I'm now one of THOSE mothers.....

I really enjoyed the freedom I had when Parker was an infant. He could nap whenever we were in the car and I could simply throw in some jars of baby food and the formula container and some bottles filled with water when we wanted to go out for the day.



Those were the easy days. I didn't realize just how easy I had it when Parker was an infant.



I wore my "I'm not a slave to a schedule" button like a badge of honor. I proudly stated that we were a free flowing kinda family....just did as we pleased without a ton of structure around us. We thrived on that...we enjoyed it.



We did...all of us did....until.....



......the surgery.......



Since "the surgery" a lot of things changed for us, as I've already mentioned in another post. Additionally, Parker has decided that he's a real creature of habit. He thrives on his schedule and if we get thrown off then we're really in for it.



In a way, I like knowing that I need to be back home by a certain time because we need to get him down for his nap. But on the other hand, it's hard if I want to be flexible or if we run behind from an appointment. Luckily he'll usually flex with me about 30-45 min but that's about it.



Now I'm one of THOSE moms. One of the Moms that I always wondered about. It's interesting to see how the other half lives. :-)

My kid is unbelievable!

Okay...so in the past I've not made any secret about our troubles getting Parker to take more solid foods and even table food. It made getting a root canal seem like fun. It made going to the GYN seem like a picnic. It made 10 months of pregnancy and a c-section seem like a walk in the park!!! You get my drift.

Anyway....my son has now decided that he'll eat just about anything. Of course he has to be in the mood for it, but he'll eat almost anything I put in front of him. Yogurt and string cheese are our go-to snacks. But he's now decided that he loves Cinnamon Graham Crackers I give him those as a treat at the end of his meal. He loves the Gerber Graduates raviolis as they are the perfect size to pick up. This weekend I made a recipe from Weelicious.com called Cilantr "Os" . I thought they tasted really good and Parker gets them tomorrow in his lunch. We'll see how they go over.

Shooter and I went and tried out this new mexican restaurant that I've read about on several Atlanta food blogs and have been dying to try. It's Taco Rancho and it's on the grounds of the State Farmers Market in Forest Park. It's AMAZING!! Well, I should say that the Camarones taco I got was delicious...Parker's Vegetale taco was delish...and the guacamole was ip smacking good eats. My Carne Asada wasn't all that good, to be honest, the meat was overcooked and dry and so tough I couldn't even share any with P. I also got the corn on the cob which was mighty tasty. All in all, we will be going back. If no other reason than Parker LOVED the guacamole.

I first put a snall spoonful down on his placemat. He gave it a suspicious nudging with his pudgy little finger and then licked the foreign stuff on it. After smacking his lips and giving the approving, "Nom Nom Nom", he reached out and grabbed the small pile of guac and crammed it in his mouth...much like he's demonstrating above. He then started reaching for the bowl in front of me. So, like any good sacrificing Mom, I gave him pretty much the entire bowl. It was too much fun watching him snarf it down, to be honest! I ended up mixing in the contents of his vegetale taco with the guac to get some more veggies in him - he never flinched at the addition, just kept snarfing if down like we hadn't fed him in weeks and he didn't know when he'd see another meal. I think the waitresses were giving us the stink eye....

Oh....and the kid has figured out what the cake was all about that he decided not to touch at his birthday parties. Here he is at his Aunt Paige's party this weekend...again, snarfing down food....I SWEAR, we feed this kid!!! I promise!!!

I'm really enjoying watching him discover new tastes and things he enjoys. He gave some fried okra a real tentative taste...but didn't really eat any. He loves cantaloupe and plums and pluots. Oh...and cauliflower and cheese...watch out if you want to try to keep any of that to yourself!!!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Okay folks...Tenille over at Feisty Frugal and Fabulous is giving away a pair of See Kai Run shoes. If you haven't gotten your kiddo a pair, well, then go and register on her blog for a chance to win some! They're awesome shoes and are way better than Pedipeds for my new walker. The soles aren't slick but they're flexible and great for those just learning to walk or those who've been walking a long time.

So...go ahead...go over to Feisty Frugal and Fabulous to register for a free pair of See Kai Run shoes!

