by Liz | All Things Kids
There comes a time in every parent’s life when we question our decision making abilities. We all take immense delight in our child’s development and ecstatically encourage each new skill as I emerges. However, there is nothing more horrifying than realizing all of your unfailing encouragement has resulted in a mobile child!
Having a child who can move is life changing. I’m not even saying a full-fledged crawler, even a scooter will do it. Gone are the days of darting into the other room to switch the laundry or a quick run up the stairs to grab a pair of shoes. Nowadays, you turn your back for one second and mischief is brewing! Be it a potted plant, a low shelf of heavy pots or that clump of pet hair you forgot to pick up…baby has set her sights and is determined to find the exact wrong moment in which to strike. No speck is too small and no distance too far for the intrepid and fearless baby. Parents and caretakers beware!
That said, it’s so fun to watch them go!
by Liz | Life Snapshot
By Katie Moore
A brand new baby in the house is a wonderful, exciting addition to the family that requires a lot of work and attention. After nine months of pregnancy, a woman’s body needs time to heal and recover, yet new moms are so busy that it seems impossible to make time for their own well-being. With a little bit of thought and planning, it is actually not so difficult to get moving and work exercise back into the routine.
Recovery after childbirth can take some time, and new moms should not expect to get their pre-baby bodies to return very quickly. Some doctors recommend waiting six weeks after birth before starting exercise, but this timeline with vary depending on the situation. A mother should share her post-delivery plans with her doctor; much like the preparations she made with her doctor concerning her babies health with immunizations and the optional umbilical cord blood banking, a doctor should be used to help make sure a mother’s post-delivery health plans are in fact healthy for her.
The best way, by far, to fit exercise into a new mom’s schedule is to multi-task. Even the littlest babies will typically enjoy some fresh air and change of scenery, so mom and baby can share bonding and cooing time while walking around a park or the neighborhood. Some moms use naptime as a time for exercise. Baby can sleep soundly in the crib while mom uses an exercise DVD in the living room.
In addition to exercise, it is important to continue eating healthy meals. Breastfeeding moms will still need extra calories, and it is important that these calories come from nutritious food and not be empty calories from junk food. Eating healthy meals and staying hydrated will not only help get the pre-baby body back, but good nutrition will also aid in breast milk production and keep new moms feeling their best.
Some of the best foods for weight loss are fruits and vegetables, as well as lean protein. Although it may seem like there is no time for new moms to prepare and eat healthy meals, it is really in the best interest of the whole family. It is important to set an example so that young children will grow up with healthy eating habits. A lot of new moms prepare frozen meals on weekends, or even before the baby arrives, so they can put dinner straight into the oven when it is time to eat.
Even though it may simply take time to get the pre-baby body back, making time for nutrition and exercise will make it return faster. It may seem impossible for new moms to make time for themselves, but it is important for the whole family to live a healthy and happy lifestyle.
“Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.”
by Liz | All Things Kids
A few months ago I posted our rough plan for introducing solids and the aftermath thereof. We are very fortunate that Lena has taken to food so well and are looking forward to the next step to finger foods, though she isn’t quite ready yet!
At the time of my post about solids, Lena was about five months old. We quickly ramped her up to three meals of solid food a day after that and even introduced a sippy cup for water. She was teething and drooling like you wouldn’t believe so we felt obliged to restore some of her fluids. She took to stage two foods readily and even loved mixing up fruits and veggies (yay for us!). I had high hopes of making my own food but with a busy work schedule we have continued to purchase most of her food.
Between five and eight months, I continued to breastfeed so we really didn’t change any of her feedings. She was still getting approximately six feedings per day for a total of roughly 25-30 oz. Added to that, she has at least one jar per meal (approximate 4 oz each) and sometimes 1.5 jars during lunch and/or dinner.
We were pretty happy with that routine so didn’t really switch it up that much until recently. When we hit eight months, I finally resigned myself to the fact that formula was a much more practical option for us so we starting mixing in a bottle or two per day. Things quickly progressed from there and we are now 100% formula feeding. With that change, we upped her bottles to 8 oz per feeding and in so doing, eliminated one of her smaller feedings in the early evening. This has definitely given us a new-found freedom and allowed us more flexibility with our routines because we always know we can easily feed her whenever we need to.With the addition of formula, Adelena also lost interest in having oatmeal mixed with her meals and so we’ve opted to leave that out.
Experiments with slightly chunkier foods have NOT been successful yet! Lena isn’t sold on protein yet and still prefers any protein items be mixed (heavily!) with some of the sweeter veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes. Fruit is never passed up either, of course. Thicker blends of food are definitely a hit, however chunks are usually met with disgusted faces and some serious tongue agility exercises in order to expel the unwanted items! Oh well…better luck next time perhaps!
