Sunday, November 3, 2013

November Baby Food Calendar

Month 4


This month is all about the finger foods! Babies, get your pinchers up and lets dive in to the following finger foods.

Check out the first, second, and third months of baby food and see how the food prep magic happens here.

Note: Some of these foods have been previously introduced in the mashed or pureed form. All foods listed below are finger foods intended for consumptoin by 9+ month old babies ready for stage 3 solids.

November 2013


Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
          1

Blueberries
2

 
3

 
4

Avocado
5

 
6

 
7
Whole wheat pasta
8

 
9

 
10

Puffs
11

 
12

 
13

Peas
14

 
15

 
16

Cheerios
17

 
18

 
19

Bananas
20

 
21

 
22

Carrots
23

 
24

 
25
Scrambled egg yolks
26

 
27

 
28

Black beans
29

 
30

 

Friday, November 1, 2013

Yeah...

This Should Be Interesting


Source
Daylight savings time is this Sunday, November 3 at 2 a.m.! Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour - 'fall' ball in the fall!

Monday, October 14, 2013

Is Spanking Helpful?

Spotlight On: YouTube's Philosophical Parent


Check out this short, eight minute video response addressing spanking.


Saturday, October 12, 2013

Breaking News

Researcher Finds a Clue to the Mystery of SIDS


A physician and researcher at Seattle Children’s Hospital made another breakthrough in his research into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a mysterious disease that leaves grieving parents looking for answers that science has yet to provide.

Source
The latest finding supports his earlier work, which indicates that SIDS babies don’t necessarily have a problem with their brain. Instead, Dr. Daniel Rubens’ research has indicated that problems with hearing and the inner ear may be linked to SIDS.

His newest study, published in a journal called Neuroscience, shows that inner ear dysfunction in mice results in an inability to wake up and move away from a suffocating environment.

The theory is that babies can move into positions that restrict their breathing while asleep, and those with hearing impairment in at
least one ear don’t have the automatic survival mechanism to rouse and reposition themselves.

Source: Read more.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Adventures in Baby Food Making

Strange Tofu Combination


...that my girls' can't seem to get enough of is tofu with bananas and blueberries. It smells as terrible as it sounds but my girls inhale it like it's ice cream. Wut?!

Source
Here's how you make it:
  • Tofu, firm
  • 2 bananas
  • 1 small carton of blueberries
  • (optional) breast milk

Slice the tofu and lay flat on paper towels to absorb excess water. The boxes of tofu I buy yields approximately six slices. You can place paper towels on top of the slices as well to sop up maximum amounts of water. I recommend making the extra effort.

That's a tough as it gets.

Afterward, combine all ingredients with a food processor until fully incorporated. The bananas can be stubborn and might need a little help making their way to the blades.

Add breast milk if you would like the consistency to be a little more liquid.

The end result is going to be a gorgeous purple color. Fun!

Side note: I have one baby who is a vacuum cleaner. She eats everything. My other little one? She's the pickiest little thing I've ever met but this combination is probably her all time favorite meal right now.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

October Baby Food Calendar

Month 3


This is our third month of baby food. They just turned eight months old but were one month premature, so I'm just now venturing into some finger foods and mixed purees. If you missed our first and second months of baby food, check them out here and here and see how the food prep magic happens here.

Here's what we'll be introducing this month:


October 2013

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
    1


Pumpkin
2


 
3


 
4
Tofu with bananas and blueberry
5


 
6


 
7
Butternut squash and pears
8


 
9


 
10

Pumpkin with bananas
11


 
12


 
13

Peas (whole - finger food)
14


 
15


 
16

Bananas (whole - finger food)
17


 
18


 
19


Acorn squash
20


 
21


 
22


Plums
23


 
24


 
25


Broccoli
26


 
27


 
28

Cantaloupe
29


 
30


 
31


Cherries

Monday, October 7, 2013

Publicly Punishing Children

Parenting: You're Doing it Wrong


I'm sick and tired of stories like these. It is humiliating and degrading to subject your children to abuse like this. What happened to speaking to your child like a human being and treating them with respect? Children emulate the actions they see. Could it be that your child simply needs a good example?

To me, this is no different than yelling at your child to stop yelling at their sibling. Great example, parents... bullying your child by subjecting them to being honked at on a street corner because they were a bully. Yes, I'm sure your example of solving the problem by bullying will show them that doesn't solve problems. Wait...

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Pro Tip

Blankets in Bed



Source
(Cute baby...but not mine)
As most of you can probably relate, I am still terrified of SIDS and/or suffocation when the girlies are sleeping. However, another SIDS factor is poor air circulation, so I like to keep the fan on. Well, during the day that causes their little arms and legs to get cold. I just can't win!

Well, my brother-in-law recently recommended we start the girls out with crocheted blankets. There are holes all over the place and it's almost impossible for them to get tangled up enough to the point of being in harms way. Perfection! I still only allow blankets in their cribs during naps (day time when I'm awake and keeping an eye on them via the Foscam monitor.)

The crocheted blankets have been AWESOME! They're substantial enough to keep their skin warm but light enough that I don't have to worry about anything bad happening. And let's be real, this is Texas! We don't need anything too crazy for warmth right now.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Seasonal Considerations

Guide to Fruits and Vegetables


Here's a one page guide showing which fruits and vegetables are in season throughout the year. Try to plan your solids introduction around what will be fresh and readily available.

And here's a quick preview:
Source

Friday, September 13, 2013

OXO Customer Service

Fabulous!


Source
OXO is a brand I've written about previously. I purchase a lot of their products, and specific to baby items, I love their OXO Tot Baby Block Set, which I mentioned previously.

