Life Lessons From Ella

This past year has taught me a lot about myself as a person and as a mom. Ella is a fantastic teacher and really pushes you to break the mold and to think outside of the box. Maybe that's due to her stubborn nature and pure cuteness ;).

I wanted to share some of the lessons that raising Ella has taught me so far. I am sure there are many more to come. The terrible two's and the even more terrible and trying three's are sure to teach me countless lessons!

Ella's Life Lessons

1. Laugh every day. At least once a day: Ella is our families clown. She has a silly personality and is always making us laugh. But, it's not just her silliness that we laugh at. Sometimes you need to laugh when baby does something frustrating or nasty. Like when I woke up to Ella covered in throw up yesterday and in poop today. Laughing really helps ease the tension!
2. Don't break your back trying to get household chores done: There are days when I want to pull my hair out over all that I need to get done around the house. Working 33 hours a week, it is easy for me to fall behind on household chores. Then, on days off I am scrambling around trying to get everything done. If it doesn't get done during the week, it is nearly impossible to get it all done on the weekend (our designated family time). Only after going crazy one Sunday morning trying to get the house tidy before we had guests over after church, did I realize that I needed to stop stressing so much over the house. No mom is perfect, and I bet more of us than you realize, don't have perfect houses 24/7. A little mess is OK. It takes time to adjust to the role of motherhood, working, and household manager. 
3. Don't do it alone: I got pregnant 5 months after we moved across the country. 2000 miles away from my close family and friends. Making friends is a lot harder once you leave college, but it is just as necessary. Christians (and all people) need community. It is how God designed us. As an independent person, I have always been the type to try and do things on my own. Rarely asking for help. In college I chose to write a major research paper on my own rather than do it in a group! My success needs to depend on me and not on others. BUT! This is not how God designed us. He designed us to thrive in a community setting. To do things as a family. I am but one measly part of God's body. A finger who is lost without the hand. This has become increasingly obvious in motherhood. Raising a baby is HARD! Toddlers are even harder! I have found that it is important to connect with other women and moms. To form play groups not just for our kids social development, but for our own support and encouragement. It has made a tremendous difference in my spiritual and emotional well-being. Even if I go to story-time 3 times a week, I am glad to be surrounded by other moms and fellow Christians.
4. Remember there is no "right" way to parent a child: As a first time mom, I was given a lot of advice from other moms. I was told that I need "this book" and to do certain things to ensure that my baby would turn out OK. It is a bit overwhelming! But, the moment that the doctors laid Ella on my now unpregnant stomach, I realized that she was MY daughter and that I would know the best way to parent her. Whether I chose to be a Baby Wise mom, an attachment parenting mom, a mom who coslept, or a mom who put baby in her own crib from day 1, I would be the exact mom that Ella needed. No one parenting style is the RIGHT parenting style. I quickly realized that all moms do things differently. All moms know what their families needs are. And that the way that they choose to parent their child is the best way for their family. Often times I hear moms making excuses for why they do the things that they do. We don't need to make excuses, we need to embrace each other. As long as we are raising our children to love and to glorify their Savior and God, the everyday practical stuff is of little significance. Christ does not care whether we nursed them until 5 months of 5 years. He cares that their precious hearts belong to him.
5. God is in charge of the big and the little things in life: I am a worrier. I often have a hard time of remembering that I serve a sovereign God who is control of ALL aspects of my life. God is in charge of our finances, health, homes, careers, and our family. When one of these areas of our lives are being challenged, we often times we lose sight of how strong and powerful our God is. Yet, it quicklt becomes obvious that God is in control of the major aspects of our lives. But, what about the little things? What about the neighbors who surround us? How our children grow and develop? When baby walks? Who you meet at story time this week? These little areas of our lives are the ones that I believe we are most prone to forgetting God in. God designed our children, our neighborhoods, our random encounters with other people, all to achieve glory for Him. It may sound silly, but God deeply cares about 
6. Babies are not perfect either: I know that I am far from perfect and I am more than aware that my husband is not perfect ;), but babies are not perfect either. Just because there are these so called "normal" ages by which babies do certain things, does not mean that baby will necessarily sleep through the night or want you to put food into her mouth. Babies are messy, loud, and temperamental creatures! They throw things, get hurt, hurt you, spill food and drinks, have massive blow out diapers, and do lots of other less than perfect things. At 1, Ella has perfected the temper tantrum and is one of the most stubborn people that I know. At 1! She is far from perfect. 
7. Don't beat yourself up: I sometimes get frustrated and down on myself for not being the "perfect" wife and mother. There are days that the house is a mess, dinner is the last thing that I want to do, and the laundry hamper is looking dangerously like Mt. Everest. On these days I sometimes feel like a failure as a wife and mom. Over the course of Ella's first year, I have learned to give myself grace. Life is CRAZY. And 6 loads of dirty laundry is not (as much as we sometimes think it is) the end of the world. My marriage and my children will survive the occasional dinner of frozen entrees and take out food. No one will die if "that shirt" is not clean in time for the morning. And as much as husbands might groan about disorganization and dirty dishes, they don't really care that much or else they would get to work doing it themselves!
8. Kisses, cuddles, hugs, and smiles make everything better: Even after Ella has thrown a ridiculous and massive tantrum, her laugh instantly brings a smile to my face. There is something about the cute affectionate moments that instantly breaks through my tough mom act. Tears, tantrums, screams, and yelling are unbearable at times, but its the loving and cuddly moments that I live for as a mom. 
9. Schedule "you" time: Although I am not technically a stay at home mom, Ella is with me 24/7 since she comes with me as I nanny for 33 hours each week. As a nursing mom of a baby who refused a bottle after 4 months, it was not easy for me to physically get away for some me time. Me time has proven crucial for me during the first year. I have found that it allows moms to recharge, find some calm in the chaos of the day, and be better equipped to handle the rest of the day ahead of me. While Ella still naps twice a day, I have made a point to spend at least 30 minutes each day doing something that I enjoy (typically reading). I know that many moms use nap time to catch up on household chores and meal prep, but it's important not to forget about yourself. Whether you take some you time before the kids wake up, during naps, or after bedtime, you will be better equipped to cook, clean, care for your husband and kids, and thrive spiritually if you don't neglect your own physical and emotional needs.
10. Don't forget your husband: All too often new parents fall into the trap of focusing their full energy on their children rather than on their marriage. With a cute, helpless, cooing bundle of joy it is a fairly easy trap to get caught in. Yet, what child wants to grow up in a home built on a shaky foundation? As a child who grew up in a broken family, I can say that a healthy parental marriage is a lot more important in the long run than being the center of mommy and daddy's universe. I am a new mom myself and I can say that it is an overwhelming job! There is a lot to do between night wakings, feeding baby AND husband, cleaning laundry, cleaning the house, working, meal prep, and ensuring that your family survives the day. But, throughout the entire time my husband has been beside me. We are not perfect new parents or even perfect newlyweds. We butt heads and disagree. Yet, he is to be my number one relationship after my relationship with Christ. God has a specific plan for the family order and when I fail to follow that I can see its effects throughout our home. Plan date nights, movie nights at home, dinner alone, time to talk. You don't need to spend money, but you do need to invest time. 

