Ali is a lucky girl. She inherited an old high chair. Not just any old high chair, but a high chair that my grandmother Alta bought for my mother. So essentially, Ali is sitting in a high chair that her Great-grandmother, who she is named for, lovingly bought for her own daughter. Many little bums have sat in this high chair since my mother's has. Several cousins have, and now it comes to my little Alta.
And then, of course, her big brothers had to try it out.
While pregnant with our littlest piggy, Sam and I discussed what we wanted to do differently with this baby. Making our own babyfood was one. Little did we know, we would almost have to make our own food. Ali has reflux and has a hard time eating food, especially stage 1 babyfoods. She gags, chokes, and throws up. So at 7 months old, we are trying to get her to eat solids. I try to feed her at least once a day. However, it is slow going and the foods need to be the right consistancy, not to thick and not to thin.
So today, I made some sweet potatoes. Who needs the baby bullet? I just have a small 4 cup hand food processor and it works very well. *disclaimer: I blog from my phone, which means that I can't get my pictures to show up with certain texts, they have to show up at the bottom, I will try to remember to fix it on the computer, but no promises*
First, I cooked a large sweet potato in the microwave until soft. Then I peeled it and saved half for Parker and my lunch (with butter and a pinch of brown sugar, amazing!). With the other half, I cubed/cut up and plopped it into the food processor. I added a smidgen of water (maybe a tablespoon) and started chopping. I checked periodically and scraped the sides down. About 2 minutes later, I had sweet potato baby food, made just for my princess. Then I scooped it into my baby food jars, I use Tomee Tipee, but whichever brand/jar works just fine, I like the colors of TT and that they can stack. But I digress. Then I put the lids on tight and stuck them in the freezer. They would stay good about 2-3 months, but we will hopefully be using them along with the bananas I made, in the next week since we only have 8 jars. A half of a large sweet potato made enough baby food to have about 2 tablespoons in 5 TT jars.
Only a baby who just learned to crawl would leave her light up, educational, colorful toys to book it across the room for an action figure, cat toy, or shoe.
Only a 3 year old would call blankets "tuck ups" because he associates being tucked up with blankets. So sweet.
Only a 5 year old, who has a hard time articulating and has been in speech therapy for 18 months would make his mother so very proud and sad, because he is growing up so fast, when he says perfectly, "sail by the sea". Which previously sounded more like, "tail by the thee".
What a night.
First, Ali decided she needed, not one, not two, but three bottles last night. Sigh. Then as I made my way downstairs to make a bottle, my ears heard a TV blaring the Pink Panter. As I went to check it out.....it happened... the stench no mother wants to smell at 3:44am. The smell of puke. That's right, my first born, the apple of my eye, had gotten up tried to make it to the bathroom, but took the looooooooong way and puked all over the living room floor. And there he was, happy as can be watching the Pink Panther, which I am sure the neighbors could also hear. I should have known this would happen. You see, the boys spent sometime with their grandparents yesterday, and Nanoo, in particular, feeds them like kings instead of princes, and more often than not, one ends up puking after visiting. Anyhow, when questioned why he didn't go through his room to the bathroom. (Because being the best parents in the world, once he fell asleep on the couch, we weren't going to wake him in fear of him staying up for round 2) he innocently said, "I couldn't go that way, I would have woke-ed Pawka up." So I make a bottle, but didn't add the formula since I was groggy, and I thought my charming husband would check, and called Sam to get it and give it to Ali so she wouldn't scream the whole time I cleaned up. Finally after getting everything cleaned up and Landon back settled, I trek back upstairs to get back bed and I see Ali is still eating...but wait.... it looks empty, so I pick up the bottle, and Sam didn't add formula. Yep, we are great parents. I see she has 3 ounces left and add one and a halfish scoops, and she chugs it down. Ahhhh, sleepy time. Not for long. *BEEP BEEP BEEP* Sam's alarm went off. After I said a few choice words in my half asleep daze, he left for work, and I went back to sleep, sort of, for another hour or two. I am tired. Tired. Tired. It is going to be a long day. *sigh*
Parker is very into rhyming now.
Today he said as he was snapping his hands in a crap like fashion.
"Look, mommy! I'm snappin' and crappin'!"
We have a crawler, an unsupported sitter, and a pull up on her knees(er?). All of this happened within days of each other.
I am busy. Busy. She is getting into everything. Parker is having jealousy problems and has turned into a whiner. All.The.Time.
So my days have been filled with chasing babies and keeping them happy.
Landon is doing very well in school. He is learning so fast and I am so proud of him.
Before I go, a "Moment like this"
Parker: "the cows bring us milk, the cows bring us milk. Hi, ho, the radio, the cows bring us milk."
I hope your new year was fun, safe, and exciting!
We didn't do much. Sam had to work this morning, so he went to bed early. The kids and I stayed up, watched some TV, played sequence, danced to salsa music, played legos, and watched Star Wars. The boys pettered out around 11:30 and Ali dozed on and off all evening. But I did give them all a kiss in their sleep at 11:59 and then their first kiss of the New Year at 12:00. Then I got the boys in bed and Ali changed and fed and we went to bed as well.
Today we are going to spend the day with my mom, she's making ham and beans for the New Year.
Some hopes for the new year: a career for me, moving to our new house, mom moving back into here and selling her house, everyone staying healthy, healthy babies for my friends and family expecting, and about a million other things.
