My Son Hates Solid Food

I let him play with his food a bit. 

We have been having a really tough time eating around here. Jack has truly been the easiest baby. I have been truly blessed. He has been so agreeable with almost everything. I just assumed eating solids would be another easy transition. I waited till 6 months to feed him solids. It took Jack almost 4 months before he latched correctly. I tried the cereals at 51/2 months because he is still having a tough time gaining weight. He nurses really well and takes the bottle ok. He just has a hard time gaining any weight. He hasn't even doubled his weight yet.

Lately Jack has had such a tough time with solid foods. He started off eating rice and he really didn't like it but he LOVED oatmeal. So on Friday night I bought tons of fresh veggies and cooked them up. As I blended them up I couldn't help but thinking about what I used to make in blenders on a Friday night. Let's just say there weren't sweet potatoes and green beans back in 2004. It was more likely tequila! Since he liked the oatmeal so much I thought solid food would come easy for us. Not so much! My poor boy is having a terrible time with new foods.

He hated carrots...

Can you tell? 

This is what meal time looks at our house.  Good times.

He gags, heaves and throws up almost every time. 

We thought sweet potatoes would be easier. We mixed them with oatmeal and the same thing happened. He gagged, heaved and learned how to spit. I'm hoping it just takes time. We have been at it for 2 weeks. I hate that he isn't eating but the spitting was just a tiny bit funny. I kept trying with the sweet potatoes and its gotten a bit better but not great. I have to mix it in with his oatmeal in order for him to not gag and it needs to be a very liquid consistency.

Any hints or tricks from new mommies?

Weekend Recap...

Thursday too late for a weekend recap? Ok, well I hope not. Life is crazy on these parts. My poor mom is back in the hospital. She got violently sick again Monday night. She has had several crazy symptoms since February; violently vomiting along with anaphylactic reactions and no one seems to know the cause. The doctors are baffled and she is just getting sicker and sicker. Prayers and lots of positive thoughts are appreciated.

Back to some happy things...
I have not recapped one of our weekends in so long. Truth is our weekends are usually super busy. I barely have time for anything. We run back and forth between our parent's houses, we clean and if we have time for fun stuff we do that too. This weekend was a little different and we actually had time for ourselves and it was awesome!

 On Saturday Brian worked so Jack and I had a day to ourselves. I cleaned the house and we cuddled. We tried more sweet potatoes and it was tough. Jack has been having a difficult time trying new foods and it hasn't been easy for him or me.

After Brian got home from work we ordered some sandwiches and went to a free concert in the park by our home. The music left a little to be desired but we were right next to a playground and had a blast with Jack. We enjoyed our dinner as a little family of 3. It was a perfect little night. 

On Sunday we went to a church and firmed up the plans to have Jack baptized. It was a new church for both Brian and I. We loved it. The members were so kind and welcoming to our family and it really felt like something I wanted to become more a part of. It was a great way to end the weekend. 

Parent's Day Out

I was lucky enough to win 4 tickets to a Yankee Game a few weeks back. I knew it would be the perfect day to spend with friends. It would also be my 1st social outing with out Jack since he was born. So that's 6 months! It sounds crazier than it seems. My best friend's are also new parents and they have only been out 3 times without their son and he's a year old. We definitely deserve a parent's day out. On Sunday morning 4 parents dropped off their little munchkins at their grandparent's house and were off on their merry way. Trust me I felt so guilty leaving my little man but I knew we needed some time for fun too. 

The tickets I won were VIP tickets and I won them through joining the Cystic Fibrosis Walk a Thon. The tickets were by far the best seats I've ever been in at Yankee Stadium. These type of tickets are basically untouchable unless you get them from a large corporations. I've been going to Yankee games for years and these were pretty incredible.

Pregaming 

Responsible adults post game.

Mommy bought her little man his very first Yankee hat. 

Although we had a blast but getting home and cuddling this little boy was the best part of my day!

Oh Life

I'm wiped out, exhausted and burnt. My job is insane. The stress is making me physically ill. My Jack's cough is all sorts of yucky and I spent the majority of yesterday in the ER with my mom after a severe allergic reaction that put her into shock. More on that when I have time to breathe.