Pin It Now!

Feeling Like A "Real" Wife and Mom Now

Growing up, I always was in awe of the women who could throw together a delicious meal without ever cracking open a cookbook. How did they do it? Was it magic? Did they have an innate knowledge of what ingredients went well together and what spices would perfect a dish? Does something magical occur the moment a woman becomes a wife and mother?

Well, over the course of my almost two year long marriage, I have come to realize that the secret to creating delicious meals is time and experience. As with any skill or talent, time and experience prove invaluable. While I have always considered myself a good cook and baker, I have never defined myself by those terms. In my mind a truly terrific cook or baker is one who can imagine and create delicious concoctions from scratch. A true master is one who writes the book, not one who uses it.

After countless meals cooked and deserts baked, I am proud to say that I have crossed the line between cookbook dependent wife and mom into the land of pioneers! I have taken risks and accepted the fact that I might fail. Someone might get poisoned. Well, not poisoned, but surely grossed out! And, I have succeeded. Progress has been slow, but it has paid off. I have created two of my own recipes that are husband and baby approved.

My creations are mainly due to the recipes that I have tried and enjoyed over the past two years. I have taken the back bones of basic recipes and been able to add and amplify them to meet my taste desires. So, in one sense, I am not a pioneer cook. I have created nothing new. Still, it is progress!

Tonights success was the semi crockpot chicken tortilla soup. I had numerous recipes available, but decided to have fun and try my own ideas. It is a basic chicken tortilla soup and could be embellished depending on your tastes and preferences.

Chicken Tortilla Soup:

One medium onion chopped

2 tbsp minced garlic

64 oz chicken broth

3 chicken breasts (around 1lb)

1 cup salsa

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground red pepper

1 can diced southwestern style diced tomatoes (jalapeños & green chilies)

4 oz can of diced green chilies

½ can black beans

1 cup frozen corn

1 tbsp Franks hot sauce

Place chicken breasts in crockpot and top with salsa and Franks

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until the chicken shreds easily

In large pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until tender and translucent

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Shred the chicken/salsa mixture and add to the pot

Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until ready to heat

Serve hot topped with cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, etc. 

