters greet you right inside the entry along with The Cat in the Hat.

This cute little accent piece was inspired by a yarn topiary found on Pinterest, adjusted, brightened, and Suessed! Some fringey yarn wrapped around a styrofoam ball, a $2 decorative pick, and my 50-cent cup made these two fun pieces!

$1 tin planters wrapped in 25-cent sheets of paper will eventually hold crayons, colored pencils, markers & chalk.

The biggest feature thus far are these 6-foot bookshelves! I've seen a couple versions on Pinterest so I started bugging my hubs for his version. His version was fast (all in one day including shopping, building, panting and hanging) and more polished than several posts I'd found. I'm in love with them!

Playroom Progress

 The closet doors have been Suessed! The ugly mirrors are still there BUT the broken crack in the bottom corner of the left door is completely covered. With some contact paper made to look like illustrated hill and some Suess stickers, we're in a storybook!

I bought a large sheet of 20" green contact paper and drew some hills on the back, cut them out and took a sharpie to the edges to make them look illustrated. The wall stickers unfortunately came with a white outline so I had to take an xacto knife to EVERY single nook and cranny. It was much more time-consuming than I thought, but I'm happy with the finished product!

This little person couch was a garbage save! The little cushioned bench was destined for the dumpster at a local business. We couldn't stand by and let that happen! Especially when a crib sheet would cover its ugly! A body pillow with a custom cover from Ebay and he has his own little hang out!

The wall color is revealed here too. You like?

I have a three month old. . .

What did we do
in month number two?
We snuggled and spoiled
the snot out of you.
With our last weeks at home
together all day,
home is where we
preferred to stay.
But Christmas came
so we had to travel to share
your beautiful face
& intense loving stare.
You had your first shots
and were such a big boy.
You added 5 pounds to your birth weight
and 4 more inches of joy!
The months are flying by
as you change every day.
Month three will be a big one
with new change on the way!

Month three, month three,
well, let’s see. . .
What came to be
in month number three?
You started daycare
& Mommy went to work
but only part-time
so she didn’t go berserk!
You’re lifting your head
and smiling much more.
Two things that add
to the joy you brought before.
You’re still growing strong.
eating day and night,
responding to words and songs,
and developing your sight!
This month we’ve loved you
even more than before.
I bet that continues
into month number 4!

Toy Room Project One: Suessical Letters

From last week's before to this week's after:

The unfinished wood letters got some craft paint and a sharpie to make them look like Dr. Suess's famous cat's hat!

Toy Room Inspirations

I'm hoping a Dr. Suess theme will last a while. Maybe even until he's school-aged. I'm really hoping because I know I'll spend countless hours on decorating his toy room (not to mention the money). Some starter projects are pictured here as "befores". Hobby Lobby shopping and cheap Dollar Tree finds are getting me started while I put off actually painting (kind of essential, I know)!

$1 tin "planters" to be revamped with $2 worth of scrapbook paper using the paper cutter and spray glue. The lass schedule was $1 at Dollar Tree and I am not sure what I'm going to use it for yet but it's clearly Suessical!

These letters will be painted white, then have red stripes added, and be finished with a big black permanent marker adding whimsical creases to look like Dr. Suess' hat!

I snagged this crib rail off of an old crib that was being tossed at a local furniture store. I asked the warehouse manager if I could have it and he said sure. He was really curious what I was going to do with it. I told him I wasn't sure but it would be something better than pitching it. Now, I can't wait to use it!

How Suessical are these? They were "Christmas" items at Dollar Tree so I got them half-off for just 50 cents each!                   I grabbed these two to dress up the playroom and a few more for his first birthday party.

Recipes to Share: Freezer-to-Oven Casseroles

These first two are recipes I've made in the past but have yet to do from the freezer. The other I haven't even eaten yet. I can't wait til my next grocery shopping trip and freezer-stocking Sunday afternoon!

