Solids, Homemade Baby Food, and ?Cloth Diapers?

Patrick has started to eat solids this week. Up until about two weeks ago, he didn't show any interest in eating solids. He would watch us eat, but wouldn't open his mouth when offered our food. Since he hadn't shown interest I just kept nursing Patrick only. I figured he could wait another 2 weeks until I talked with Dr. Jones about how to start solids. At his 6 month appointment I talked with his doctor and he seemed surprised that I hadn't started solids yet. Patrick has started solids, rice cereal and toast or pretzel (no salt). He is doing very well with it.

Patrick likes to try and hold the spoon himself. He will grab my hand and pull the spoon forward to eat. He will also grab the spoon. After eating the cereal, I give him toast or a pretzel to eat on his own. Most of this ends up on his hands or the highchair. Here is a 2 minute video I took so Michael could see Patrick eat his first solids.

I've decided to make my own baby food to help save money. I've made up one batch of green beans after dinner last night. It was really easy. I steamed a whole bag of frozen green beans and what we didn't eat I pureed in the blender and then froze in ice cube trays. This morning I took them out of the try and stored them in a freezer bag. I plan to pick up sweet potatoes and bananas next time I'm at the grocery store.

Now I need to decide about cloth diapers. I've been doing some looking and think I might switch and save money. It will be more expensive up front, but I'll save money in the long run since I can use them for all future children. I'm looking at these Econobum diapers. What do you think? I'll probably get the green or white ones. You can also buy covers with designs. I like this one.

Five Question Friday

1. Vow renewal ceremonies-yay or nay?

Well, since our pastor lost our vows and we didn't get to say then during for wedding I would say Yay. We had some very nice vows all written down and ready to go. Pastor Dan lost them and needless to say, the wedding didn't go off with out a hitch. Michael and I were so confused and then we couldn't stop laughing.

2. What sound/s annoy you the most?

High pitched screams, on purpose. You know, when someone tells kids to make noise and they scream as high and as loud as they can; not really a fan of that.

3. If you had to pick, would you have only all boys, or only all girls for kids?

Michael says only boys, so he could have a basketball team or a football team. I would have to stop at the basketball team (5), there is now way I'm producing a football team, (52). I would probably go with all boys as well.

4. Do you believe in alternative medicine?

I'm more of a natural medicine type person. Don't go the the doctor unless you have; too many people go for any little cough. Learn your body and you will know when something is wrong that requires a doctor. Also, don't be putting all those medications, hormones, ect. into your body. It's just not right. If you don't feel good then rest, don't go popping pills right away.

5. Would you take a family members children and raise them if they needed it?

Yes, but now the question is, would they want me too? I think families need to start taking care of each other. There is nothing wrong with getting help from family. What is why we have them.

Honeymoon

I've just finished scrapbooking pictures from our honeymoon last year. It brought back a lot of memories and I thought I would share my favorite pictures and memories that go with them.

#1 Pompeii
We took a day trip down to Pompeii and took a tour. It was a lot of fun and I loved seeing all the things that Mt. Vesuvius preserved. Very sad though to see the casts made of the people.

#2 Florence
Yet another day trip to Florence. I loved the overlook that we stopped at first. The city was beautiful and the church we visited was amazing. Decorated on the outside rather than the inside. Michelanglo's David was amazing also.

#3 Smart cars
Michael and I would count the number of Smart cars that would pass us as we waited for the bus. I think the highest we go was 30ish. This one was parked in front of our hotel each night.

#4 Biking around Rome
We rented bikes and explored Rome. I would highly recommend doing this to everyone. We put the maps away and just rode around and discovered different parts of the city. We would get the maps back out to figure out what we found and to get back.

#5 Ancient Rome
We took a walk around Rome and discovered a Protestant cemetery that is the grave of Keats and Shelly. I loved this angel on one of the tombs. We also took one day to visit the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill.

Wordless Wednesday

A Vacation at the Cottage

Michael's grandparents own a cottage on Lake Moshawquit near Lake Shawano. Each year the family takes a long weekend to spend there on the lake. We went up to the cottage on Tuesday and came home on Sunday. Grandma and Grandpa Bohlman were there as well as their dogs. Callie loved Patrick and would lick him any time she got the chance, especially in his mouth. We had to be on the watch for this, Patrick would open his mouth when she licked his face. At one point Callie laid under his feet while he was kicking and didn't even yelp or bite.