Another recipe that I have created is a chili recipe. This recipe was discovered in a similar way to my tortilla soup recipe. I took the basic chili recipe and tweaked  and added to it until I had the taste that I desired. I will share that recipe in a later post. It is pretty good, if I must say so myself.

So, why does creating a recipe make me feel like a "real" wife and mom? It is probably due to the fact that I grew up watching reruns of early sitcoms in which the mom was the perfect 1950s woman with a little sass and humor mixed in. Or it might be due to my slight addiction to cooking shows in which women simply throw together wonderful dishes. Whatever the reason, I feel a sense of accomplishment in finally making a dish my own. I am growing up :)

Pin It Now!

11 Months Old!

This past week, Ella turned 11 months old. Only one more month to go until her first birthday!  This year has truly flown by. One moment we are holding a calm little bundle of joy and the next we are dealing with a hyperactive, social, chatter box of a nearly toddler.

Ella has become even more social, vocal, and more of a spazz this past month. She is constantly "talking" and never lets you get a word in! It is cute to have her lecture us and I love hearing her voice as we go about our day. She has around 18 recognizable words and a couple ones that we she says consistently, but that we can't comprehend. Definitely will be dealing with some communication frustration soon! Her favorite words at the moment are "guy" (used for any non-animal creature), "cat" (used for animals except for duck, cow, and dog), and "mum" (She really likes yelling for me when she is frustrated or needs help). The boys that I nanny for have taken pride in teaching Ella to talk. I blame them for her non-stop chatter :)

Over this past month, Ella has become more loving and cuddly. She will often come up to me or Tim and lay her head in our laps or on our chests. So glad little miss independent finally discovered her affectionate side! She has also become a bit more of a spazz. Climbing and jumping around. Her favorite activity is to play on the couch and roll around and through herself backwards and forwards. It is terrifying when she is near the edge!

Another exciting (and messy) skill that Ella has begun to master, is the ability to eat with a spoon. Since she feeds herself, I have been giving her a spoon to practice with at meals during which a spoon would be appropriate. And after a couple of months of practicing and occasionally succeeding, she has finally figured out how to scoop and eat with a spoon. She still uses her hand 60% of the time, but it is fun to watch her try!

This month, we are looking forward to the holiday season. It will be Ella's first Thanksgiving and we are excited to see how she reacts to all of the food. She is a big foodie and it should be a blast watching her enjoy her first Thanksgiving feast. We have been pondering traditions that we would like to start with Ella this coming Thanksgiving and Christmas. Traditions are such a fun part of the holidays!

Raising Ella has been a blessing and a challenge. We are looking forward to the months and years ahead of us. There will be lots of stress, chaos, love, laughter, tears, cheers, pain, and joy. Every day I am thankful that God decided to add Ella to our little family. It is a tremendous gift and responsibility.

Pin It Now!

Baby Legs!

Who has not seen those adorable leg warmers that trendy babies wear? Pre-baby, I was not impressed with the leg warmers that 90s work out addicts wore (not impressed with 90s styles in general). Now, post-Ella, I love when babies are attired in a cute onesie and some even cuter baby leg warmers. But, like a lot of moms, I did not want to spend the $10-$15 a pair on these cute fashion accessories.

After seeing a lot of babies decked out in baby legs, I decided to find out how to make them on my own. I am no crafty momma! I might get creative in the kitchen for Ella, but I rarely bust out the needle and thread for her. Her dad even painted her name letters for her nursery because we knew that he would do a better job. But! Baby legs are EASY to make. Even someone who doesn't typically do crafts (like myself) these leg warmers are a simple and doable craft.

My first stop was to Target to find the perfect pair of knee high socks. These adorable knee socks only cost $2.50 a pair and frequently go on sale! Much cheaper than the pre-made baby legs! You can also buy knee socks at any of your favorite stores or online.

I then cut off the foot portion of the sock. I cut right above the heel.

I discarded foot portion (Ella stole them and ran away...) and then turned the socks inside out. Once inside out, I folded up the cut portion of the sock. I folded about an inch, but could have made a larger hem since Ella is somewhat short. The hem can be adjusted depending on babies height. I used a coordinating black thread and hand-sewed a hem. Not that hard to do!

The finished products is one cute and affordable pair of baby leg warmers!

And one adorable baby model :)

The cost:

Adult knee high socks: $2.00 (on sale at Target)

Thread Set: $3.00 

Sewing Scissors: $6.99

Total: 11:99 (But now equipped to make lots of leg warmers for as little as $2 a pair!)

