The Pearce Family: May 2011

Monday, May 30, 2011

My thoughts on what to feed my baby

Long before I had Emmett I knew I wanted breastfeed my babies. It just seemed amazing to have that bond with my child and to give them exactly what God and nature intended for them to eat. While I was pregnant I saw a book for homemade baby food am I became hooked. I LOVE making Emmett's food! There are so many wonderful fruits and vegetables that babies cannot get from a jar that I can make right at home! By making his food myself I know that the food is in its most nutritious form. Yes jarred baby food is nutritious too but during the bottling process nutrients are lost when the product is heated so the jars are less nutritious then what I can make myself. Making the food is so easy. All I have to do is peel, core and chop the fruit or veggie, steam it till soft then puree the heck out of it until it is the consistency I want. The food is frozen in ice cube trays then popped out and place in freezer bags for up to 6 weeks! Another benefit to making baby food is cost. Jarred baby food is on average $0.25per/oz whereas I can do it for about $0.05per/oz. Now I know that not everyone has the time or the desire to make their baby food and you know what that is perfectly fine! Making baby food is just something I enjoy doing.

As Emmett is getting to the finger food stage I have been thinking about all the processed foods out there we all snack on and I started to freak out a little. I really do not want Emmett having some of those things, at least not for a while! My number one no nos for a long time are juice (unless sick I really do not see the purpose of it, empty calories to me), soda (why do we even drink the stuff? Tasty? yes but full of stuff that is not so good for us.), crackers (have you seen the sodium content on those things and the preservatives!!!) Now I know that in moderation or as an occasional treat these things are just fine but I do not want my kids having them as part of there daily diet. Do I sound a bit paranoid? Yes I am sure I do but seeing all the health problems kids have these days I am really worried! I want to make as many homemade things as I can. Something I have decided to do for the rest of the summer is try recipes for processed food I use on a daily basis (i.e. cream of chicken/mushroom soup, crackers, etc.) and see how I like it and that is will not be all time consuming. Also from now until school starts in August I am only going to drink water and see how that makes me feel.

Friday, May 27, 2011

What we did in May

You think I would update this blog more often but there is no time during the day and once Emmett is in bed Greg is on the computer fill out job applications. But today I finally have some time while Em is napping to update. Three weeks ago I took my last final, I am DONE with classes!! To think I will never have to take another final again is so wonderful! I got As in all three of my classes! You might ask well what now? I still have to finish my thesis. The last 3 weekends in June Greg and I will be in Boss Canyon doing field work then I have until then and December to analyze the data and get my thesis written up to defend! I am a little nervous for field work because Em will be at home with Grandma and I have never been away from him over night! I am nervous about pumping and if Em is going to do okay with a bottle for 8 feedings each weekend!

Greg is busy working with the facilities crew on campus keeping everything green and beautiful! He has applied to several more jobs this week and I pray that we will be able to find a job by the time I am done TAing in the December so Greg does not have to go work at Pizzza Hut or something. I joked with him the other day that if he does not have a job by then I will just go get my PhD and keep being a Teaching Assistant so we will have income.

Cyris has been a very moopy dog. He stretched his crucious (?) limb and hasn't been able to run and jump around for about 3 weeks. We have tried to keep him calm and lazy so it can heal but that is nearly impossbile for a hyper goldendoodle. He thinks we hate him since we cannot take him on long walk and dont wrestle with him.

Emmett is pretty much sleeping through the night now!!!!! What a miracle!!!!! Some nights he wakes up once or twice but we all get so much sleep these days that there is no need for mom to take a nap in that day! I am just loving being at home with Em and Cy all day. We wake up around 7:20 am, Em takes 3 great naps, he eats his solid food really well, goes to bed at 8 pm and he goes to sleep so easy like he always has and STAYS asleep! Em is so much fun! Although he canot crawl yet he can get anyhwere he wants by rooling, pushing backwards abd rotating. He can get up on his hands and knees and then up onto his feet. Before we know it he will be crawling! He loves his solid food! He eats oatmeal and barley cereal, carrots, butternut squash, summer squash, zuchini, sweet potatoes, ruttabaga, cailiflour, parshnips, broccoli, avacados, bananas, and pears. He does like peas but when he ate then he got hives so he hasn't had then sicne. He favorites are by far butternut suqahs and bananas. His least favorits are broccoli and avacados but he wil still eat them.