Flavor Flav

 When we started feeding Critter (6 months old) "solids", he took to it quickly and devoured anything we gave him. Sure, in baby world, early on, "solids" are  foods pureed to an almost liquidy consistency. I made everything with the occasional baby jarred food for variety cause a lot of fruit wasn't in season.

Critter liked everything Mommy and Daddy gave him. His favorites were bananas and sweet potatoes. Over time, and as his teeth came in and grew, we started giving him whatever we were eating in combination with pureed mush.

Around the 9th month, Critter revolted against pureed mush (even though I was making it chunkier and adding two ingredients).

It turned into a battle of getting him to eat chunky baby food. I couldn't figure out what was the issue. Was it the spoon? Was it the consistency?And then I realized he likes FLAVOR! He no longer wanted straight up bland veggies. Can I blame him? But if it has a little spice in it, he'll eat it. He decided that he likes regular food better and that's what he'll have and there's no getting him to eat babyish food. He'd sit in his high chair, take the first bite and when he realized it was bland he wouldn't open his mouth for the next bite. He'd sit there with his mouth pursed, just glaring at me. He's Fighting the Power.



Well, I don't always cook food that can easily be mushed enough for him. Like salad.
So, I started tricking him. I have the baby mush in a bowl and then something tasty in another. With one hand I raise the tasty food to his mouth, as soon as he opens his mouth, my other hand shoves the babyish food in. Heee heee heeee, it works! Okay, Most of the time it works. Sometimes he catches on and stares at my hands to see what they're doing. And as soon as he sees the tasty food hand coming toward his face, he'll open his mouth and lunge toward it, almost taking my fingers off.

I also discovered that he needs to be occupied with a toy or book while I'm feeding him. He needs to have something in his hands and he'll eat a good amount.

Foods that I "trick" him with are: dates, bananas, anything with flavor - they're good to mix with veggies.

He LOOOOOVES hummus (hey, he's an arab kid) and biryani (and he's a Pakistani kid). He also loves asian food. He's just like me. He loves food with flavor.

My Flavor Flav

I'll Tumble For You

Under the window in our living room, we have a futon (from my single days) with bookcases on each side. Two shelves in the right bookcase have Critter's books. Hopefully, his collection of board books will one day go in the Presidential Library. Hey! A mother can dream. He often crawls to the bookcase, takes his books off the shelves one by one, throwing them on the floor, sits on the floor surrounded by his books and looks through them. Pointing at the pictures, blabbing as if he's reading.

On Monday after he ate breakfast, I put Critter on the floor to explore and play while I went to the kitchen to get my breakfast. I'm in the kitchen for 2 minutes and I heard a very loud THUD. I ran out and he was face down on the floor, feet up in the air by the futon surrounded by his books. His face was pressed against A Snowy Day.

I picked him up, held him close, comforted and kissed him. At first it was that scary cry where their mouth is wide open, face very red, but no sound comes out. I blew on his face to get him to make a sound and boy did he sound out........he wouldn't stop crying.....and I started to cry. The two minutes I turn my back and he gets hurt. How could I let that happen? I felt like a terrible mother. Why was I so careless? Why didn't I take him into the kitchen with me? I figured, I was only going to be out of the room for two minutes.

I guess he crawled to the bookcase, took out some books, climbed on the futon, wanted to read, reached over to get his books and WHAM! he hit the floor head first, or I should say nose first cause he got a black and blue on the bridge of his nose. I guess the snow didn't break his fall.

Since then, he's made a beeline for the futon many times, gotten on it and sat down with a good book. But I'm watching him.

Growing Up Is Hard to Do

Last night after nursing Critter and him falling asleep, I laid with him and held him for a few. Since it was still early (9:30pm), I got up, went into the Nurserice (Critter hasn't slept in it yet) where Hubby was on the computer.

"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Trying to find a chocolate chip cookie recipe." He replied looking up at me. "Were you crying? What's the matter?" He asked.

"Nothing's the matter." I replied, my lips quivering. My mouth turned down into a pout and eyes welled up with tears and the flood gates opened. "I don't want him to grow up." I said sniffling up my words. "I want him to stay this age longer. Why does it have to go so fast? Why can't he be a baby for a bit longer." And on and on I said, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Hubby, got up, held me, trying to comfort me with words.

I seriously had a melt down.

