Motherhood Essentials

I will never forget one evening when I was about 8 months pregnant, crying to my husband because we had no baby socks. How can we have a baby without socks? Will they let us home from the hospital if we don't have socks? I can't possibly go to Target to buy socks after the baby is born, let alone Amazon Prime it. Everything must be bought before, washed before, folded before, put away and organized before.

My sweet husband endured this, and so much more. We laugh about it now, but my prep for the baby was a mix between cleaning like the Queen of England was visiting (I took over an hour to deep clean our Keurig of all things) and like the biggest snow apocalypse ever (I had no less than 12 boxes of cereal, crackers, granola bars...each).

My sweet, sweet husband. Today is Mother' Day, but let's raise a glass to our husbands who father our children and take care of us to be mothers. Whether that's tempering us down for crying over no socks or just biting his tongue over another cartful of granola bars.

In my whopping 15 months of motherhood, I've learned that teeny tiny baby socks are useless (even though cuuuuuute). First of all, everything they wear is footed. Second of all, the socks don't stay on any way. Third of all, even when they are older and walking, they slip and fall on the hard wood floors when wearing socks (or mine does anyway). So the only time socks come in handy is playing outside. Which, we do for a couple hours every day. So they do have a time and place...just not very often.

Here's my top 5 list of items I couldn't function without, and top 5 items that marketing companies prey on our 8 month pregnant hormones.

Top 5: Love It, Couldn't Live Without It, Sign Me Up for Subscribe & Save on It:

1. White Noise Sound Machine
• If you have creaky floors like us or if your sneezes two rooms away wake up baby, a white noise machine is saving grace.
2. Swaddle Me Swaddles

• For a while I tried swaddling my little guy in blankets (left). And he'd break free, every time. And he'd wake up, every time. Along came Velcro or zipper swaddles. The kid may be strong enough to exit the womb, but ain't nobody strong enough to get out of these bad boys.
• When he was tiny, he used the Pod (not pictured).
• When he didn't fit in that, he used the Velcro swaddles (middle), which come in different sizes.
• And then around 12 weeks, he started using the Halo Sleep Sacks (right), which also come in different sizes.
• *He is still wearing a sleep sack, and I think it's the only reason he doesn't attempt to climb out of his crib. It may also be the reason he hits his head on the crib when he tries walking in it after his nap...but hey, you win some, you lose some.
3. Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo 
• I thought that because I have straight, fine, shiny hair I could never not wash my hair every day. Along came my son and along came my favorite dry shampoo, and voilà!
4. Books

• Parenting Books
• One piece of advice I read was to pick ONE (or two) parenting books or philosophies, and go with it. I guarantee you can find credible books on parenting why you shouldn't use the word no, why you should spank, why you shouldn't use time-outs, why you should have sleep routines, why you should, why you shouldn't...You will drive yourself crazy if you try to implement all of them. Pick a couple, and be consistent.
• My top two parenting books are the BabyWise Series (everyone in this house is much happier when well-rested with a predictable routine) and Dr. Dobson's parenting books (like Dare to Discipline and Bringing up Boys).
• Board Books
• From the Duck and Goose series to Dr. Seuss classics to every open-the-flap book, we spend about an hour reading per day, usually about 15 minutes 4X per day. It's a great way for us to unwind before bed, be quiet(ish) in church, and learning to point out ducks (read: anything yellow).
5. Family and Friends 

• With grandparents just a FaceTime away, with uncles and aunts itching to get a nephew giggle, with cousins who happily receive head pats and freely give snacks, with Mama friends who sip coffee with me while we stroll through the park, with Pastors who happily shake a thumb-sucker's wet hand every Sunday, with Daddy's co-workers who give hand-made quilts - Our home is filled with gracious love.

Top 5: Forget It, Why Did I Buy This?

1. Baby socks
• See above.
2. Baby Monitor
• Unless you're house is gigantic (not like ours), you don't need a monitor to hear your kiddo wake up...He'll let you know.
• BUT, I have found it to be helpful when we're outside. And I did discover its radius reaches around the block. (Joel was home, so please don't call CPS on me.)
3. Tote Diaper Bag
• I'm struggling with having just two hands. Don't take one away to hold the diaper bag.
• Get yourself a backpack. With pockets. Lots of pockets. I just got a Skip Hop one, but I love this one by Park Baby Co.
4. Outlet Covers
• Okay, maybe this isn't a great example because they're $2 and can prevent your child from shocking themselves, but I am a big fan of house-proofing your baby, not baby-proofing your house.
5. Under the Arm Thermometer
• If you have figured out how to hold a baby arm still for 7 seconds, then this would be a great option for you. If not, forehead thermometer all the way.

Now, what are you top 5?

Toddler Food

With the emergence of teeth, my little guy's meals look much different than his puree days.

***And let me take this moment to say: IF you don't care what a toddler eats or IF you don't want to see a picture of him downing a milkshake - Exit the blog now.***

Don't get me wrong, the floor underneath the meals looks exactly the same - A MESS. Thankfully, he's earning his keep.

But the meal plate itself is looking much more palatable. Mainly because it's the same thing we eat.

I was just talking with a friend about how figuring out what solids to feed your baby can be confusing. You research baby-led weaning, purees, cereals, no cereals, green vegetables vs. orange vegetables...

And then, they get teeth.

There ARE teeth in there. I promise.

And not everything has to be pureed anymore. Oh, the possibilities!

But oh, the possibilities...

