Oscar Stew

Yesterday was a weird day. It was one of those days that reminds you to hug your kids extra tight, stop yelling, and just slow down and enjoy the moment. We spent lots of time playing on the floor, just hanging out and not worrying about the dishes, or the laundry.

We’ve been trying to get Rowan to enjoy time on her belly more. And that usually means throwing in some sort of bribery.

She still not interested in crawling. But she is pretty good at stretching and “scooching.”

Drew & Brinley have a habit of being the first to wake up in the morning (read: way too early) so last week I left a note on their door with ideas of things to do, all the while threatening their very lives if they woke Rowan. Yesterday I found a note on my door that stated there was a surprise for me to discover….

I didn’t have to look for too long before I found that all of Rowan’s shoes were lined up…

Her bed was made, and they added a nice spring touch to the room. A cute little (handmade) alphabet chart was taped to her crib. Rowan should be ready for kindergarten by the time she is 18 months old! They also put away her laundry and vacuumed her room. Now that is service!

Rowan made sure Drew knew how much she appreciated a clean room by giving him a big wet one.

Drew got his birthday box from G&G J, Grandma made sure to include some presents that could be played with immediately, while the birthday stuff waits for next week. The kids got some fun Potato head accessories to add to their collection. Drew and Brinley stayed true to their talents, with Drew’s as Chef Tater…

And Brinley’s as Princess of Tot. This is Brinley’s new “smile for the camera” face. Gotta love it. Notice the slight sunburn on her face after playing too long at the park. Is it really winter?

And what’s a day of Potato Head playin’ if the guinea pig doesn’t get in on the action? Homeboy Edgar was promised some lettuce if he stayed still for an official portrait. Definitely something to add to my portfolio, don’t you think?

We couldn’t squeeze Rowan’s fat butt into the bumbo anymore. That’s right, big fat butt. And it’s only getting bigger. Her focus during mealtime has been getting weaker as well. We finally broke down and bought a booster/highchair for the table. Who would have thought that synchronizing meal times would make a little baby girl so happy?

Hiiiiiiyah!

I know, that face I made was funny huh?!

But seriously, these tree-hugging, crunchy, wipe-yourself-with-a-leaf, whole wheat crackers are GOOOOOOOD! 

Round 2: Cheerios. Check out that wicked hook shot I just nailed.

I’m almost finished…

More please!

Maybe you could just scoop it off the floor?

I took Rowan to her “early intervention” appointment today per the pediatrician’s orders. They said that Rowan is right on track, no need for any kind of specialized help from them. I was never worried about her development, but we decided to go just to ease any concerns that her pediatrician had. She passed the vision, hearing, and physical exams with flying colors. They said she was perfect, although, she does need to get her bum in gear with regard to crawling. If she isn’t crawling in two months, THEN we have a problem! 🙂

Rowan slept in the car on the way to the appointment. Sleeping off nerves, perhaps?

Ok, here I am in this strange place with all these strange people. I passed, so can I go home now?

When the pediatrician told us Rowan was off her curve that was about the same time that we were in the process of expanding Rowan’s dietary horizons. We’ve had a lot of success with homemade baby food.

Here’s what a typical days worth of grub looks like. Pears & peaches for breakfast, carrots for lunch, and peas & pumpkin-apple for dinner. Why homemade? Well, it’s cheaper, tastes WAY better, and it’s the crunchy thing to do. I like crunchy! Plus, it’s fun to see steamed veggies whir around in the food processor.

Rowan is pretty serious when it comes to food. I can never get her to crack a smile when she is chowing down. Be sure to feed her as fast as is humanly possible to avoid dealing with “Chief Wiggles Her Head.”

After the starter fruits & veggies we upped the ante and blended even more exotic flavors. Zucchini, yellow squash, peach-pineapple, mango-papaya, and more… She hasn’t turned down a flavor yet!

Apple-Blueberry is her favorite. And it makes for some pretty diapers. Comes out lookin’ just like it went in.

gimme Gimme GIMMIE!!!

We are gearing up for “stage 2” foods. Tonight we sampled peas with chicken and brown rice. Mmmmm! I have to admit, sometimes her food is so good, I’m tempted to polish off her leftovers. Not really, but it is pretty tasty!

Cheerios and crackers are also a staple in Rowans diet, of course. She prefers crackers over cheerios because even though she has the pincer down, getting that itty bitty cheerio into her slobbery mouth is quite challenging. It usually ends up lost somewhere in her fingers, or stuck to her sticky cheek. Oh the perils!