Pin It Now!

10 Months-Old!

Today Ella is 10 months-old. This year has flown by and my little baby is rapidly becoming a toddler. This last month has brought a lot of change in Ella. She has become an independent, inquisitive, and loving little girl. It has been one of my favorite months and has made me a little bit more ready to leave behind the lovable newborn/infant stage. Although I am nervous of toddlerhood at times, seeing Ella become her own person has made me excited to teach her and watch her grow into a little girl.

Ella's biggest changes this month have been verbal ones. Ella first said "mama" and "dada" at 8.5 months, but this past month her verbal skills have blossomed. Instead of opening and closing her hand as a wave, she now enthusiastically waves her whole arm back and forth and says "bye!" It is funny to watch her as she cruises around waving and saying "bye" to no one in particular. When someone leaves and says "bye," 50% of the time Ella's response occurs after they have already left. It cracks me up :)

As my little tomboy, Ella loves balls and has started to say "ba-all" whenever she sees a ball or anything that resembles a ball. She is also a budding bookworm and started saying "booh" for book. "Book" is not as popular as "ball" and "bye" but, as a book lover I am working on making it her favorite word. Ella's beginning to talk has made me realize that one day this little girl will grow up and be able to share stories, tell me her feelings, and have meaningful conversations. Talking, above anything else, has made me excited to have Ella enter the toddler stage.

Over the last month, Ella's personality has developed a little bit more. She has shown us that she has a loving side and will now let daddy give her kisses (before she would smile and turn away!). During infancy, Ella wasn't extremely cuddly, but now she will come up and lay her head on you and give you an Ella hug. It is precious and I am glad to see that my monster isn't all high energy and mischief.

Ella seems to be adopting a lovey in a stuffed horse that her Aunt Becca gave her. She doesn't cuddle it to go to sleep, but likes having it with her when she wakes up or when she is crawling around during the day. Ella and Henry (the 15 month-old that I nanny) will fight over the horse and Ella has shown her selfish side.

Her love for music has become obvious this past month. We visited a music class with Henry and Ella loved clapping, waving her arms, crawling around, shaking instruments, and "singing" (yelling) along. During the library story hours, she spends the entire time shaking egg maracas and clapping. Give Ella a drum or maraca and she will be set for life! Maybe God has blessed her with the Dwyer musical genes and not my tone deafness ;)

To sum up 10 month-old Ella, she is a bundle of energy. She has mastered cruising and crawling and is now able to get into EVERYTHING. Getting her to sit still is a near impossible task that is usually accomplished at meal times and during story time. She is mischievous, loving, silly, and curious. We love our little girl and are excited to see what is in store for us in the coming months.

Pin It Now!

Blessed by Daddy

Ella is blessed to be daddy's favorite little girl from before she was born. As most of our friends know, Ella was our little surprise from God. Becoming pregnant was a big shock for me and it took me a little while to adjust. Tim, on the other hand, was happy about it from the beginning. He was excited to see me pregnant (and barefoot?? seems to be the males idealized view of women ;) ) and came with me to every routine midwife appointment. Tim doesn't normally show a lot of emotion, but it was obvious to many that he was thrilled to be having our little girl.

While pregnancy definitely caused some ripples in our relationship (too much hormones in one 650 sq. apt), overall it was a great season in our marriage. Ella arrived 4 days before our one year anniversary and quickly became daddy's princess. Some of my favorite newborn memories of Ella are when she was being held and cared for by Tim. It is wonderful to feel that unconditional parent/child love for someone, but it is truly amazing to watch it take root in another person. Ella can make Tim smile even on the hardest and most stressful of days. 

As Ella has grown, it is clear that she has Tim's quirky, funny, smart, and geeky (don't ask how a 10 month-old can be geeky, but Ella is). These two will be partners in crime for many years to come. A lot of our laughs as a couple are over how much stress the two of them will cause me ;). I look forward to every exasperated moment of it. 

I also look forward to the little battles that Tim and Ella will have. A girl is bound to butt heads with her dad, especially if they have similar personalities. As Ella grows and matures we will have to face the challenges of disciplining a toddler, a small child, a kid, a pre-teen (eek puberty), and then a teenager. Raising a daughter is a tremendous task. Yet, I look forward to having those hard talks with Tim and Ella. To see him tell her why she cannot wear a certain outfit or why it is not nice to hurt a friends feelings. 

