Someone started to get super fussy at lunch... it turned out she just wanted her own bottle to hold.
2.27.2014
Random Things We're Into 02.27.2014
These goats know how to have fun! Look at em!
With recent events (see this past Sunday's blog post here) this song sums up a lot of my feelings right now.
2.26.2014
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.25-26.2014
02.25.2014
02.26.2014
At it again... She loves her toes!
02.26.2014
Our pretty little 'ehu girl.
2.23.2014
Simply Real: Life Changes
This past week Thomas and I began sharing some very big news with our families...
We're moving.
Out of the state.
To Washington.
2,675 miles away (don't believe me? I googled it. =P).
Within the next year or so.
Thomas and I had first started talking about moving to the mainland about two years ago but it never really became serious until last year after Thomas' sister returned from an absolutely AWESOME trip to New York and Italy with her husband. Eventually we got to discussing about how the mainland (heck the world!) has so many opportunities and possibilities. Up until this point Thomas and I had only entertained the idea of possibly moving our family to the mainland but we had never seriously discussed a timeline for when we wanted to do it. In the past year there were several [life] events that pushed us to finally take the leap.
1. Thomas and I were newly weds. Even though Thomas and I had been dating each other since middle school, we both felt a difference in our relationship when we got married. The night of our wedding, just before we were going to sleep, we were reflecting back upon the events of that day. I remember closing my eyes and quietly telling Thomas, "... it really is us against the world now." Even though it had always been "us against the world" there was a new sense of... us. The fact that we were now legally tied to each other... officially married after talking about it for how many years... after all we had been through... I had never felt closer to Thomas. And believe it or not... I feel like I get even closer to him as each day passes.
2. I was pregnant and we had our daughter. Something flips in your mind when you become a parent. All Thomas and I think about is Chloe. Just like any parent, we want to provide the absolute best that we can for her. From the toys and books she plays with, to the places she goes, and the food she eats. Thomas and I were both born and raised here in Hawai'i and even though we absolutely loved our childhoods it's hard to ignore the fact that our beloved Hawai'i is changing.
3. I'm growing. I am a 23 year old first time mommy, new wife, casual blogger who is eager to explore the world beyond my little rock in the middle of the ocean. A few hard lessons had to be learned these past few years... and in the end I've learned that I will never be happy if I don't start doing what makes me happy and what feels right for me.
And at this moment in time... what feels right is moving.
Thomas and I are at a point in our lives where we have this hunger to spread our wings and fly. We have been blessed to have had such great role models in our lives and now we feel like it's time for us to take everything we've learned thus far... and start venturing out on our own. The values and lessons that our families have taught us have helped to shape us into the people we are today and has built the foundation that we will build our own family upon. Don't get me wrong... this next chapter in my life is a big one and it scares me! I've cried to Thomas several times... but in the end what keeps me going is that drive to live... that hunger to learn and take in as much of this beautiful world as I can because...
We're moving.
Out of the state.
To Washington.
2,675 miles away (don't believe me? I googled it. =P).
Within the next year or so.
Thomas and I had first started talking about moving to the mainland about two years ago but it never really became serious until last year after Thomas' sister returned from an absolutely AWESOME trip to New York and Italy with her husband. Eventually we got to discussing about how the mainland (heck the world!) has so many opportunities and possibilities. Up until this point Thomas and I had only entertained the idea of possibly moving our family to the mainland but we had never seriously discussed a timeline for when we wanted to do it. In the past year there were several [life] events that pushed us to finally take the leap.
1. Thomas and I were newly weds. Even though Thomas and I had been dating each other since middle school, we both felt a difference in our relationship when we got married. The night of our wedding, just before we were going to sleep, we were reflecting back upon the events of that day. I remember closing my eyes and quietly telling Thomas, "... it really is us against the world now." Even though it had always been "us against the world" there was a new sense of... us. The fact that we were now legally tied to each other... officially married after talking about it for how many years... after all we had been through... I had never felt closer to Thomas. And believe it or not... I feel like I get even closer to him as each day passes.
2. I was pregnant and we had our daughter. Something flips in your mind when you become a parent. All Thomas and I think about is Chloe. Just like any parent, we want to provide the absolute best that we can for her. From the toys and books she plays with, to the places she goes, and the food she eats. Thomas and I were both born and raised here in Hawai'i and even though we absolutely loved our childhoods it's hard to ignore the fact that our beloved Hawai'i is changing.
3. I'm growing. I am a 23 year old first time mommy, new wife, casual blogger who is eager to explore the world beyond my little rock in the middle of the ocean. A few hard lessons had to be learned these past few years... and in the end I've learned that I will never be happy if I don't start doing what makes me happy and what feels right for me.
