Baby food

Sawyer started on solids the weekend he turned 6 months. I decided to start him out on an avocado since they are so healthy and didn't have to be cooked. Needless to say he wasn't too thrilled! He gagged and choked and couldn't get any of it down.

So I decided it might be too early for the avocado and thought pears would be a little easier for his first time. When Ian was around 7 months old I decided to make his baby food instead of buying the jars from the store. It was such a great experience I couldn't wait to do the same for Sawyer. It's so much healthier and you know exactly what's in the food and where it came from. It's really easy to do and only requires about an hour a week to keep up a good supply. You have to do a little preparation to take it with you but it's so simple and just a matter of warming it up and putting it in a little to-go dish for the diaper bag. Here's a little tutorial for anyone that is interested. This is how I make it but I'm sure there are many different ways. Wholesome baby food is a great website for the when, what, and how in making baby food.

I buy organic whenever possible for his food. It's really worth the extra price because it goes a long way and you know they aren't getting any pesticides or other chemicals.


I peel and chop the fruit/veggie and put it in a steamer basket in a pot on the stove. This method only takes short time...within 10 to 15 minutes depending on the food...to steam.


Once they are soft, I puree them in a food processor. This is a mini food processor I bought because I found it will do smaller amounts really well. I add water when it needs it to get that really smooth and fine texture. Pears don't need much water added at all but sweet potatoes and squashes need a good amount.


Here's a bowl of pureed sweet potatoes. I used 5 sweet potatoes and it made 8 cups.

Then I spoon it into ice cube trays. These trays happen to have a lid but I also have another set that I use without lids. Either way works fine.


After they are frozen, I simply pop them out of the trays and put them in gallon-sized bags. Now they are in perfect 1 to 2 ounce sized portions and I can grab whatever I feel like feeding him. You can combine them however you want. Really, the possibilities are endless!

Once they are a little older, you can leave the puree chunkier until they are ready for finger foods when they can have cut up fruit or steamed chunks of veggies. If you still aren't convinced...it's way more affordable than buying those jars all the time. Those 5 sweet potatoes that I bought for around $3 will last for 2 to 3 weeks at the current rate he's eating.

I usually try and take the cubes of food out of the fridge the night before for the next day. I just keep them in the fridge to soften. To warm them up you can heat them slowly on the stove which doesn't take very long or you can use the microwave. I don't recommend the microwave very often because it will destroy any enzymes and nutrients the food contains. Making baby food does require a little extra time but it's so minimal and worth all the effort.

And since I can't resist showing pictures of him. Here he is enjoying some butternut squash!

Sawyer's big news

While Jeremy and Ian were in the garage cleaning, I decided to take some new pictures of Sawyer in honor of his big news. He's crawling now! He's been bouncing on his hands and knees for a couple of weeks and then on Thanksgiving night he decided it was time and moved forward. He's getting better everyday and is so satisfied with himself when he finally grabs a toy that was just out of his reach.

He's also started on some solids and I'll be posting some of those pics soon. Here he is looking cute as can be and so proud of himself!

And finally, I just had to post a picture of my new favorite baby thing right now. They are called babylegs and you can find them here. I love (LOVE!) them. They are perfect for keeping baby's legs warm during the cold weather so there is no gap between the pants and the sock. They can even go over the heal to keep the socks on. And they are great for moments like this when baby is crawling and you want something to protect their knees. Plus...they come in adorable patterns and colors!

Thanksgiving...

What a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. We had delicious food with so much left over that each family took good-sized portions of everything home with them. There were word games, puzzle pieces to find and put together, and a 25 cent bet on which day snow would fall on first. There were nonstop conversations and laughter and it was so fun to watch all the cousins playing together.

We had a grand total of 24 people in my parent's home...all in my immediate family. Just between us, my brothers, my sister, and my parent's foster children, there were 14 kids there. Ages: 15, 13, 12, 12, 8, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1, 6 months, 3 months, 2 months and 4 weeks.

