Christmas recap and looking to 2010

Well Christmas has come and gone...I can't believe it was a week ago already and it's now 2010!

Kyle enjoyed his first Christmas very much. He liked the candlelight service at church and opening his present on Christmas morning! I swear he got more presents than anyone else in the family...

We have been reading his advent books everyday since Dec 1st so he get's to know what the real reason for celebrating Christmas is.

So now it's 2010...I have to admit to you all that I hate to set goals or resolutions because I NEVER achieve them...so why let myself down? I know it's a really defeatist attitude but I'm just being real here. Last year I said I would read the Bible in a year but that stopped after a few weeks...I'm afraid to do it again though it is something I would really like to accomplish. To tell you the truth I haven't even picked up my Bible in weeks.

Why do people set yearly goals for themselves? How many people look back at their year on Dec 31st and say they could have done this thing or that thing better? Everyone I think. We are all just works in progress.

In the Babywise book it says progress is a spiral. You have some good days and some bad days but you are still going upwards toward your goal. That's kind of how I think being a follower of Christ is...you have your good days and your bad days but it all is going toward becoming more like Him.

In 2010 I really do want to have more good days where I am loving God and loving others and reading my Bible.

I also want to be a better wife and mother and better friend. I just need some help being motivated to do it. Even with the big possibility of failure. That's something I want to work on in 2010.

Kyle's first word- "Yum"

All About Solids

So I am finding that there is a whole new world out there when it comes to solid foods. I thought I would share with you all what I am doing. I will write a separate post on how to make your own babyfood. It is SO easy!
So my original plan was to wait to start solids till Kyle was 6 months because I had read you could skip purees and go straight to soft foods. This is called Baby Led Weaning. The Dr. had given the go ahead to start rice cereal and then veggies and fruits at Kyle's 4 month appt. He also was on the small side 13lb 5 oz. about the 29th percentile. But at that point things were going fine and he was content so I saw no need to rush it. Breastmilk and/or formula is supposed to be the main source of nutrition for babies until 6 months.

2 weeks later Kyle started waking up multiple times at night and wouldn't be happy with his paci so I fed him. This was unlike him at this point. I attributed it to a growth spurt and possibly the 4 month wakeful period as well. So for about a week I got up and fed him when he woke up in the middle of the night. Well it kept happening and I was worried my supply had dropped or something because because he was eating 7 times a day which is more than normal for a baby his age.

On Thanksgiving we gave him some sweet potatoes just for fun; you saw the video. He did awesome! I wasn't sure what he would do with a spoon or eating, as alot of babies look at it like, "What the heck is this?" But not Kyle, he ate like he'd been doing it his whole life. So I decided a few days later to go ahead and start rice. He loved it, you couldn't feed him enough. I started off with just one meal of rice cereal in the morning after he nursed. I would pump the day before and add what I had pumped to the cereal plus whatever water I needed.

After a week I started him on two meals a day- cereal in the morning and squash in the afternoon. At first I started off with just 1 TBS of each and then increased it when he wanted more.

Week 3- I added 1 TBS prunes to his cereal because he was getting a little constipated. He was now up to 2 cubes (about 4 TBS) squash in the afternoon and 2 TBS cereal and 1 prune cube.

Week 4- Added 1 TBS oatmeal to 1TBS rice cereal (still a little constipated) 2 prune cubes for breakfast, 2 squash cubes lunch.

As you can see I only added a new thing every week. I read in Super Baby Food to wait at least 5 days but not more than 7 days to introduce new foods.

Veggies or fruits first? I have also read to introduce veggies first instead of fruits so they don't get used to the sweet foods first. But some veggies are pretty sweet- like sweet potatoes so I don't think it matters much. If you have a picky eater it might be more of a problem, but Kyle is not picky.

I also chose to alternate veggies and fruits, so that's why I wait a week inbetween to give his GI system a chance to get used to it. Some people introduce just veggies and the move to fruits. I felt Kyle needed the extra fiber from fruit so I alternate.

Here is a good blog post on how to start solids that I have gotten alot of good info from.

New Videos

Here's some new videos of Kyle and Daddy making funny noises and of Kyle in his Johnny Jump Up for the first time.

5 Months

You are 5 Months today! And look how big you're getting! You can sit up much better now but still need a little support. You haven't been too interested in tri-poding I think because you like to use your hands to reach for things so I think you're going to skip that all together.

