And Speaking of Nutrition

Well, even though I have been asking about nutritious foods for my daughter... my parents decided to spoil her anyway with a creamstick.  I mean, what are grandparents for, right?  As aggrivating as it is to have parents that don't follow your rules, it did make some interesting photos...

"How was the donut, Jellybean?"

"Ohmigosh it was SOOOOO good!"

"But ohhhh I shouldn't have eated da whoooole thing..."

Nutrition Schmutrition

Jellybean's nine-month check-up was on Friday.  I am very proud to announce that Dr. Gray says she's in her twelve-month milestones already!  Insert smug, braggy momma smile here.

I didn't have an encyclopedia's worth of questions this round, just one simple inquiry about Jellybean's nutrition.  As in, what the heck am I supposed to feed this kid?  It seems Pureed Peas and Fruit Medley (or Fruit Melody as my mom calls it lol) just aren't cutting it anymore.  I thought that I was doing pretty well ripping up grilled cheese sandwiches and mac-n-cheese for her, but apparently preservatives are lurking in the delicious cheese just waiting to attack my baby's health at the first chew...

Those microwavable Gerber Graduates Lil Entres aren't doing the trick either.  Although Puffs and Lil Crunchies are still favorites, child can not live on snacks alone.  And isn't a strictly snacky diet just asking for bad habits later in life? 

So I ask, all three of you who read this blog on non-You-Capture-days, what is a momma to do?  Are frozen peas and canned green beans okay, or do they have to be fresh?  Will homemade mac-n-cheese using grocery store ingredients make the cut, or is it out of the question all together?

Onesies - A Great Shower Activity

Our baby shower was a year ago today!  Instead of those lame baby shower games that nobody likes, we had a pretty fun activity that was interactive, kept the kids busy, and gave Baby a sweet keepsake.  I bought a few packs of different sizes plain, white onesies and some fabric markers.  Everyone got to design a onesie for the baby to wear. 

I have tried to take pictures of Jellybean wearing these hand-decorated onesies, but there have been some incidents--Jellybean growing too big before I got the chance for her to wear it, Jellybean soaking the onesie in runny poo, etc.--and I have not gotten pictures of ALL of them. 

Here are a few, and it's always something fun to keep in mind for your next baby shower :)

This NB size is the one I designed.  Notice the phrase "Potty Like A Rock Star" written on the butt, lol.  No, I am not super-creative.  I actually ripped off this slogan from a pair of pants I saw at Dollar General.



This fabulous example of "modern art" was done by my three-year-old cousin Eva.  Not bad for a three-year-old, considering that those fabric markers are difficult to write with.  You can see on the back where she tried to write her name.



Another NB onesie, but whoever designed it didn't write their name on the tag, so I don't know who did it.

0-3 months.  My cousin is very artistic!  The date below the duck is the date of the baby shower.

 0-3 months designed by my husband.  As you probably guessed, he is a Chevy guy.  Sorry, Ford fans, you can see where you rank.

 3-6 months by my dad.

 3-6 months from a girlfriend of mine .

 Another ducky onesie from my cousin.  She must have been into ducks that day.

(3-6 months)

THE END!

(0-3 months by my husband lol)

I Find You Offensive For Finding Me Offensive

There are so many things that you truly don't understand until you become a mother.  For instance, how easily offended we are by the most innocent of comments made by others.

I've talked before about the stigma this culture has on young moms.  According to most of my friends and coworkers, you have to be absolutely off-of-your-rocker, banging-your-head-into-the-wall, out-of-your-mind crazy to actually want to have a child in your early twenties.  I haven't forgotten that Jellybean was an "OOPS baby," but an accident doesn't necessarily mean a mistake, right?  You wouldn't believe--or maybe you would--how many times people have asked me if I wish I had waited to had kids.  (I do not.)

"But, Amie, don't you find that there are certain challenges that come along with being a young mom?"

"Just the challenge of dealing with people who ask stupid questions..."

During a conversation with a coworker, she (is not yet a parent) said, "Well, obviously you wouldn't have chosen to be a mom at twenty-one."  Is it unreasonable to be offended by this?  I mean, isn't raising my daughter--therefore being a mom--my choice?

I remember when I was six or seven years old, I accidentally bumped the car parked next to ours with my mom's car door.  And the car owner was sitting in the car.  And she heard and saw everything.  She didn't get out of the car, she didn't even roll down the window, all she did was glare at me through the windshield.  My mom FREAKED. OUT.  on this completely innocent lady.  I pity the fool who looks at her child the wrong way...

One thing about being a parent, is we get the chance to be on both sides of this matter.  More than likely, you have been on the offending side of the conversation.  More than likely, feeling like an ass.

In some cases, I have even been offended when another mother was offended by me... I know, shut up.  My friend's daughter was almost two at the time and she slapped my newborn in the face with a baby doll bottle.  On instinct, I grabbed her hand just before she hit my daughter again and said, "NO," resulting in tears from her.  Her mother--who, might I add, watched the entire thing without saying a word--was offended by the tone of voice I used towards her daughter... are you kidding me?

I wonder exactly what it is about childbirth that turns this...

...into this...