Our first child was born in October of 2010. Time is flying by and he is changing so much! This blog is dedicated to documenting all the special moments and milestones we share together as a family.

Monday, May 30, 2011

what's new

Mr. Bean has been babbling for awhile now and is quite good at making the /b/ sound.  Last month he started saying babababa.  This past week, he was just saying bbbbb. I wondered why he was going backwards with his sounds, but realized he was trying hard to blow rasberries!  It has been really cute watching him practice!  He finally has it down.  He has also started saying dadadada, the /n/ sound and occasionally the /m/ sound. I am anxiously waiting for him to say Mama.

He has also been taking his ankles and wrists and rotating them, like he is warming up for a sports match.  Bean has begun pushing himself backwards, which requires a great amount of effort on his part. I think he is getting ready for crawling.  Rolling is his specialty.  He is very quick now.

Eating is always a fun adventure.  This past week Bean had spinach and mangoes for the first time.  Of course, he likes them both!  We ask him if he wants more and are trying to teach him the sign for more.  He knows what it means.  When we ask "Do you want more?" he reacts with his whole body, pants like a puppy dog, waves his arms and legs, and tenses up his face.  I love seeing his reactions! It has been a busy week.  We are looking forward to seeing what he will do next!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Make Your Own Organic Baby Food

We started giving solid food to Mr. Bean a couple days after he turned six months.  I wanted to wait as long as possible to avoid possible future food allergies.  We were also waiting to see signs that he was ready for solids.  We were waiting for him to seem interested in the food we were eating. We weren't seeing this, so thought maybe he wasn't ready.  He did, however, seem very interested in anything I was drinking and cried to be at the table with us when we were eating.  I usually eat dinner the Bean in my lap.  I think I should have taken these things as signs he was ready.

At his six month check up, I mentioned Bean was having some constipation issues.  The doctor said to go ahead and start giving him pears, prunes, or peaches to help him.  I plan to only feed Mr. Bean organic food.  It seems like there are so many crazy things happening to the food we eat: added chemicals, pesticides, genetically modified foods... I know I won't be able to completely shield my child from these things, but I hope to avoid feeding him harmful foods as much as possible! (click here to sign a petition against Monsanto!)

Mr. Bean's first bite of solids was organic pears.  He gobbled it down with no problem and really seemed to like it.  I think it was me who was not ready for him to start solids, not him!

I purchased a baby food cook called The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet. I like this book because it lists foods to introduce to your baby by month.  It also has a place in the back of the book to check off foods your baby liked or disliked. Last week, using my steamer and food processor, I made two to three weeks worth of baby food.  I bought a couple ice cube trays to freeze individual portions in. I don't think purchasing special baby food makers is necessary.    A dear friend of mine said she is adding some spices to her baby food.  I thought this was an excellent idea to help develop baby's palate and hopefully avoid a picky eater! She suggested Top 100 Baby Purees: 100 Quick and Easy Meals for a Healthy and Happy Baby. I need to do a little research on spices that are safe for babies.  I think I have found a web site that will help with that research.

I really enjoyed making food for my little one.  I love knowing I am doing something good for him.  It is a very gratifying feeling. I am looking forward to getting creative!


Mr. Bean at Seven Months

 Today is my husband's birthday, as well as the day our little Bean turns seven months old.  I am thinking I should start planning his first birthday now, so I can accomplish putting the party together by October!

Bean has really grown this past month!  His little legs resemble the Michelin Man. Even his feet are chubby!  So cute! Since I last posted about his milestones, he has learned to do so much!  On March 24, Mr. Bean rolled from his back to his belly.  Currently, he is a master roller.  We put him down in one spot and in no time he has rotated and rolled across the room.  I can no longer leave him in one spot and expect him to stay there.

On April 17, Maika realized he could chew on his feet.  This is now a favorite past time.  He also likes to grab his feet and move his leg while nursing.  He is so funny! At about this same time, we started the Beanster on solid foods.  My original plan was to start with vegetables, then move to fruits, but he was having some "issues." The doctor recommended giving him pears or prunes to help him out.  So far, he has had pears, prunes, peaches, avocado, oatmeal, apples, and bananas.  He loved all of it, with the exception of the apples.  I think they were a little too sour. I think he would eat for as long as we shovel food in!

Mr. Bean has started sitting on his own this past month.  Today he was sitting up on his own without toppling over for several minutes.  He is really getting the hang of it.  I love to see him grow and change, but wish it wasn't happening so quickly!  I am afraid crawling is in our near future...

first bite of solids (pears) taken at the Marshall's house
he really did like it

I got this sitting thing down - no problem mon!

outfit from Aunt Aida's travels
Bean and Aunty Aida

it's good to be loved!