Yum Yums in the Tum!

Well... I finally decided to give up on the rice and start with some actual purees for "tiny". If you have been keeping up with our dear sweet Aidyn, then you know that he has persistently been an anti-fan of the baby rice. I have tried and tried again ever since shortly after his fourth month of life and he still refused it! So, as you know from past blogs, I received as a Christmas gift a food processor, which makes my baby food system complete! Baby Cookbook from Williams & Sonoma - check! (thanks Janelle for the tip!), food steamer - check! Food processor- check! Ice cube trays - check! Freezer bags -check! For those of you who do not know what goes into the entire baby food making processor, let me just tell you... it takes pure dedication! My oh my how tempting all those baby food jars are in Babies R Us! I was in there today looking at them just contemplating the goodness and sanity of the idea ... ;) However, I plan to keep the momentum going and make more purees! I will however turn I think to some of the organic store purees from time to time- some of the mixed blends sound good! Anyhow, for pureeing baby food let me briefly explain the process... are you ready?????!!!!!!

1. Decide what you are going to puree.
2. Find the veggies or fruits to use... preferrably organic.

3. Decide if you need to steam the ingredients first. Usually you need to steam the fruit or veggies in the steamer. If not, then you have to bake them- such as the squash or sweet potatoes - which usually takes about 1 hour for baking.

4. Steam or bake for designated time alotted for each specific fruit or veggie - which is sometimes noted in the recipe book or in another book you may have come across.

5. Take ingredients out of steamer or oven and let them cool, another 20 minutes.

6. Scoop ingredients usually out of the skin of the veggie or fruit and place all ingredients in food processor.

7. Use food processor and then use the water from the steamer to help make the puree the right consistency for the baby. If you are using something '"baked" then use Baby Water which you have bought at the store. The reason you use the water from the steamer is because the extra vitamins from the fruit or vegetable go into the water used for steaming.

8. Take all the puree out of the food processor and spoon it carefully into seperate ice cube trays. Cover and then freeze.

9. Next day or several hours later, take each ice cube out of the trays and place in a freezer bag, specially marked with the designated food, date of which it was made, and how long it can stay in the freezer - freezer life is usually 3 months.

10. Depending on what you plan on giving the child the next day, take ice cubes out and place them in the fridge to thaw out.

Wheew... a long process that's for sure, but I'm starting to get the hang of it now! Aidyn is just shy of 6 months now and I have introduced (with success and with NO allergies- you are suppose to wait about four days in between each new food to make sure of no allergic reactions) sweet potatoes and apples. Tomorrow Aidyn will be getting sweet peas! Keep your fingers crossed on this one, I hear peas are a tricky one get the little munchkins to eat! Oh and by the way, he now will eat the rice with the apples! Yes, definately an accomplishment after all those spoonfuls spit out at me of it!

Here he is getting food off the spoon Nanny G is holding... and yes he IS feeding himself. It is funny, if I try to feed him myself he gets so angry he gets all red in the face and blows bubbles with his mouth. He is grabbing the spoon here - a typical reaction when I put food on the spoon. He sometimes misses his mouth, can you notice? But... hey he will never know how to do it unless he practices himself!

What a Merry Little Christmas!

Aidyn's first Christmas was full of wonderful memories and love. I must say Michael and I sure have gotten a taste of what life is like with a little one in the picture. Not only did he get TONS of toys but we had to put a lot of things together and use a lot of batteries! Our home looks more like a baby's fun land rather than the "condo of the year" as it once was up for years past. Where are we going to put all of these things in the next question. Well after this discussion Michael and I have decided to convert the sunroom - which serves no use now anyways- into a play room area. This area is off that of the family room and is "open" to it and only seperated by a step and would make a nice space for Aidyn. We can see what he is doing in this area and he is also free to move more from their to the family room than other spaces used upstairs. So for 2009 some nice remodeling is going to be on the agenda for the little guy! A nice new carpet over the wooden floors and some nice bins for all the little toys Aidyn has will add to the sunroom's new model project! Don't get me wrong we love seeing his toys amongst our things however now with more from Christmas, walking space has become limited because our busy boy likes taking all the toys out! I am sure it won't be long before our comfy home becomes too small to accomodate a growing family! Sadly eventually this home will have to be left I think! Here are some Christmas pictures for all to enjoy! By the way there is also another new blog I have put on but since I had created it awhile ago and it was "drafted" it came up under the Dear Santa blog. Take a look at it also, it's called "How You Know it's Winter at OUR House". Hope everyone had a terrific holiday and more to come of our family in 2009!

Michael and I .... PART 2

So, as we left part 1 Michael had moved into our development, across the street from me, with his "then" girlfriend.

I continued to do my own thing. I would see him from time to time outside but as the seasons past and time went by I began to not see him much nor his girlfriend. In the beginning I would see them walking dogs and outside but as I got busy and I guess he got busy; neither one of us caught each other outside much.

I was continuing to teach at an elementary school, first grade, and was asked by my principal if I would take a YSU tech. student. For those of you who are asking what this is, it is similar to a student teacher- or a student who teaches some and observes too. So, I agreed and came to find out that this was a cousin of a person I knew from my own high school. We would begin to throw names back and forth of people we knew and a girl who she was friends with was a year younger than I and one which I knew. It turns out that my tech student had just ended an engagement and this "friend" of hers was looking to set her up with a friend of her boyfriends.

