Summer Goals with David

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There’s nothing really like street food, is there?

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My sister would tell you one of the most annoying questions I ask her is,”so what are your goals?” She usually responds with a eye roll and a punch right to my bicep.

I’m goal-oriented, and usually always have a few things that I’m working towards. It may be something like keeping the house cleaner, going through e-mail more quickly or actually finishing a book I start.

With David here, I find that having a plan for the day makes for a much more enjoyable day. Something as small as a pre-planned grocery store trip allows me to be more proactive about getting things done beforehand.

This summer, there are a few goals I have in mind for David and I.

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1. I’d love to take an infant+parent swim class. I grew up going to a lake house every summer, and spent plenty of time at the pool throughout my entire adolescence. Assuming David will have a fair amount of water related activities around him, I’d love to feel comfortable about him being in the water.

2. I’d like to continue making his baby food myself. I started making a few purées a couple weeks ago and it was incredibly simple. The idea of making his food sounded fun to me, and so far I’ve really enjoyed it. I think that as long as I block off enough time to prepare his purées beforehand, this can continue to work for us. I’ve made green beans, sweet potatoes, pears and apples. He loves pears and sweet potatoes, but I haven’t ventured into green beans yet.

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3. I’d like to make sure he has plenty of time interacting with other kids. I have so enjoyed hanging with my friends that have little babies ever since David arrived. The camaraderie and level of understanding makes for an instantly deeper connection. Historically, David is a little standoffish and shy when we go to a new place. This, of course, could be due to him being 6 months old but it may be a personality trait as well. I was very shy as a kid and I wonder if he’ll have that same disposition.

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Those goals are pretty simple, I know, but nonetheless it’s nice to know we are working on something!

David is chillin’ in the 4mom’s Breeze Playard, which may just be the easiest play yard to set up and take down. It’s a one-step open and close and it doesn’t require sweat, frustration, or an extra pair of hands. I remember when Justin and I were registering, we tested opening and closing a few different playards in the aisles of Buy Buy Baby. After about 15 minutes of trying to put together some obnoxious ones that I’m fairly certain were created only to frustrate parents, we settled on picking the Breeze.

We hope to have more children one day, and are sure that this will be the only playard we’ll use.

Justin is an engineer, so efficiency and effectiveness are high on his list. We are both 4moms believers!

4moms is hosting a daily giveaway of the Breeze over on their Facebook page. Check it out here! You can enter to win your very own Breeze Playard by using the giveaway tool below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Julie says · 06.16.14

My little girl plays with her feet just like in the pic of David! I wonder what is so fascinating to babies about their feet lol.

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Stephanie says · 06.16.14

The pose is actually called “happy baby pose” in yoga – there must be something to that!

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Lauren says · 06.16.14

I know this is a sponsored post but you have got to check out the nuna sena! It’s the only travel crib/play yard with an upper basinet for little ones that folds with the frame and has the same 4Breeze mechanics. Plus cheaper!

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Kym says · 06.16.14

Hi! I made my all the food for my sons as well, and found it very easy. I used to freeze portions in ice cube trays: I could warm up exactly what was needed even as their appetite increased. One suggestion I have for when you start fruit is to use unsweetened organic applesauce..that was kind of a “well, duh” moment for me. When my boys were ready for the next step I used to take frozen veggies and steam them until they were super soft, then cut into small pieces. I loved feeding my babies, that’s probably a strange statement, but I really enjoyed it. :).

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Kate says · 06.16.14

I’m enjoying it as well!

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tish says · 06.16.14

Another super easy option is to just mash up bananas and avocados:). My girls LOVED them as their 1st foods in addition to the other purees. A great book to use is “Super Baby Food” by Ruth Yaron, this was my feeding “bible” with my babies/toddlers.

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Christen says · 06.16.14

Sounds like we’re very similar! I’m also a very goal-oriented person and really appreciate structure to my days. I’ve found that my girls (3 and 1) respond really well to that as well.

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Luanne says · 06.16.14

I made all of my son’s baby food until he started eating off of our plate – and, I’m a working mom! You’ll make time if you enjoy it! 🙂 I found Annabel Karmel’s books (and some products) to be very helpful!

http://www.annabelkarmel.com/us/

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Luanne says · 06.16.14

And, by working I mean: at an office 40 hours a week! (I didn’t mean to come across as if you don’t work…because you certainly do!)

