15 month milestones and meltdowns

Mama is thankful for peaceful moments like this one…especially lately!

Arriving at swim class this morning Cole was anxious to get into the water as soon as possible. He decided to start walking over himself, and was promptly picked up by mom since she wasn’t quite ready yet.  Meltdown.

Chatting happily to himself as he sits in the carriage at Target, Cole decides he wants to walk around instead. Mom picks him up out of the carriage, puts him down, and holds his hand as they walk down the aisle.  Fixated on something that he wants to play with, he tries to change the direction they are walking in, but mom won’t let him play with lamps. Meltdown.

Sliding the oven drawer. Climbing on the dishwasher door. Opening the DVD player.  Slamming doors shut. Pulling on the cat’s tail. On the eve of Cole’s 15 month birthday, I’m starting to feel like a broken record as I try to teach him what “no” means.  I know he is listening, because when he tests a limit he looks at me as if to say “This is about to happen, Mom. What’s your move…”

The good news (because let’s face it – we have to look on the positive side to keep ourselves sane) is that I believe Cole’s extreme emotional reaction to things is because he is growing and transitioning from a baby to a toddler.  He’s asserting his independence and experiencing the effects of his motivations and movements.  I can see the wheels in his head turning as he thinks “if I do this, then that will happen…”

I get that. Really, I do…But boy is it tough to focus on milestones when your little one is in the middle of a major meltdown. Especially in public!

Although, often times his curious spirit leads to laughter rather than tears.  Yesterday in the supermarket I gave Cole a container of Cheerios to snack on to keep him busy. This type of container ensures that (most of) the snack will stay inside because it has a snap on cover that he has to reach into.

Cole’s been throwing and dumping food all over the place lately so I thought I was mom of the year for finding these containers!  One moment Cole is smiling and munching on Cheerios, and the next moment I hear a loud “POP!” followed by the sound of cereal raindrops on the floor. I look over at Cole; his eyes are as wide open as the top of the container, and he has cereal all over him.  A fit of laughter bubbles out of me, which triggers the giggles from Cole as well.  I did feel bad for maintenance though…

At the end of the day, regardless of how tough or peaceful it might have been, all I feel is love for this little human that we made. It might take me glass of wine sometimes, but I’m always able to let go of those cringe-worthy moments and just be thankful for my family. Let’s face it, you don’t have to be a 15 month old to have meltdowns. We all have them! I just want to be sure I teach Cole how to get through them safely and quickly.

Controversial Time Magazine Cover of Breastfeeding Mom

A couple weeks ago a friend of mine posted on Facebook how he was uncomfortable in a restaurant because the women next to him was breastfeeding…without a cover! Oh the nerve of the woman to feed her hungry child without considering the feelings of everyone else around her. Yes, the comment upset me, because it brings me back to my days of breastfeeding. I won’t go into detail about all of the nursing challenges that Cole and I experienced, but let’s just say it didn’t come easy for us. Did I want to be sitting in the middle of the mall trying to hold my breast and baby in proper position while he kicked the nursing cover out of place exposing everything?  No, it wasn’t my favorite past-time, and I know it wouldn’t be the right decision for every mom, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.  What I would change are the disgusted and/or curious stares from some people who walk by breastfeeding moms. Sorry everyone, but boobs were  made for milking, whether you like it or not. Not everyone chooses to use them that way and I don’t judge them! So please don’t judge me. It seemed like perfect timing that all of these feelings were being rehashed just as this magazine cover showed up on news stands.

Time got people talking and sold magazines.  They don’t care about educating people on attachment parenting, breastfeeding, or anything else for that matter.  They wanted a controversy and they got one.  We live in America and I applaud them from a business perspective. Personally, I don’t practice attachment parenting, but as I mentioned, I did breastfeed my son until he was nine months old.  Did I breastfeed in public?  Yes, but I don’t know of a mom who would breastfeed in public as depicted in this cover.

Even though I appreciate the “success” of Time’s controversial cover story, I’m also irritated by it. It positions parents against each other, rather than bridging different styles. I don’t pretend to have all the answers and I’m not going to discuss my feelings on whether attachment parenting, or even breastfeeding, is right or wrong. I believe that moms and dads make decisions based on what they feel is right for them and their children.  I know I’m not perfect, but I’m the best mom for my son, and he let’s me know in so many ways. Behind the Cover: Are You Mom Enough? explains that the four mothers photographed for the story adopted the attachment parenting philosophy for their own reasons. Who are we to question these reasons?  Educate yourself before you judge, especially if you aren’t a parent yourself.