It was the best week to be there. Every day was bright and sunny. We spent most of the day in the water or on the dock. Patrick go his first taste of the lake and loved it. He loved splashing in the water and never once cried not matter what happened, even when Grandpa Ron hit him in the back with the water-ball. I even dunked him under water.

Overall, it was a great weekend of rest and relaxation with family.

Five Question Friday

1. If your husband had the BIG V and you got pregnant what would your first reaction be? For the dudes, what would your first reaction be if your wife told you she was pregnant after the Big V?

Knowing my husband and I, this would happen to us. I think I would be shocked at first, but then accept the fact that God planned this for us. After the baby was born, my tubes would be tied.


2. Best memory about this summer so far.

I think watching Patrick learning to crawl.


3. How often do you change your sheets? Your kids sheets?

Usually one every two or three weeks for our sheets and about the same for Patrick unless he pees out his diaper.


4. Having just gone through TSA, would you rather have a full-body scan or a pat-down?

Full-body scan. At least some of my dignaty would still be in tacked. The only person allowed to have their hands all over me is Michael.


5. Since it is fair time...what's your favorite fair (county or state) memory?
"Our state fair is the best state fair, it's the best state fair in the state." The one and only, IOWA STATE FAIR is my favorite memory. Everything about this fair is AWSOME!! I love walking through the pavillions looking at everything people have entered. When I was younger, I remember a show where the singer dressed like Willy Wonka and I got to go on the stage and help him sing a song.

Wordless Wednesday

6 months tomorrow

Patrick is 6 months old tomorrow. It's hard to believe how fast he is growing. He is learning to do a lot of things. He has been sitting by himself for about a month now as well as scooting backwards. This past week he has begun to move forward, army crawling. Usually he will pull forward only once or twice but on Friday we got this video of him crawling. So far he only crawls after toys, but I'm giving him another week or two before he is crawling all over the house. I guess it is time to start baby proofing things. We haven't started any kind of solid foods yet, but Patrick will open his mouth if I put food close to it. I'm going to wait and talk with his doctor before I start any foods. I'm thinking of starting with applesauce first. Patrick is very interested in the food we eat. We took his 6 month pictures at JC Penny's on Friday. He was very tired but did very well. He was interested in everything but the photographer and his camera. I won't get these pictures until we get back from vacation next week..Here he is at home last week sitting.

Five Question Friday

1. If you knew your best friend's spouse was cheating on her or him, would you tell her (him)?

You bet I would. I couldn't stand by and let something like that happen to anybody that I know and love.

2. Soda in a can or a bottle?

I prefer a bottle, I can then put the cap back on and finish the soda later if I want to.

3. What do you wash first, hair or body?

I usually wash my hair first. I like to let the soap work a little first before washing it out. During this time, I scrub the rest of me.

4. What advice would you give to any new mama?

Do what you think is best, don't listen to all the "expert" advise books give you. You will find a book or expert on every side of a matter. Some say this, others say that. You have to live with your decisions, so do what you think is best for your child.

5. What is your best hangover remedy?

What's a hangover? I've only had communion wine and that was enough to make me get red cheeked and hot. I've always heard drink a lot of water and sleep.

Little America

Michael and I took Patrick on his first train ride today. We met Chris, Rachel, and Joshua at Little America in Marshall. We all rode the train around the park and then out into a little farm area. We saw sheep, llamas, geese, duck, horses, zebras, and mules. The train doesn't do extremely fast, so it was a nice ride for every one.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Spaz

Patrick is a very happy boy for the most part. He is always smiling, cooing, and content. Tonight when feeding Patrick he began to shake his head back and forth. He's done this before, I think he does it when he is getting tired and trying to stay awake. I took him in to say goodnight to Michael who was laying on our bed reading. While laying on the bed he stated to shake his head again while swing his arms and kicking his legs. It was so funny to see him flail his whole body. I ran to get the camera and, of course, he stopped. I did manage to catch a small part of this on the camera. Here's the video. I had to mimic his head movement before he would do it. He is always learning something new and it never ceases to amaze me.

Five Question Friday

1. Do you think cursive writing is overrated? (Schools in Indiana have now voted to take teaching cursive writing out of their curriculum.)
Kind of. Very few things are written in cursive anymore and it is almost becoming archaic. Teachers rarely require student to write in it, but I think they need to be able to read cursive writing. Maybe just teach them to read it and write their names it cursive, for signature purposes.

