DIY Baby Food Tips

So, I made a MESS of my kitchen last week trying to make baby food for the first time. I did a ton of research on Pinterest for recipes, tips and more. But, NONE of them really told you the stuff I learned that day. So, hopefully this one will even it all out.

There's plenty of ways to do this, so I'm sure as I keep making food for RJ I will have more tips. Such is life. But, here is the few things I learned and what I did.

First, I bought organic veggies from the store. I buy organic because I have a puker who tends to have food issues. And because I love Good Earth! But, even Wal Mart/Maceys (Target?) has an organic section if you don't want to have to shop at two different stores. RJ loves sweet potatoes, avocado and carrots. I would say this method didn't really break down his food to the 4 month old mush type food. So, I would say this is probably safer for 6 month olds, since it ends up a little thicker.

I bought the following items from Wal-Mart and Amazon.com to get started:

*Infantino Fresh Squeeze Pouches (these are AMAZING) -Wal Mart & Amazon have them at the same price. I love the quality of them, and the one I bought at Wal Mart came with the pump to add the food to the pouches. And on Amazon you can buy just the pouches (50 for $12.99). So, you HAVE to buy the pump/syringe thing to go with these, or you'll hate your life. My first kit I got came with like 25 pouches and the pump for $10. Buy the cute little spoon attachments too!

*Cube Freezer Trays obviously it doesn't need to be fancy like this - but they're cheap so why not? I did find that it is a ROYAL pain to get the food out of these after they're frozen. Kind of a pain, so I would go with pouches instead of these. Seriously. I swear the Pinterest articles LIE, this is not an easy method for my type. Ha. I froze them, then broke them out (swore a lot in the process) and then put them back in a tupperware and in the freezer. Then I just grab a cube when I'm ready to feed him and let it thaw. Kind of annoying. The pouches you can just throw in a cup of hot water to thaw. So, I'm not a HUGE fan of this method.

*A super awesome food processor  I won't link this one because I am sure there's better processors than what I have. I have the Ninja food processor and blender mix and it worked just fine!

So, that is all I purchased to get things started. Then I did this...

Avocados

I just mashed up the avocados and put about 1/2 cup water in the bowl and then stuck it in the freezer cubes and BAM, you're done. I'm sure there's other fancy ways of doing this.

Sweet Potatoes & Carrots 

I started off by peeling them, and throwing them in a pot of water to boil for a bit. I did the avocados while these boiled. Then I put them in the food processor with about 1 cup of water - ish. Then, I put them in the syringe/pump and BAM right into the pouches.

I found one bag of carrots filled about 10-12 of the pouches and 4 sweet potatoes filled like 15 pouches. RJ eats 1 pouch a day so really, it is a great deal!

I'm not a pro at ANYTHING. So, these are all rookie tips from ONE time of making food. So, take it for what it's worth. I went through tons of dishes, and found that my blender SUCKS for making baby food and to stick to my food processor. Ha. Maybe that is common knowledge, but I'm awesome like that.

I would LOVE to hear your tips if you've done this before. I also realized afterwards that it might taste yummy to add coconut oil to some of these? Who knows. Tell me what you do!

Ready, go!

I can't live without...

So, I usually post from my phone so I don't really take the time to link to sites or whatever. I've wanted to write a post about some items I can't live without. Before I do, let me preface with the fact that EVERY baby is different. And what may work for one, totally sucks for another.

RJ had had MAJOR feeding issues since he was born so we've been able to play guinea pig for so many random things and just make our own schedules with stuff. I found that when I was looking for answers with him, we never really found them. We just sort of flew by the seats of our pants and survived. But, a few of our awesome friends have suggested some SWEET products that have been game changers for us. So, maybe me posting a list of things we love will help other moms out there find solutions. Or at least find another thing that doesn't work. It's important to check things off that list, too.

Here are my top 10 MUST HAVES at our house and the reasons why (not in order of faves):

1) Podee Hands Free Bottle System - I'm telling you right now, if you don't have at least ONE of these bottles, you are missing out. We initially bought this hoping it would help with RJ's constant PUKE FEST. But, it didn't. It is supposed to help with gas, and it seems to! But, he's never been a super gassy baby. Anyways, you should see the LOOKS I get from everyone in public when we are feeding him from these bottles. It's classic. However, this bottle has made my life so much easier. We can feed him in the carseat, while I'm in the shower... or doing my hair straight. It is amazing. And for those "special" moms who want to hold their baby EVERY time they feed them, you can still do that, too. Don't worry... I'm not a neglectful mom just because I LOVE me a hands free bottle. Who doesn't want a few feedings a day where you can get stuff done at the same time. I sure a crap do!