You learn pretty quickly to watch where you step, listen for your own child's distinct cry, and how to break up little boys who insist on playing with the exact same toy the entire time (ahem..Ian and Angel).

But what a fun Thanksgiving it was! I'm so very thankful for my family, our health, a warm home to come back to, and yummy food to enjoy throughout the weekend.

We only took a few pictures so here they are:

Ian with cousins Daniel and Caleb the night before watching a movie.

Dad and Sawyer hanging out after Thanksgiving dinner

And just for fun...Jeremy sporting a beard and me with my new brown hair.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Ian's new vocabulary

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no.

Just in case you need an example of this extensive vocabulary:

Andrea: Ian, it's time to pick up your crayons and put them in the little bag.

Ian: No

Andrea: Ian, you say 'Yes Mama'

Ian: Yes Mama

Andrea: That's right...now pick up your crayons please.

Ian: No

Happy 30th Birthday, Andrea!

My beautiful wife is 30 years-old today. She is the most wonderful person I have ever known, and I can't adequately describe just how much she means to me. I am so glad that my sons will be able to grow up with such a wonderful example of someone who thinks of her family above herself, and does it gladly.

I love you, baby - Happy Birthday! - Jeremy

"The simple lack of her is more to me than others' presence."
- Edward Thomas

6 months already

I can't believe Sawyer is 6 months today! I feel like I was just pregnant waiting for labor to begin. It's been so fun seeing him go from a newborn to a giggly baby with personality. He's so much like Ian yet so different. Although the difference I see is simply in being a younger brother. He has an older brother that he watches like a hawk. He has to wait more where Ian didn't. His schedule isn't as set and his nap usually gets bumped a little if we have to go somewhere. Thankfully he's getting pretty good at taking quick naps in the car while we are running errands. All of this is making him out to be a pretty mellow baby. He just goes with the flow until he really wants or needs something.

Unlike Ian's pregnancy, Sawyer's pregnancy and delivery were textbook. I wanted to avoid another c-section so I chose a midwife and delivered outside of a hospital. It was the best decision we could have made. We were able to enjoy everything that we couldn't with Ian's birth. I had him completely natural in water in a birthing tub. Jeremy was able to catch him and I held him as he cried for the first time. He never left our arms for even a moment and 12 hours later we were home and snuggled in bed. It was such a great experience for all of us and one I hope to repeat with our next child.

He was 7lbs 10oz . I could tell the difference right away between the boys. Ian was fragile at 37 weeks and Sawyer was hardy and healthy at 40 weeks. I was surprised to see how much of a difference 3 weeks is to babies. He had dark hair and blue eyes. He was absolutely perfect.


Now he's 17 lbs 6oz and almost crawling!

He's sitting up so well now.

Rocking out on his hands and knees.

I feel like I love him more every single day. He's so mellow and sweet-natured. His eyes light up when anyone talks to him and he laughs, full belly laughs, when he's tickled. I'm excited to see his personality come out even more and to hear his voice when he says his first word. Having him made me realize how much more I can love.

Happy 6 months baby boy.

For Grandpa Fred...

Here is a photo of Jeremy and the boys all ready for tonight's game with the Cowboys vs. the Eagles... can you tell who we are rooting for? (Sorry Grandpa Fred :)

Trick or Treat

We weren't planning on taking Ian trick or treating this year because I thought he might be too young. But then the kid in me got really excited for him and we** decided at the last minute to take him up and down our own block. We had a really fun time and it was a great chance to talk to our neighbors.

**Jeremy says he never went trick or treating as a kid and was a bit reluctant for Ian to go. I teased him mercilessly of course and then promised we wouldn't end the night with a cauldron of witch's brew. :-)

He didn't have a costume so I bought some Shrek ears at the store along with some play makeup. He thought the ears were bunny ears so I made a little nose and whiskers. He decided however, after looking in the mirror, that a 'roar' would be a very fitting sound for a little Shrek bunny rabbit. So in the end I'm not sure what he was but it was all pretty cute.

