When Push Comes to Shove

Critter wants to explore more and more. I don't stop him. I let him touch and hold things as long as there are no  small or loose parts. He wants to grab EVERYTHING. When we're holding him and walking, he'll reach out and touch whatever is within reach; like an athlete slapping people's outstretched arms as s/he runs by. Whatever is in our hands, he'll grab and be persistent in getting it. I'll be changing his diaper and he'll contort his body and reach for whatever happens to be around.

BUT with this stage of exploring comes a price. I'll be holding my little Grabber kissing him and if something catches his eye and he has to have it, his arms will come up and push my face away while he leans forward toward the object.

I'm being pushed aside! My kid would rather look at the light switch than be kissed by me! He'll push my affection away to get to a red bowl. SIGH!



I know! I know! Not an appropriate song for a baby blog but a) it has Push in the name b) I like the beat

Is this better? (I wanna push you around, I will, I will)



or this

how about this? (don't push me so hard, don't push so far)

Who You Lookin' At?

To help with Critter's staring problem, we're getting him glasses.

phat

"How do you get rid of that?" Hubby asked pointing to my belly.
"F*ck you!" I replied.
"I'm just trying to help you."
"F*ck you!

I know what you're thinking and Ooooooooh, yes he did. He really said that. When will men learn to keep their mouths shut? Hello. Men. You never ever ever never comment about a woman's weight. EVEN if you think you're trying to help. Just zip it! Do men not know that we have eyes? I look at myself in the mirror. I know what I look like. I see my body. I get dressed everyday. I realize that out of all my clothes only 3 things fit me. I know I'm wearing my husband's T-shirts cause my tops are too small. I KNOW I've gained weight and I KNOW I need to lose it. Someone pointing it out isn't going to help me.

While I was pregnant, I thought after I had the baby I'd just go back to my normal weight and size. That it all just went away. In US Weekly, the celebrities were always thin a month after giving birth. HA! I thought I was like them. Maybe for some women the extra weight just disappears or ones that can afford a personal trainer; but not ones that gained 45 pounds and are cash poor; thank you very much

Six weeks after giving birth, in most cases a doctor will give an OK to resume normal activity. Mine did. Too bad prior to giving birth my normal activity didn't include working out. I never really "worked out", "exercised". I didn't belong to a gym and threw sweat beats on strangers while jogging on a machine. At home, I did do yoga occasionally, but that's about it. I was always thin.  I really didn't need to work out.

Weeeeeell, times sure have changed. It's been 7 months since Critter. I still have 20 extra pounds on me and a belly. Not pretty my friend. Sure, when I was pregnant people were saying I looked cute and I looked great. I ain't so cute now with a little pouch in front.  I need to work out! and ASAP! What am I waiting for? Critter's wedding day to realize I can't fit into anything? I've been lazy, too lazy. I need Jack Lalanne. I'm sure Richard Simmons with his short shorts can probably get me to shake my bon bon.

I'm a desperado underneath my clothes
I see my silhouette
Am not my self?
I feel a mad rejection for my body
I gotta shake my bon bon, shake my bon bon, shake my bon bon

I can now understand how people don't have the motivation to start exercising to lose weight. I'm at that point. It's almost a feeling of despair. That the weight isn't going to come off, so why bother.


But how to start? I guess you just do. I have to set goals.

Busy Mommy

I'm busy with a project so there won't be any new posts this week.

Please come back next week and read new ramblings.

Mr. Looky Loo

Critter loves to look around. He gets fixated on things and just stares. Like he's trying to figure it out. The worst is when he stares at total strangers and won't drop his gaze. I don't know whether to apologize to Mr./Ms. Stranger, make a funny comment or pretend I don't notice him staring.

His favorite pastime is, while he's nursing and he hears a sound, he needs to turn his head in the direction of the noise AND takes my boob with him! OUCH!! Hubby things it's funny, meanwhile my boob is suffering.

Eat It

There's more to life than milk you know. A baby is eventually going to start eating food. The magic month to start is when baby is 6 months old. Some start feeding babies at 4 months. There are different camps about when to start and why you should wait till 6 months to start. Here's what Dr. Sears has to say. Based on that, we opted to wait till Critter was 6 months old before we shoveled food into his mouth.

We got a high chair (thank you bad back bro-n-law) and it's now a permanent fixture at our dining table. Critter sits at the head of the table. He's not in charge around here (not yet anyway), it's just easier for us to sit next to him and feed him. A week before he turned 6 months we sat him in his chair and gave him Oatmeal cereal. He took it readily and enjoyed it. After a few days of oatmeal only; It's suggested that when introducing "solids" to a baby, you give them one item at a time and for 3 days straight. Any allergies develop you'll know which food it is; we started giving him other stuff.