And at this moment in time... what feels right is moving.
Thomas and I are at a point in our lives where we have this hunger to spread our wings and fly. We have been blessed to have had such great role models in our lives and now we feel like it's time for us to take everything we've learned thus far... and start venturing out on our own. The values and lessons that our families have taught us have helped to shape us into the people we are today and has built the foundation that we will build our own family upon. Don't get me wrong... this next chapter in my life is a big one and it scares me! I've cried to Thomas several times... but in the end what keeps me going is that drive to live... that hunger to learn and take in as much of this beautiful world as I can because...
"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live."
-Dorothy Thompson
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.22-23.2014
02.22.2014
Someone started getting futless so we decided to take a walk... Chloe's outfit of the day! The hat doesn't match but it was hot so I wanted to make sure her face was covered. =]
02.23.2014
Mommy's baby girl... I need to take more pictures with her, I'm always the one behind the camera.
2.21.2014
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.21.2014
I tell ya... two peas in a pod. Taking a quick nap with Daddy before he has to go work.
2.20.2014
2.19.2014
2.18.2014
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.18.2014
Chloe's now in the phase where the tags are much more interesting than the toys they're attached too.
2.16.2014
Simply Real: Recovery Post-Chloe
Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope your [long] weekend isn't filled with too many errands and that you are able to find a minute or two to just sit back and enjoy the good things in life. Thomas is back at work... so we're all definitely enjoying every minute we get to spend as a family. Last Sunday, I shared my labor/delivery story for Chloe... This week I'd like to discuss how my recovery has been so far.
If you didn't have a chance to read my labor & delivery post you can find it here, but for a quick overview... I ended up having a c-section. I had my c-section Thursday, September 5 after being at the hospital since 2 that morning and not dilating more than a centimeter (for a total of 4 cm). In the end, our beautiful baby girl was born at 6:58 pm.
Overall, the physical side of recovering went pretty smoothly. I'm the type of person where I don't want to take anymore medication than necessary so as long as the pain was bearable I didn't take my pain meds. For the first month or so I was moving very slowly... I was definitely walking a LOT slower than I normally would... sitting up from a lying down position was almost impossible if I didn't have anything to grab to help pull myself up. Thomas was very sweet and he would let me put my arms around his neck and he'd help me sit up. I also had to be careful whenever I sneezed or laughed. Even though the stitches were taken out the day we left the hospital, my tummy still had a long way to go before it would be fully healed. It's also a standard that for the first, I believe, 6 weeks or so you don't carry anything heavier than the baby, this includes the baby in the carrier. This period of not lifting anything lasts even longer when you're recovering from a c-section. I think I started feeling almost 100% (which means finally able to walk at normal speed, laugh, and sneeze etc.) after about two to two and a half months.
The emotional side of recovering after labor... now that's a different story. I think I'm a pretty level headed person... I try not to let my emotions get the best of me and I'm definitely not overly sensitive or anything (except for those few special times once a month ;]). But after giving birth to Chloe... my emotions were on a wild roller coaster! Jessica Alba states it perfectly in her book, The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True to You:
After going home I definitely felt like I was in a better mood. The three of us got into the swing of a routine pretty fast. We kind of would tag team it... Thomas would stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning and would take care of Chloe so I could catch a few hours of sleep. He would only wake me up if she needed to eat, and if I was too tired he would feed her a bottle. The first week or so home I felt fine.
Then I noticed I started to feel super clingy with Thomas. If you know me... I am in no means whatsoever, clingy at. all. In fact, I'm normally the opposite: Miss Independent who rather try do it on her own than ask for help. So this came as a shock to me as well... and it actually took me some time to realize that I didn't want to be away from Thomas. It's not that I was scared of being alone with Chloe, I knew that I was more than capable of taking care of her. It was just so comforting to have my husband around. I think at the time, I didn't want to admit that I was suffering from the baby blues. Needless to say over the first few months... I had a few more mini breakdowns. These breakdowns usually started off with me talking to Thomas about some random, normally minuscule issue that I, on a non-postpartum day, probably wouldn't have even been bothered with. Then me breaking down into tears and confessing, "I don't know why I'm crying... I don't know why I'm so clingy..." I don't think that I give Thomas enough credit for being so patient with me during my mood swings. He would always goes on to explain that we are doing such a wonderful job with Chloe and he would always volunteer to do more and more for me.