Sawyer getting ready to go trick or treating with us. He got to wear his poncho from Karli. He was adorable in it!

Dad took care of Sawyer because he didn't know how to trick or treat.

His first house! Our neighbor dressed the part. Ian thought the whole thing was really strange at first but quickly warmed up once he realized he got some candy out of it.

He would yell 'trick or treat' before anyone answered the door and then he was silent when they were actually standing there.

Sitting on our steps after the making the rounds.

Eyeing all the candy he brought home.

Sunday fun

Thank you for all the encouraging comments on my last post. It's so nice to 'hear' from people who read this blog. And it was great to read all of your words after spilling my feelings on here. I have some beautiful pictures of Sawyer that I plan on posting next and I'll share a little more then too.

We had such a nice day together on Sunday. We visited a new church and really enjoyed it even though we knew right away it wasn't the place for us. Then we spent the afternoon watching football and I made this lovely recipe from Karli that I had to share as well. ( Hope you don't mind Karli!)

Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche

6 servings

Prepare and fit into a 9-inch pie dish a basic pie or pastry dough shell**

Brush dough with beaten egg yolk and refrigerate

Set a rack on lowest position in the oven and preheat to 400F

Seed, core, and quarter 1 lb tomatoes

Crumble and blend in a large bowl:
4 to 6 oz soft fresh goat cheese
3/4 cup half and half or heavy cream
1/2 cup milk

Add and whisk until smooth:
3 eggs
1 TBLS chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3 TBLS chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Arrange most of the tomato quarters in the prepared pastry shell like the spokes of a wheel. Fill in the center with the remaining tomato quarters. Pour the cheese mixture over the tomatoes. Bake until the top is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes (or longer) to set before slicing.

**Awhile ago I found this pastry shell recipe that is so quick, easy, and delicious that I use it for nearly all my pies and quiches now.

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Pate Brisee
makes 1 9"-10" tart/quiche shell

1- 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 TBLS ice water

Put the flour and salt into a food processor and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With the motor running, slowly add the ice water and process until dough starts coming together (forms a ball). Remove, pat into disk, and wrap in plastic wrap to chill in fridge for at least 1 hour.

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I took Karli's suggestion and served it with a nice green salad. So yummy!

After dinner we carved our little pumpkins

Enjoying the slimy innards way too much

Dad trying out the "scary" smile

Ian's turn

Sawyer enjoying the view from the safety of his highchair

Concentrating on drawing and cutting out the faces

Making the final touches

And here they are...'scary' and what was supposed to be 'surprised' but turned out to look like a crazed rabbit.
After the pumpkin carving, Jeremy gave Ian a bath and Sawyer sat in the kitchen watching as I made an apple crisp for dessert. It was such a great day!

Our first boy

He was only 5 lbs 11oz when we left the hospital. I called my sister the day we got home and asked how she ever let her children go outside to play because I knew I would never let Ian out of my arms, let alone my sight. He was so fragile and so tiny and had already had a dramatic start to life. It took us 3 very long years and thousands of dollars to even get pregnant with him. I had 2 partial placental abruptions during his pregnancy and at 25 weeks, after a 2 hour ambulance ride to the nearest NICU, we were asked if we wanted the doctors to try and save him if he were born then, all 1 lb 10oz of him. Of course, we said, without hesitation.

Thankfully he decided to stay put until 37 weeks when he was born by emergency c-section on Valentine's Day. Because of the emergency, Jeremy wasn't allowed into the OR. All he could do was watch as they frantically wheeled me upstairs praying we would be alright. There wasn't time for an epidural so I had to be put out completely. In the chaos of the OR, the last thing I remember was someone touching my belly saying that the baby's heartbeat was back up to 150. Relief flooded me just before I went unconscious. We both missed his entrance into this world, his first cry. Jeremy's introduction to fatherhood was spent alone in a maternity room talking to Ian, just father and son, waiting for me. I woke up an hour later to a clean baby wrapped in a red and pink heart blanket and a knitted cap. He was beautiful.