*Tip for this product* Cleaning this bottle system sucks and makes for lots of sterilizing and dishes. Also, if you already have 8 oz bottles, just buy their "Convert a bottle kit". Saves you a few bucks!

2) Merlins Magic SleepSuit - This has been a lifesaver for us. RJ initially hated being swaddled. Then at about 1-2 months old he was swaddled with the Aden and Anais muslin blankets (which RULE). Well, that didn't last long because he was apparently THOR in another life. He busted out of them like a bandit. So, we gave the velcro ones by Summer Infant SwaddleMe a try. Man, those SAVED our life for several months. Then, he started escaping those. He's Houdini. I swear. Anyways, our awesome friend suggested the Merlin's Magic SleepSuit and after a few nights (and LOTS of laughing) he did awesome with it. It took a few naps to adjust and he can still move his arms a bit, but overall he has figured it out! We're SO grateful the swaddle transition was not as bad as it started out, thanks to this!

3) Nosefrida -  This sucker (pun intended) is sort of how you initiate yourself into the "Mom Club". I mean, who doesn't want to use their mouth to suck the boogers out of their kids nose? It freaks my husband out, he won't do it. Anyways, this thing is MAGIC. I promise you won't get even a taste of a boog. Trust me. It's amazeballs.

4) Chatbooks - OK if you don't know about Chatbooks you are missing out. This handy dandy app you download on your phone synchs to your Instagram. And for $6 it automatically mails you these cute little books of 60 pages of your insta. Or you can go in and create your own outside of that. I love this because it scrapbooks RJ's life for me since that is 90% of what I post on there anyways. You can edit your captions from the app and it will even print the date you posted them. Or you don't even have to print the date and caption. We love these books! We printed additional copies for grandparents for Christmas and they were a HIT. You can't go wrong! They do all the work for me. High five Chatbooks.

5) Hands-Free Pumping Bra - Now, I only breastfed for about a month but, while I did - and was a pumping machine.... this bra was HEAVENLY. However, don't go spending $60. My husband is so thrifty that he took an old sports bra from wal-mart and cut two small holes in the nips. WALAH. Either way, having one of these bad boys was awesome.

6) Dr. Brown's Forumla Mixing Pitcher - All of you formula feeding mama's out there now what a pain it is to shake the bottles and mix stubborn formula. So, I have quite the RAD system down for my daily bottles. I sanitize the bottle nipples and the Podee cords while I'm mixing the formula and cleaning the kitchen. The formula we use gets super bubbly when we mix it so I usually let it sit for a couple of minutes before I pour it anyways. But, this pitcher has made bottle making SUPER easy. I make 6 bottles a day for RJ in the morning and this helps me so much. I love it! I wish they made them a little bit bigger. This one holds 32 oz of liquid and spills over if you get too crazy with the blending. So, it would be nice to see a bigger version. But, overall I love this! I was using my blender and it made SUPER bubbles of our formula and still left a few clumps of powder. And this mixes it just right and doesn't get super bubbly.

7) Breatheable Mesh Crib Liner - As a first time mom I was worried about all of the things you hear about how "crib bedding can suffocate your child". So, we bought this and it it awesome! I thought it would look WT but it doesn't! It took a few choice swear words to put on the crib but, it's done.

8) Amazon Prime -  SO worth the money. You can buy pretty much any of your mom needs (or use amazon mom) without leaving the house. Amazon prime gets you free 2 day shipping, which almost everyone knows unless you've been living under a rock. Pretty much everything on this list is an item I've purchased off of there. Mostly because you can read reviews from other parents. And again, so I don't have to leave my house.

9) Costco Diapers & Wipes -  When RJ was a newborn the ONLY diapers that we used were the Pampers Swaddlers. LOVED them. But, once he hit size 1 we went to Kirkland. I have done my shopping and this is the best quality for the best price. OF course, it is Costco. And the wipes are great! Every kid is different so these may not work for yours.. but we are  super happy they do for RJ. His formula is so expensive we're happy to save a dollar anywhere we can.