It's amazing-wee awesome!

I had a friend send me a link to a blog/website that was chock full of great ideas for feeding your babies and toddlers. I really didn't give it much thought other than, "Wow, wouldn't it be nice to be a stay-at-home Mom with all the time to devote to trying all these ideas and all the funds necessary to buy all these ingredients and be gorgeous and a former model".

I was looking for some recipes for toddlers and came across the same website again and when I looked at it through new "eyes" I really liked what I saw!

The website is called Weelicious and it's got a ton of really great recipes for not only your toddler/baby but also the entire family.

You must check it out - I know I'm inspired to expand Parker's culinary horizons.

Recipe Time!!! Crustless Spinach Quiche

Since I'm on this new way of thinking about eating and embarking on my lifestyle change....I've been looking for things I can make for breakfast that are fast and easy and something I can pack ahead of time for work. I found this recipe and it completely fits the bill for me!

It's a crustless quiche, so it fits in with my low carb attitude. It's filled with good stuff so it makes me feel happy and it's also filled with spinach which is yummy and helps keep the inside happy and full!

Crustless Spinach Quiche

5 eggs, beaten
1 10-oz package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
2 cups reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
16 oz reduced fat cottage cheese (small curd if you can find it)
1 bunch of green onions (sliced thin, only white and light green parts)

Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 inch pie plate or cake pan by spraying it with Pam.

Squeeze the spinach in a clean kitchen towel to remove all the water. Add it to a large mixing bowl, separating it into pieces. Add the beaten eggs, cheese, cottage cheese and onions. Also, add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Mix everything well and then pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the oven for about 45 min or until eggs are set.


This is such an awesome recipe. I hope you get a chance to try it soon!

What a weekend...what a month!

Wow...what a weekend...and what a month!!!!

It never ceases to amaze me how much my little man is changing. I reflected on that this morning on my way into work. It has been 3 weeks since Parker's surgery to put tubes in his ears. In that three weeks we've had the following changes happen in our house:

1) P's begun speaking new words and carrying on conversations (where only he knows what's being said, mind you). It's amazing all the new sounds he's coming up with.

2) His balance has improved exponentially and he's now walking without the "frankenstein" pose. Oh...and here's a video from only a week and a half ago...where he had a full on grasp of the "frankenstein" pose. Now he's walking in what I like to call the "Charlie Chaplin" stage. Hands down and feet pointed out and kinda shuffling along. :-)

3) He's started eating table food. This may not sound like anything major to you folks....but to a Mom who's not made a grocery trip without buying baby food in over 8 months...we're ecstatic!! We were at a trip with my company this weekend and Parker ate nothing but table food all weekend and was awesome! He would eat eggs and cheese and grits and waffles for breakfast and then has squash, pork loin, and potatoes for lunch and have mac n cheese and chicken fingers for dinner. Yesterday he even had mexican for lunch! Some chicken, pork, black beans, rice and masa from my tamales! He's such a champ!! Bonus for Mom and Dad - it feels like we've had a raise!!! :-)

4) He's now taking a sippy cup!! This is momentous for us! We tried for many weeks before his surgery to get him to take a sippy...I tried so many different kinds that I was about to throw my hands up in discouragement. Then I was finally able to get him to take a bottle like sippy that is a trainer for kids 4M old! Argh! Well, last week I bought a Born Free sippy similar to what another kiddo in his daycare class has. Of course Mom forgot the valves at home so we couldn't try them this weekend, but I gave it to him last night and he went to drinking like he'd been using that cup for months. All I can say is H-A-L-L-E-L-U-J-A-H!!!!!!

5) He's now completely off of formula and taking whole milk. Another bonus for Mom and Dad - a double raise now that he's off of formula and baby food!!! Yippee!!!!!!

6) He decided this weekend that he likes juice and water. Thank God!!! After many attempts to get him to drink something other than milk, he just decided that he'd drink some water. Then the next time we presented him with juice, he just drank it without protest. I'm beginning to think my kiddo was swapped out for another in the middle of the night. :-)

7) He's now going down to bed all by himself. It only took us a few nights after our 12-month checkup to get this down. It's a HUGE difference for Mom and Dad. We now have about two hours to ourselves to get some work done and watch TV before bedtime. AND he's sleeping all the way until it's time to go to school in the morning. It's awesome!!!

