Starting on Solids

A whole bunch of my friends asked me a ton of questions about starting solids and progressing to finger/table foods as most said that their doctors either gave them a short list that wasnt detailed enough and felt rushed to ask questions or some of their doctors didnt even give them a list, just told them they could start solids. I made this list for a friend of mine who asked me about Frankie's eating and I thought I would share for new moms. PLEASE know that this is what I did which worked well for Frankie, but this may not work for some kids or some of you may disagree with parts. I am just providing a little guide for those interested, you by no means have to follow it or try things you dont want to :) 

Cereal: (the start)

-          1 tsp of rice mixed with water for 1 week at breakfast and dinner

-          1 tsp of barley mixed with water for 1 week at breakfast and dinner

-          1 tsp of oatmeal mixed with water for 1 week at breakfast and dinner

Note:
* I gave Frankie his bottle first and then 45mins to an hour later I gave him the food
* The milk is the most important food so that is why I gave it to him first and wait a bit so he is not so full
* I increased the amount of cereal I was giving him when I started seeing him finish what was in the bowl
* To start, I made the cereal very liquidy and as he got used to eating I made it thicker and thicker
* I originally bought Gerber but he seemed to hate it, then I switched to Heinz (with water) and he seemed to really like it

Introducing Veggies:

-          I would continue as before with the cereals at breakfast and dinner and at lunch I started giving him a tablespoon or two of pureed veggies (started with carrots, then green beans, then squash, then wax beans, then sweet potato and lastly peas) for 3 days each

Note:
* After he tried one of the veggies for three days and there was no allergic reaction, I would then mix in that veggie into the cereal at dinner time ie. Once he was done trying carrots, I would add carrots into his cereal at dinner while giving him green beans for lunch. Once he was done trying green beans, I mixed it in with his cereal at dinner while giving him squash for lunch and so on and so forth. I found this really helped with changing up the taste for him

Introducing Fruit:

-          I would continue as before with the cereals at breakfast and dinner (and giving veggies mixed in with the cereal at dinner) and at lunch I introduced the fruits (I started with apple sauce, then apricots, then pears, peach, blueberry, strawberry etc) for 3 days each

Note:
* After he tried one of the fruits for three days and there was no reaction, I would then mix the fruit into the cereal at breakfast time ie. Once he was done trying apple sauce, I would add the apple sauce into his cereal in the morning while giving him apricots for lunch and so on and so forth
* I continued to give the veggies he previously tried at lunch before giving the fruit so they don’t lose the taste of the veggie and reject it when you are done all the fruits (as fruits are obviously way yummier than veggies)
* Some doctors say to introduce meats before fruits, I however decided to do fruit first
Introducing Meats:

-          I would continue as before with the cereals at breakfast and dinner mixed with fruits in the morning and veggies at dinner and try chicken, turkey and lamb at lunch. Frankie hated this stuff (probably because I made it and I am the worst cook) so we didn’t last very long but here is a small tip: if you are making your meat, boil or steam sweet potato, carrots and squash together with the meat and then blend.

ALL NOTES:
* Once he/she has tried everything, I then tried yogurt which of course he loved
* You basically want to get him/her on the same eating regime as yourself (cereal and fruit for breakfast, veggies for lunch and a protein with veggie for dinner with a little fruit for dessert). Sometimes I give yogurt for lunch or dinner
* I stuck with this routine for quite a while and rotating the veggie and fruit every day so he didn’t get sick of the flavor

Table Food
* Once he was able to eat those star puffs without gagging, I started giving him small pieces of bread to try every day (try to give him/her a very soft finger food every day so he/she gets used to gumming it)
* Then I scrambled an egg with butter and started giving him that
* Then I started to try small pieces of watermelon, peach, plum, raspberries, soft cheese ie. cottage cheese (anything really that was super soft)
* Once he/she gets good at chewing, then I start giving him pieces of whatever I was eating ie. grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, pizza, meat lasagna, veggies in tomato sauce … really anything that wasn’t on the ‘NO’ list and he couldn’t choke on.

Here is a sequence of pictures of Frankie trying food for the first time - I still laugh remembering this moment

Good luck

T.
xo

The Perfect Gift for A Close Friend

We all have been searching for the perfect gift for our close friends that isn't a toy which will get lost with all the others or a piece of clothing that he/she will grow out of in 5 minutes ... well I found it!!!
A friend of mine had a baby girl (after having two boys prior) and I wanted to get her a special gift. I honestly could not think of anything to get her that she wouldnt be getting from a million other people.