10) The Mormon Channel App - Since I used to work for Mormon.org, I've pretty much seen all of those video 100 times. So, if you aren't me - then you can download that one too! But, when I'm having a mommy breakdown I try to watch videos on there. I love Mormon Messages. I always seem to find one that speaks to me that day. Even if it's one I've seen ten times, I hear a different message. I can't do this mommy stuff alone and I need the spirit to give me patience and perspective. Religious or not, this is an awesome app for anyone! There's tons of GOOD content. I am terrible at reading my scriptures, so this is sort of my spiritual food most days.

I'm sure I've left out things that I like even more than some of these. BUT, it's what came to my mind. I'm sure as RJ gets older the list will go on!

What are some things you can't live without and why?

Robert Jeffrey - the J.

I wanted to talk about where RJ's name comes from. His two Grandpas. Chances dad, Robert and my dad Jeffrey. 

Here's a bit about my dad.

I'm watching one of my favorite movies called Dragonfly, with Kevin Costner. It's a movie about how a mans wife tries to send a message to him after she passes away, using dragonflies. 

Anyways, most people who know me get that dragonflies have always been my thing. Mostly because it reminds me of my sweet friend Megann who passed away when I was 18. And also my dad who died when I was six months old. 

When I am having bad days, or seeking answers it seems like I always see a dragonfly, whether it be in real life or a decoration. It's been a little sign for me! I would like to believe it's either my friend of my dad. Who knows. 

Anyways, I'm holding RJ in my arms right now as he sleeps and I watch this movie. He is sick and fussy. And so sweet when he sleeps. I can't help but think about the fact that I was exactly this age when my dad died. Just a teeny tiny six month old baby. It's not been easy but when I look at him, I feel this urge that he gives me new meaning in life. 

It makes me less angry with my dad. Strangely it helps me understand his frame of mind a little bit more. He was not even 30 years old and he took his own life. For most of my life I've wondered HOW you could go home to a brand new baby, let alone three other beautiful young kids, and then take your own life? I never understood it. I was angry. And confused! I felt unimportant and resentful. Not to mention how bad I felt for my poor 26 year old mom who was left with four kids under the age of five. 

But, I get it now. (Not because I'm suicidal, or angry.) I now understand that he was so sad, and lost and in a state of mind that ONLY the Lord can fully understand, that even the love for a newborn baby could not remove that dark cloud from him. He must have been in such a dark place to have thought we were better off. Mental illness is real, and should never be ignored or joked around with. Don't fake or threaten suicide for attention my friends. It's rude and selfish. And unless you've had someone close to you actually do it, you will only get defensive of that. Sorry. 

I never really talk about this. Most of my friends don't even know how my dad died or that he even did at all. Anyways, I guess having a son that is named after my dad (J for Jeffrey) was my way of telling him I am sorry and forgive him.  And that I want to give his name a new life, a new opportunity to start over and be better. 

Most people would think its a jinx or bad omen. But, when Chance suggested we name him Robert Jeffrey after our dads, I felt a chill come over me. Almost like my dad hugging me and saying he loved me. 

Anyways, I've always wanted to understand what happened that day when he passed away. I know I won't in this lifetime, but I do forgive him. And I love him, and I'm grateful to be a mom to RJ. Even on my worst days, I know the Lord has a bigger, better plan for us all. I can't wait to see him again. 

Six months of being a mom. I survived!

Six months ago I was screaming at the top of my lungs in a hospital bed, having been in labor for over 24 hours. At around midnight they finally decided to do an emergency C section. And at 2:45 am on the 22nd RJ was born! Wow. I kind of am amazed at myself for making it this far and only have had about five total mental breakdowns. And hey, my marriage is getting stronger every day. 

I feel like I need to clarify something... I don't think I have this "awful terribly hard baby". He's actually a very good baby. He's smart, picks up on things very well, smiles all the time, only cries when he's hungry or tired and he sleeps like a champ MOST of the time. 

Outside of his CONSTANT puke fest, he's a dream baby. I think I'm reluctant to have another baby because I don't want a baby who cries a lot or one who never EVER sleeps. RJ slept through the night at five weeks old. Yes, he's being a monster right now about sleeping but, he's been a good baby overall. Let's be honest though, considering the struggle it was to get pregnant with RJ, I will be grateful to even have another baby. So don't get me wrong.

