Making Baby Food: Pears

Last night, between Pat snoring, Lou Dog snoring, Cricket being a cat and Bear grunting in his sleep, this mama only got about 4 hours of constant sleep. So, what better thing to do in the morning during Bear's morning nap? Nap myself? No. Ain't nobody got time for that! 

I started making this week's baby food. People think I am nuts, but I think making it myself is 1.) more cost effective and 2.) I have control of everything that goes into my pure little baby's body. 

So far he is eating oatmeal cereal, sweet potatoes, avocados, bananas (which he doesn't like much), pears, apples, and prunes. The prunes are actually store bought because we needed them ASAP! I think the apples and bananas backed my little guy up. No one is pleasant if they haven't pooed for a few days... especially babies! Prunes are magic folks. They work for the olds, and they work for the beebs. We used Plum.

We are making sure to follow the rules of the Dirty Dozen, which most first solids fall into. I just can't imagine Bear's little body fighting all the pesticides and junk that is found in our foods these days. I know that there are MANY organic choices for pre-made baby food, but there are always other ingredients, like citric acid. I know this is a preservative, a natural one at that, but babies aren't supposed to have citrus for a year or so. Yikes! I also don't know how many hands, processors, conveyor belts this stuff has been on. This is where food poisoning comes from people!!! 

And let's talk about cost here too. I bought two, 2 lb bags of organic pears at Trader Joe's for about $6. This is about 20 servings of pears. TWENTY! Do you know how much 20 servings cost in store bought baby food? From my research, we are saving about 50% here. 

So, for a gal that feels like her life is a little hectic and out of control, it is nice to have control of this. Even if it means I sacrifice a nap or two along the way. 

Ingredients:

Organic Pears (I have about 3 lbs, purchased from Trader Joes)

Tools:

Knife

Cutting Board

Vegetable Peeler

Blender

Ice Cube Tray

Step 1:

Wash pears with warm water. Warm water will help soften the peels as well as get rid of any junk that has collected during shipment. - I would love to pick all this stuff from an organic farm!

Step 2:

Peel and core the pears.

Step 3: 

Chop the pears into 1" cubes

Step 4:

Toss into blender and blend to desired consistency. Careful, pears liquefy fast!!! 

Step 5:

Pour pears into ice tray and freeze.

Each cube is supposed to be one serving. Bear eats about two.

Step 6:

Put cubes into Freezer bags and label with the date. The frozen goods should keep for about 3 months. 

To serve, let pears thaw in the fridge overnight, or place in a container and place the container a warm bath. 

6 months

January 9th, 2013 - It seems as though this first photograph taken of Bear was a million years ago, but I remember it all like it was yesterday. 

 When we were leaving the hospital, the head rest didn't hold his teeny head in place and his little newborn sized outfit was still too big. I can't believe he was ever that small!

This was Bear's first trip to the Dr. office. He was 5 days old. Looking so tough.

Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

The amount of laundry increased immediately upon bringing our guy home. The blow outs that happened on a daily basis had us opting for a naked baby most the time, but I love folding tiny things. 

One month old and still looking like a little cranky old man. He still had his hair he was born with, which all fell out shortly following. He had terrible baby acne because I was using Lanolin after nursing. Once I stopped, the baby acne disappeared.

I didn't know this snuggling would stop, I miss it so much. And I sweat, Bear knows when I need it because just this morning he was laying his little head on my chest for minutes at a time.

First shots. Heart breaking. But at least he got fun bandaids...

Out for walks with his Papa

Looking sharp for Easter Dinner at Great Grandma's house.

Second set of shots. Still heart breaking, but we didn't cry for nearly as long. Yes, we.

 

Hanging in Sedona at Slide Rock

 

Stylin' by the swimming pool.

My first Mother's Day

Becoming a fan of tummy time.

His first trip to the Phoenix Art Museum.

His first Independence Day and a trip to Willow Springs Lake.