Pizza Pasta Casserole
2 lbs ground beef (or sausage if you like)
1 large onion, chopped (optional)

1 can stewed tomatoes (optional)
2 jars (28 oz each) spaghetti sauce
1 pkg (16 oz) spiral pasta
4 cups (16 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
8 oz sliced pepperoni or Canadian bacon

Directions:

Cook spiral pasta noodles according to package instructions.

While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef and onion together until ground beef is no longer pink; drain fat.

Stir in spaghetti sauce and pasta, once noodles are cooked and drained.

Spray 2 9"x13" baking casseroles with non-stick cooking spray, and divide mixture into both casseroles evenly.

Sprinkle each with cheese and top with pepperoni/ Canadian bacon.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Freeze It:

Use freezer ready casserole dishes instead. Spray, fill, cool, then cover and freeze. (OR. . . Bake one for tonight & freeze one for another night, right?)

To cook: Thaw casserole in fridge overnight. Then, cover and bake at 350 35-45 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with rolls and cottage cheese to stretch!

*If you don’t have a freezer-ready casserole dish, store in a plastic container that can go in the freezer. You can always thaw it in that, spray a casserole dish and transfer it there before cooking.

Taco Lasagna
2 lbs ground beef

2 packets taco seasoning
1 large onion, chopped (optional)

1 can corn, drained (optional)
2 jars (28 oz each) spaghetti sauce
18 tortilla shells
4 cups (16 oz) taco/ fiesta blend shredded cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef and onion together until ground beef is no longer pink; drain fat.

Add taco seasoning and ½ cup water and continue cooking over med-low heat for about 5 minutes.

Stir in spaghetti sauce and corn.

Spray 2 9"x13" baking casseroles with non-stick cooking spray.

Spread a cup of the meat mixture on bottom.

Cover with three tortilla shells, spread on another heaping cup of meat mixture and sprinkle with 2/3 cup of cheese. Repeat twice ending with cheese.

Cover with foil (raised above the cheese).

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Freeze It:

Use freezer ready casserole dishes instead. Spray, fill, cool, then cover and freeze. (OR. . . Bake one for tonight & freeze one for another night, right?)

To cook: Thaw casserole in fridge overnight. Then, cover and bake at 350 35-45 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with sour cream as condiment. The veggies are in it so another side is up to you. Might I suggest a pan of brownies! J

Baked Goulash
2 lbs ground beef or turkey

1 lb Italian sausage

2 cans tomato soup

2 cans cream of mushroom
1 large onion, chopped (optional)

2 garlic cloves, minced
11/2 lb macaroni noodles
4 cups (16 oz) shredded cheese: pizza blend, mozz, cheddar-you pick

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, garlic and onion together until ground beef is no longer pink; drain fat.

Add 2 cups shredded cheese.

Stir in soups and water.

Spray 2 9"x13" baking casseroles with non-stick cooking spray.

Fill with equal parts casserole and top each with 1 cup remaining shredded cheese

Cover with foil (raised above the cheese).

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Freeze It:

Use freezer ready casserole dishes instead. Spray, fill, cool, then cover and freeze. (OR. . . Bake one for tonight & freeze one for another night, right?)

To cook: Thaw casserole in fridge overnight. Then, cover and bake at 350 for 60-75 minutes or until heated through.

No spaghetti sauce in a goulash. . . hmm. . . We shall see!

DIY: Tummy Time Book

Foam Board: $2
2 Sheets scrapbook paper in a bundle pack from Walmart: 30 cents
Color pictures printed and cut out: free
Packaging tape: On hand but we'll say a nickel

So, for just a few bucks, I made a folding book to wrap around Buddy Man for tummy time. And I used artwork from one of my favorite kiddie authors: Eric Carle.

You'll usually see something like this as a "bumper book" but that would require that it's safely made of fabric to be placed in his crib and I'm still not able to sew! Instead, I cut foam board into 8 6x6 squares, laid them out 1/2" apart and placed clear packaging tape on front and back over the gap of each making flexible, foldable creases. Then, I took spray glue and covered each square with the same size of scrapbook paper before gluing on the printed pics. It can be stored easily as it folds like any other accordian style book. It spreads to go nearly all the way around him with colorful and visually-stimulating images.