After having Chloe, Thomas and I learned a lot about being able to rely on each other. I used to try and do it all... but once you have a baby it becomes very apparent that no matter how much you try and plan ahead, as much as you may try and prepare yourself, there will be mishaps and you will make mistakes. I learned that it was okay to admit that I was tired and that I needed a nap... that sometimes I don't have the answer and need to ask for help. Most of all... I am learning that it is okay to make mistakes... and that what is more important was that we learned from them. But we are learning and that's the beauty of it all... All three of us are new at this and we're going to teach each other so many things and we're all going to grow, both as a family and as individuals. I cannot wait to see the beautiful journey that God has in store for my little family and me.
If you didn't have a chance to read my labor & delivery post you can find it here, but for a quick overview... I ended up having a c-section. I had my c-section Thursday, September 5 after being at the hospital since 2 that morning and not dilating more than a centimeter (for a total of 4 cm). In the end, our beautiful baby girl was born at 6:58 pm.
Overall, the physical side of recovering went pretty smoothly. I'm the type of person where I don't want to take anymore medication than necessary so as long as the pain was bearable I didn't take my pain meds. For the first month or so I was moving very slowly... I was definitely walking a LOT slower than I normally would... sitting up from a lying down position was almost impossible if I didn't have anything to grab to help pull myself up. Thomas was very sweet and he would let me put my arms around his neck and he'd help me sit up. I also had to be careful whenever I sneezed or laughed. Even though the stitches were taken out the day we left the hospital, my tummy still had a long way to go before it would be fully healed. It's also a standard that for the first, I believe, 6 weeks or so you don't carry anything heavier than the baby, this includes the baby in the carrier. This period of not lifting anything lasts even longer when you're recovering from a c-section. I think I started feeling almost 100% (which means finally able to walk at normal speed, laugh, and sneeze etc.) after about two to two and a half months.
The emotional side of recovering after labor... now that's a different story. I think I'm a pretty level headed person... I try not to let my emotions get the best of me and I'm definitely not overly sensitive or anything (except for those few special times once a month ;]). But after giving birth to Chloe... my emotions were on a wild roller coaster! Jessica Alba states it perfectly in her book, The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True to You:
"I never understood, until we went through it [...], that it was actually possible to feel frustrated, delighted, overwhelmed, exhausted, and crazy in love with one tiny person all at the same time--it's a constant state of butterflies-in-your-stomach joy that I could never have grasped before."My first mini breakdown came two nights after Chloe was born, the night before we were able to go home. Thomas and I had just put Chloe down for a nap and I was just watching her sleep. I remember feeling so happy that she was here and I felt Thomas and I were transitioning into this new phase of our lives so well... yet despite all of these positive feelings I still felt so sad. That's when I just couldn't control myself and the tears just started flowing. When Thomas asked me what was wrong, I honestly didn't know what to tell him. I thought about it for a bit and thought maybe I was just over being in the hospital. I told him I loved all of our nurses but I just couldn't wait to go home. I wanted to be in my own home, sleeping in our own bed, just the three of us as a little family. After getting those first batch of tears out... I felt better.
After going home I definitely felt like I was in a better mood. The three of us got into the swing of a routine pretty fast. We kind of would tag team it... Thomas would stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning and would take care of Chloe so I could catch a few hours of sleep. He would only wake me up if she needed to eat, and if I was too tired he would feed her a bottle. The first week or so home I felt fine.
Then I noticed I started to feel super clingy with Thomas. If you know me... I am in no means whatsoever, clingy at. all. In fact, I'm normally the opposite: Miss Independent who rather try do it on her own than ask for help. So this came as a shock to me as well... and it actually took me some time to realize that I didn't want to be away from Thomas. It's not that I was scared of being alone with Chloe, I knew that I was more than capable of taking care of her. It was just so comforting to have my husband around. I think at the time, I didn't want to admit that I was suffering from the baby blues. Needless to say over the first few months... I had a few more mini breakdowns. These breakdowns usually started off with me talking to Thomas about some random, normally minuscule issue that I, on a non-postpartum day, probably wouldn't have even been bothered with. Then me breaking down into tears and confessing, "I don't know why I'm crying... I don't know why I'm so clingy..." I don't think that I give Thomas enough credit for being so patient with me during my mood swings. He would always goes on to explain that we are doing such a wonderful job with Chloe and he would always volunteer to do more and more for me.