Anyways, I guess I just need to let anyone who reads this know that most of the reason why I write the posts complaining or whatnot - it's not because I think I have a terrible baby who is unreasonable, it's because becoming a mom has been a complete SHOCK for me. 

I have really struggled at feeling like I was meant for this. (I am not asking for sympathy or attention by saying that.) It doesn't come very natural for me to enjoy stages or phases.. I do feel a very strong bond with RJ but I also feel like that has grown as we have struggled together. It wasn't at first sight like I see other moms express. 

I used to feel bad that I hated my life every day as a new mom. Top it off with post partum depression...  I saw other moms expressing their love for their babies and making it look so easy to sacrifice so much for their little ones. It's hard for me to sacrifice, I'm a selfish person but I am also just not used to babies. I never really babysat growing up, I'm the youngest and my nieces and nephews lived in California and Wisconsin at this young age. I also never had my own pet or animal growing up either. I've always just sort of taken care of myself. This has been a giant change. It is for anyone though. 

Becoming a mom has been freaking hard. I look back at the first two months of RJs life and sort of just feel this heavy load. I remember feeling like it would never go away. Like there was never going to be a light at the end of the tunnel. If I didn't enjoy the newborn phase then it was just never going to get better. I really felt that. 

Society has made us think things should be like they are in the movies or even on social media. That's complete and utter BS. Life, marriage, motherhood, all of that IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT. I don't believe in being a victim. I'll be honest, it's taken me six months of motherhood to even grasp some of that though.

I feel like I have a good handle on that in the other aspects of my life but motherhood threw me for a loop. 

I had a very inspired friend tell me the other day that she feels like the sacrifice of motherhood is probably one of the closest things to what the Savior did for us with his sacrifice. I believe her. And somehow hearing that from her made me feel this overwhelming sense of peace. I felt like there was purpose in me becoming a mom. And that it wasn't just to learn to love deeper or to bring another person into this world. 

It reminded me that there is a bigger world out there. A life after this one, a bigger purpose. More than just the little daily things that sometimes make me impatient and drive me nuts. I think the inner pain and struggle of motherhood is here to help us learn to rely on the Lord. To understand how he felt and know that we are not alone. To look to him in our darkest times and stay as close to him as we can. Yet, on those dark days I've had, that's the last thing I want to do. And he is still there waiting for me. And ready to help me. 

I guess what I mean here is that I know I'm not alone. I know I was given a baby that pukes non-stop so I can help someone else down the road when they experience similar situations. 

We don't go through trials to feel superior to others and have less empathy for them because our trial was harder. We go through trials to help others. I promise that someone in your life will need you, I have always felt this way. And being a mom has heightened that feeling!!! Maybe that's why I blog. Even if only five people ever read this, I hope it helps one person feel a little less alone. Even if you're not a mom.

It makes it a little bit easier to go through a trial knowing it will benefit someone else one day if I am in a space to learn everything I can and do my best. So, I will keep going and do the best I can. Every day I feel a little better about being a mom. 

A little bit at a time I feel like I have more knowledge and experience than the day before. I've learned to live one day at a time since I had RJ. And crap, I needed that more than anything. EVER. 

I look forward to the plethora of things I will learn in the next six months. 

Thanks for reading this! I know it's word vomit and a little random and all over the place. I just ALWAYS want to be REAL. Never fake or fluffy. So, sometimes that makes my posts random instead of well thought out and composed. 

Hash tag mom life

I'm sitting here in the parking lot of Good Earth doing something I'm sure many of you moms have done. You're lying if you haven't.

RJ has been in a super rad mood the last week or two and has been fighting sleep. Most of you know this because I posted it on FB and insta the other day when I lost my $h!t. Anyways, RJ cried all the way from Provo (thanks for the leggings Britta) to the Spanish Fork Good Earth and just before I pulled in he fell asleep. Of course!!! And there's no way in hell I'm moving his car seat and risking him waking up, he NEEDS sleep. So, I'm sitting here in my car in the parking lot, looking like a creeper to others, I'm sure.  

At this point I'll sit here as long as I need to. The other day I sat in my driveway for an hour for this same thing. I don't want this to become a habit for him to fall asleep in his car seat. But, sometimes as a parent you just have to survive a time or two. 

