pittsburgh pictures

while finn was in pittsburgh he was, of course, adorable. i can prove it ;)

he went to his first football game and got to stunt with the cheer team. i used to coach some of these girls, so we had to get a shot of finley with them!

he really enjoyed the game and everyone loved his little bear suit.

he dressed in authentic clothing and went to banghra in the burgh. he loved the performances and squealed for most of the show. he wore ear protection because it was so loud and he didn't try to tug at the wax and didn't seem bothered except when i had to press firmly to his ear.

while we visited with the adults, he played with his friends at sunday brunch ;) while he looks dramatic here, he really likes playing with children. he's not so into movies yet, but i guess the trance look is yet to come.

and like a big boy, he learned to take a bath in a big tub. we continued this when we came home and he has a blast at bath time. he's so active, splashing and squealing, but he doesn't understand keeping his face out of the water yet. mr. h3b bathes him and every night i hear splash splash, flop, sputter, cough, cry...mr. h3b is constantly picking him back up, patting his back and trying to keep him from swimming face first.

he was such a good traveler, both there and back. we drive so it takes about 7 hours. to do so, we leave at night and mr. h3b does most of the work. it helps to keep finn on a sleep schedule and i pump in the car to feed him a bottle. we've got this down and it's the easiest we've found to drive in a small car, with two dogs, a baby, two parents, and all kinds of gear (flying is usually not an option with all of the stuff and living beings we take). i'm hoping the travel by car and the experiences finn has (like cold football games, cultural performances, and time with good friends) helps to keep him well adjusted. sometimes i wonder if staying at home with me all day makes him bored, so i'm happy to take him places and keep showing him new things.

we're not gone!

well, we were :) we took a trip to pittsburgh and thus, blogging came to a halt. we're back home now but i'm sick. i'm hoping finn doesn't get it because it's pretty bad and i would hate to see him this sick!

he enjoyed lots of fun things while on vacation to visit friends...his first college football game (spent some time with the cheerleaders), a visit to primantis (again!), met a baby bulldog, and had a big boy bath (he did eat some water...).

i'll be back soon to provide more pictures and some recap from the last week or so (things have gotten even more exciting around here!).

first halloween

yep, he was a chubby little pumpkin boy. he didn't seem to mind his costume at all and while we didn't go anywhere special or do any trick or treating, i managed to get his costume on him for pictures and to go out and about three times over the weekend.

his new thing is "dancing" which is jumping wildy while squealing with delight. in pictures:

8 months

 

 

i'm about a week behind and have some cute pictures to share (it's finley's first halloween, so you know i've documented it), but first....he is 8 MONTHS (as of last tuesday). i can't even go into it, detailing months down, months to go until 1. he is so far from newborn right now and i know the gap is only going to get bigger. but lucky for me, life continues to stay exiting.

he continues to rock on his hands and knees but gets frustrated before he'll attempt any crawling motions. he scoots backwards across the wood floor and i can't trust him on beds or the couch. he rarely rolls from belly to back; he can, he just won't. he seems more interested in standing and walking. he pulls up onto everything and tried (just once) cruising from once piece of furniture to another. he wants to move!

he's been extremely fussy lately, very congested and drooly, with rosy cheeks. i can't figure out if he has a cold or if he's teething. i keep thinking i see a bump on his gums but nothing has popped through. we're on tooth watch, though, because this morning i can feel something hard and slightly sharp on his lower gums.

and, as promised, i'll leave you with finn trying to talk:

(you might have to turn the music off at the bottom of my blog)

firsts

finn's been experiencing some fun "firsts" lately. a big one is his first time swinging! the boy loves to swing :) he gripped on tight and spent 15 minutes taking it all in.

a few more? he sat in the front of the grocery cart! he looked so tiny in the store, while he watched everyone smile and coo at his happy face. 

he had his first taste of mangoes and will be trying quinoa, broccoli, and potatoes in the next few days. new food is nothing new to him, but he seems to enjoy the variety of flavors.

but the biggest first from this sweet boy? his first "word"! i've got video proof, too :) he said mama!

homemade baby food

i decided to make finley's food before he was even born. it was (and is) important to me to feed him good food, mostly organic, and to save money where possible. organic jarred food is expensive, not so much that i wouldn't do it, but i've been saving a ton making my own and i enjoy doing it. i make purees for finn, but plan to continue making baby friendly versions of adult food, incorporating herbs and spices and textures through a variety of ethnic fare. here's one way to make baby food:

i took a few pictures (at night) of my latest puree, made from the last few in a box of organic dried apricots. i decided to add a bit of vanilla bean, since he's only had cinnamon so far.

my supplies include (not just for this, but for most every puree):
pot+lid
metal steamer basket
stick blender
bpa free plastic or glass storage containers (i use tommee tippee food pots and beaba portions)

1. add about 1 inch of water to the pot and bring to a boil.
2. drop apricots into water.
3. slice a portion of a vanilla bean and remove meat from pod.
4. cover and simmer on low for 8-10 minutes, until apricots are soft.

5. remove apricots from liquid (reserve) and place in bowl to puree.
6. use stick blender to puree, adding cooking liquid until desired consistency.
7. allow to cool before serving.
(store covered in fridge for 3 days or freezer for 3 months)

i love serving food to finley that i would eat myself. the colors of homemade food are vibrant and the flavors are true to the actual food. aside from plain green bean puree, he has eaten every bite of everything i've given him.

at 7.5 months finn has had: avocado (raw), applesauce, banana (raw), sweet potato, peas, green beans, squash, pears, apricots, cauliflower, peaches, zuchini, rice, and oatmeal. aside from cooking by steaming, boiling, or baking, everything has been pureed and stored the same way. we give him the same new food for 3 days in a row and then mix and match at meals once he's tried everything.

if you're interested in making your own food, here are some resources: i use this cookbook and love how it's laid out, easy to follow by age and lots of good tips. i love smitten kitchen baby and wholesome baby food. while i haven't priced much out, i do try to buy whatever is on sale to save more than i'd pay on jarred food (unless you buy in bulk or something). i typically get 5-8 servings out of one batch (i don't have the storage for larger), which is just enough for the 3 day trial plus a variety of foods frozen for whenever i need them.

if you have more questions, let me know. if you have your own methods, share!

woods baby needs food

my little woods guy has suddenly become a solid food fiend. he's liked it from day one, but in the one and a half months that he's eaten purees, he's gone from one 2 oz serving a day to demanding more food after two 4 oz+ servings.

today my little porker ate 1/4 of an avocado mixed with half a banana and 1 oz breastmilk for lunch at 1:15. at dinner around 6:30, he ate 2 oz sweet potato puree, 1/3 c oatmeal with 2 oz breastmilk, and 2 peach slices in the mesh feeder, plus 1/2 oz of water.

i have a feeling he's going to swing back up the percentile chart at his 9 month check up. i can already see new rolls and an extra large belly. (also, i've got a quick post about basic purees coming up soon, for those interesting in making your own food.)