After having Chloe, Thomas and I learned a lot about being able to rely on each other. I used to try and do it all... but once you have a baby it becomes very apparent that no matter how much you try and plan ahead, as much as you may try and prepare yourself, there will be mishaps and you will make mistakes. I learned that it was okay to admit that I was tired and that I needed a nap... that sometimes I don't have the answer and need to ask for help. Most of all... I am learning that it is okay to make mistakes... and that what is more important was that we learned from them. But we are learning and that's the beauty of it all... All three of us are new at this and we're going to teach each other so many things and we're all going to grow, both as a family and as individuals. I cannot wait to see the beautiful journey that God has in store for my little family and me.
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.14-16.2014
Sorry... for some reason I forgot to upload the past few days' Daily Dose of Chloe >.<
02.14.2014
02.15.2014
02.16.2014
02.14.2014
Such a silly girl... always smiling.
02.15.2014
Checkin' her reflection out in our iPad.
02.16.2014
Cousin Aden had his 4th birthday party at Chuck E Cheese today! Gramaw thought I looked cute with the little hat on. =]
Thank you Aunty Audrey for my jacket and top! Perfect for this chilly weather... Chloe's outfit for dinner with Nana!
2.14.2014
Friday's Food for Thought 02.14.2014
In honor of Valentine's day the following is an article a friend of mine shared on Facebook. The article talks about 5 things we can learn from Yoga that should be applied to our intimate relationships. Since being with Thomas from our middle school days, we have had to teach ourselves a lot about what a healthy and respectful relationship is. Honesty is a very important factor to Thomas... and I am so grateful to say that we make a conscious effort to apply these teachings to our relationship everyday. I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did... and Happy Valentine's Day!!
----------------------------------------------
5 Things Yoga Can Teach You About Being in an Intimate Relationship
By Lauren Eckstrom
Whether you practice yoga with or without your partner, the ancient teachings of yoga can greatly support and help sustain a healthy, positive and dynamic intimate relationship. Thousands of years ago Patanjali created The Eight Limbs of Yoga, from which we can utilize the first limb, or the Yamas, to help guide us toward the highest experience of intimate relationship. The Yamas encompass ethics and integrity in how we practice yoga both on and off the mat.
1. Non-harming
The opposite of non-harming is the energy of compassion. Intimate relationships will always present certain challenges and frustrations that can trigger harmful, reactive behavior. Putting yoga into action off that mat and in your relationship requires carefully watching the moments when heat rises, and mindfully practicing compassion. This is especially true in the things we say, the actions we take, and even the thoughts we have. In emotionally full moments, watch your thoughts, words, and actions. Take a deep breath, a step back, and align with the perspective that’s for the highest good of all involved.
2. Truthfulness
Truth leads to a deep quality of strength and integrity within a relationship. Truth is truth. Whether a lie you tell is hiding something large or whether the lie is small, it all matters. Honesty requires courage and isn't always comfortable. Risk being honest over being comfortable to help elevate the relationship’s foundation of trust and goodness.
3. Non-stealing
Given today’s hectic lifestyles, your quality time together is more precious than ever. The guideline of non-stealing in the modern day advises us to be fully present with our partner. Take small steps, such as leaving cellphones and computers out of the bedroom, to enhance your quality time. Leave aside distractions and consider putting small complaints and arguments to the side to maximize your moments spent with each other. Things such as email, social media notifications, and even work stresses all need to be left aside at some point. Keep moments such as dinner time, bath time, and bedtime as sacred corners in your day for giving gratitude and sharing love.
4. Continence
Continence, or celibacy, in ancient times was applicable to yogis and monks who completely stepped away from worldly pursuits. In modern times as householders, continence signifies a deeply respectful and pure use of sexual intimacy. Everything revolves around intention; as a couple, create an intention for making love so that sexual intimacy becomes a powerful, beautiful and transcendent form of communication within your relationship.
5. Non-hoarding
Everyone needs space. Non-hoarding encourages us to have trust and faith that space is a safe thing to create for each other within relationship. The tendency in an unhealthy relationship is to have fear about the other partner growing or evolving into someone different from the person they currently are. It’s important to have the willingness to give our partners space to grow as human beings. Whether that’s going on a meditation retreat, going back to school, or even going to a yoga class. Have faith that a balanced amount of space will bring more happiness and joy into your relationship.
Although the teachings of the Yamas are ancient, they're more relevant than ever to contemporary times. Ultimately, by bringing this wisdom into action we transform not only our intimate relationships and ourselves, but also the world around us.
2.13.2014
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.13.2014
Making funny faces at herself. Keeping mommy warm while we watch daddy skate at Ice Palace.
2.12.2014
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.12.2014
Today's Daily Dose of Chloe is also from yesterday... practicing sitting up while waiting for daddy to be done with work.