When I was laying and holding Critter, I couldn't help but think about how fast time has gone by and how big he got and all the advancements he's made. I was holding him and crying because I don't want this stage to end. This infant stage. I seriously don't want him to grow up. Call me greedy and selfish, I don't care. I want to enjoy these precious baby moments for a longer time. The simplest things he does give me such great joy. The way he crawls. When he points at things. The babbling. His big goofy smile. His giggles. His ticklish spots, the way he chews, how he cries when we take him out of a playground swing, etc. etc. etc.

I really want the past 11 months to happen all over again. Not because I want to change things (okay, maybe a few things, only things with Hubby, not Critter) but I want to relive all the wonderful moments with my child. I want to experience them all again.

At the end of every day, laying in bed before I fall asleep, I reflect on the day, think about Critter and I can't believe the day is over. It wasn't enough time with him.
Why can't they stay this age for a few more years?


Remember when I held you tight
And I kissed you all through the night
Think of all that we've been through
Growing Up Is Hard To Do

Cry Baby

Wha, wha, wha, wha, wha...and so on and so on and so on.
Hearing a baby's piercing cry has to be the most unsettling sound.

Critter isn't a wailer. Never was.
Don't get me wrong. He cries when he's hungry and lately because he's teething....and rarely. He just doesn't ball his eyes out.....UNTIL early this morning.

1:59am Critter was contently sleeping, 2:00am, he started to cry. I gave him the boob. He sucked a little, then opened his mouth and deafening cries came out.
I picked him up and sitting in bed, rocked him. Nope, he didn't calm down.
I tried to give him the boob again. Nope, didn't want it.
Okay. Probably his teeth. Put gel on his gums. Nope, still wailing.
For one hour and a half, he was inconsolable.
I went out to the living room, put him in his stroller and started to walk around the room. He'd dose, but as soon as I stopped 'strolling' he'd open his eyes and with this forlorn look up at me, as if asking, "why'd you stop?"
After 'strolling' the living room, we laid back down and he finally fell asleep.....UNTIL 5:00am, when the wailing started again.
I gave him the boob. Rejected it! Huh! What male rejects boobs flung in his face?
I tried to give him a bottle. Nope!
I changed his diaper. Nope, didn't appease him.
I took off his PJs and inspected him. Maybe he physically got hurt. Nope, no signs of pain.
We went out to the living room, gave him some water. He looked around and started to point at things. He was calming down. We sat in the rocking chair swaying back and forth. It worked. He started to dose and we went back to bed.

Hubby and I were baffled, he's never ever cried like this. Sure, we've had nights when he was cranky cause the burp wouldn't come out. But that was when he was just a baby.And we weren't up past 1:00am.
Critter's never gotten up in the middle of the night crying hysterically. This was unprecedented.

Did he have a bad dream? Of a baby bully snatching a toy from him?

He awoke this morning at 9:30am (2 hours later than normal), with a great big smile on his face. Had breakfast and happily played, pushing a toy car across the wood floor, as if nothing happened early this morning.

Um, Critter, let's not have a repeat tonight, Momma needs her beauty sleep.

*Cough* *Cough*

On Sunday, we spent the day sightseeing with a friend and her daughter.  Our friend is a pediatrician. She's very knowledgeable and passionate about children and health care.She's not Critter's Baby Doctor. I wish she was, but she lives in another state.

Whenever, we see her, I want to ask her so many questions about baby related stuff. But I feel it's not appropriate; she's not on duty, she probably doesn't want to be bombarded with questions while hanging out with friends. After all, Critter does have a pediatrician that I should brooch concerns/questions to. But yet, I can't help but want to hear our friend's opinion about certain issues. I always want to ask her for advice.

I always wonder, when she's holding Critter, if she's 'examining' him. Does she check him out to make sure he's Okay? Is she looking at him and wondering certain things? Does she want to say something to Hubby and me about Critter's health?

Every time we see her, after Critter was born; before meeting her, I have a talk with Critter. I tell  him to be on his best behavior and not to sneeze, cough, or display any signs of sickness. I always feel like if she sees him and he's sick, she'll think I don't know what I'm doing as a mother and wonder how could I allow my child to get sick.

While we were with her on Sunday, Critter coughed twice. I cringed. She didn't say anything.


Is there anything more annoying than the Chipmunks?!?!? Sorry, but I couldn't find another version of this song.