Growing up without a father, I never got to experience any of the joys and battles of the father daughter relationship. I was the girl who took her uncle to father/daughter events. Although I did not necessarily miss my father himself, I missed the role that he played in my life. Even as a young girl, I wished that I had a father to read me stories and to scare away the monsters under my bed. As a teenager, I longed for the father presence that I felt in the homes of my friends. As an engaged woman, I felt the hole of a father in my life as I contemplated who would walk me down the aisle. Now, as a mom, I miss the role that a father could play in my life as a grown and married woman and the role that he could play in Ella's life as a grandfather. 

Although my relationship with my father will probably never be restored, I have numerous men in my life who have stepped into that role in various ways. Uncles, the fathers of my friends, men at church, and my father-in-law have all filled this role in various ways.

Yet, there was and is still a father shaped hole in my heart. God has filled in it a way that only He can, but he has not removed it. It is the absence of a father in my life that drew me to Christ. It is God who has allowed me to forgive my father. And it is God who gave me the father that I have. He has a purpose and a plan for this.

But, God has not chosen to give Ella the life of a fatherless child. He has blessed her with a wonderful man who loves her in a way only a father can love a daughter. He will be there to help her take her tentative first steps, to ease her worries about starting school, to ask her about her day and to help her with her homework, to cuddle with and read stories, and to tell her some hard truths as she grows up. I am sure that they will fight. One day she will probably tell him that she can't stand him and that she hates him. And even then, he will be her daddy and he will love her.

I am excited to see their relationship grow as Ella gets older. It is clear that they will be close and be partners in crime. As much as I will probably complain, I welcome their mischief and praise God that he has formed this bond between the two of them. 

Ella is her daddy's princess, and he will be her hero.

Pin It Now!

Mommy Traps

I love getting out with Ella. Whether it is to the library, the mall, running errands, or going to the park, I feel the need to get out of the house each day. It might be due to the fact that being trapped in 725 sq. ft. with a  wild 9.5 month old is a bit overwhelming. I also am unashamed to admit that I am a library addict and my week feels incomplete without one trip to the library (we typically go 2 times, maybe more). Getting out allows me the ability to unwind and focus on the days tasks ahead while allowing Ella to socialize and explore the world around her.

In our adventures we come across a lot of babies, kids, and their moms. I have overheard moms talking about anything from the superiority of moms who sacrifice to stay at home to raise their kids (not a loving conversation) to the amazing abilities of their potty-trained tots. Women love to talk. Women with kids love to talk about their kids. And after spending 12+ waking hours with your children, what else is there really to talk about?! Yet, these conversations can and often do take a venomous twist. Instead of offering words of encouragement, support, and congratulations, moms can fall into the trap of using their children's accomplishments and abilities as weapons against one another. We can easily discourage one another when we should be edifying one another.

How does this happen? How do we turn a casual conversation about potty training into a contest for the world's best mom? By comparing our babies and children to other babies and children. I would bet that not many moms can claim to have never compared their little ones to a friend's baby (or perhaps to a complete stranger's child). It is a common trap that moms fall into. It is an easy trap to fall into. You could say it is only natural to compare milestones and achievements. And it is. To some extent. If you have an 8 month old, you are going to notice what other 8 month olds are doing. How could you not? But, does that fact that Jane isn't crawling yet make you a bad mom? Does it make Jane less intelligent? Does it mean that Jane will be hindered in some way later on? 

NO!

Earlier, I posted about the "Mommy Wars". I have come to realize that our greatest weapons in this war are our own children. Those cute bundles of joy who eagerly waited 9 months for, are what we choose to use against our fellow comrades in mommyhood. They are what we use to measure our success as mothers. If baby fails to meet a milestone or do things that other babies her age are doing, we tend to assume that we are doing something wrong. Aren't we the ones in charge of our little one's development? Ummm...nope!

My husband and I recently watched a documentary on the mental and physical development of baby during her first year. While geeky, it was eye-opening. God designed babies in a specific way. He is the one who created their brains in such a manner that they are capable of learning an astounding amount during their first few years of life. Yet, scientific studies show that baby is incapable of reaching milestones before he is mentally able. His brain needs to develop the skill before he can complete the skill. Baby cannot crawl before baby is meant to crawl. No matter how hard we try, we cannot force our children to reach milestones ahead of when they are ready.

You might be the best household chore, meal planning, baby wearing, closet organizing, organic mama out there, but you can't change how and when your baby develops. God created our children and He is the one who is in control of when and how they develop and learn. Instead of focusing on when Claire crawls, focus on what Claire can already do. Enjoy each day with your baby without the added pressure of having to push her to achieve. Praise him for what has learned to do thus far. Babies are amazing creatures. Each one is unique and wonderfully designed by a loving and sovereign God.