2.11.2014
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.11.2014
This little girl looks like she's up to no good... still a cutie pie though.
2.10.2014
Daily Dose Of Chloe 02.10.2014
Chloe scored herself her very first fedora today! It matched her outfit so perfectly that mommy and daddy just couldn't say no! >.<
2.09.2014
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.09.2014
Last night while Chloe was taking a bath, "What? Is there something wrong with my hair?!"
Simply Real: My Pregnancy & Labor/Delivery Story for Chloe
For the most part I had a really good pregnancy. I was lucky enough to not have any morning sickness (a side from some queasiness if my stomach got too empty in the first trimester), no real aches or pains, no food aversions, and I wasn't too emotional (which I think Thomas was thankful for). I knew that for the duration of my pregnancy I wanted to do as much as I could to stay healthy. Thomas and I had already gotten into the habit of going for daily walks, nothing too hardcore just walking around the mall or neighborhood for an hour or two. This new daily routine had actually helped me drop almost twenty pounds (I wasn't eating as much starches too... Thomas doesn't have the same love for Italian food as I do) and I wanted to continue this healthy change into my pregnancy as well as after our baby was born.
When I found out I was pregnant one of the first questions I asked my doctor was "What is a healthy amount of weight that I should be gaining during my pregnancy?" He said ideally for the height and weight I was at at that time... 20-25 lbs, 30 max. But he said good luck with that. I took that as a challenge. Like I said we had gotten into the habit of going for daily walks and those walks continued on throughout my entire pregnancy all the way until the day Chloe was born. I also worked until I was almost 8 months pregnant. I worked as a supervisor in a restaurant which meant I was moving around quite a bit which also kept me active. For the most part I ate pretty healthy. One of my (healthier) cravings I had throughout my entire pregnancy were cold vermicelli noodles with pork, spring rolls, and lots of sriracha and garlic chili oil (yum)! I also ate a lot of salads, fish, and chicken whenever I worked. Some of my guilty pleasures were ice-cream (and a LOT of it), mexican food, and loco mocos (rice, my favorite was kim chee fried rice, topped with a hamburger patty, brown gravy, and eggs, normally sunny side up but I like mine scrambled). My eating and exercising habits remained pretty consistent all the way to the end of my pregnancy.
My due date was August 28 and that day eventually came and went. Over the span of two weeks I didn't dilate more than 1 centimeter. I happened to have an appointment right on my due date so one of the topics discussed was the possibility of having to be induced. At first I wasn't sure I wanted to go through with it, but after we thought it over we decided to schedule to be induced a week after our due date. I had an appointment the day before I was scheduled to be induced and I decided to ask the doctor to try and jump start my labor by "stripping" my cervix (see the link to see what that means but due to the nature of the topic please be aware it may be TMI for some) since I still hadn't dilated that much and I wasn't feeling any contractions... Our doctor's appointment was around 1:30 in the afternoon... by 4 pm I definitely could feel contractions starting, nothing too uncomfortable but definitely noticeable.
Fast forward a few hours, Thomas and I arrived at the hospital around 2:00 in the morning. I had dilated one more centimeter since I had left the doctor's office the night before (and I'd like to note that at my final weigh in before baby was born I had gained 30 pounds on the money!). Up until this point I was doing pretty good with dealing with my contractions. I had found a way to breathe and motivate myself through each contraction. Around 7:00 am I noticed that my contractions seemed to be coming a lot more frequently (almost one on top of another) and they were also a lot stronger. It became very hard for me to focus through them. When the nurse had checked me I was still only 4 centimeters dilated... the same as I was five hours ago. At this point I hadn't slept for almost 24 hours and it was becoming harder for me to focus through each contraction. I made the decision that I would take the epidural even though I had originally set out on trying to have a natural birth. I had changed my mind because if I still had 6 more centimeters more to dilate and then having to push after that... I knew I would be too tired. After receiving my epidural I tried to sleep for the rest of the day. Peanut (what we were calling baby since we weren't sure if we were having a boy or girl) wasn't responding too well to the pitocin. Baby's heart rate dropped several times through out the day. Eventually the decision was made to break my water bag, which later turned out to just stress baby out even more.
Finally, around 4:30 in the afternoon my doctor decided that it was best for me and the baby to have a c-section. Having a c-section definitely wasn't easy for me. I wasn't emotionally prepared to be having major surgery performed on me. All I cared about was making sure our baby was okay and after a few of those scares with baby's heart rate I knew that this was probably for the best. Even though you are numbed, you still (in a weird sense) feel everything. You don't feel pain necessarily, but instead pressure so intense that it was painful? After they pulled baby out Thomas said, "It's a girl! She's beautiful!" He went to go see our daughter and the anesthesiologist administered morphine to me while the doctors finished up... I totally knocked out after this.
