Mothership Confessional

I'm a little late posting this. 8 months sure came quickly! Ava's personality is really coming out! She's been able to communicate her likes and dislikes a lot more recently. She has thrown a few "fits" when she's not happy with something! She's a little bit dramatic! She is working on crawling, so she's been a bit more on the fussy side over the last few weeks. She hangs out on all fours and rocks back and forth and can bring her knees forward, and then she bellyflops forward! She's still working on what to do with her arms. She can move backwards and log roll around the floor and get around the living room a bit. She's trying to figure out how to go from sitting to on her belly. Usually she just leans really far forward, face plants, and then smiles and frees her arms and legs! She is down to 2 naps a day, both (usually) an hour and a half apiece, but sometimes less. After she was waking 4 times a night and I realized going i...

Ever wondered if the MamaRoo baby swing is worth the money? Here is my review, and hopefully after reading this, you will be able to decide if it's a good purchase for your family! As a first-time mom, I had a lot on my shopping list for our baby girl. My goal was to search for good deals on quality products. We had planned on me being a stay-at-home mom, so we tried to be frugal to keep that goal a reality. At the same time, however, we had been trying to get pregnant for 4 years, and we had been dreaming of our little Ava Mckenzie for more like 5 or 6 years. So when we found out I was finally pregnant, we couldn't wait to spoil her! I had seen the MamaRoo before and I thought it was a brilliant concept for a swing. Different motions and speed options made so much sense to me. My impulsive brain said, "I want it!", while my practical brain said, "It costs too much!". I had been doing a really good job at not buying the most over-the-top thi...

I feel like this month has gone by super fast! Have I said that before?! Probably. I also feel like Ava has changed so much in this past month...even though I'm sure I say that each time, too! The main reason why I feel that way is probably because Ava has begun eating food. I did some research and decided to skip the purées altogether and do Baby Led Weaning (eating) with her. This is an incredibly popular way of introducing solids to babies in Europe, and its becoming more popular in the US. Her first food was avocado, and while she liked to pick it up and turn her wrist around so she could see it from all angles, she brought it to her mouth and she was NOT impressed. But after just a few short days she became used to the sensation of food in her mouth and she ingested a bit of sweet potato! She did gag a lot - which is a main concern people have with BLW. Most of her food she was just sucking it down the first 2 weeks. She's now 4+ weeks into eating and she...

I have always had an eye for creating fun things for kids as a preschool teacher, and now that I am a mommy, I have been anxiously awaiting Ava to "come of age" for some DIY toys from household items! We recently emptied a roll of paper towels, and my instinct was to just throw the empty roll away.  But I stopped myself. What can I make with this? A baby rainstick! It's not fancy by any means, but my baby loves it! Here's What You'll Need: Empty paper towel roll (or a toilet paper roll) Clear packing tape Jingle bells (or other fillers - see below) Tissue paper Here's What to Do: Begin by taping one end of the paper roll closed. You will want to fold the tape over itself so the items inside won't stick to the tape. Tape well so the contents will not come out. Fill your paper roll with the jingle bells. And by fill, I mean toss a few in . There really doesn't need to be that many "noisemakers" in there...

How can it be that my Ava baby is 6 months old!? When I imagined my baby during pregnancy, I mostly imagined a tiny newborn. I didn't really think much about life with a bigger baby. She continually surprises us with her new skills and her ever-emerging personality. Here is what she is up to at 6 months: Sitting!!!  This is her latest skill. All of a sudden, Ava could sit for like 10 seconds before she would wobble and lean over! I think new Christmas toys were a big incentive for her. Within a week, I was able to set her next to me with her boppy pillow around her and let her play without having to have my hands at the ready behind her. She plays for quite awhile now until she is all done! Table food! We are giving Ava her first taste of food tonight! She's having avocado! If you are curious about Baby Led Weaning, I encourage you to read this book . It explains the idea of skipping purees and spoon feeding so well and answered every question I had! Fir...

I love to cook! And for the holidays I usually like to go with familiar, traditionally served dishes from my childhood. And sometimes I like to throw in something totally different! This year we decided not to travel for the holidays. Instead, we are breaking bread with a few friends here! One meal is the traditional Christmas ham, and the other is a Mexican feast! So today was MAJOR food prep day. Little baby had a great  day, allowing me to get busy in the kitchen! She even took a 2 hour nap  ( not normal for my child!) so I could get a much needed rest on the couch!  Here are all the recipes I used this year! Some are from my recipe book, and some are links to my Pinterest page where the recipes can be found. White Chicken Enchiladas (a childhood favorite) 1 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup chopped green pepper 2 TBSP vegetable oil 2 cups cooked chopped chicken 1 1/2 cup shredded Colby-Jack Cheese 4 oz can chopped green chiles 1 can cream of...

This recipe was a childhood favorite. Once I was old enough to start cooking on my own, I couldn't believe how easy  this recipe was! Normally when you see ketchup, mustard, and relish, you probably think of: summer get-togethers.  potlucks.  barbecues.  ball parks.  picnics.  Here's a yummy dinner idea that only uses these condiments you already have in your fridge! Simple Sloppy Joes Makes about 6 sandwiches 1 pound ground beef or turkey (we prefer it with turkey) 3/4 cup ketchup 1/4 cup relish 1 TBSP mustard Brown the meat in a frying pan. Drain excess fat. Add condiments, stir, and simmer for 20 minutes.  ***** That's literally the easiest recipe ever.  If you like your sloppy joes extra sloppy, you may want to add more ketchup.  My husband and I love to eat our sloppy joes with pickles on top, steamed broccoli seasoned with Lowry's seasoning salt, and curly/crinkle/s...