One day this girl calls her on a break we had at the school and tells her she wants her to meet this guy named, Michael Vranches. She tells me this and I was shocked because I knew he was involved! She tells me that they broke up and that he is now single, living alone. In the mean time the next day this girl and her have a fight and I tell her since he is my neighbor I will set her up, I had his number in my phone.

Here I am that night, sitting on the couch with my friend Mary when I call Michael to set him up. I tell him I am sorry he had ended things with the girl, say I have someone who wants to be set up, and he tells me he would rather just take me out! What?? I just laughed it off thinking he was joking and he was serious! I contemplated awhile what to do... told him I didn't know... and basically told the girl the conversation never happened. I couldn't get ahold of him.... right...

A couple of days later the girl had ended her time with me in my classroom. I would never see her again, were we really friends?? Not really. So I went to visit Michael and told him I would be interested in that date :)

It was rather a nice way and rather bitter sweet way to reconnect after all our "past" history. Gosh that would have been like 7 years earlier that I met him, hung out with him, and worked for him! A lot of history to say the least and funny memories! Even though we had to get to know each other again, it was like meeting up for a long lost friend. You always seem to unusually start off where you left off. :)

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

Since this year it is my first Christmas I made a super loooonnng list for you Santa! Mommy told me to make a list for you and read me a few stories about how special you are and your magical sleigh and reindeer. I can't wait to catch you slipping down our chimney! I have been really good the whole four 1/2 months I've been in this world and I hope I'm not on the naughty list. It has only been this past week that I have been a little bit of a bear for Mommy and Daddy. I can't help it though that I'm sick and just can't get comfortable in my crib. Mommy is so cuddly and warm and she makes a terrific pillow for me when I'm sick! I hope she doesn't mind sleeping on the couch! I like it there way more than in my room by myself! As for that nose bulb that Mommy keeps sticking in my nose for boogers, I'm sorry I keep hitting mommy when she tries it on me, I just HATE that thing and it's nothing against her. I will try to be a good boy next time she tries it! :) As for the list now, I really would like to tell you what exactly I am wishing for. Here they are.

1. A chance to hold Lolly dog. She will let me pet her and yesterday she even let me grab her ears with both hands, but I still can't keep a grip on that doggie.

2. A chance to visit one of those birdies up close. Mommy keeps showing me the geese and the swans, like Big Foot, but they just aren't close enough and because of the ice in the water they can't come up by the house. I really can't wait until Spring to see them so PLEASE help them find another route to visit us!

3. No more belly time! Will you please leave Mommy a note to stop belly time! I absolutely hate this and she keeps insisting that I do it! She has even increased it! Ahh I can't take it!

4. No more of that bland rice stuff. Ah I shiver throughout my entire body when Mommy shoves that spoon in my mouth. I just don't know how I will ever be able to hold it down. The only reason I ate it today is because I'm sick and can't taste. I hope Mommy doesn't have her hopes up now.

5. Some real food. I almost had a potato cake from Arby's in my mouth today. It can as close as my lips and Mommy grabbed it away. Darn it. Close! I definately can tell the difference between what is food and what is just paper, although the paper bag did taste kinda yummy. I guess I will continue to just watch everyone eat until they offer me a scrap.

6. Bath time alllll day! I love taking baths and love to be naked! Can we extend bath time for the entire day!? That would be fun! The best part of the bath is splashing all the water out! It's okay Mommy moved the baby tub into the big tub so I can splash as much as I want now and not make her mad ;) She even fills the tub back up after I splash it all out! Cool!

7. Bring on MORE the hugs and kisses! Not that I'm deprived any now, more is always good though! I love it when Mommy and Daddy shower me with attention. I am very spoiled, but thats okay! I would love it if Mommy held me all day and kissed me and hugged me! Daddy could stay home from work and do the same and I'd be EXTREMELY happy! Can we make this possible?

8. Bring on the crawling skills already! I keep trying to move when on my belly but I just can't seem to get anywhere. I get in position, at least I think it's the position i need to be in for something to happen. But nothing does! I have even contemplated skipping crawling and just go for the walking. Can I do that? This crawling thing seems kinda hard for me. It seems way easier for me to hold on to things and stand. I am a little wobbly doing that though but my legs are strong and hold me up. Hmmm... please help! I want to move - move - move!

9. A new friend! Aunt Mary is ready to have little Michael! Speed this process up already! I can't wait any longer to have a friend to play with! Just thinking about being the older one makes me smile :) I also can't wait to tell Michael how I use to sit on his head when Aunt Mary would hold me when she was carrying him. I would just sit on top of the belly bump all the time! Right now it's getting hard for me to stay on top of it, Michael is hogging my sitting space!

10. Toys! I have a lot of these already but I hear you can never have enough! I really enjoy them so far and am super excited about opening them up on Christmas! Give me some with a lot of directions and parts too, that gives Daddy something to do on Christmas morning for me! :)

Thanks Santa for reading my letter! I hope to see you on Christmas Eve! I will try to find a way out of my crib! Oh and don't forget to eat your cookies and milk! :)

Love,
Aidyn