A glimpse back on the last year ...

Due to life circumstances I have neglected this blog over the past few months. I took some time off to enjoy the weather, to stop and smell the flowers, and to truly live.

My days are long and are spent with my chunk. Splashing in the water, getting muddy hands, and cuddling while reading his favorite stories are some of the things we have enjoyed over the last month or so.  Clark is getting bigger each day and has decided that he is ready to move! His ability to stand on his own has greatly developed and he is learning that those two chunky legs are meant for moving. Seeing him stand at the water table at the park for an extended period of time today was such a great feeling. He is really coming into his own.
Its hard to believe that this time last year I was dying to meet Clark. I wanted to know what his face would look like, what type of personality he would have, and what kind of mother I would be.

Clark is a great boy. People tell me all the time that Clark was never really a baby. Due to his birth weight, I always just treated him more like a boy. Putting baby clothes on him, things with feet or things that looked like a duck or frog, never looked quiet right on him. If I did put those gifts on him, he would glare at me as to say " what the hell are you making me wear". I would laugh and thought about the scene from " A Christmas Story" when Ralphie comes down those dank stairs wearing the bunny outfit his grandmother purchased for him knowing that he would just love it. 

That was my " Christmas Story" moment, a moment when I could completely see my mother looking down on me saying... "Ah Rachel, Clarky doesn't want to wear that duck outfit, he looks like a nut".

 In that split second I realized that no matter how far away she is, my mother is with me and is helping and guiding me to make me the best mother I can be. 

I have found this past year so rewarding but also difficult. It's difficult in the fact that each day can bring on a new struggle. Whether it is , finding out Clark had an allergy, difficulty with bowel movements, or waking up several times a night, you realize that something innately develops that makes you get up and go, makes you strive to help your child in any way possible. Don't get me wrong, there are times I loose my patience and have to yell, but I am trying to step away from the situation and see what can be done before I completely lose my mind. Clark can be demanding, but I have so much love for that chunk.. sometimes it hurts.

There have been so many things that I never even realized before having a child.  My thoughts when pregnant were that I must use cloth diapers because the landfills could do without my trillion diapers and that of course I would breastfeed. Both were a complete dud to me. It took me a long time to realize that not being able to produce milk wasn't my fault. But something that had to due with nature. You have a vision of what your child will do, who your child will be, what kind of mother you will be and when that little bundle of joy comes out you realize everything you planned for was thrown out the window :)

 "Motherhood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher that turns you into the person you are supposed to be."

This is a quote that I am trying to live by. Clark has taught me how to truly live, how to love and how to make myself happy.

In this past year people have come in and out of our lives but the ones that have stuck around I thank you from the bottom of my heart, you have helped shape my world. There are certain people that have been a major asset since the day Clark was born, without you I wouldn't be where I am on this hot July day. <3

Toast with cream cheese and smashed fresh raspberries!

Today, Clark had some coconut water with guava as his morning drink ! He loved it!! If you haven't tried it, go give it a whirl.... its quite refreshing!

I am trying to find other breakfast alternatives for the chunk. On Fridays we have swim, so I try to make something very easy but filling since we have to rush around a bit.
While looking through "The baby & toddler cookbook" from Williams and Sonoma, I found a recipe for Almond butter and banana bites. I decided to use cream cheese and raspberries instead. I am leary of using almond butter at this stage.
Below are the simple ingredients that are used: 

Ingredients

To start, I took one deli flat (whole wheat) and lightly toasted
Let the deli flat cool before putting cream cheese on. I lightly spread the cream cheese - Clark does not like it too thick.

Whole wheat deli flat with cream cheese

In a bowl, I took fresh raspberries and smashed them with a fork.

Smashed raspberries

Place raspberries on the cream cheese and enjoy!!!

yummy whole wheat toast, cream cheese and fresh raspberries! 

Mission Sippy cup!

I have decided to start having Clark use a sippy cup. This has been a challenge! We have had several recommendations of different types of sippys! 

Clark has tried, toss and take, safe sippy 2 , playtex sippy (no handles), Nuk (waterbottle type), Tommee Tippee (with handles)  and the Klean Kanteen.

I have found that the safe sippy 2 works great with water! I honestly haven't tried milk in it yet.

Safe Sippy 2

Toss and take works great while sitting at the table. It leaks like crazy but he can manipulate it with ease. 

Toss and Take sippy

Klean kanteen water bottle

Clark uses the playtex sippy like a pro! It works well in the car and does not leak:) Although, when he has messy hands, the cup slips all over the place. 

