Primal

Something that I have toyed with in the past has finally become something I am committing to.  Last week I removed all grains, sugar, dairy from my diet.  We have done paleo/primal stints before, but this time I think I finally jumped in with both feet- and boy am I happy I did!

I haven't posted much in this last year, but if I had you would have really noticed a change in my mood/outlook.  Something must have happened to be physically/hormonally during this pregnancy, combined with some situational stressors, but I would say I was depressed, overly anxious, and unable to move past it with my usual techniques.

I have to say that within this last week (yep, juts one week), my mood is markedly improved, it's more stable, and my focus, ability to be mindful, is back.  I'm just an n of 1 but this makes me want to sing the diet changes praises.  I thought it would be harder then it has been, and I think what makes it so much easier this time is due to the fact that I had reached a bottom with how I felt.

Fortunately E is just naturally a primal baby- her favorite foods are eggs, turkey, butter, bacon, green beans, and rice cereal (not primal).  Yep, she loves proteins, fats, and veggies, oh and of course she is still nursing for most her food sources.  She dislikes most fruits, and oatmeal, although we keep trying to introduce new foods.  It seems sweet is a flavor is dislikes.  Now L, he will be our challenge.  L would eat cookies, cake, ice cream, and chocolate every day all day.  He dislikes most meat except deli meat occasionally.  But we are working with what we have, offering berries, nuts, eggs.

It's fascinating to me the connection between mood and mental health- depression and diabetes are heavily correlated, and I can not deny that blood sugar swinging contributes to mood instability.  And the addictive power of sugar, wow.  This experience has sparked a strong desire to learn more about the science behind this and to understand nutrition as medicine.

Toddler Eating

Feeding toddlers is not an easy feat.  I guess most toddlers are picky and finicky about their food preferences- loving something for a few days and eating only that- then turning around and not being able to stand it.  L is becoming a pickier eater and acts like he doesn't want anything sometimes. There are instances when I try up to 10 different foods before he takes a few bites- if he weren't still nursing I would worry about vitamins/nutrients.  Sadly, distractions- like sesame street- seem to help with eating.  It's almost like he forgets to be resistant and picky and just eats.

Today L has been offered- eggs, avocado, sweet potatoes, grapes, pasta, cherry tomatoes, apple sauce, coconut water, primeval bars from trader joes (basically a raisin bagel), and chicken...he picked at a little bit of it but I wouldn't say he had a full meal.  He did enjoy playing with his food though.  I think part of makes this phase so frustrating is that I usually end up eating more because of not wanting to waste food....

Three Christmas

Whew!  The holidays are over and it's nice to get back to our routine.  We had a wonderful xmas (actually three of them) with so many gifts and a lot of family time.  The biggest hits on my list would be the amazing quilt from my mother in law (which I had seen hanging up in her quilting room before the holidays and admired but had no idea it was for me!). And my crock pot which has been used for the last 5 consecutive days. Oh and my boots- how I LOVE these boots- they are perfection.

L was literally showered with gifts- so many that we decided to keep some in the closet to open for playing at another time.  I also need to donate, throw out, store away some of his older toys that have either fallen apart or he doesn't play with any more.  Having a baby really increases the amount of "stuff" you accumulate.  There is always a more minimal approach to things- but as much as I want to be that  mom with one sippy cup, one little car, and a few wooden classic toys- I am not.  I think part of the excess has to do with L being high needs.  We are constantly changing out products because they just do not work with our little guy- for example swaddling.  It's supposed to work for all babies right? NOT- we tried so many blankets, woombi, wraps, etc- he hated all of them and eventually we realized we wont be getting any use out of them.  Pacifiers- another product we tried so many of and none of them took.  Oh and the constant changing of car seat toys.  L fights us hard when it's time to get in the car seat.  Right now stickers are working really well.

We let him pick a sticker to add to the mirror during a tantrum, and while he admires it and waves/says hi to it (it's ridiculously sweet), we buckle him in.  Stickers have been life savers, but like the previous "lifesavers" (a bubble blowing wand, mum mum snacks, books, keys, our phones)  we know that he will eventually evolve and become immune to stickers as well.

September Loves

Here are a few things I'm loving this month...

Trader Joe's Medjool Dates

I can't believe I never had a date by itself till earlier this week.  They taste like brown sugar and are actually good for you.  L loves them as well- oh and they are super soft and safe for babies.  D and I have been eating Lara bars for a while and have tossed around the idea of making our own (they are expensive!).  Well we finally did last night- following this recipe and they came out- in my opinion- better then the store bought ones.  These bars are going to be our go to baby/mommy/daddy snack from now on.

Bay Area Discovery Museum

D and I took L here a few days ago and I can't decide who had more fun- me, L, or D.  This place is A-MAZING for little kids and it's in beautiful Sausalito with views of the Golden Gate bridge.  So much safe exploring and exposure to nature.  The water was L's favorite and we had to change his clothes because he got so wet from splashing- even though they provided adorable mini aprons.  It's a bit expensive and I am kicking myself now for not getting a membership since I see us going there a lot in the future.

Habitat for Humanity Restore 

One of these opened near us and we wished we could have utilized it during all our renovations.  This will most likely be where we get the cabinets for the laundry room.

Smoothies 

We bought a new blender and I used it 4 times the day it arrived- L and I consume a lot of smoothies.  Our favorites right now: mixed frozen berries, 1 banana, 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk, 1 handful of kale, 1/4 of an avocado, and a bit of ice or 2 bananas, 1 big spoonful of peanut butter, 1 handful of kale or spinach, 1 cup of almond milk, and a bit of ice. (image via pinterest)



Up All Night

So I know the show hasn't even aired yet but the preview looks hilarious (obviously having just became parents makes this right up our alley).  Bonus- we love Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph.  Really excited to watch it tonight.

Mom Groups

So far I'm really enjoying meeting these moms and kiddos...

Yum

Fingerling potatoes, cherries, blueberries...

Interestingly enough he ate them in order- blueberries first, cherries second, potatoes third.

What an attentive audience - waiting for dropped pieces clearly.

Not letting any go to waste...

All gone!

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Food

Popsicles in January?

We are planning on waiting till L is 6 months to introduce solids and we are thinking of avoiding the rice/cereal/oatmeal altogether and going straight to the veggies- more of a baby-led weaning style. But we wanted to give him something to practice with as well as soothe his gums.  I found these instructions on making breastmilk popsicles a while back and figured now would be a good time.

This experiment has shown us that L is clearly not ready for solids- he has some ability to grasp and bring things into his mouth, but he still has the tongue thrust and drops the popsicle often.  By 6 months he should be just ready.  However, L LOVES his milk popsicles- as is evident in the photos below.

They were very easy to make- we used these popsicle molds

Just add the milk and place them in the freezer for a few hours/till frozen

(as you can see, L had already enjoyed a few)

Run them under warm to room temp water for a bit till you can pull them out easily

Make sure your little guy has a bib on...it can get messy

Then watch the cuteness ensue...

And what happens when it's all gone...

Dinner

Good Friends, Good Food, Great Night...

Another successful Friendsgiving.

Time...

Thats what it takes to do cool stuff like this...

I hope I'll have it when L gets older.  Images from Another Lunch.