I just look at all that he's doing now and it makes me so proud....but also kinda sad. My baby boy is growing up on me and the days are flying by. We're not sure yet if we're going to have a second....so I cherish each and every day like we may not have another. I look at Parker with such awe and wonderment. He's such an amazing gift that God gave us. Honestly...I don't remember much about what my days were like before he came along. I do remember they were less hectic...and I got to sleep past 7:30am on weekends.....and it didn't matter if I had popcorn for dinner....but somehow those things seem so insignificant. :-)

Well, I thought it was a good idea....

I took one of the most hysterical pictures of Parker last week. He is hitting this independent streak where he wants to feed himself and tries grabbing the spoon and makes a huge mess. So, when we were done, well mostly done, with the jar of baby food, I gave it to him to play with. He ended up with it all over his face and in his hair - everywhere. I just had to laugh because he was so stinking cute...oh....and left him looking like that so I could snap some pics. Because that what mommy bloggers do. :-)

I then got to work and put it on my computer as my wallpaper. I thought that was a good idea....until I realized that I saw that cute mug over and over all day and it only made me sad because I missed him so darn much. The booger....why does he have to be so cute?

Anyway....Day 1 down. Not so bad. Usually the first couple of days are the hardest....but we'll get through this!

Here is a breakdown of what I had yesterday:

Day 1
Breakfast:
2 veggie quiche cups (egg substitiute, red pepper, spinach, onion)
decaf coffee with fat free cream and splenda
diet v-8 fusion
Snack:
laughing cow light wedge
3 celery sticks

string cheese
Lunch:
salad with 3 grilled chicken tenders and balsamic vinegar
Snack:
jell-o sugar free pudding cup
Dinner:
Hmm...didn't really feel like dinner so I had 2 pieces of string cheese and a small bowl of All Bran Flakes

As the pastor at our church says.....you just gotta keep taking the next step, and then the next step, and then the next step......

Day 1 - Mission to get healthier and lose weight

Well...today marks the first day of Phase I of my South Beach Diet. I have had continual issues with my blood pressure since just before Parker was born. We've monitored it and then about 3 months ago my PCP decided to put me on a VERY low dose of a water pill to see if that would help. It did a little, but didn't take care of it completely. My OB/GYN decided she didn't like it where it was so she sent me to a Nephrologist friend of hers who specializes in blood pressure issues. I knew what he was going to tell me.....I knew what I needed to do....had known for a while but had just battled against doing it.



He told me just what I knew he would....Laura, if you lost some weight, your issues would probably go away immediately. You just need to exercise and lose some weight. You need to get healthier.



I KNOW!!!



I don't want my son growing up overweight the way I did. I wouldn't wish that on anyone! Now is the time that I start modeling good behaviors - healthy habits that he can begin following.



So, today I start the South Beach Diet again....I did this diet a few years ago and lost 40 pounds....but then gained it all back when I went back to eating in my familiar way. My goal is to lose 50 pounds....then I'll weigh less than I have.....well....in a LONG, LOOOOOONG time. I can do it...it just takes preparation on my part. I have to plan meals. I have to plan my lunches and snacks. I have to have my breakfast prepared ahead of time so I just grab and go. I have to make it easy on myself to eat healthy or I'll be making it easier to eat bad.



I did a modified version of the diet last week....meaning that I cheated some....and could already feel a change in my pants. But here goes nothing....I have nothing to lose but a bunch of flab! And I have so much to gain - more years with my son, more energy to play with my son, a healthier outlook, and looking positively amazing! ;-)



I'll keep myself documented on here, using this to keep myself accountable.



Oh...and here's a completely fab picture of my little man enjoying some mac and cheese yesterday at lunch:

I mean, seriously! If anyone can find the kid's wrists somewhere, I'd appreciate it! Oh...and how can one not obsess over a baby belly? He has the most amazing round belly!! :-)