But I won't let any of that break me so I'll cure it with a little comic relief...

Enjoy...They made me giggle at 2 am when I couldn't sleep

Thank you Flula!

Baby Jack- 6 Months Old

Weight and Height- 

Jack now weighs 14.14 and is 24.74 inches long!  He's still wearing lots of 3-6 month clothes. Most of the rompers I bought him are 6 months and he is swimming in them. They look so darn cute. 

Health- 

Jack continues to go back to his group of specialists. We continue his nebulizer and percussion therapies 2 times a day.  He had a slight cold this month so we took him to the specialist and he received some extra medication through his nebulizer. He is feeling good lately! He will be getting some blood work and chest x-rays in the next few months.

Sleep- 

Jack has been having a difficult time sleeping lately. We have been trying to transition him into his crib and it has been tough. He has been struggling with teething too. It has been tough for the both of us. He has been waking up several times a night. He has started rolling over in his sleep too. 

Crying- 

Jack barely cries.He is such a happy little boy. He only really cries when he is receiving his breathing treatments. He has also started crying in the car.  When he can't see me it gets him upset. If I give him my hand he will usually calm down and fall asleep. 

Hair- 

It's growing so well and it is getting lighter. 

I think he may be a strawberry blonde.

Eyes- 

Blue! 

Clothes- 

Jack is wearing 3 months. He also fits in 0-3. The rompers I bought for the summer are all 6 months. They are all so big!

Feedings- 

Jack is nursing whenever he is with me. He only seems to nurse for a very short time and I feel like I'm always feeding him. I pump all day at work. He takes 7-8 oz bottles every 3 hours. He wakes up 1-2 times a night for food. 

Routine- 

We have one down. Most days start at 5am. We begin with this treatments and follow that up with a feeding. Our nights usually contain another treatment and feedings. We all go to bed around 11pm. Overnight is another story! Jack wakes up often at night to eat. He hates his crib and wakes up at let 3 times a night when we put him in his crib. He sleeps much better in bed with us or in the cosleeper!

Social 

He is so incredibly happy and friendly. Jack reacts to people he is familiar with and its usually a huge smile. He is now interested in his cousins and smiles at them when they play. He is so friendly with my best friend's little boy. They laugh and smile all the time when they are together. 

Jack went to his first concert in the park. He saw a Beetles cover band. He LOVED it. 

Likes-

He LOVES being in the water. He even went under and LOVED it. 

Bath time is a favorite too. 

Jack love dogs. 
Jack loves to imitate others. He will cough and giggle when he hears others. 

He is obsessed with phones, iPads and remote controls

Family- He loves his grandmas and grandpas. He always smiles at mommy and laughs when daddy makes funny faces. 

Cartoons especially Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Dinosaur Train. The theme to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood stops him from crying in an instant. 

He is madly in love with dogs, big ones and little ones.
He adores his uncle's pit bull Cinco and she loves him too. 

Dislikes- 

Breathing treatments
Being in his crib

Being in a different room than his mom and dad. 

Mommy- 

Is exhausted all the time. I'm having a tough time. I feel like I have finally hit the wall and I'm tired all the time no matter how many hours of sleep I get. I still hate being at work. Every hour I'm away from him I wish I was with Jack. I want to experience so much with him and I just feel like I'm missing a lot when I'm away. I'm sure most working moms feel the same way.  

What's In Your (Diaper) Bag

I can't count how many posts I have actually seen all over the blog world about what is in their purses. I haven't yet seen many on what's in your diaper bag. My diaper bag goes all over. I do still have a purse that comes with me to work every day but the diaper bag contains all of the necessities I need for Jack and myself.  I’m a mom and I think it’s fun to see what others have in their all-important life line while on the go, so I thought I’d share mine!

Here is my version of what's in my bag.

My bag was purchased at Pottery Barn Kids. It has since been discontinued but here is one like it. 