By the time we were settled into our room it was after 9:00 pm. Luckily I got to see Mom and Uncle Paul briefly while in the recovery room and they had a quick chance to see Chloe getting cleaned up even though visiting hours had just ended. By this point I hadn't had anything to eat for over 24 hours, on top of that I was pretty woozy from the morphine which totally made me nauseous. I tried to drink the (very delicious) broth they had, but I couldn't keep it down. Thank God, I was able to keep it together long enough to finally meet my baby girl. It was so amazing to see how at peace she seemed with everything.
It's funny because I did as much as I could to try and prepare myself for the day Chloe would be born. I read so many different websites, books, I asked people for advice. I honestly never would have thought that I would have ever given birth to my baby via c-section but in the end I have to say it was a good decision. My doctor did say that there could be the possibility of delivering our next baby vaginally but that we could discuss it more when the time came. All in all, my labor and delivery definitely wasn't what I expected but I wouldn't change any of it. In the end we have our beautiful baby girl and Thomas has been the best dad and husband. Stay tuned for my blog post about healing after a c-section. Have an awesome week!
When I found out I was pregnant one of the first questions I asked my doctor was "What is a healthy amount of weight that I should be gaining during my pregnancy?" He said ideally for the height and weight I was at at that time... 20-25 lbs, 30 max. But he said good luck with that. I took that as a challenge. Like I said we had gotten into the habit of going for daily walks and those walks continued on throughout my entire pregnancy all the way until the day Chloe was born. I also worked until I was almost 8 months pregnant. I worked as a supervisor in a restaurant which meant I was moving around quite a bit which also kept me active. For the most part I ate pretty healthy. One of my (healthier) cravings I had throughout my entire pregnancy were cold vermicelli noodles with pork, spring rolls, and lots of sriracha and garlic chili oil (yum)! I also ate a lot of salads, fish, and chicken whenever I worked. Some of my guilty pleasures were ice-cream (and a LOT of it), mexican food, and loco mocos (rice, my favorite was kim chee fried rice, topped with a hamburger patty, brown gravy, and eggs, normally sunny side up but I like mine scrambled). My eating and exercising habits remained pretty consistent all the way to the end of my pregnancy.
 |
| Some of the absolutely DELICIOUS food that I enjoyed eating while I was pregnant... |
2.08.2014
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.08.2014
Saturday Morning Shenanigans! Chloe hates being coped up inside for too long... she loves being outside and looking at all the plants and animals. Today she was eyeing out the pool.
2.07.2014
Friday's Food for Thought 02.07.2014
Life is going by. Don't waste a minute being negative, offended, & bitter. You can choose to be happy.
-Joel Osteen
2.05.2014
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.05.2014
Today our baby girl is 5 months old! Chloe is constantly on the move and she's army crawling her way everywhere. She loves bananas and carrots, actually food in general. She's a very vocal baby and doesn't like to miss a thing. Chloe is on the verge of being able to sit up without any assistance, and she loves to be held up on her two feet two practice her balance. Keep growing leaps and bounds baby girl, mommy & daddy love you!
2.04.2014
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.04.2014
Daddy put me in my 'iPood' shirt from Uncle Christian... it's still a bit too big but it's okay!
2.03.2014
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.03.2014
Went for a walk with mommy yesterday! Mommy is known for wearing flowers in her ear... I'm their little hunny baby.
2.02.2014
Simply Honest: Baby Food
So! Let's talk baby food...
At Chloe's 4 month check-up she got the go ahead to start transitioning to solids! Now I know that this can sometimes be a controversial issue. Some parents and doctors say it's better to wait until baby is 6 months to prevent food allergies etc, while other doctors and studies say the exact opposite. There are a few reasons for why we felt Chloe was ready to have her first bite of food... for starters she would stare (and I mean STARE) at our food when we would eat. Second... there were even times when she would open her mouth thinking she would get some. And third... she was still breastfeeding practically every hour and a half eating tons and was still as skinny as a rail (lucky girl is blessed with a fast metabolism and is SO active).
Anyways... we happened to be having a Hawaiian food dinner for my Nana's birthday and we were in charge of bringing the poi & chicken long rice. For those of you who don't know... poi is made from the corm of the kalo plant. Poi has been proven to be hypoallergenic and tends to be easier for baby to digest than rice cereal (which nowadays isn't always recommended as a first food because it can actually be hard for a baby to digest, especially if the baby is exclusively breastfed). Since we had it on hand... we decided that Chloe could have a taste of poi for lunch.
