Chicken's Good for the Mind

As predicted by the doctor at his one year appointment, Drake has become a bit more selective in his eating. He does still eat very well, I think I am just used to the boy that would eat anything that I presented him.

On particular area of concern for me is making sure that Drake is getting enough protein. I have been trying to get ideas online about what protein packed foods he might enjoy. I tried tofu that I rolled in crushed Cheerios and not was far from a hit. I do not think that he would even put one piece in his mouth. I have tried meat sauce on whole wheat pasta, and he does not have any interest.

He still likes yogurt and will allow us to spoon feed him that. Eggs are a hit or miss, but I have found that if I feed him the eggs with yogurt, he likes it. I also always have the go-to peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese, but I really do not want to get in a rout of always fixing him those options.

Meat has been a food that Drake has not eaten in weeks. I have not been able to find any meat sources that he enjoys. Finally, last week, I decided to make my own chicken tenders. It was an experiment and it turns out that he loved it! I felt good with the food because it was not processed, had no oil, and was packed with protein and grains. I am going to try this same method with tofu and see how it works.

Chicken Tenders

1 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast
1/4 cup flour
1 Egg
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup breadcrumbs (I made the breadcrumbs from the heals of my loaf of whole wheat bread)

Preheat oven to 375. Trim the chicken of any fat and cut to desired strip size. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, whisk the egg and add milk. In a third shallow bowl, place the breadcrumbs. Coat the chicken pieces in flour (shaking off any excess), then egg mixture, and finally breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Hey, Peter Pan

Each night I silently turn the knob and slowly open the door. As I tiptoe into your room, the glow of your nightlight illuminates your crib, allowing me to just make out the rhythmic rise and fall as you take each breath. There you lie on your knees and belly, softly snoring.

The hum of the humidifier sounds in the background and I take a moment to wonder to how we got so lucky. You are the perfect balance of us; laid back, fun, full of energy, and a friend to all.

With one glance at your sleeping figure, I ask myself what your future will hold. While I am not able to predict your future, I do know that you will continue to be extremely loved.

I turn to walk from your crib, silently making my way back out of your room. As I turn the knob once more to close the door, I cherish the moment as I know the time will pass all too quickly.

In the Garden

This past week, my parents were so kind to come for a last minute visit to help watch Drake while our sitter was sick. They were a huge help to us and had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Drake. Most of the time, David and I were at work but on Saturday, we were able to visit the Botanical Gardens. I'm not really sure why we do not go there more often. It is so close to our house and with everything starting to bloom right now, it is very pretty.

Drake walked all over the garden

With Nana

With Papa

We also had our first Papas and Beer experience and it did not let down from everything I had heard. People had mentioned that the portion sizes were unusually large, but I did not realize quite how large. David and I were able to eat lunch and dinner the next day from mine and my dad's leftovers! Drake was so excited because they had balloons to decorate for St. Patrick's Day (odd at a Mexican restaurant if you ask me but whatever). The manager gave him one and he would so proud of it and would not let go.

After we loaded up my parent's car with Drake's baby stuff for my sister's arrival, we spent the majority of the day in the yard. Drake loves to play outside and was able to practice his walking more on soft ground. Last night, he got up to 24 steps without falling!

Practicing his wizardry

Walk This Way

This has been a big week for Drake and his walking progression. For the past month or so, he has been somewhat interested in walking while holding our hands. Typically though, he would get noodle legs when we stood him up to try and walk. This week, his opinion of walking has seemed to change.

On Tuesday, he took a step in the afternoon and then two later that evening. As each day of the week progressed, he has become more confident in his balance and really wants to walk, both by himself and holding hands. Today was, by far, the most he has done. He has learned to stand up without the aid of pulling up took about 20 steps at one point. Usually he starts to go too fast and loses his balance, but when he takes his time, he can really go far.

He is really proud of himself for his ability to walk. He finds it very amusing and it usually found laughing with each step. One of the best parts is that his Nana and Papa have been able to witness his progression this week. Drake's sitter has been sick for the past two weeks, so my parents were kind enough to come watch him this week. It really is amazing to watch him learn and see how quickly he reaches a new level.

Lions & Tigers & Bears, Oh My

Ok, so we did not see any tigers or bears, but Drake and I visited the Greenville Zoo for the first time last Saturday. While it is not a huge zoo, it is a nice little walk and we were able to see some elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, and many other animals. We went ahead and bought the year membership and I can see us heading to the zoo before we run our errands in Greenville many Saturdays to come. And, now we can visit a lot of the nations zoos for free or half price!

Petit Chapeau

Drake has a new love...hats. He likes to put them on and take them off. He likes to put them on you and take them off. He likes to make anything he can find into a hat...

What's Your Sign?

Sometime in September, my mom gave me a baby sign language book that she had picked up in the clearance section of a book store. I had always planned to try and teach Drake some sign language and this book was perfect to teach me what to teach him. I have started here and there but on Saturday I really worked on "more" with Drake. I felt like he was picking it up at lunch, so I told David since I would be in Florida on Saturday night. At dinner, it had stuck and Drake asked for "more".

No, his sign is in no way perfect and I think the ASL professors that we have here would not give him a passing grade, but I understand what he is asking for and we will continue to work on his form. It is great to find a way for Drake to be able to communicate with his a little. Just this morning he pointed to his cup of milk and then did the sign for more.

Now just to teach him more words!