Thanks for reading my rant

 

 

 

World Immunization Week: Giving children a Shot@Life through access to vaccines

Vaccines. It’s become such a controversial topic in America that we might as well add it alongside religion and politics as subjects to avoid during polite dinner conversation.  As a new mom I scouered bookshelves to educate myself on both sides of the discussion on vaccine safety and effectiveness to ensure I make the best choices for my son, Cole.

Then it hits me. Choice. There are other moms all over the world, who want to protect their children from preventable diseases, but they don’t have access to vaccines. These moms don’t have a choice.  As a result, many of them will have to hold their beloved babies in their arms as they take their last breath on earth.  Every child deserves a shot at a healthy life, which is why I’m supporting the Shot@Life campaign. Cole inspires me to want to help other children that are less fortunate than he is.

For our love of children we need to learn about, advocate for, and donate vaccines.  With our help the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign will decrease vaccine-preventable childhood deaths and give children a shot at a healthy life.  There are other organizations that are working towards the common goal of providing vaccines where they are most needed.  For example, I volunteer with a non-profit organization called Sustainable Healthcare for Haiti.

Sustainable Healthcare for Haiti (SHH) is in the process of planning and developing a medical clinic and children’s hospital in Jerusalem, Haiti, a city just north of Port-au-Prince. As you might have read or seen in the news recently, the cholera vaccine needs to be dispensed immediately to everyone in Haiti.  Doses are being prepared and distributed, but there are not enough clinics to vaccinate the population.  The medical clinic that SHH is building in Jerusalem could help to meet this dire need.

Join me in support of the Shot@Life campaign and Sustainable Healthcare for Haiti.  Support comes in many forms: a tweet on Twitter, a “like” on Facebook, a dollar donation. And just to be clear there is no affiliation between Shot@Life and Sustainable Healthcare for Haiti.  I’m just sharing what they both mean and represent to me!  For more information and to follow updates online, please stay connected.

Websites
sustainablehealthcareforhaiti.org
shot@life.org

Facebook
facebook.com/sustainablehealthcareforhaiti
facebook.com/shotatlifecampaign

Twitter
@shhbuilds
@shotatlife

Together, we can make a difference and save lives.

Light it up blue for World Autism Awareness Day!

We try to teach our children all about life, but really our children teach us what life is all about.

Have you heard of Light It Up Blue? Light It Up Blue, in its third year, is a global initiative to help raise awareness about the growing public health concern that is autism. Iconic landmarks around the world will Light It Up Blue to show their support.Check out the Autism Speaks website for Light It Up Blue and check out the pictures – they are so amazing! My personal favorite is Niagra Falls.My son Cole and I will be wearing blue today and our hearts will be with all of the children and families that have been affected by autism.

Being a parent is a challenge, but when your child is diagnosed with autism that challenge becomes even greater. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates autism to be prevalent in 1 in 88 children (1 in 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls) in the U.S. Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. There is no proven medical detection or cure for autism. I have a personal hunch that it has to do with both environmental toxins and genetic vulnerabilities.

The good news? A new study finds that 10% of autistic children can “bloom” and outgrow most of their disabilities by the time they reach adolescence. What can you and I do to help increase that percentage, as well as reduce the number of autistic children?

This Fall I am participating in the 2012 Greater Boston Walk Now for Autism Speaks. Team Mikey is named after my cousin’s son. He is a handsome, bright, fun little boy and was recently diagnosed with autism. Please help me raise funds to support this important cause. Although I’m not walking for several more months there is no better time to act than now, because April marks the beginning of Autism Awareness month. And today (April 2^nd) is Autism Awareness Day! So help get my fundraising efforts off to an amazing start.

Every dollar counts! Here is the link to my Donation Page.

My Very Hungry Caterpillar First Birthday Party

I woke up from my morning nap to the sound of the apartment door opening and closing, opening and closing. “What are mom and dad doing out their?” I wondered, rubbing my eyes. Since I can’t really talk yet I made a few noises and threw Piglet out of my crib. That did the trick. Dad came in, swooped me up, and gave me a squeeze. Out in the kitchen I was sitting in my high-chair enjoying my favorite breakfast of waffles and blueberries when mom walked through the front door. “How’s my birthday boy?” She smiles and blows me a kiss. I smile back and bounce a little in my seat.