At Chloe's 4 month check-up she got the go ahead to start transitioning to solids! Now I know that this can sometimes be a controversial issue. Some parents and doctors say it's better to wait until baby is 6 months to prevent food allergies etc, while other doctors and studies say the exact opposite. There are a few reasons for why we felt Chloe was ready to have her first bite of food... for starters she would stare (and I mean STARE) at our food when we would eat. Second... there were even times when she would open her mouth thinking she would get some. And third... she was still breastfeeding practically every hour and a half eating tons and was still as skinny as a rail (lucky girl is blessed with a fast metabolism and is SO active).
Anyways... we happened to be having a Hawaiian food dinner for my Nana's birthday and we were in charge of bringing the poi & chicken long rice. For those of you who don't know... poi is made from the corm of the kalo plant. Poi has been proven to be hypoallergenic and tends to be easier for baby to digest than rice cereal (which nowadays isn't always recommended as a first food because it can actually be hard for a baby to digest, especially if the baby is exclusively breastfed). Since we had it on hand... we decided that Chloe could have a taste of poi for lunch.
Needless to say... she LOVED it! She kept going back for more. There were a few times when she actually grabbed the spoon from Thomas and tried to shove it in her own mouth! I swear she's growing up too fast...
Part of our Simply Honest. Simply Real. promise to each other is that we would always try to give Chloe the best that we could. This is especially important when it comes to what we are feeding her. We try to breastfeed her as much as we can, but to be honest... there were times when it was easier to bottle feed her. Now that Chloe and I have gotten used to breastfeeding we almost always breastfeed her. The formula we gave her was the Similar Advance: Organic Baby Formula. Luckily, it agreed with her tummy so we didn't have to go searching for an alternative. We knew that once she could start eating solids, we would try our best to make Chloe's food for her from scratch with the freshest and best ingredients.
Before I was pregnant with Chloe, I had bought a Ninja Blender. This blender is ah-MAZING... Since Thomas and I made our Simply Honest. Simply Real. promise... we've been trying to make it a point to go to a farmer's market that is held at our mall every Saturday morning. What could be better for our bodies than food that was grown locally (and for the most part organic)! So far Chloe has tried butternut squash (made from pre-cubed organic squash from the store), broccoli, carrots, and bananas.
It really isn't that hard to make baby food! In fact, if you don't know how to cook maybe making baby food is the perfect way to learn! When babies are first exploring the world of food, less is more. The easiest food we've made so far (and honestly one of Chloe's favorites) is mashed bananas! All you have to do is peel the bananas dump em in a bowl and mash em up! We used a wooden spoon because we found the spoon would help break the bananas up and also did a good job mashing them without sending mashed bananas over the rim of the bowl. Chloe is a pretty good eater so she can eat one good decent sized banana for breakfast.
For most vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, squash, potatoes etc., you can steam them! I've seen special containers that are specifically meant for steaming food in the microwave at Ross and other various stores. But for us, we like to make her food in bulk for the week so we wanted to use something that we could put on the stove. We found this metal steaming basket for less than $10 at Target and the beauty of it is that it will fit into pretty much any pot that you have. Like I said, we use our Ninja blender to puree her food, but you can also use a food processor, or even a fork or potato masher. A tip, though, if you are going to be mashing it by hand... do it in smaller batches (especially if baby is first starting out on solids) so that you can be sure to get a good mash on everything. It tends to get messier and chunkier if you do it by hand in big batches.
Now that you have all the tools you need let's get cooking!
First off... you ALWAYS want to properly clean your fruits and veges, this goes for organic produce as well! Especially if your food isn't organic you want to wash off any chemicals and bacteria that may still be on your food (did you know some super markets put wax on their apples to make them look shinier... yuck!) You can buy a produce wash from the super market or you can make your own by creating a 1:4 vinegar-to-water solution and leaving it in a squirt bottle by your sink. Liberally give all your produce a spritz and then rinse the solution off... for leafy vegetables soak them for about a minute or so in the solution making sure to allow the solution to get in between the leaves before rinsing them.
After cleaning your produce you need to peel and chop them as necessary (this is also a good time to get your steamer going: I put about an inch to two inches of water in the bottom of a pot, place the steamer inside and cover the pot... I leave the stove on about medium). Since you're just steaming the vegetables and pureeing them you can cut them into small, even pieces. The smaller the faster they will cook but remember to try and cut all the pieces around the same size so that they all take the same amount of time to cook. I cut my carrots into about half in pieces.