He's now 2 years and 8 months old. He jumps off nearly anything he can climb, he laughs easily and often, he's surprisingly sarcastic and wickedly funny. He loves dinosaurs, trucks, and animals. He sings all the time and does the best version of the ABC's. He says 'please' and 'thank you', and 'you're welcome' so much that he often corrects me when I forget to say it. He is incredibly gentle to younger kids, especially babies. He loves to stand when he eats despite our constantly telling him to sit. He loves to cuddle and will wrap his arm around whatever leg or arm is available when we are curled up on the couch.

I just bought him these dinosaur boots at Fred Meyer the other day and he hasn't taken them off yet. And whenever we pass by each other in the hall he stops me and without hesitation points to each one naming them...Pterodactyl, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Triceretops.

The truth is, I'm having a harder time with him turning 3 in February than with my own 30th birthday next month. I absolutely love the boy he is becoming and I'm looking forward to many wonderful and fun years with him but I'm also sad because it means he's closer to growing up. I find it incredibly unfair that I have to even think about preschools already. So I don't. I don't think about them because they aren't an option right now. He's home with me and we love it that way. He's so creative and smart and I love watching his brain work things out. It may be selfish but I want to experience those things with him, not a teacher.

Maybe it was the struggle to get pregnant or his dramatic first 9 months of life that makes me feel so protective of him and our time together. Whatever it is...I realize I only have 16 years left with him until he is free to leave and make his own life. 16 years to see him discover new things and make his own decisions. 16 years to teach him and show him how to become a man full of integrity and passion, a man who loves God and has compassion for people. 16 years to enjoy every day with him.

Thankfully I have time. And right now I'm grateful I get to wake up tomorrow morning and give his little blonde head a kiss, make his breakfast, and watch him climb up in his chair with his dinosaur boots on the wrong feet showing me exactly how a dinosaur would ask for his breakfast. Roar.

Ian and Dad at the Park

Hey everyone, this is Jeremy posting for a change... Andrea has the night off. :) Last week Ian and I went to the Rose City Park just down the street from us to enjoy the dry fall days while we still have them. Here is Ian at the start of our adventure, geared up to brave the cool air, the leaves, and any squirrels who are foolish enough to cross our path.

Here is the park with all it's merriment waiting for us. I am not sure why, but we basically had the place to ourselves the whole time so we could really do as we pleased.
As soon as we got to the park, a squirrel ran right by us (there were tons of them in the park) and Ian immediately gave chase.
We followed him over to this tree where we got creepily close to him. He was watching Ian intently as we stood there, actually making me nervous that we were about to see that squirrel's nut up close and leaping at us. He stayed put, so we left him alone.
Next, we hit the swings where Ian enjoyed the magic of the "underdog" technique that dad's have handed down from generation to generation.
Ian and I running around on the tennis courts...
Next we collected a bunch of pine cones and climbed up this little hill next to the courts. We proceeded to throw said cones at anything that we could hit... including some bewildered squirrels. Here Ian is impressed with my throw that hit the light pole and let out a deep "dong" sound.
Ian showing his amazing technique - I guess he is a "righty".
Ian running back toward me on the soccer pitch after chasing some birds... if you either hum the "Chariots of Fire" theme or do the Million Dollar Man bionic sound it makes this picture come alive.
On the teeter-totter... the lamest play device ever invented.
Ian striking a pose.
So, for our next endeavor we collected a bunch of acorns and climbed to the top of the slide. You can simply slide down anytime, but with no one around we were able to throw acorns down without regard for any innocent passersby.
Now that the acorns were all on the ground, we of course had to throw them back up the slide to watch them slide back down.
It started to rain, so eventually our playtime came to an end. Here is Ian taking off his shoes at the front door.
A satisfied kid after a great day at the park.