I overheard a conversation about custom memory boards and instantly was intrigued. I was sent some pictures of the product and I fell inlove! I mentioned that I wanted a lavendar board as that was the colour of the baby's room and she showed me a bunch of fabrics, ribbon and buttons I could choose from. Immediately after I gave my girlfriend the board, she called me to tell me how much she truly loved the gift and how unique it was (I even had her daughters initials put on it). For those who are having boys, she can pick fabrics that are sports related - see pic below

I also realized that these make a very nice house warming gift. I had one made for myself for my kitchen as I would always put invitations, grocery lists, pictures and my emergency list of contact phone numbers in a drawer hoping that I would remember they were in there. I was in desperate need of putting them out on he counter so I would remember and no taping them to the wall did not work! Below is a picture of the one I had made.

Company: Sugaree
Contact: Riva Turner
Email: riva.sugaree@gmail.com

T.
xo

Relief at Last!

Ahhh the fun of having a teething child.

I cant even begin to explain how many teethers I have tried after Frankie cut his first tooth! I have spent countless hours researching the best products out there, tried them and it seemed that either Frankie didnt like any of them or they didnt provide any relief. I then had one of those "Aha!" moments.

When I started Frankie on solids, I bought one of those feeding nets so that Frankie could try different foods that he wasnt allowed eating whole, so I thought why not put a small ice cube in the net and let him suck on it, BEST IDEA EVER! I must have refilled the net 4 times, he was lovin it and best of all his hands werent freezing holding it like all the other ones you put in the freezer. Just one hint if you decide to try it: use a bib, it gets very messy

Relief at last!
T.
xo

My Pre-Baby List

After going onto many websites, I compiled a list of items that I wanted in the house before Frankie arrived and I thought I would share. Of course you do not need to follow this list (some items you might want to hold off on until you get them from your registry), but perhaps it can be a guide for you. If there is anything I am missing, feel free to add to the list by commenting at the bottom.

Item	Quantity
Crib Sheets	3
Change Pad Cover	3
Waterproof Mattress Pad	1
Change Pad	1
Towels	4
Wash cloths (12 Pack)	2
Diaper Genie	1
Diaper Genie Refills (3 pack)	6
Bath Tub (Safety 1st)	1
Shampoo	1
Body Lotion	1
Thermometer (rectal)	1
Safety 1st Grooming Kit	1
Nasal Aspirator	1
Monitor	1
Stroller	1
Car Seat Adaptor	1
Car Mirror	1
Bottles (2 Pack Plastic)	3
Double Breast Pump	1
Pacifiers (2 pack)	2
Laundry Hamper	1
Hangers (10 pack)	1
Ivory Snow Detergent	1
Swaddles	3
Diapers (Newborn Swaddles)	2
Vaseline	2
Penaten Cream	1
Hand Sanitizer Pumps	3
Bassinet	1
White Onesies (long sleeve and short sleeve)	5
Sterilizer (Electric or Microwavable)	1
Bottle Warmer	1
Bottle Drying Rack	1
Bottle Cleaner	1
Bibs	3
Receiving Blankets	4
Tempra	1
Baby Advil	1
Nasal Decongestant	1

Bucket Car Seat

Best of luck
T.
xo

Info on Colic

Having a baby that was colicky, I must have read everything on the internet on colic to see what it was and if there were ways to help settle the baby. A lot of people who went through the same thing recommended seeing a Chiropractor (and actually swore by them). I spoke to a friend of mine (Dr. Shaila Goldsman) who is a Chiropractor and she gave me this information, so I thought I would share:

What is Colic?

Colic is described as an unexplained, extreme fussiness, not related to eating, that occurs within the first 3 months of life. Typically, it begins at about 2-3 weeks of age and gradually declines by the third month. Episodes are more common in the late afternoon and evening hours. Colic is known to occur in 20-30% of infants and can be quite distressing for new parents.

Common characteristics:

   -sudden onset of intense crying for no particular reason

   -stomach bloating and flatulence

   -irritability

   -drawing of the legs upward toward the chest

   -infant has no trouble eating or gaining weight

There is no known cause for colic, but it has been speculated to be associated with immaturity of the central nervous system, gastrointestinal intolerance to milk, and/or family distress. Formula-fed infants have not been found to be more prone to colic than breast-fed infants. 