At your Dr. visit last week you were 13 lb 8 oz. Still a little guy but you are so long...at I'm guessing 25in or more now. Mommy was worried at the Dr. because you only gained 1 lb in 2 months but the Dr. told Mommy to not worry. You are a happy healthy boy and you might just be on the more lean side. That's fine with me because that is healthier anyways. We had to take you to the Dr. cause you have these little sores in your mouth the Dr. thinks is Thrush, so you are on your first round of anti-biotics though I'm not sure it's helping. You don't seem to be bothered by it though.

On Thanksgiving you had your first experience with solid food...we gave you sweet potatoes and you loved them!

A few days later we started you on rice cereal, a week later on squash, and this week we added prunes since the cereal is making you a little constipated.

You are growing so fast little boy. Daddy and I are excited everyday when it seems like you have learned something new! It's so fun to watch you grow and discover this big world around you. We can't wait to celebrate your first Christmas with you in 10 days! We love you!

Trying to win this computer!

I want to win this HP touch screen computer for Ben from MckMama's blog!

Picture Update

Sorry I haven't blogged lately...crazy holidays...I've got a million and one gifts to finish making...but I love it! I love being home with my little one. Here's our life in pictures right now!

Tummy Time with Sam- wearing the cool fleece hat mommy made me

Holding my bottle for Mommy

Playing with my feet ALL the TIME...making changing my diaper a challenge

My Santa Hat from my Omi

Under the tree playing with my early Christmas present from Mommy an Daddy...
a fisher price nativity set

Only one more week till I'm 5 months old!

Cyber Monday SALE!

Take 10% off EVERYTHING in my shop and get FREE SHIPPING! Today only!

Sweet Potatoes on Thanksgiving

Today we tried rice cereal...he didn't like it near as much.

Special Holiday Giveaway...COMING SOON!

I went to Walmart the other day and this is what I bought! I am going to use it all in a very special Holiday Giveaway...stay tuned on Friday after all that Thanksgiving food has settled to find out the surprise!

What's for dinner??

PIZZA!!!


This is like the mother of all pizzas. I've never made one with so much stuff on it!! Yum!

Rollie Over

I finally got videos of Kyle rolling over! He was so so quick I almost missed it. He can also do it from left to right and right to left. So cool!

Cranberry Salad

Here is my favorite Thanksgiving recipe. Cranberry Salad- Ben's family always makes if for Holiday's and I want to continue the tradition this year since we won't be going to Montana like we usually do. Enjoy!

3 C. fresh cranberries

1/2 C.-3/4 C. sugar (to taste)

1 can mandarin oranges

1 can crushed pineapple

2 C. mini marshmallows

1/2 C. chopped walnuts

2 C. Cool Whip

Grind cranberries, add sugar, oranges, pineapple, marshmallows, and walnuts.

Add Cool Whip- chill in refrigerator overnight

4 months

Wow! Kyle you are 4 months already.

So what are you up to?

You are rolling over from your stomach to back (though I have yet to get it on video). When you did it for daddy this week we were so excited we clapped and said how proud were of you that you got scared and cried...

This is him laughing! The sweetest sound ever!

He is 13.5 lbs and 24 1/2 in long- I think a big growth spurt is coming up though.

He can touch his toes and he loves doing it!

Haven't started any cereal yet. I don't think you're quite ready for that.

Adopt a "sibling" for your child this Christmas

So you know how God will bring something along your path more than once that makes you say, "Hey maybe I need to pay attention to this?" Well that's what He's done to me the past 2 days. I have been sponsoring a child (Sylvia) through Compassion for 4 years now and I just realized that I have not been a very good sponsor. I hardly write to her and don't pray for her on a regular basis. This is going to change...

One of the blogs I read Kelly's Korner is on a trip with Compassion to El Salvador right now. She has been writing about it and it's amazing. I also went to a Jeremy Camp concert last night and He always teams up with Compassion to sponsor kids at his concerts. I think it was at one of his concerts a few years ago where I got mine. Hearing the stories of people corresponding with their kids and praying for them then getting to visit them has helped me see I need to develop more of a relationship with Sylvia. I would love to visit her in Kenya, but I might not ever get to. What is more important is that she knows I'm her friend and care about her.

Compassion has their own blog, check it out and please consider sponsoring a child this Christmas. It's great way to teach your kids about giving and praying for others. Sponsor a child that is close to their age and let them be responsible for writing letters to them. It's like having a pen pal in another country, but doing something that matters in the long run.