Once the water is boiling I dump in about 1 and a half cups to 2 cups of carrots in and cover the pot and leave it. Depending on how big you cut your carrots and how much you dump in the pot, it'll take 5-10 minutes for the carrots to be ready. I normally grab a steak knife and poke a bunch of carrots... if the knife can easily go through majority of the carrots, they're done! You want to make sure the veges are soft... if not the puree will be chunkier.
I take the veges out and immediately put them in my blender and to chill out while I steam the rest of my veges. When you are done cooking everything make sure you save the cooking liquid because you'll probably have to add some to get everything moving in the blender. We leave the puree a little on the thicker side because sometimes we mix other foods/breastmilk/whole grain infant cereal to her food.
Depending on how much your batch made and how much your baby eats you can store baby's food in the refrigerator or freezer. We make enough for the week so we've been storing ours in the fridge and we just take out about half a cup to a little more than a cup when Chloe is ready to eat. If you made more than baby will eat in about a week... put baby's food in an airtight container and be sure to label and date it before storing it in the freezer.
And voila! You just made your own baby food! We had maybe a little more than 5 pounds of carrots and it made enough food to last Chloe a week (she's a VERY good eater...). We've also been mashing bananas up for her a few mornings a week just to keep things different. Like I said before... making baby food is a great way to get into cooking. Your baby won't judge you and their food starts off bland anyways. In a month or so we're going to start seasoning Chloe's food with different spices like garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg etc... The beauty about making your own food for baby is that they will learn to eat what you eat. When you're comfortable with adding seasonings to your baby's food start adding a little at a time... I'm sure your little babe will appreciate it! Many Asian cultures include all the spices that they use in everyday cooking when they prepare their baby's food. These include spices such as curry, cardamom, even chili peppers!
What's important is to have fun with what you make for baby! Thomas and I love making food for Chloe and seeing her reaction as she tastes it for the first time.
Top: Carrots, Bottom left: bananas, Bottom right: butternut squash.
It really isn't that hard to make baby food! In fact, if you don't know how to cook maybe making baby food is the perfect way to learn! When babies are first exploring the world of food, less is more. The easiest food we've made so far (and honestly one of Chloe's favorites) is mashed bananas! All you have to do is peel the bananas dump em in a bowl and mash em up! We used a wooden spoon because we found the spoon would help break the bananas up and also did a good job mashing them without sending mashed bananas over the rim of the bowl. Chloe is a pretty good eater so she can eat one good decent sized banana for breakfast.
For most vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, squash, potatoes etc., you can steam them! I've seen special containers that are specifically meant for steaming food in the microwave at Ross and other various stores. But for us, we like to make her food in bulk for the week so we wanted to use something that we could put on the stove. We found this metal steaming basket for less than $10 at Target and the beauty of it is that it will fit into pretty much any pot that you have. Like I said, we use our Ninja blender to puree her food, but you can also use a food processor, or even a fork or potato masher. A tip, though, if you are going to be mashing it by hand... do it in smaller batches (especially if baby is first starting out on solids) so that you can be sure to get a good mash on everything. It tends to get messier and chunkier if you do it by hand in big batches.
Now that you have all the tools you need let's get cooking!
 |
| Some of the GORGEOUS carrots we found at our farmer's market! |
After cleaning your produce you need to peel and chop them as necessary (this is also a good time to get your steamer going: I put about an inch to two inches of water in the bottom of a pot, place the steamer inside and cover the pot... I leave the stove on about medium). Since you're just steaming the vegetables and pureeing them you can cut them into small, even pieces. The smaller the faster they will cook but remember to try and cut all the pieces around the same size so that they all take the same amount of time to cook. I cut my carrots into about half in pieces.
 |
| Steam veges, steam! |
Depending on how much your batch made and how much your baby eats you can store baby's food in the refrigerator or freezer. We make enough for the week so we've been storing ours in the fridge and we just take out about half a cup to a little more than a cup when Chloe is ready to eat. If you made more than baby will eat in about a week... put baby's food in an airtight container and be sure to label and date it before storing it in the freezer.
 |
| Carrots for days! |
What's important is to have fun with what you make for baby! Thomas and I love making food for Chloe and seeing her reaction as she tastes it for the first time.
Daily Dose of Chloe 02.01/02.2014
Yesterday's Daily Dose of Chloe! We were out running errands all day and we went for an evening walk and as soon as we got home we fed little one and she fell asleep. Thomas loves his baby girl so much...
I love the way your little hand wraps around my finger. <3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)