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Kate says · 06.16.14

I didn’t take it like that at all- I knew what you meant! 🙂 Thanks for the suggestion!

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Stacey says · 06.16.14

I would highly recommend ISR (http://www.infantswim.com/). I was a nanny for 4 years and raised two little ones. I took the kiddos to their ISR classes daily for a period of weeks, and by the end they were able to demonstrate how to float and survive if they fell into a body of water. The youngest was 6 mos when she started. It was incredible, and they’ve since mastered the art of swimming and are both on swim teams at the ages of 5 and 7. I’m a proud faux-mom!

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suzyhomemaker says · 06.16.14

Stacey, I was just going to say the same thing. I just finished 4 weeks and have a video of my 2.5 year old floating in full winter clothes. They were absolutely the BEST lessons. We have a pool and I am so happy we did it, but I think if you are going to spend any time around water, they are a must.

I hope Kate reads these comments. If you do Kate, and you want more info or to see a video, let me know. I generally don’t show pictures or videos of my daughter, but this one I am willing to share if it helps encourage more parents to enroll their babies.

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Lindsay says · 06.16.14

It takes a bit more time to make the food yourself, but it’s sooooo worth it. I had big eaters, and I’d have gone broke trying to feed my enormous sons with those tiny jars.

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B. Winscott says · 06.16.14

Please, please, please check your use of apostrophes. There should not be one in purees.

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Kate says · 06.16.14

missed that-thank you for pointing it out.

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Rachel says · 06.16.14

Ha! This made my Monday! Hahahahahahahaha!

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Nickole says · 06.17.14

You still understand what it means don’t you?

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Ashley Alcorn says · 06.16.14

Hi! I love reading your blog, especially when you talk about your sweet David. I have an 11 month old girl, Blair. I blog over at Mama Works It! I JUST started, so it’s a work in progress, but I made all my girl’s baby food and have had a few posts about it.

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Jill says · 06.16.14

Thank you for this giveaway! I am currently expecting so of course I took advantage 🙂
We have not yet finished our registry but I might check this out. Anything to make life easier in terms of “assembly” would be a-okay in my book!

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tasha burritt says · 06.16.14

This would be a dream come true to win! It would be such a help in my life. Thank you for the chance to win! 😀

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Rachel says · 06.16.14

Dunno if you need help finding other babies to socialize David with, but if you do I can recommend some meetup groups in the Triangle that I’ve had success with. I’d heard + or – 6 months is the age range you want to look for with your kid, and I could see why after I started to venture out. I have an 8 mo old, and I found it difficult at first to find other little babies. Once a kid is walking & talking a bit, I think it will be easy to find activities/playmates, but for finding other infants, it was a bit more difficult. If you already have some friends & babies to meet with, hooray!

Oh and if you like making the purees, you might look into reusable food pouches. The pouches are nice for healthy on-the-go snacks, and they save a bit of money from repeatedly buying the ones from the store!

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Angelica says · 06.16.14

I enjoy reading your posts about David. I also have a son that is a few months older than yours. I would like it if your had more baby posts.

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Angela says · 06.16.14

I remember feeling so good about making my baby’s food from scratch. I tried to do the same with my second but unfortunately did not have the time caring for two little ones as I did with my first. Second time around I found some great organic pre-made options that made my life so much easier.

David looks so happy in these pictures. Super cute!

http://palsywalsyblog.blogspot.ca/

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Beth says · 06.16.14

The only baby food I refuse to make is meat purées. Yuck! Thankfully my 8mo old is onto little bite sized pieces of food now so we aren’t buying too much. When I was buying, Ella’s Kitchen’s meat foods were a hit with my babe. I would sometimes mix them into my homemade veggies.

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Thea says · 06.16.14

Making David’s food is so worth it!! I work full-time, so it was a commitment to cordon off the time to make all of her food – but I would do it again in a heartbeat! The best thing I ever did was make large-ish batches of the food, freeze it in covered trays, and then put the frozen chunks into labeled freezer-safe bags. You can plunk a frozen chunk into a container and throw it in the fridge the night before, and it’s ready to go. Major time-saver in the long run!

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Kimberly says · 06.16.14

So fun to see baby David on my FB newsfeed this morning!

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Lauren says · 06.16.14

I would just like to let you know that I absolutely love your blog. I look forward to reading your blog each day of the week, and especially your post about David.
So thank you, and I hope you have a blessed week!