*This is not to say that we shouldn't read to our babies, play music with them, let them do puzzles, or provide activities that encourage fine and gross motor skills. These things are good and should be a part of babies environment. Yet, these things can not force our baby to develop faster than they are designed to. And we should not measure our success as moms by babies achievements. 

Pin It Now!

Ella: Future Monet??

I love doing arts and crafts with kids. As a nanny and mom, I am always looking for fun and easy crafts that are great for kids preschool age and under. When I was online the other day, I came across this recipe for edible finger paint. I was ecstatic! This recipe is completely edible, easy, and super fast. It is a great recipe for kids who are interested in helping in the kitchen. I let a 3 year old help me measure and mix it. 

 The recipe is 1/3 cup of flour, 1 cup of water, 1 Tbsp sugar, and food coloring/food gel. You simply combine the first 3 ingredients and warm on the stove until it thickens into a spreadable paint like consistency (it's about as thick as traditional finger paints).

 You then divide the mixture into separate bowls and add the food coloring. We did blue, purple (red+blue), and green. You could do more or less. If you are concerned about the ingredients in traditional food coloring (red dye and such), Whole Foods sells a great food coloring gel that is non-toxic and does not contain the concerning dyes. 

I decided to be brave and try the recipe while at work with 3 little one's ages 9 months, 15 months, and 3 years. It was Ella's daddy's birthday and having her make him a card seemed like a terrific (and cheap) idea.

The two babies definitely took advantage of the "edible" nature of the paint. A lot of their painting was actually smearing it onto their hands so that they could eat it!

Ella loved painting. It is a great tactile activity that allows babies to experience different textures with the paint. 

I am sure that most of her fun and excitement came from mommy giving her paper to play with. This never happens on a normal day!

This may be why she can't have paper normally....she eats ALL paper. Receipts, printer paper, anything. 

Be prepared for messy children. I recommend stripping babies and young toddlers down to the diaper. Right before bath time is a great time to finger paint with babies! 

ENJOY!!

Pin It Now!

She's God's Baby First

Ella's 9 month physical was a bit more chaotic than I expected. What I thought would be a 20 minute long well baby visit, turned out to be an hour long look at Ella's hips and head.

Developmentally Ella is doing fantastic. She is hitting all of her social, gross/fine motor skills, cognitive,  and verbal milestones. The doctors and nurses commented on how loud and verbal Ella is. You could hear her talking and yelling from the waiting room!

The pediatricians first concern was when she was calculating the percentages for Ella's weight, height, and head circumference. Her height and weight have stayed around 50%, but her head has jumped about 2 percentage points to the 90th percentile. It had been at the 75th percentile from birth, had a slight increase at 6 months, and took a good jump over the past 3 months. Because of this, Ella has been referred to a neurosurgeon to get her head circumference evaluated and to make sure there are no issues such as a disorder or fluid in the skull. Most likely, Ella has been blessed with her daddy's big head!

Our second concern was with Ella's hips. When the pedi went to make sure that Ella's hips were even, she noticed an extra skin roll in one of her legs. This is a common sign of Hip Dysplasia in which the hip sockets are not forming correctly. We were sent to the Children's Hospital for a hip x-ray. Fortunately, the x-ray came back normal and Ella's hips are perfect :)

Although Ella is most likely a healthy and thriving baby girl, these two concerns reminded me that while Ella may be our physical daughter, she is first and foremost God's. God is the one who decided that we needed Ella in our lives and God is the one who decides how her life develops. God has reminded me that He is in control over all aspects of Ella's life. Over how she grows and learns. Over when she learns to walk. Over her personality and temperament. Even over these scares that come along as we raise her.

Our God is a powerful and loving God. He has a plan and a purpose for Ella's life. Becoming pregnant with Ella and raising her these past 9 months have taught me to trust God with the big and little things in life. As she becomes more independent and determined, I will continually have to draw on the truth that God has my little girl in His hand. She is God's baby and he has blessed us with the opportunity and responsibility of raising her for Him.

Pin It Now!

9.5 Months later

Today Ella had her 9 month well baby visit. It is crazy to think that 9.5 months ago, Ella was just a tiny newborn dependent on me for everything. She couldn't move alone. Could barely lift her head. All of her nutrition came from me. She was helpless. So much has changed!

I thought I would use this time to reflect back on the day that Ella was born.

Ella was born after 68 hours of labor. Yes, 68 hours of semi-regular, strong contractions! During that time we made two trips to the hospital. The first was for a check on Ella because she had not moved in a day and the second was due to my contractions. My labor was progressing, but the contractions were not strong enough and not close enough together. I was sent home with pain medication and a sleeping pill. I was promised 8 hours of sleep: I got under 3. I was exhausted and ready for Ella to make her big arrival.