I opted to make my own baby mush. Have you seen the prices of baby food??? Not only that, I figure it's healthier. Plus, I'm a sit on my ass at home mom, it's the least I can do to throw some food into a blender. And it's really as simple as that. You steam or bake the veggies and fruits, wait till they cool, throw them into a food processor or blender (I have a blender) with some water and then mash them through a sieve to strain out the lumps and fibers. And hello meal time!

I found a great website with lots of information about making your own baby food. www.wholesomebabyfood.com/
The site has nutritional information. When to introduce what. Lots of easy to follow recipes. So I read up and have become Martha Stewart to Critter. I make baby food about twice a week and freeze them in little one meal containers; lots of people use ice cube trays; and each morning take one or two down for the day. Critter eats three meals a day.

For breakfast he usually has oatmeal or a banana; which I mush the morning of. Bananas brown so can't freeze them. As do pears. FYI. Pears are a soft fruit, so no need to steam or bake them, peeling them and mushing them is sufficient.

I made a mistake the first time I made carrots. I read with some other veggies to save the liquid that you use when steaming and use that to when blending. Well, it's NOT the case with carrots and some other root  and some leafy veggies because they have nitrates. Here's more info.

The first time I made carrots, I wasn't aware of the Nitrate issue. I steamed and blended them using the steaming liquid. Critter happily ate a meal of carrots. I was then reading some more and came across the Nitrate issue. I threw out that batch of carrots. Next batch I made I just used water when blending. HEY, I'm sure Martha Stewart made mistakes when starting out.

So far, I've made:
Carrots - First batch I threw out.
Sweet Potatoes - Critter's favorite
Peas - only had them once, there's some in the freezer and he'll have some today.
Butternut Squash - Critter's second favorite
Apples - I sauteed them in water
Pears- No need to cook, just mush
Bananas - Critter's favorite fruit
Nectarines -  Critter hated them. He made an awful face after the first spoonful and turned his head when the spoon came toward him again. Probably because they were tart. They aren't in season. What was I thinking buying them? I threw out the two meals that I made and I'll eat the other three nectarines.
Beets - I made him one meal only when I made Hubby and I beet soup. But Critter hasn't had it yet.
He's also had a finger of hummus. He looooved it.

Next month Mommy Stewart is going to mix two or more ingredients.

Sick New Year

I was MIA for a week. No posts. Not a peep. Where was I, you ask.

On Dec. 24th, Critter was 6 months old.
CELEBRATE Good time, come on!
There's a party goin' on right here


We decided to have a low-key party at our place. We invited family. Ordered Chinese food and had cake.

Hubby is one of 8 kids. You read that right, EIGHT. Critter has 25 cousins on Hubby's side. The kids range in age from 6 months (Critter) to 17 years old. One or two are bound to be sick at a given time. AND sure enough there was one cousin getting over something. Well, germs spread!

Saturday, Christmas, Critter was fine but getting cranky as the day wore on and by that evening he had a fever. Sunday he was miserable. Nose was congested, coughing, sneezing. That was not my kid we were taking care of. He lost his smile, and giggles. His laid back happy go lucky attitude was gone and replaced by a whiny, whimpering, can't put him down baby. There was nothing we can do to appease him.
On Sunday, I started to feel congested.
Monday, we took Critter to the doctor. A cold.

Critter and I spent the next 2 days in bed. Literally. I'd get up to go to the bathroom and to eat/drink something and then get back in bed. We didn't budge. It wasn't fun. NOT FUN at all. Bad enough taking care of a sick baby, but when you're sick it makes it twice as hard and aggrevating. I felt like S-H-I-T! It hurt every time I coughed. My head was pounding, body aching. I can imagine what Critter must have felt.  He must have been in major pain. It broke my heart every time he coughed. It was that hacking cough that sounded painful in the throat. His nose was stuffy. He couldn't breath, couldn't swallow. It was a miserable week.

As parents we don't want our kids to be in pain or sick. And as a common courtesy if your child is sick keep them away from other kids. DO NOT expose other children to your kids' germs. My goodness, it's common sense. But I guess so many people lack common sense and courtesy.

We felt better by Friday, but we still had a cough; and still do as of this morning. We didn't go anywhere and still haven't been around people in close proximity We don't want to expose others to potentially getting sick. But maybe I should be like other parents and not give a shit, and go visit people. And if they get sick, oh well, it's part of life. They'll get over it soon enough.

So if you're sick. Stay home! Don't come near me or my child unless you plan on spending a week taking care of him.

Oh and....HAPPY NEW YEAR!