I actually don't like my diaper bag. I wish I did. It is wayyyy to small and has only 2 small  compartments on the outside of the bag. I have to dig through the entire bag to find anything small. It usually happens when Jack is in desperate need of a pacifier and its all the way at the bottom. 

Changing Pad

Gussy Sews Tote- 

I bought this little tote way before having children. It was the perfect size little purse. I have seen so many bloggers post about the Huggies wristlet which are cute but nowhere as awesome as this one. It fits up to 6 diapers, Huggies wipe container, and enough room for my keys and cell phone.

Blanket

Extra bibs

Burp clothes

Babyganics Sunscreen

Pacifier, pacifier clips and pacifier cleaning wipes

Bottle, Purified Water and Similac to go-

Just in case baby ever needs a bottle and I'm not available or he is having trouble latching.

Extra Clothes

I always pack at least 1 outfit, 1 long sleeve/long pants outfit, socks and pajamas.

Toys-

Jack loves his Boon Ducky

Dirty Diaper Bags

Hands and Face Wipes

Hand Sanitizer

Diaper Cream

Extras-

Bathing suit

Bucket hat

Sunglasses

Now on to momma:

Wallet

Chapstick

Granola or Snack

What about you?

What do you carry in your diaper bag?

Grilled Summer Corn

It's summer time and in the summer there is nothing I love more than food cooked out on the grill. Almost every night in the summer Brian and I cook out on our grill and eat dinner on our back deck. My most favorite thing to eat on the grill is New Jersey sweet corn. Now that it's July Jersey sweet corn is all over! I like my corn with a little zest and a little spice. My favorite thing to pair it with grilled steak and cucumber salad.  Since corn is my favorite side dish I thought I'd share my favorite recipe with you.

Ingredients

- Corn, shucked and cleaned

- Mayonaise

- Pico De Lime 

- Lime Juice

- Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

- Preheat the grill at medium temperature

- Brush on the mayonnaise. A little goes a long way

- Sprinkle with the Pico De Lime or paprika than add roll it through some parmesan cheese. 

- Wrap in aluminum foil 

-  Place corn on the grill and grill for 15 minutes but don't forget to turn them a few times so they cook evenly. 

I just like this zesty summer corn recipe. After cooking the parmesan will bake it and leave a bit of crust. The Pico De Lime I get in the specialty store. It can be very spicy so I sometimes use paprika instead. It is just as tasty but like the mayo a little bit goes a very long way.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy this corn recipe. If you do please let me know what you think.

Surviving Teething- Or At Least Trying

Sweet mother, we are in the midst of teething and it has turned life into something I would classify as a loud, tear filled, sleepless tornado. (on both jack and my part)

Some of our warning signs have been:

- Increased drool- This has been going on for several months but it is sooooo bad lately. We go through bibs so often I have chosen just to change his shirt or onsie most days. I'm continually wiping his chin and neck with a washcloth so it won't cause a rash.

- Sleepless Night and Napless Days- For all that is holy, PLEASE SLEEP!!! Jack has been up so often at night I can barely stay awake at work most days. Last night he woke up 4 times and was up for the day at 5 am. I honestly can't function.

- Chewing (EVERYTHING)- Jack will chew and suck on anything and everything. He will chew on my fingers and chin whenever he can. We gave him a Tupperware full of cold teethers and tried putting them all in his mouth in addition to the tupperware.

-Refusing To Eat- I've noticed Jack has been refusing breastfeeding and the bottle. If he doesn't refuse he eats for very short periods of time. He seems uncomfortable when he nurses. Often he will push with his legs and whip his head around. Any one ever hear of niplash??? Yeah, its a real thing. I believe this is why he is having a difficult time sleeping because he's hungry.

- Fussy- Jack has never been a real crier so him being fussy and crying is so out of the ordinary for us. I know he must be so uncomfortable to be crying and fussing as much as he is.

 I just feel so terrible for him. I wish I could make it all go away. We have Sophie, teethers, frozen wash clothes, foot massage and a silicone teething necklace to help him find some comfort. Nothing seems to work. 

Moms, what are your favorite teething remedies? What are some of the best tips you can give to survive teething?