Don't Judge Me

When I tell people that I have been making my own baby food, I have been shocked by their responses. Now, I expected to get odd looks when I started using cloth diapers. Mostly just because I knew that the majority of people have not seen the new cloth diapers. For those of you thinking that you could never go cloth, let me tell you, they really are just as easy as disposable. The only difference is that they have to be washed after each use. The cost difference alone is well worth using the cloth diapers. I have also heard that they prevent diaper rash, which Drake has never had. I really don't know though if that can be contributed to the diapers or not (I also don't know how often a typical baby has diaper rash).

Anyway, back to the food. I had decided when I was pregnant that I would be making my own baby food. It really seemed like a logical choice to me. Think about it, if everything I ate came from a jar, wouldn't people think I was odd? Why would I do anything different for my baby? I like knowing exactly what he is eating (vegetable/fruit and water).

I think I have realized that people think it is too difficult to make your own baby food and too expensive. Let me play myth buster for a minute...

- The hardest part of making the food has been doing the dishes. The majority of the food is cooked for a few minutes, then pureed. Squash and sweet potatoes are roasted for an hour, but that is actually super easy. Wash it, cute it in half, put it on a baking sheet, cook, spoon out of the skin into the blender.

- I have compared the costs to jarred food and my homemade food is much cheaper. The peas I made cost $2.00 for the equivalent of 18 jars. $2.00 would have only purchased 4 jars of baby food.

- People also have asked me how I have the time to make the food. As I mentioned above, it really does not take long at all. The longest anything has taken me is over an hour, but that was just the food cooking in the oven. I think spending 30 minutes to make weeks worth of food for Drake is well worth my time. The batches I make are pretty large (about 40 ounces), so I pour the puree into ice cube trays, freeze over night, and then pop the cubes into a freezer bag. When Drake is ready to eat the food, I just pull two cubes out (each cube is an ounce). It I can find time to make apples and pears in a week that I worked 60 hours, it cannot be that hard.


Our freezer is quickly turning into storage for Drake's food only. We have about 50 bags of milk (the coke cartons are my homemade storage solution) and then baby food. Since this picture, I have also added apples and pears to his food options.



Carrots

So, please do not judge me for making my son's baby food. I am not a hippie or a granola girl (although I feel like I am doing a little part to save the Earth from all of the glass that would come with jars). I am not a super mom. I am not doing this because I am a first time mom. I want to know what my son is eating and am trying to give him the best nutritional start I possibly can.    

 

Avocado (he did not like this too much)

Peaches (from the research farm where David works)

Apples

Banana



Butternut Squash! An all-time favorite




May to August Comparison

When we went to David's parents house in May, I took a picture of Drake sitting in one of their chairs and it is actually one of my favorite pictures. I took a picture of him in the same chair this past week and you can really see how much he has grown!

May...Drake's legs were so skinny!

August...you can really see how much bigger he is by where his shoulder meets the air of the chair

Jacksonville/Florence Vacation

When summer school ended, I finally had time to take off work and go on vacation. We wanted to take Drake to the beach and also visit Amanda and Jeff and David's parents. We went to Jacksonville first and then drove up to Florence. It was a really uneventful week but I'm not sure what else we could have done with a 6 month old. It really was just nice to be able to get away from Clemson and everything that we have going on here. Here are some pictures from out travels...

Drake loved Mauja and she was so good with him. I did notice her eyeing his toy puppy one morning though (she never touched it though)

Hanging out in the car. Drake did really well on all legs of the trip, just got a little bored for about the last hour or so each way.

Drake sure ate a lot of oysters!

First visit to the beach

At Atlantic Beach

First time Drake toes are touching the ocean water

Drake enjoyed watching the water but really was not too happy to actually be in it. To his defense, the water was a little cold

Amanda and Drake hanging out

Watching the sunset on Ginhouse Creek in Amanda and Jeff's backyard

At Kingsley Plantation

Drake's first mohawk. I actually did not realize that his hair was that long!

Mammy and Drake reading a book...Drake was really not too interested in actually turning the page







6 Months Old

To My Drake:

Happy 6 month birthday!

 Today you are 6 months old. I really can't believe how quickly you have gotten to 6 months. Everyday you continue to amaze me and I love you more and more.

- You now weight 17.45 pounds (50th percentile) and are 28 inches long (90th percentile). At the doctor yesterday they measured you at 27 inches but we are demanding a recount. I do not think that the nurse stretched you at all and she is the mean nurse (to adults), so I didn't say anything. When we got home, we measured you again and you are easily 28 inches...just like you have been for the last week!

- You can sit up on your own

- You started to say Mama this week and while I know it is not directed at me whatsoever, I love to hear you day it...now we need to work on Dada.

- You are now eating cereal, peas, and sweet potatoes. I have carrots already made, so we will try those next and we have a lot of peaches that need to be used, so that is the project for tonight. You love the cereal and the peas and sweet potatoes are ok, although you sometimes make a funny face when eating the vegetables.
  

Sweet Potatoes

 



Peas



Cereal

- You still love Luke and Alice. They make you laugh like nothing else does

- You are starting to get a little ticklish

- You are really starting to reach and grab for everything. It is great to see you find something that you want and be able to grab it...not so great when it is my hair (I've been trying to teach you that it hurts when you pull one's hair)

- You are rolling over and if we leave you alone for a few minutes, we often find that you have rolled across the room

- Every morning when we go to get you our of your bed, you are now on your tummy, pushing up to see what is going on

Peas!

Drake's food repertoire is beginning to grow; he tired peas for the first time yesterday. He has been eating cereal for two weeks and this weekend we decided that we would introduce more food. I have been planning on making Drake's food for him, so we bought peas, sweet potatoes, and carrots for him to try yesterday.

Because the peas took less time to make and were ready, that is what Drake got to try first. After the first bit, he wasn't too sure of what he was eating but quickly enjoyed the peas and easily finished 2 ounces.

I went ahead and made the sweet potatoes yesterday as well, so we will try those next and then the carrots. Everything I have read says to wait three days before introducing a new food, that that is our plan. I still really have no idea what we are doing with this whole food thing and how much and how often he should eat. I guess like everything else, we will just learn along the way. Drake does go to the doctor on Wednesday for his 6 month appointment so maybe we will learn something from her...