I pulled a set out of the freezer the other day to discover one of the 2-oz containers had a crack running all down the side. It was completely ruined and I had to throw it away. I purchased these from amazon.com, but sent a letter directly to OXO customer service. In less than a week, I had a response in my inbox and a free replacement piece in the mail headed my way - no questions asked - no receipt needed, no picture of the damaged product, nothing.

On a scale of 1-10, how likely am I to praise this company and recommend them to others? 20!! They're amazing. Customer service is so important to me and this experience was top notch.

What companies have you had good experiences with? Bad experiences? Share in the comments!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Trend Alert

Fanicures


They're the next big thing! The ombre hair is long gone - traded in for a 'mom' haircut - but now it's time to break out the nail polish and get to work on my fanicure!

Wut? A fanicure is nail art that celebrates sports. It's football season, baby!

Source
Source
What team(s) are you rooting for this season?

I'm a Red Raider through and through. Get your guns up!

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Question of the Week Results

Did you drink caffeinated coffee during your pregnancy?


Be sure to check out the current Question of the Week in the right-hand column!





Thursday, September 5, 2013

Make It

Baby Food Edition


Zucchini


Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 12 ounces

Le Zucchini
 
Chop off ends

Optional: Peel skins - this is a good idea for younger infants (4-6 month olds or to ease digestion issues)

Chop and steam

Blend and add liquid (milk, formula, or water)



Get more baby food ideas on the recipe tab!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Make It

Baby Food Edition


Butternut Squash


Prep time: 1 - 1.5 hours
Yields: approximately 30 ounces

Butternut squash - found in the produce section of your grocery store... just in case you didn't know ;)

Rinse and cut off the ends.

Cut the sqush in half. Be very careful -- butternut squash is difficult to cut before it's cooked.

Cut the halves into half again. You'll now how four pieces.

Remove the seeds with a spoon.

Place face down on a baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour or until squash is soft.

Here's what you get after an hour in the oven!

Blend, add milk, and serve!


Side note: Yes - a lot of these pictures were taken in my girls' play room. I was majorly multi tasking this weekend! So if you're not making your own baby food, there truly are no excuses!

Get more baby food ideas on the recipe tab!

Announcement

Source

Ad-Free


Babies and Babbles is now Ad-Free!

We like ads as much as we like tv commercials, so we got rid of them!

Thank you to all of our loyal subscribers and followers. We hope you enjoy our postings from here on ad-free.

...and Happy Hump Day!

Websites I Love

Wholesome Baby Food


Wholesomebabyfood.com is your one-stop-shop for infant food recommendations. I like it because it's very conservative in nature, so I trust they're not trying to force me to feed my infant food before they'll be ready.

This chart is awesome for infant meal planning! I have a copy hanging on my refrigerator and refer to it each week when we go grocery shopping.

Pros:
  • Printable materials (like the chart linked above)
  • Tons of information and answers to all of my questions - so far!

Cons:
  • Quite a few advertisements on the page
  • Some conflicting advice (peaches - whether to remove skin or not)
  • Not very many pictures to go along with the recipes - you can find those on my site!

Question of the Week Results

How old was your baby the first time you left them with a babysitter?


Be sure to check out the current Question of the Week in the right-hand column!

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Products I Love

Highchairs


The Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair in Pink Circles is my top pick for our girls' highchair needs.

We have a smaller house with a modest breakfast area that (barely) accommodates a round table and four chairs. There was no way we were going to fit two full sized highchairs in this space, as well. We entertain fairly regularly, so removing two of the full sized chairs wasn't an option.

These highchairs are great because they can sit on the floor if the other chairs are needed for guests. 'Installing' them on a chair is quick and painless.











Pros:
  • Tray is dishwasher safe.
  • Cover is machine washable. I also wash the buckles.
  • Straps are adjustable.
  • This thing is convertable! It turns into a booster seat when your LO is ready.

Cons:
  • Tray does not fit in my dishwasher unless I want to do an entire load for one tray with nothing else on the rack.
Bonus: Check out some of the passive aggressive reviews for the Tan version. Yikes! Why do people feel the need to vent about their spouse in an Amazon review? Seriously??

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Make It

Baby Food Edition


Peaches


Prep time: 1 hour
Yields: approximately 16 ounces

Le Peaches - I used three.

Remove pits.

Cut into sections and cook. I chose to steam them in the microwave.

Here they are - cooked to optimum mushiness.

Remove skins - this was a daunting (timely) process. I am definitey looking for a better option. Any suggestions?!

Food processor (before)

Food processor (after).

I didn't even add milk to this - plenty of liquid - but not too much! Perfection.


I'm on the look out for an easier way to make peaches and will report back with my findings!

In the mean time, check out more homemade baby food recipes here!

Question of the Week Results

What Was Your Baby's First Food?


Be sure to check out the current Question of the Week in the right-hand column!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Today's Wireless Family

Infographic


I stumbled across this at work today and thought it was very interesting! Not entirely related to anything in particular but worth a quick glance.

Hmm, this gives me ideas for more quick poll questions....

Today's Wireless Family

Source

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Baby Food Calendars

Month 2


This is our second month of baby food. They just turned seven months old but were one month premature, so I'm sticking with mostly pureed food for now. If you missed our first month of baby foods, check them out here and see how the magic happens here.

Here's what we'll be introducing:

September 2013
Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
1

Mango
  2
3
4


Zucchini 
5
6
7


Beef
8
9
10

Apricots   
11
12
13


Peas       
14
15
16

Green
beans     
17
18
19


Nectarines
20
21
22

Summer
squash
23
24
25


Papaya    
26



27
28


Pumpkin  
29
30