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Kate says · 06.16.14

Thanks Lauren!

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Diana says · 06.16.14

I did all my baby’s food. It wasn’t as popular when I did it so I didn’t have a lot of resources. I actually was quiet about it as I saw it as a method of saving money. That was in the 80’s and I think I was probably sensitive about it. I puréed foods and froze them or often separated out some as I cooked to blend up. I also had this little hand crank grinder I used a lot. We rarely used jar foods ever.
Love the swim classes! I did it with my baby and it was great. The time together, exercise for me and knowing I was making his world safer was fabulous.
Enjoy each moment!

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Amber says · 06.16.14

Have you looked to see if there is a MOPS or MOMS group in your area. I belong to one and boy, it made a world of difference for me and my mentality. Once a week play group meet up while the kids (of all ages) play or the infants watch the bigger kids play and the moms chat is something I love. I had to miss a few months due to bed rest and having a newborn and I missed it so much.

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Megan says · 06.16.14

I made almost all of my daughter’s baby food too! Of course, it’s handy to have a few shelf-stable pouches/jars to toss in the diaper bag too, but making our own was fun and saved a lot of money too. After all, it’s way more fun to spend money on cute baby clothes than baby food, right?!

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Rachel says · 06.16.14

Are you guys going to try baby lead weaning with David? I prepared puréed food with my first two babes and now with the third I am trying to decide the best route to take. Good luck with your goals momma! XO! 🙂

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Leigh Ann says · 06.16.14

I was gung ho about baby led weaning until my LO look at those pieces of food like they were a dead bug and dropped them immediately into the floor. Purees were the better bet for us. Try a mix of both and see what baby takes to 🙂

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Amy Arvin says · 06.16.14

Another vote for Baby-Lef Weaning here! Finally tried it with my third and would do it again in a heartbeat!

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Kate says · 06.16.14

No, we are doing purees 🙂

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Beth McFadden says · 06.16.14

We have been doing a parent & tot swim class thru our local Parks & Rec since Dez was about 10-11 months old. He absolutely LOVES it & he looks forward to it every week. We went on vacation a couple weeks ago & complete strangers commented on how comfortable he was in the water. He will be 2 next month & he already jumps in on his own & is working on swimming under the water soon.

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Missy Sand says · 06.16.14

Your baby is so adorable!

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Adrian says · 06.16.14

I made baby food for my little boy, too. I really enjoyed it. My favorite baby food resource was Start Fresh by Tyler Florence. My little one is 2 1/2, and I’m still using recipes from that book.

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Mollie says · 06.16.14

I have a 6 month old baby boy also and have been making some baby food for him, but also doing some foods (like meats) out of the glasses. I highly recommend buying frozen fruits (no sugar added) or vegetables which are bio. Then you can steam and puree them and add a little bit of the cooking liquid. Presto! Baby food made simpler. I find it’s easier to do this than buy fresh and have to peel it or cut it. I did the broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix and my little guy liked it.

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Lindy says · 06.16.14

Oh Kate. I have three girls ages 4, 2, and 1. They love watching your “hair videos” with me. I saw that the older two were playing with the 15 month old’s hair while she sat in the high chair, and they were chattering on like they were giving a whole hair tutorial. “Wrap the hair around two fingers…” “Insert a bobby pin right there…” I thought it was all play, but went to check and found my poor baby with a whole row of bobby pins across the back of her hair. 🙂 Girls are so fun! 🙂

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Lisa Cowart says · 06.16.14

I sure hope I win this 4moms Breeze! This would be perfect for my almost 5 month old!

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Abbey R. says · 06.16.14

Thanks for the chance to win! Check out The Best Homemade Baby Food On the Planet and http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/. They were my favorite resources for making food at that age!

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Smeloisey says · 06.16.14

I just set myself 5 goals for the summer on my blog, one of which involves me being my sisters birthing partenr, and I cannot wait.

You can read more about it here:
http://smeloisey.blogspot.co.uk/

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Jessica says · 06.16.14

Great goals! We are in the midst of a mommy and me swim class right now (My little guy is 14 months old), and it has been tons of fun. More about getting them comfortable near/in the water than anything else, but in the land of 10,000 lakes that is important!