Now, if he only actually enjoyed tummy time. . .

Recipes to Share: New Year's Resolution: Make-Ahead Mommy

With my hubby's new work schedule sadly inclusive of Sundays (HOPEFULLY to remain just 4 hours in the afternoon so as not to take away our entire family day and joint church attendance), I've taken on a new challenge. Instead of taking the time to laze around and nap with my little guy (which I try to do at least once the rest of the weekend), I'm trying to be a Make-Ahead Mommy! My goal each Sunday is to make at least 4 meals to freeze. Thus far, I've done even more and have hardly used them as I still tend to cook. To be successful, I have to remember to thaw things out in time too! :)

The first week was pastas and casseroles so not a huge challenge BUT I know how old it can get eating a variation of the same food over and over so I wanted to experiment with more meat/ main dishes this week. Here are some recipes I tried. I haven't eaten them yet so no guaruntees. . .

(Sidebar: The best part: my husband actually said to me that he's really touched that I'd take that time to do something for him instead of myself followed by "You're a good mom and a good wife". Oh, how I love him!)

When labeling freezer bags, I name the item and label with cooking instructions and serving suggestions along with date prepared. Example:

Cheddar Bacon Chicken w/ Zingy Ranch.

Thaw, Oil crock pot; Low 6-8.

Serve w/ potatoes.

1/2/12

Cheddar Bacon Chicken w/ Zingy Ranch

2 T olive oil

--3-4 chicken breasts

--12 pieces cooked and crumbled bacon

--1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

--1/2 cup Ranch salad dressing

--1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Put the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of your crock and spread it around.

Put the chicken in the crock on top of the oil.

In a small bowl, combine the teriyaki sauce and the ranch dressing. Pour sauce over the top of the chicken. Add the shredded cheese and the crumbled bacon to the crock, getting between the chicken pieces, if you can.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4.

Bag It:

Chicken on bottom. Then sauce, bacon, cheese. Seal, label and freeze!

Mexican Chicken & Rice

- 3-4 chicken breasts
- 8 oz block of cream cheese (I used fat free)
- Can of Black Beans, drained & rinsed
- Can of Corn, drained.
- Can of Rotel

Directions:
Put frozen chicken in the crock pot.
Put Cream cheese on top of the chicken.
Dump in the drained and rinsed Black Beans, drained corn & rotel.
Cover & cook in your Crock Pot on low for 6-8 hours.

Chicken can be shredded before serving over rice.

Bag It:

Chicken on bottom. Separate cream cheese block to distribute amongst the chicken breasts. Mix the canned ingredients first and then add to bag. Seal, label and store flat.

Chili Maple Chicken
4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon chili powder

Directions:
Oven: Thaw & place in baking dish and bake at 350°F until the juices run clear (20-30 minutes).
Crockpot: cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 or until done.

Bag It:

Chicken on bottom. All other previously-combined ingredients poured over top. Seal, label and lay flat.

Ranch Pork Chops
4-6 Pork Chops (preferably boneless)
1 packet dry ranch

1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup

Directions:
Place chops in bottom of crock. Combine ranch with soup and spread over chops. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6.

Bag It:

Chops on bottom. All other previously-combined ingredients poured over top. Seal, label and lay flat.

Pineapple Pork Chops
4-6 Pork Chops
¾ cup pineapple preserves

1 can pineapple, undrained (chunk, crushed, or tidbits would all work)

1 tsp ground curry

Directions:
Place chops in bottom of crock. Combine all other ingredients in a small bowl and then spread over chops. Cook on low about 6 hours.

Bag It:

Chops on bottom. All other previously-combined ingredients poured over top. Seal, label and lay flat.

My previous post of Hawaiian Chicken could also easily be frozen before placing in the crock. I plan to do more hunting for ideas using cheaper meat too: ground turkey and ground beef. Those, I typically have as freezer-to-oven recipes instead (pastas and casseroles mostly) so we’ll see! Happy Freezer Cooking!