The road less traveled: March 2012

The introduction of solids has gone pretty well so far. Ian absolutely LOVES his morning oatmeal, and for the past couple of months we’ve been adding in veggies. Thanks to several of you who recommended this incredible wholesome baby food website that has guided us as we’ve began introducing some homemade baby food. They offer simple directions for each type of veggie or fruit you’d like to make for baby and even some recipes as baby’s diet advances. Also, I LOVE the food charts that are available for download based on baby’s age so you can keep track of when different fruits and veggies are introduced and whether baby liked or disliked them. It’s not only a wonderful way to track the introduction of new foods but also a great keepsake for Ian’s baby book. I’ve made his orange veggies (sweet potato, squash, carrots) and he also tried avocado, but I did use store bought green beans and peas. So far he loves his orange veggies, especially sweet potatoes, and not such a fan of the greens but we’ll keep working on that. We’re starting to also incorporate some fruits. He seemed to enjoy banana and we’re going to try apples later this week. One thing I also like about the wholesome baby food site is they give you other ideas of fruits/veggies to introduce that aren’t necessarily available as store bought baby food. We really want Ian to have a healthy, well rounded diet and are hopeful if we introduce lots of good veggies and fruits early this will give him a foundation for good nutrition throughout his life. What were some of your baby’s favorite first foods? For those of you who cooked homemade baby food what are some that you’d definitely recommend including in the mix?

I recently read this article about baby sign language & downloaded their free charts. We’re starting out by just introducing three signs, eat, sleep, & I love you, so we’ll see maybe in a couple of months whether little man will be able to communicate a bit more with us.

Teething officially began in our house and little man is now sporting two teeth! We’ve also been enjoying some fabulous spring weather here as of late and have taken to daily walks which he absolutely loves. Though he simply must have his sunglasses on or he gets upset if the sun is shining in his eyes; true story!

Esperanza at Stumbling Gracefully has come up with an awesome idea for those of us who love to read; she’s forming a parenting book club! If you’re interested in participating check out this link & join the fun. The first book we’ll be reading is Bringing up Bebe.

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It seems there are pregnancy announcements for second and third babies everywhere I turn these days. I can truly say for most of these people it leaves me feeling happy for them and doesn’t sting as it did before Ian was a part of my life, but it has brought up many thoughts as of late. Thoughts such as will I ever get to experience pregnancy again, will Ian get to be a big brother someday? Although if I’m being perfectly honest here the thought of being pregnant again brings with it a crazy amount of conflicting emotions and makes me feel a bit sick to my stomach. Still though, I have to wonder whether these peaceful, loving memories while breastfeeding my son be the last time I experience this incredible bonding moment with a child? I know I’ve heard other mothers who’ve struggled through the trenches of infertility talk about their decision to breastfeed longer then they had previously expected partly due to this uncertainty. Originally my goal had been to nurse until six months, but now with Ian approaching nine months in about a week I’m reevaluating that goal and I suppose we’ll see, we may just make it to a year after all. The health benefits to him are the primary reason but it’s also such an easy thing now, not like the challenging beginning stages of nursing. Not to mention the cost savings! What were your goals for breastfeeding initially and have they changed?

I try to remind myself I need to focus on living in the moment, cherishing the memories I am making with this incredible child I am so blessed to call my son. It’s another balancing act, not letting my mind wander too far into fears of the unknown future that await us when we attempt to build our family further while loving the life we are currently lucky enough to live. Not to mention I think about all of my IF friends still struggling to become parents and I think I need to stop worrying about the future and just bask in the thankfulness for this one incredible little child I have and focus on that. Perspective, I suppose, is as always key.