I think over the course of the next several weeks Clark will find the one that works best for him! 

Breakfast with the chunk:)

Clark is teething (3 coming down at the same time!)  and has had another change in his formula. He is now on cow's milk! With all the changes his sleep schedule has been a bit off. On typical days he rises about 6:45 and has a bottle of milk. About 9:00- 9:30 we sit together and have our breakfast. I have been doing a new chant with him from the Waldorf education philosophy before we eat breakfast. Clark seems to enjoy the chant:) 

Good morning dear Earth
Good morning dear Sun
Good morning dear stones,
And the flowers every one.
Good morning dear beasts
And the birds in the trees
Good morning to you
And good morning to me. 

Once we say our chant we begin having breakfast. Today we had a simple breakfast of blueberry yogurt- I used stonyfield farms french vanilla yogurt  and smashed blueberries!  Clark really enjoys blueberries and was so happy to have them again for breakfast today! 

I gave Clark a cinnamon rice cake with his yogurt!  This was his first taste of rice cakes.  I think the cinnamon flavor was a bit too much for Clark... it seemed like it was too over powering. I think the next time I will try a plain rice cake.

Tasty scrambled eggs with cheese and tomato

Once I made the whole wheat chocolate chip banana bread, I had two egg yolks left over. I hate throwing out any food, so I decided to make a quick scrambled egg for Clark. 

With the two yolks I added shredded cheese, diced tomato and a splash of milk

Cook over medium heat. 

Allow the eggs and tomato to cool before serving!

Clark's breakfast! Complete with deli flat toast with a sprinkle of cinnamon, strawberries, honeydew melon, and raspberries!

Wholewheat Chocolate Chip Banana bread

On today's menu, I made wholewheat chocolate chip banana bread. Clark has been enjoying bananas for months and loves to have a little treat after dinner. I believe that it is just fine to have a little treat after having a substantial  meal.

This recipe was quite easy and took no time to pop in the oven. The ingredients that I used were :

Ingredients! 

 

Measurements: 

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup canola oil

2 egg whites

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 large)

¼ cup fat-free milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup of chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan with shortening, or spray with cooking spray. 

In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon

Next, in large bowl mix sugar, oil, egg whites, bananas, milk and vanilla with spoon until well blended.

Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

 Spoon into pan 

Bake 8-inch loaf 55 to 62 minutes, 9-inch loaf 45 to 52 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour, before slicing.

(Because this recipe called for egg whites, I saved the egg yolks and make a simple scrambled egg that Clark and I are enjoying for breakfast! )

Mothering our lively sons!

Mothering Our Lively Sons!

This post has little to do with a recipe, food preparation or the ease of making a two in one meal. This post is about my son and all of his quirkiness. 

I was recently observing my son in a very chaotic environment known as the Rainforest Cafe.  The lights were blinking, calypso music was blaring, and animals were making noises. My son was bouncing up and down having the time of his life. He was looking  around, taking in his environment and enjoying  life. I thought surely when he was bouncing around in his highchair, that people may think there was something wrong with him...adhd came to the forefront of my mind. I am a teacher so I feel sometimes I am hypercritical of Clark. (This is the devil/angel on my shoulders that I have to deal with on a daily basis now that I have had a child.)

But then I looked around and  saw children holding their ears, screaming/ shouting/ crying and looking like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.  

In a flash of a second I realized that my son was a 10 month old baby.. enjoying the world around him, swaying to the music, and had the ability to enjoy the chaos.

My son loves being outside-crawling around on the lawn picking up bugs, seeing the motion of cars and trucks,  watches trees swaying on a cool spring night, observes how his toys work,and loves with all the love in his little chunk heart.

I saw this quote from an online conference and thought this blurb summed up just how I feel about raising a little boy! "Mothering a boy can be exhilarating and exhausting! Understanding the role of biology, testosterone, and environmental stresses means you can help him be his best. Effective language, practical activities and developmental insight can deepen your connection to the boy in your life."

My son might be exhausting at times, but he is showing me how to enjoy life through all of his quirkiness. I may not understand why he wants to bounce on his tip toes, why he likes to throw his bottle, or even why he loves to pull at his right ear. But what I do know is  my life is better because of him. So here is to Clark, the little boy who has my heart, that makes me want to play in the mud, dance in the rain, jump on my tip toes, and even ocassionally makes me splash in the pool.