Eating Food and Thoughts on Motherhood

A couple weeks ago we decided to go ahead and try Alyas out with solid foods! It was a lot of fun for Brandon and I. I got everything all set up and called Brandon into the kitchen and he insisted that he be the first to feed him. I suppose I was the first to give him milk so I suppose that was o.k. We started with the recommended rice cereal and he seemed to really enjoy it. We got lots of smiles and I think for his first time he really got a lot of it in his tummy. After a few days of that I strayed a little from the "recommendations" and gave him squash, followed then by bananas, carrots, and peas. It was just too fun and I wanted to see what he liked and didn't like.

The funny thing is this kid has yet to make a face at anything. I have been known to let him taste a lot of the foods we eat just for my own entertainment....yes he's even already tried chocolate. :^) The most amusing was when I thought, "now surely if I were to put juice from my morning grapefruit in his mouth he'll pucker up and look shocked" - but even that failed to produce a sour face. He either really enjoys all these flavors or his taste buds just don't work I've decided. As we continue to feed him he does better and better, however as other mothers have remarked the solid food experiments quickly lost some of their novelty when we started seeing the products in his diapers! What was "yummy....yummy Alyas" changed to, "yucky...ewww Alyas" - both comments were returned with a big cheesy smile.

The pictures show his first time eating cereal and then followed by the others. For our first attempt he sat in his bumbo chair, then the swing, and lastly we tried out his new high chair when we were in Ames.


Hummmm....squash!




Other than having fun feeding Alyas solids and changing a ton of dirty diapers, I thought I would comment on some of my more recent reflections on how my thoughts and life have changed since becoming a mother.

First off my heart is so much softer and empathetic for children and parents in a variety of ways. When I'm at the store or at work and a child is crying or out right throwing a fit my first thought usually now has to do with feeling bad for the parent or baby, rather than instantly questioning or judging the person's parenting skills. I used to think, "man, can't they control that kid or learn how to discipline better", but now I might think, "I bet that baby just needs a nap, or I'm sure that dad is having a hard time...poor guy." The first time I ordered a series of shots for a 6 month old at work I left the room and started crying! Wow what a change! Before I wouldn't have thought twice about it. I've also found myself praying a lot for children in general. Especially for those who are abandoned, abused, or sick. The thought of a suffering child is almost too much to bear now days.

Some other big changes have come from trying to live life a little more simply to cut costs. Before Brandon and I always had a budget but we could always fudge a little bit if we needed to or have that extra latte when we wanted. Not so now. I won't let us spend any more than what we have funds marked out for. Last month we had about $200 left for 2 weeks - with gas and food still to buy, but we made it and had about $75 left over. We were pretty proud of ourselves and actually in some ways I kind of enjoyed the challenge. Here are a few ways I have found to simply things and cut costs:
1. Eating at home more...out to eat maybe once/twice a month at the most
2. Drive less and consolidate your errands
3. Use up all that Head and Shoulders shampoo one of our house mates bought in bulk a while ago and forgo the more expensive brand I prefer
4. Accept hand-me-down toys and shop at garage sales rather than Borders for books....Alyas doesn't care one way or another
5. Eat up all the food in the freezer I forgot about
6. Buy the cereal in the plastic bags...some of it tastes o.k.
7. Eat at Grandma's more often :^)
8. Keep my hair its natural color and just get a cut
9. Cut Brandon's hair myself...he doesn't have that much anyways
10. Take a walk in the neighborhood rather than driving to a "nicer" neighborhood to walk
11. Look for and actually use coupons at the store
12. Don't buy extra facial scrubs and such...I really don't think they will make me age slower anyways
and finally.....
13. Let that diaper fill up a little bit more before you change it....just kidding!

Anyone else have ideas on this topic?