This has been the longest and shortest 6 months of my life. I can't believe how quickly my little man is growing. How much he is learning every day. From him rolling over, to starting to recognize me when I pick him up from day care. He acknowledges me by excitedly touching my face (really more of a slap/pinch sort of thing, but I don't mind, I am equally excited to see him).

He is now sleeping without his swaddle and for about 8 hours straight (for the first stretch of the night). He is eating cereal, avocado, bananas and sweet potatoes and his says "nummmm mmmm mmm" as he swallows each bite. 

Our family and our lives are changed forever. It will never again be just me and Pat. But I could never again imagine a life without Bear. 

It's true, being a mother changes you.

Vinegar: My new favorite household cleaner

I will soon be baby proofing my house and I would like the majority of my store bought cleaners to be GONE and replace then with non-chemical alternatives!

As for the vinegar, I clean everything with it!

• Carpet 
• Showers & Bathtubs
• Counters
• Tile floors
• Garbage Cans
• Toy wooden blocks
• Mirror - no streaks!

And the best part is... it is the cheapest cleaner on the market!

Just mix equal parts vinegar and water in an old spray bottle and you are on your way! My house smells of it right now (as do I), but it will dissipate and I will soon see my sparkling house. It is totally baby and pet friendly and there are so many amazing uses!

For more ideas on how to use this as a household cleaner see a Reader's Digest post about it here.

Unhealthy body image... An honest post

Every pregnant gal wonders if she will lose the weight after having the baby. All pregnant gals know that nursing helps you lose the baby weight. In fact, it burns about 650 calories to produce 25 oz of milk so nursing mothers are encouraged to eat at least 500 extra calories and then let the extra 150 come from the fat stores of pregnancy. 

It took me about 3 months to lose the pregnancy weight. At my 6 week check up, my doctor was concerned that I was losing weight too quickly and stressed to me that I needed to maintain my health to maintain my baby's. But, as new mothers know, it is hard to have time to eat regularly. Especially eat that extra 500 calories in a "healthy" way. Sure I could stuff my face with donuts and milkshakes and meet that quota easily, but that wouldn't do anyone any good. 

Bear is creeping up on 6 months and I am still losing weight. 10 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight

I know this is a problem.

This is a problem I have struggled with in the past. When I get stressed, I don't eat. My appetite just goes out the window.

My cheek bones start to protrude, and my pants sag. People tease me and call me "skinny mini." I start to get angry because this is a weight problem. I don't walk around calling people "fatty" or say, "You really look like you are putting on some pounds." Why do people feel it is appropriate to comment on my current state? I had a person tell me "You are really losing too much weight and are really starting to look tired and run down." 

I want to say "Piss off."

I don't.

I am doing everything I can do to provide for my son. I want to provide the best possible life for him. That includes nursing. I am doing everything I can to keep the weight on, and to gain weight. I drink Ensure (which is full of crap btw) I eat breakfast, fruit, granola bars, oatmeal, nuts and cheese for snacks. I even eat Wendy's on occasion for some additional fat to my diet. As a religious water drinker, I am now trying to drink more juice, I even add milk to my orange juice! I am trying to gain weight the healthy way, but I am not sure it is possible. 

People may say "I wish I had that problem." But I don't think anyone really does. It is terribly discouraging. I can't put on muscle or fat. I am afraid to work out because I don't want to burn more calories.

So now I try to hide my body. I am starting to hate my body. My legs are skin and bone and I hate for people to see them. So I wear baggy "boyfriend" jeans, maxi skirts. I wear cardigans to hide my boney shoulders...I know people can see through it though. My face is evidence enough of my current weight. It is just unhealthy all the way around. 

So, I am searching for tips. All the tips I have read online are to increase calorie consumption... and so I have.... anyone else have tips? That alone is not working. 

Additionally, I am eating a DQ Blizzard. Cookie dough and Oreo.