Finally, after 2 days of contractions and 2 sleepless nights, I was admitted into Labor and Delivery. Although I had planned on having a natural childbirth, I was incredibly thankful for the pain medications that allowed me to get a night of sleep before delivering Ella. I went to bed 3 centimeters dilated and woke up 6.5 centimeters! Things seemed to be moving along. 

Labor was a sleep-deprived blur. I had an incredible team of midwives. Ella's heartbeat was somewhat distressed, so she required a scalp monitor to keep a closer eye on it. She had also had a bowel movement in utero and the NICU team was on standby in the room in case she was distressed at birth. After 2 hours of pushing and a little scare (Ella wasn't progressing and they brought in a team to consider using forceps or suction), Ella came out screaming. Our little girl arrived weighing 6lbs 9oz and 20 in. long. 

December 14, 2011 doesn't seem that long ago, but Ella sure has grown. At 9 months old she weighs 18 lbs and 13 oz and is 28 in. long. She is no longer completely dependent on me. Her independent spirit is one of her best (and most trying) personality traits. She can feed herself and loves doing so. Now she is able to get places on her own by crawling, cruising, and assisted walking. While she is still an extremely vocal baby, she is now learning words and her babbling sounds more coherent. I am proud to say that she shows a love for books and reading. Ella has blossomed into a bright social butterfly. She loves "big" kids and lights up when she sees her best friends (the boys that we nanny). 

As the year comes to a close and Ella's 1st birthday draws nearer, I am excited to see how my little girl grows and develops. She has been a tremendous blessing to our small family. Our little cheese ball comedian and sweetheart brings daily reminders of the amazing gift that God has given us. 

Pin It Now!

Mall Walker

Now that Ella has started to really cruise, she loves to "walk" whenever possible. She is still a bit away from walking independently,  but it is definitely cute watching her practice. It is crazy how fast they go from cute cuddly balls of baby to crazy, constantly on the go, little spitfires. 

Pushing her stroller at the mall

Holding Mommy's hand and exploring the play area

Definitely need to figure out how to get onto this...

Walking is good for getting out of baby jail.

Life is non-stop fun with Ella. She definitely has a BIG personality packed into her little body. I have a feeling that once she starts walking, we will never get a moments peace again. This one is going to be a bit of trouble :)

Pin It Now!

Adventures in Baby-Led Weaning

Before Ella, I had never heard of baby-led weaning. I always assumed that babies had to eat pureed fruits, veggies, and meats. Walking through the grocery store or the baby aisle at Target, it would never have crossed my mind to simply feed Ella soft-cooked foods or even the foods that my husband and I have for dinner.

I stumbled across the concept of Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) while browsing for baby food recipes on wholesomebabyfood.com (great website for information on infant nutrition, feeding, and recipes for purees and baby-led weaning). I hadn't started Ella on solid foods yet, so I didn't pay it much mind. Everyone did pureed baby food, so I figured we would too.

At 5.5 months, when Ella suddenly started waking more at night, a pediatrician recommended starting her on rice cereal before bed. It was an hysterical endeavor. By the end of the first meal, Ella was covered in sticky rice cereal, but she did have a smile on her face.

Feeding Ella has been a blessing. I have heard of babies who refuse any green foods or who hate vegetables from day 1 of solid foods. Ella eats EVERYTHING. She puts me to shame when it comes to trying new foods and enjoying them. We introduced Ella to vegetables at 6 months and started with Avacado and Sweet Potato. As a somewhat laid back mom, I allowed Ella to try many new fruits and veggies in the first 2 months of solids (at 7.5 months I think she had tried over a dozen different veggies and fruits).

Our decision to let Ella self-feed was somewhat unplanned. By 6 months she was a stable sitter and was using her thumb and finger to pick up puffs and cheerios. She loved feeding herself! It was getting to the point where I couldn't spoon feed her without a battle over who controlled the spoon. And giving Ella her own spoon wasn't enough; she wanted the spoon with the food on it!

At 7 months we decided to started to introduce self-feeding. We started by giving Ella bits of bananas, french toast, scrambled eggs, avocados, and sweet potatoes. Over the next 2 weeks, I slowly stopped feeding Ella pureed foods. By this time, Ella and I were planning on taking a trip back east to visit my family. It seemed easiest to have her self-feeding during our vacation. I wouldn't have to worry about buying or packing baby food and Ella would be happy to be included in family meals.