And while my son could ABSOLUTELY live off peanut butter oatmeal for breakfast, PB&J and applesauce for lunch, goldfish for snack, and meatballs and broccoli for supper every ding-dong day, a little variety is good for a) his nutrition, b) his flexibility, and c) anytime we're anywhere other than home and the hosts (shockingly) aren't serving PB&Js for supper.

Oh, and rainbow jello. Obviously.

Anyway, getting back to toddler food. I've Pinterested ideas, followed ladies on IG, and tried to get creative with his meals, but I kept coming up with recipes like couscous turkey meatballs with spinach protein bites and raspberry chia seeds whole wheat muffins and I decided 1) I'm not going to spend precious nap time baking that, 2) Nobody else in this house is going to eat that, 3) You'll eat what's on your plate (theoretically).

So, here's my top 5 list of what I consider to be "normal" food that is nutritious, delicious, simple, and most importantly - edible for both toddler and mom and dad (and aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, cousins, neighbors, friends...okay, I'll stop). And this is also my top 5 list of meals that keeps us from eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch when I forget to meal plan.

***I wrote this when he was about 14 or 15 months old. And then it sat in my drafts for about 4 months because I totally spaced.***

Breakfast:

• Peanut Butter Oatmeal - This is his absolute favorite breakfast. And it's ginormous. Like 450 calories ginormous. Like more than I can eat ginormous. 
• Here's how I make it: Boil 1 cup water on the stove. Add 1/2 cup rolled oats. Cook until done. Stir in 2 Tbsp. peanut butter, 1/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt (I like Greek Gods Honey Vanilla), and 1-2 Tbsp. maple syrup.
• On the rare occasion he doesn't eat the whole thing, I stick it in the fridge and reheat it the next day with a little milk. OR, I add mini chocolate chips and finish it myself.
• 1 Scrambled Egg with Cheese, Whole Wheat Toast, and Raspberries - What I love about this breakfast is it hits so many food groups - grains, protein, dairy, and fruit. 
• PSA - When our toddler can enunciate his words just a liiiiiiittle bit better and asks why everybody else calls them raspberries and he calls them snozzberries...I plead the fifth.
• Whole Wheat Eggo Waffle with Peanut Butter and Sliced Banana - Did you know they make a whole wheat variety?
• A friend recently introduced me to these Eggo Waffles. I know they've been around forever, but since I don't buy frozen food other than vegetables and pizza, I was clueless.
• Can you tell he loves peanut butter?
• Nutrigrain Bar with Yogurt and Strawberries - This is our on-the-go breakfast.
• It never fails that the ONE time a month we have to leave by 7:30am is the ONE time a month he sleeps later than 7am. So, breakfast is rushed, and this breakfast takes no prep time and can be ready to go to eat quickly or on-the-go.
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch with Milk
• Okay, real talk. After breakfast is over, our guy steals a few bites of Dad's cereal every morning. It's their special thing, and it makes my heart happy.

Lunches:

• Meatballs with Broccoli and Cheese - Hands down, favorite meal
• I always have a bag of frozen meatballs on hand. I love how versatile they are - Add marinara sauce and serve on those hot dog buns you've been trying to get rid of and top with mozzarella cheese for a meatball sub. Or, add some BBQ sauce for a simple entrée. Cook them on the stove when you're forgetful, or in the crockpot when you're thinking ahead.
• I also always have about a dozen bags of frozen steamable vegetables in my freezer. We eat them about once per day. I like them because they are just the vegetables: no broth, syrup, salt, etc. I also like them because they take a whopping 5 minutes to make. I also like them because when they go on sale for $1 you can load up your cart and have vegetables for the whole month. And your checker-out-er looks at you like you're nuts (because really, you are).
• Egg Salad with Applesauce and Peas - I thought you had to be at least 70 years old and a member of Ladies' Aid to eat egg salad, but my child, once again, has proven me wrong.
• To make a small batch, I chop up two hard-boiled eggs and add 2 Tbsp. mayo, 2 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp. mustard, and some salt and pepper. I serve it on a slice of whole wheat bread.
• Black Bean and Corn Cheese Quesadilla with a side of Craisins - Okay, so my son doesn't eat dried fruit. I blame the lack of molars. But one day I will get him to like Craisins!
• I'm always game for an entrée that packs in so many food groups - vegetable (corn counts, ok??), protein, dairy, and grains (I opt for whole wheat tortillas).
• Taco with Carrots and Apple Slices - I like to make at least 3 pounds of taco meat at a time and freeze it so it's always handy.
• For the little guy, I put his taco meat on a whole wheat tortilla with shredded cheese and plain Greek yogurt (in place of sour cream). And although he doesn't do a great job in eating apples, he sure loves to gnaw on them.
• PB&J with Applesauce and String Cheese (my go-to packed lunch) - I have a really hard time spending $5 on a kids meal.
• Don't get me wrong, he loves mini corn dogs and French fries from Runza. With a milkshake.
• Peter would not drink any milk for about 2 months. I tried every sippy cup. I tried it through a straw. I tried it out of a regular glass. I tried it warmed up, room temperature, and cold. I tried strawberry milk, chocolate milk, and combos. I tried it with breastmilk. WOULDN'T HAPPEN. Then, we gave him a $1 Runza milkshake, he fell in love, and has been drinking milk ever since.

He loves them so much when he's finished, he asks for a refill.

For the love.

Lastly, I don't remember when I started the gradual switch from purees to table food, but I do remember that by Thanksgiving (9 1/2 months) he was stuffing down mashed potatoes and jello from the cornucopia feast.

And now, you can wait for a blog post in 12 years from now when he's a teenager and eating the whole fridge as his pre-breakfast.

But in the meantime, I'd love to hear your favorite toddler meals!