Management:

Typically, parents are reassured that they are handling their baby well and that the condition will resolve within a few months. Holding, rocking or patting the infant may be of some help. If the child feeds quickly, using a smaller nipple on the bottle can be tried. The use of a pacifier or feeding the child upright may help as well (Also, I found bouncing on a large exercise ball really helped soothe Frankie)

Medical Management:

The medical treatment of colic is openly acknowledged to be limited. In some cases, a colicky infant is given drugs, most commonly Dramamine and/or Donnatol and less commonly Simethicone or Methylpolysiloxane. The results of studies evaluating the use of these drugs have been questionable. In most trials, the use of these drugs has been no more effective than that of a placebo.

Chiropractic Management:

Your chiropractor will perform a full physical examination of your infant to determine the reason for the incessant crying. The infant should be checked for vertebral subluxations or restrictions, with particular attention to the upper neck and the mid-back. These subluxations or restrictions could conceivably occur anywhere along the spine, necessitating a thorough spinal examination. Many new parents are wary of bringing their little baby to a chiropractor. In actuality, pediatric adjustments to your baby’s spine are gentle and use little force. These are NOT the same adjustments you may be used to receiving yourself! The use of gentle, prolonged pressure with the fingers on your child’s spine is the typical mode of pediatric adjustment.

Of course its your comfort level
For you new moms who have a colicky baby, I hope this helps

T.
xo

Keep it Compact

Sometimes I like to play a fun game with myself, its called "How many items can I stuff into my diaper bag?" I have diapers, wipes, a change pad, half a dozen toys, change of clothes, my Flip cam, sunscreen, burp cloth, peneten cream, Mum Mums, two bottles of formula, a jar of snacks, kleenex, oh and my wallet! Yes my diaper bag is big and heavy, but at least I have back up for any situation.

Over the last few weeks, I have been trying to find a more compact bag that I can throw a few things into and go. I got a personalized knapsack when Frankie was born which I thought would be great for this, the problem is, it has no side pocket for a bottle and I cant chance the bottle leaking all over everything inside the bag. Then I saw the cutest knapsack that a friend of mine had. What did I do, I went out and bought it of course.

It is a great knapsack. It has a bottle holder on the side, a compartment in the front for the little stuff (ie. the Flip cam, pacifiers, Blackberry etc) and the main compartment is a great size. It can hold my diapers, change pad, wipes, a few toys, Mum Mums, a snack container, and ususally I can stuff his sippy cup in there ... not bad!! The absolute best part of this knapsack is that they make them look like cute animals (I got the doggy). When Frankie is older, he can use it for school.

Where to buy: BB Buggy or Lil Niblets (around $25)
Note: both stores do not carry all animals

T.
xo

PICABOO!!!!!!!!

No, I did not make a spelling error in the title, nor am I talking about the game you play with your baby. This is one of my absolute favorite companies in the world! PICABOO.

Online scrapbooking, a brilliant invention.

I have thousands of pictures just sitting on my computer and I hate printing them because I never know what to do with them (minus the ones that I frame). I was introduced to online scrapbooking by Picaboo and I was hooked. There are a million great features, here are a few of my faves:
- you can choose the size of the book
- you can choose your cover (you can choose different materials, a full image covering the front, having a window)
- you choose from thousands and thousands of background images (they are very easy to search so you dont get overwhelmed)
- a ton of different formats for placing the photos
- you can write comments around each image
- you can change the colour of the images (black and white, sepia etc)
- they always have monthly great deals!!!
- best of all GREAT QUALITY

I have made books to document Frankie growing. They are great to look back at and they make great presents. I have made multiple books for my parents documenting our vacations, I made one for a friend for her birthday with pics of us, they are great for anniversaries or even just brag books that your mother or mother-in-law can keep on them or at their house. I am attaching some pics of one of the books I have made (these pics are from my Blackberry, sorry they are a little grainy).

Thank you to our friends at Picaboo, they are offering all my visitors and followers 50% OFF your FIRST book with Picaboo - use code 1P50PO (note: the first "0" is the number and the second "O" is the letter). I promise you, you will NOT be disappointed

Website: http://www.picaboo.com/

Enjoy the memories
T.
xo