Self-feeding was an easy transition for Ella. At first Ella was getting less solid intake than when I was feeding her, but after a month of feeding herself she was able to eat a full meal on her own. Now Ella shuts her mouth and turns her head if I try to offer her food with my hand or on a spoon. She has become a fiercely independent eater!

The following list is the rules that I try to follow with BLW:

1. Ella gets at least 1 serving a day of fruit, veggies, and protein. Usually 2 of veggies and fruits.
2. I soft cook Ella's food so that I am able to mush it between my fingers. I do this for pasta, vegetables, and fruit.
3. I feed Ella what we eat for dinner unless it is too spicy (I would, but spicy foods seem to upset Ella's stomach). 
4. I don't salt Ella's portions (we do use seasonings).
5. I don't add sugar (she has had sugar though). 
6. I started Ella on small pieces of food and graduated up to bigger chunks (she seems to prefer small pieces that she can pick up with her fingers. A lot of what I read recommends introducing fry shaped pieces so that little one's can grasp it and bite off pieces)
7. Relax about messes. It's bound to happen.
8. I give Ella a bowl and spoon when it is appropriate as with oatmeal or pasta. Although the contents usually end up on the tray and the spoon on the floor. She has slowly figured out how to use a spoon (although she rarely does!).
9. If she doesn't seem interested in a food, I try (try,try,try, try) it again and sometimes using a different cooking method or piece size (ex. baked instead of steamed or fry shaped instead of cubed). This has worked with Ella really well. 
10. Have fun! Try new foods and be creative. 

I am sure there are more things that I do, but I just go with the flow a lot. These are some of my go to BLW meals:

1. Turkey/Chicken and cheese sandwiches (I buy low sodium deli-meat). Give the bread on the side with ripped up pieces of meat and shredded or cubed cheese.
2. Cottage cheese w/fresh fruit (this one is MESSY, but Ella loves it)
3. Peanut butter, cream cheese, jam, or any other topping on toast fingers
4. Oatmeal bars (recipe below)
5. Cheerios (duh)
6. Baked Sweet Potatoes
7. Beans
8. Cheese Quesadillas (I will add meat sometimes)
9. Baby smoothies (whole milk yogurt and any fruits/veggies that I desire)

Some benefits of BLW:

1. Teaches fine motor skills (pincer grasp)
2. Some studies suggest it teaches better portion control since baby decides when he or she is done eating.
3. Due to the better portion control, some studies suggest it lowers the risk of childhood obesity.
4. Wider variety than what is available in jarred foods.
5. Baby feeding self = less work for mom. It sounds selfish, but this has been key for me. I am now able to enjoy a meal and Ella is now able to eat alongside of us. Yay for family meal time!
6. Wide variety of tastes and textures for baby to explore. 

An important note: Although I do BLW with Ella, I understand that this is not for every mom. As with any parenting choice, what you feed and how you feed your baby is entirely up to you and dad. Some babies need the extra caloric value that solid foods provide, but are unable to self-feed due to texture preference, gag reflux, or any other number of reasons. Parenting is an adventure and there is not one right way to do things. 

Delicious Oatmeal Bars for Baby (my personal adjustments in bold)

(http://blog.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/delicious-oat-bars-for-baby-sugar-free-and-full-of-whole-grain-goodness/)

I got this recipe courtesy of Homemade Baby Food Recipes

6 oz (1 1/2 cups) rolled oats*
6 oz (approx 3/4 cup) dried cranberries (or substitute with another dried fruit your baby enjoys) I used frozen blueberries instead of dried fruit and plan to use baked apples next time.
2 tbsp wheat germ (a nutritious addition, but not essential)
1 tsp cinnamon I used more cinnamon as Ella loves cinnamon
10 fl oz (1 1/4 cup) milk (I used whole milk, but you can use reduced fat milk for older children and adults) I added a little extra milk to make them softer for easier eating
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract

As these are not very sweet, I would consider adding applesauce next time that I make them. For babies over 1, I would add honey.

*If you use quick cooking oats in this recipe, you will need less milk (probably just under 8 fl oz / 1 cup) and a shorter cooking time (30 to 40 mins or so).

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F (180 deg C).
Put the oats, wheat germ, dried fruit and cinnamon into a bowl and mix thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, mix the milk with the beaten egg and vanilla.
Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Grease a small baking tin, pour in the mixture and flatten on top. I tripled the recipe and poured the mixture into a jelly roll pan. It made the bars the perfect thickness and allowed me to freeze a lot of extra bars for easy breakfasts

Bake for 40 to 50 mins until firm.

Cut into bars (or whatever shape you like) whilst still warm – and they’re particularly tasty served warm, too.

Pin It Now!