In mid October we decided it was time to train him to fall asleep on his own, without being held or rocked. It took several different methods for us. I read multiple books, blogs and sought advice from several friends. Finally, it boiled down to laying him on our ottoman swaddled up and he eventually put himself to sleep while we just went along with our day. It was bizzare. The cry it out method just wasn't what we ended up needing to do at that point. He trained himself like a champ without us even knowing that was all we needed to do was walk away and let him lie. 

I feel like every mom that I've talked to just says be consistent with whatever you do and he'll figure it out. We have honestly done that. Up until this past week he has taken naps super consistently and been on a time schedule  like a champ. But, somehow things have changed for him. And I just need to be OK with that. If I'm a mental case it won't get us anywhere. 

I feel like so many people say "you will look back on this and miss it." I'm sorry but seriously? That's just ridiculous. Tell me this, have any of you moms with older kids actually missed the CRAPPY times? No. No one misses the crap. Of COURSE I will miss the tiny cuddles and smiles and him learning and discovering so much. But, anyone who misses the crappy days is a lunatic. Even if you have a sassy teenager who talks back, that may make you miss when they couldn't talk. But, you still probably don't miss this part. Am I right? Maybe not. 

I honestly love RJ so much, I have loved watching him grow. He's been a delight aside from some minor sleeping issues right now and his constant puke. I think I'm just intolerant of EVERYTHING because I am sooooooo tired of always catching his puke, and doing a full load of laundry everyday. Between cleaning his three to four outfits, my two or three outfits, burp rags, washcloths, blankets, rugs, bibs and cleaning the car seat - oh, and his bottles... I sort of just want to lay down and have someone rub my feet and give me a high five for making it through one more day. 

Now, I know most of you have more than one baby... So you probably laugh at my issues and say "just wait until you have more than one" etc... But, this is my struggle and trial. It's hard for me. May not be for you. But for me this is my breaking point sometimes. So maybe I'm weak to you. But, I know I am strong and an awesome mom. And I really am doing my best. I just feel like some days this will never end. 

Thank heavens it will. I'm glad parenting comes in phases. Even the hardest of times will never last forever. And I'm grateful for this blog so I can just word vomit all of this and maybe help another mom feel like she's doing the right thing, too. 

I'm grateful the Lord sent RJ to us. At the end of each day I feel good knowing I've given RJ my best. That's all I can do. Oh, and pray A LOT. Seriously. All day.

I'm loving this week.

I need to freeze time. RJ is being such a sweet boy this past week. Yes, he has cried and puked just as much as he normally does. But, he has changed. He's growing and learning so much. He has been so snuggly and lovey. He knows I'm his mom and Chance is his dad. 

He reaches for us now. He wakes up so happy and squeaky. The noises he makes bring me so much joy. I know I can't freeze time so I have been enjoying every single second because who knows, the next post could be about what a terror he has been.

So, for now I just love him. He has opened my heart in ways I didn't know were possible. I've always hated cuddles and touchy feely moments. But, this sweet boy has changed me and reminded me how important it is to show the people we love some affection. 

So I will try better to be that way with those that I love. Mostly because when RJ does that to me I feel so special, and everyone deserves to feel that way. Even if we can all be idiots sometimes. 

Change

I have decided the only thing that is promised when you have a kid is CHANGE. Some days that is what I cling to, knowing this phase will end. Or, that he will grow out of this. And other days I am scared to death of what change is ahead. Nothing will ever be the exact same forever with RJ. He will constantly be changing. 

That's such a wonderful thing, really. But, also terrifying. Before I know it he will be walking and getting into every cupboard, throwing toys at me and learning new words to sass me with. And when I get used to that phase and feel like I have a handle on it, he will change again. 

That's the thing, just when I get a handle on his tactics and schedules it seems like he changes. He grows and learns more. I think it's amazing that I get to watch him learn SO freaking much before my eyes. 

I guess what's really important here is that I learn to accept change. It's important for us all to have change in our lives so we never get comfortable in just one thing. Otherwise, we never grow and learn. We never expand our experiences and find out what the world has out there. 

It's been a serious change for me to be a mom, but had I not moved to Canada and been forced out of my comfort zone like NO other... this would have been SO much harder. So, change really has helped me be a better mom to RJ. So I say we all try to embrace change. Look forward to it. Even if it makes us uncomfortable. Because sometimes being uncomfortable means we are learning. And there's only good that comes from that.