I made babyfood at first, while I was still home on leave, and also really loved doing that. He’s on table foods now so he just eats what we eat, or leftovers if I can’t get dinner ready early enough for him, but I love to cook so Ioved making his purees. I found the normal blender/ steamer / food processor to be a lot more effective than the baby bullet, I made things in bulk, froze in ice cube trays, and then transferred to zip lock baggies. Lasts about a month in the freezer.

Social time – definitely. I work out of the home so my son is in daycare and I love that he has friends, and that he’ll be ready to be a big brother! I absolutely feel a deeper bond with other mothers, even if we’ve just met!

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Jessica Baker says · 06.16.14

I am like that too Kate, I like knowing what’s going on, and following goals! Plus this post was even better because I got to see cute little David. 🙂

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Patricia Aragon says · 06.17.14

I want to win this giveaway, because I really need one for my baby boy.

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Anna says · 06.17.14

Dear Kate,
As a mother of a 5 month old boy I started feeding my baby with fruits about 2 weeks ago. I use the combined steamer and blender from avent by philips. This makes cooking for babies very easy!!! I can only recommend it. I am living in Austria and can use the apples and potatoes from our garden for my little one…
All the best to you!

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Larissa Melnik says · 06.17.14

Kate, your son is precious! So happy! And there is something about a baby in a plain white onesie that makes me want to hug and kiss them!

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Steph M says · 06.17.14

Ha, you’re lovin’ the Canadians (finally) with this giveaway! Fist pump!

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Susan Hubley says · 06.17.14

I’d love to win a breeze, I’m in Canada with my fingers crossed…

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Paige says · 06.17.14

Did you take these pics? What kind of camera/lens/settings do you use? They are so cute!

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Kim says · 06.17.14

I really enjoy your blog, which I discovered thru your hair tutorials (brill!!!).

I had tons of fun making purées for my 2-yr-old, and now enjoy discovering new recipes for the whole family (all 3 of us!) that we can all eat together…some are even just the non-puréed versions of combos I’d find in the baby cookbooks, like chicken, sweet potato, apple, and leek saute (yum).

Anyway, I thought I’d share a tip that worked for us when my little guy tried a new food, especially veggies which aren’t as initially appealing as sweeter fruits. Instead of going full-throttle green beans, maybe try green beans mixed with carrot or apple…something with some sweetness. It’s even better if the sweet thing is also a familiar flavor. You could do half/half, but even 2-parts/1-part should be enough.

Other favorite add-ins for my guy were/are cinnamon, garlic powder (really!), and curry!

Good luck and have fun with it!

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sarah goodman says · 06.17.14

could 4moms be any more amazing with their products?! i would love to have this play yard!

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Maria says · 06.18.14

I love these goals with David, especially the one about him being comfortable in water. I have the same goal for my little girl too, but have yet to try it out. Crossing my fingers for the both of us and hoping for success.

That picture of David playing with his feet looks so familiar! My girl does the same thing! Funny how babies can be so different but the same at the same time!

Maria
cmntsblog.blogspot.com

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Mary Schoen says · 06.18.14

Good for you for making his baby food purees!!
you may want to check out http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/ for some good tips on prepping/cooking/freezing, and ideas on combos when you get to that stage! I used them a lot…and I’m a dietitian!
David is just adorable, and I’m sure he appreciates your yummy homemade foods 🙂

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traci b says · 06.18.14

Green beans mixed with bananas. It is delicious!….I tasted them amd they are good. I loved mixing things for my munchkins when they were just trying new things out. I wanted them to like everything. Apples are also good to get green beans into the diet.

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kim says · 06.18.14

I made all of my daughters food when she was a baby and it’s a lot easier than people make it sound. And I don’t think it’s trying to be all “oh, store bought baby food, how easy of you” (said in a really annoying stuck up way) but it’s actually fun if you like to cook! It especially gets fun when it gets to the small pieces of food stage. My son is exactly one month older than David and for some reason though, he’s totally uninterested in eating solids! It’s frustrating!

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Kat Gosney says · 06.19.14

Hi Kate! One of my goals is also to get my 6 month old around other babies (I am a SAHM too so she doesn’t get to interact with other babies at daycare like many babies do!). You’ve actually met her–I am the one who met you and your sister outside of the Loft about a month ago. If you want to get David and Emerson together sometime let me know since we are both in the area 🙂 I know Emerson would love it! -Kat

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rice cooker says · 06.27.14

Hello, I log on to your blogs like every week. Your writing style is awesome,
keep doing what you’re doing!

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