2. Do you still use a pocket calendar or notepad or do you keep your info on your smart phone?
Pocket calendar since I don't have a smart phone, but that may change soon. I get to update my phone this month.

3. What 3 things would you save if your house was burning down? (family & pets are already safe)
My computer, since it contains all most all my photos and important information, my wedding album, and my hope chest. It has a lot of family items in it like my grandfather's navy uniform, my grandmother's suit she wore at her wedding, and other similar items.

4. Country Mouse or City Mouse, err Person?
Having been both, I think I would prefer to be a country mouse living close to a city. I would have the best of both worlds. Peace and quiet but close enough to go do things and buy anything I need. Kind of like my parents and sister-in-law. They both live in small town that are within 15-20 mins of a city.

5. If you could pick ANY reality show to go on, which would you pick?
I liked "The Mole" from a few years back. One person was trying to sabotage the group and cause the group to lose money while everyone else tried to figure out who it was. You were kicked off if you received the lowest score on the quiz at the end of each episode that was about who the mole was. The person who got the highest score at the final won all the money earned by doing challenges.

Wordless Wednesday

Thank You Grandpa for the 4th of July

A distant cousin was in Wisconsin doing some genealogy research and stopped by to visit. We talked for a while and he asked me if I know any stories about the family. I know a few stories, mostly from my grandparents and a few tidbits from ancestors. This got me thinking about one story in particular. An ancestor and his brother were fighting for America during the Revolutionary War. They were both taken captive and sent to a prison ship in a harbor. My ancestor, Isaac, was a mason as well as the prison guard. Because of this tie, the guard allowed Isaac to slip overboard and escape. His brother didn't and ended up dying on the ship. How much of this is true, I've yet to discover, but this is the reason we celebrate the 4th. People gave their lives to ensure our freedom. They committed treason in hopes of a better government and world. They fought to be free of Great Britain's rule, to make their own laws, to be a part of the government that would rule over them.

Both of my grandfathers served during WWII. One is the European theater (Army) and the other in the Pacific (Navy). Neither one ever talked about their experiences and what I know I've learned from my parents and grandmother. I know they both saw a lot of horrible things, things they wished to forget. They endured these horrible things to ensure our freedom and the freedom of others. They are just a few of the many who have given us our freedom. So, as you celebrate the 4th of July, remember those, past and present, who fought for the freedom we have.

Teething?

I'm wondering if Patrick is teething. He feels warm and is fussy. Every time I put him down he will be okay for about five minutes and then he starts to fuss and cry. Once I pick him up he stops. He is also not eating as long as normal. Usually he nurses for about 20-25 minutes, but the last two days it has been more like 15 minutes. He has been chewing and drooling a lot recently. I'm not sure if that is teething or just being 5 months and trying to eat everything. I don't see anything trying to pop through.

Five Question Friday!!

I'm so glad I found this while browsing other blogs. I think it is a lot of fun, I learn things about myself, remember things, and it gives me something to write each week. Feel free to answer the questions on your own in the comments. I would love to learn more about you.

1. If you had the opportunity to bungee jump, would you?
My first answer that popped into my head was no, what if I died, who would take care of Patrick? Then I started thinking and I would probably still bungee jump. The chances of getting hurt, let alone death, are much smaller than driving a car, and I do that every day with Patrick.

2. Would you rather go to the movie theater or to the drive-in?
I love the old time drive-ins. There are not that many left, but I know of two that are fairly close, one in the Dells and one by Jefferson. I would probably go to the drive-in right now because of Patrick. If he starts crying during the movie, it only disrupts Michael and me. Normally, I would say the theater; larger screen, louder sound, and more comfortable seats.

3. Do you have your groceries delivered?
Nope, I like to use grocery shopping as an excuse to get out of the house. Plus, Patrick is still too little to ask for things or get into stuff.

4. Eyebrows: Do you wax, thread, pluck, or stay au naturel?
I have to pluck or I end up with a nice dark unibrow look. I have waxed them a couple times and like the look, but I'm to cheap to keep having it done. I could do it myself, but I'm not sure if I trust myself to do it.

5. Would the people you went to high school with be surprised by your life today?
Probably not. They didn't notice me in High School, so I doubt they would take the time to notice me now, let alone be surprise at my life. Generally to be surprised you have to know something about the person first.