After I’m finished eating mom changes me into a caterpillar onesie. I recognize the caterpillar from the book that I always pull down from the bookcase in the room. It’s my favorite because of all the food. I think the caterpillar likes to eat as much as I do! Accept I don’t get stomach aches and have to eat leaves, usually.

The phone rings and after a moment my mom and I are skipping down the hallway and as we turn the corner I see two familiar faces at the door. GG and Mima pass me back and forth, giving my a lot of hugs and kisses. And then it’s time to get down to business, that’s what mom says. In the club room, I see the Very Hungry Caterpillar all over the place! On the walls, on the table and even in the cake. I thought that cake was going to come alive and inch right off the table.

Pretty soon my friends and family arrive at the party. There is so much food to eat and so many toys to play with. We had meatballs, macaroni and cheese, fruit, veggies, and sandwiches. My favorite was the cucumber and strawberry cream cheese sandwiches. Once I had a full belly it was time to play with my friends. I shared all of my toys and we crawled all around the play-mat and through the caterpillar tunnel. Mom even came down with us and read us The Very Hungry Caterpillar book.

The biggest surprise of the day was when mom brought over a cupcake with a candle in it and everyone sang to me. That cupcake was so good! I ate the whole thing and even licked the frosting off of my fingers. I’m not sure why everyone was laughing, but it didn’t bother me. I just kept on digging in. After all, that’s what a hungry caterpillar would do, right?

Mom opened my gifts and I got some really cool things. I have the nicest and coolest friends and family. It was a perfect party and by the end of it…I was ready for another nap! Here are some pictures from my party!

Cole’s 1st birthday

Wow! I am how many fingers old today?!

You woke up this morning with a smile on your face, as usual. Dad brought you into our bedroom singing the Beatles Birthday Song… “they say it’s your birthday!” which we followed up with two verses of the traditional “Happy Birthday to you” song. What a year, Cole! I wish I could freeze you just as you are for a little bit longer. In the past couple of weeks you have really started becoming a little boy, breaking free from your infant cocoon into my handsome little butterfly! You’ve become a chatter box (like your mom) and you make me and your dad laugh all the time when you mimic words we say by repeating the first or second syllable. Duck is “da” and car is “cah” and kitty is “gee” and you love to talk with a mouth full of food. You eat everything that I put in front of you, except for chicken and avocados.  Your favorite meals are waffles with blueberries and vegetable tortellini soup. Your favorite snacks are Annie’s cheddar bunnies, kiwi, and any cracker that you can hold onto and bite your way through.

We’ve had a busy year together. You’ve banged on drums in music class, learned to sign “dog” in sign language class, made lots of friends on baby playdates, used the swing at the playground, swam and took boat rides at the lake, had lunch in Boston, wore a space helmet at the children’s museum, hiked Blue Hills and had plenty of cuddle time with your mom, dad, and the whole family! There is so much love surrounding you each and every day. Our lives are much richer with you in it.

A note from your Dad:

As each day passes I realize how lucky your mom and I are. You are such a special little boy and I can’t wait to share many fun things with you. Thank you for making me smile and putting it all in to perspective.

Love, Dad

Happy First Birthday, Cole!!

Using quinoa flour in baked goods

I love quinoa because it’s an amazing source of protein. I cook it in vegetable broth and served it with all sorts of colorful vegetables for a healthy meal that tastes great. I’ve known that quinoa is a versatile grain, but I never would have thought to use it in baked goods and in breakfast foods…until today. During my weekly visit to Whole Foods I stumbled upon a box of quinoa flour.  Visions of new and improved protein-packed pancakes, waffles, and breads danced around in my mind. All of which happen to fall on Cole’s list of favorite foods, so it’s a win/win for mom and baby. Of course I couldn’t wait to bake something to test out the tastiness of quinoa flour so I made an apple bread tonight. Here is the recipe:

2 1/2 cups quinoa flour
1 1/2 cups apple sauce
1/2 cup butter
1 cup natural sugar
1 apple, grated
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar together. Beat eggs one at a time. Stir in applesauce, grated apple, and vanilla. In separate bowl stir together remaining dry ingredients. Add to wet mixture and stir until well combined. Put into an oiled 5 X 7 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 – 60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Note: You can easily make this vegan by using earth balance butter and replacing eggs with 1/3 cup vegetable oil. I think me and quinoa flour will get along just fine…:)

Baby’s first Valentine’s Day craft

I’m determined to be crafty now that I’m a mom. What better time to start than Valentine’s Day? Inspired by an image I saw on Pinterest, I ran off to Michael’s craft store to buy supplies. Since Cole is still too young to actively participate in crafts, I knew that footprint art was a perfect way to involve him (and my husband) in homemade Valentine’s Day cards! The picture doesn’t really do it justice, but they came out so cute.

The best part is that they were super easy to make. Here is a list of the supplies I bought from Michaels to make these cards:
- Package of 10 Tiffany blue cards with envelopes
- Heart stamp with inner and outer heart
- Non-Toxic kid’s paint
- Paint brushes and paint sponges
- Black sharpie pen
- Elmers glue pen

- 4×6 pictures of your little one
Here is how I made the card!

First, I used the paint brush and red paint to cover the outer heart in the stamp

Second, I used the stamp to make hearts on all of the cards. I tried out different positions for the hearts and ended up liking the look of the final card that I posted above the best.

Now for the fun part! I used the sponge brush to put red paint on the bottom of Cole’s foot. It must of tickeled him because I got a few giggles out of him in the process.  The footprints came out best when my husband of standing with the baby, his feet parallel to the ground, and I brought the card up to his foot. I did the left footprint on all of the cards, cleaned him off, and then did the right footprint on all of the cards.

I added the quote “From the bottom of my heart…to the tips of my toes” since it seemed fitting next to the footprint art. You can add anything you want! Hmm…I wish I had better handwriting

Lastly, I glued a picture of Cole in his Valentine’s Day outfit on the back of the card. And DONE! Not too shabby for our first attempt at being crafty. And the best part is that we had some good old fashion family fun making them.

He’s almost one, folks

Wow – I can’t believe Cole turns ONE is just a couple of weeks! A year ago I was on bedrest full of worry and not quite sure what to expect. This year I’m full of wonder and amazement at how fast he is growing and how much joy he has brought to our lives. It was around Christmas time that Cole started growing into his big boy face. All of us moms and dads experience this. It’s like we wake up one morning, walk into the nursery, and suddenly a little boy or girl is staring back at us in the place of our tiny baby! In the past couple of months Cole has perfected the pull up on anything and everything and loves to walk along couches, music tables, chairs…mostly to reach for everything that he is not supposed to play with, like remote controls, cell phones and glassware.

He couch surfed for the first time last month, and he happily obliged to reenact it for me a moment later:

Video of Cole Couch Surfing

I’m always amazed when Cole reaches a new milestone. It’s incredible that a baby’s little body just knows when it’s ready to explore a new movement.  We don’t have stairs in our apartment, but the stairs in my mom and dad’s lakehouse peeked Cole’s curiosity this week. He couldn’t resist having a go:

Cole climbing stairs

It’s been quite a busy couple of months for my little boy, Cole. He is full of surprises and smiles every day. As Valentine’s Day approaches I can’t help but be thankful that I now have two loves in my life. I’m so proud of my family.

Lentil soup with sweet potatoes and spinach

I’m always looking for quick, easy, and healthy meals for my family.  Now that Cole is eating more solid foods I’ve been making meals that he can enjoy with us. Soups are easy because I can make them ahead of time in the crock pot, and they can be made with a variety of vegetable and bean combinations. I came across a recipe for lentil soup on one of my favorite food blogs, Two Peas & Their Pod, tweaked it just a bit and it came out delicious.  It’s never crossed my mind to put sweet potato into a soup – what a brilliant idea! I hope you enjoy this hearty soup on a brisk winter day.

Ingredients
1 cup of lentils
1 large sweet potato
2 medium size carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carton of vegetable broth (32 oz)
2 big handfuls fresh spinach, chopped
1 bay leaf
Oregano
Salt
Pepper

Recipe
Place all the ingredients, except the spinach, into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 – 7 hours. Five minutes before serving remove the bay leaf and add the fresh spinach. Add more seasoning to taste. Enjoy and let me know what you think!