Choices

We are unique creatures. God has given us the ability to choose. Sometimes we make good choices. Many times we make bad choices. Yes, God is sovereign, but we still have human responsibility and the capacity to make choices. (I know that sounds contrary. Our little, finite minds cannot fully comprehend those principles. But that is what the Bible teaches.)

It is fascinating to me to watch BC learn about his choices and the results of those choices. He has discovered that he loves wires, electrical outlets, and the toilet. Now, my Marvelous Mother wisely told me and my Heroic Husband to say "yes" as often (or more) than we say "no." We try to think of creative ways to let BC know if he is doing something wrong. However, when safety is involved, we say "no."

MM cued me in on an interesting personality trait in BC. He seeks approval. He is a pleaser. This surprised me, because he tends to throw a fit when we tell him not to chew on the computer wires. But as I mulled over what MM said, it rang true. He throws a fit because he senses that we are upset with him. This has helped me to instruct BC in a more constructive way—and he is catching on! For example, when he pulls up on the toilet, I tell him no, in a calm voice. Then, I ask him to come to me. When he crawls to me, I praise him over and over, give him a bear hug, and cover him with kisses. He giggles and smiles so big. He knows that he has made the right choice to let go of the toilet and come to me. Does he do this every time? Unfortunately, no. Even though he is a precious, little baby, he is still a sinful, human being.

Proverbs 22:6

Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

When I think of the word "choice," my mind automatically jumps to the abortion debate. People who are "pro-choice," like to say that "the choice over when and whether to have children is central to a woman's independence and ability to determine her future."

Jeremiah 1:5a

I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born.

Ephesians 1:4-6

For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved.

James 1:18

By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.

Last week, there was a lot of controversy over President Obama's remarks in Rhode Island. "Sometimes, someone, usually Mom, leaves the workplace to stay home with the kids, which then leaves her earning a lower wage for the rest of her life as a result. That's not a choice we want Americans to make."

Albert Mohler, President of Southern Seminary, made the best comments on this issue.

"Taken just at face value, it appears that the President said that we don't, as Americans, want American women to make the choice to stay home with their children. But even if that's not exactly what the President meant to say, his comments in terms of the larger context are if anything equally distressing, because the President here seems to hold out a norm for American women that involves them giving their primary attention at every point of their adult lives to their professional life. And furthermore to have the backdrop of a government support for preschool and day care programs so that they would not have to face any pressure to go home and stay with the children; thus exiting the workforce only later to reenter it with a harm to the wage curve."

"In the President's understanding, what we face is a problem of inequality, and the only way to solve that problem of inequality is to create a government program of expanded preschool and day care so that women would choose that option and not have to leave the workforce—thus eliminating the inequality. But as Mollie Hemingway and many other writers have pointed out, this is an inequality that is actually factored in by these women in terms of their own calculation of what they want, of what they desire, of what they believe is their calling in life."

What women want and desire...

As I thought about this, the "pro-choice vs. pro life," "going back to work vs. staying at home," etc. arguments took a new turn in my mind. What are the two things these issues have in common? Children and women's choices. Women want what they want. They want children, but only on their time table and at their convenience. They want to be equal with men—and men work—thus women want to work.

What a selfish attitude.

What about the CHILDREN? Where do their wants and needs come into play?

When women "are ready," they want to have their own biological children so desperately. We ignore orphans who do not have a mother at all. Women then put their children into someone else's care, so they can go back to their own life. Women work all day, come home exhausted, and want a fun "girls night out." So once again, someone is hired to watch the kids while women "enjoy" themselves.

What about the CHILDREN?

What about the FAMILY?

I am so thankful that my Marvelous Mother "chose" to stayed home with me and my Brave Brother—and
not just until we were old enough for "preschool." First of all, we did not go to preschool. MM taught us everything we needed to know before kindergarten. Secondly, MM stayed home until both us graduated from high school and were in college. Believe it or not, babies are not the only ones who need parents. Elementary children, middle schoolers, and high schoolers NEED their parents.

On an average weekday, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, parents spend less than two hours of their day "caring for and helping household children."

"Primary childcare activities include time spent providing physical care; playing with children; reading to children; assistance with homework; attending children's events; taking care of children's health needs; and dropping off, picking up, and waiting for children. Passive childcare done as a primary activity (such as 'keeping an eye on my son while he swam in the pool') also is included."

On average, parents spend more than double the amount of time they spend with their children doing leisure activities, such as socializing, watching television, participating in sports, exercise, and recreation.

These statistics break my heart.

Albert Mohler went on to say,

"One final note of interesting analysis on this story, it turns out when you look at the media and the blogosphere that the people who seem to be most angry at President Obama for these comments are not men who are saying 'we want our wives to stay at home,' but rather women who say 'the President has trampled on our own free moral choice, our own sense of calling.'"

Women are upset with Obama for trampling THEIR choice.

Why are these choices all about the women?

What about the CHILDREN.

The fact is, we do not really care about children.

In the last few weeks, I have heard multiple news articles about "population control." In fact, Albert Mohler discusses one of these articles in the same podcast.

"And there's something deeply tragic and sad about a movement that says the way to address the problem of the environment is to reduce the number of babies born into it. For far too many millions of people on the secular left, they still believe salvation is found in a pill—most particularly in a birth control pill."

What about the CHILDREN?

Did you know that on average, 100,000 children die of hunger related diseases every week?

Let that statistic sink in for a moment.

While we are concerned about our choices, babies (labeled as "fetuses") are being snuffed out; children are dying of preventable illnesses. While women are focused on "birth control salvation," children are dying without every hearing the name of Jesus Christ—the only salvation that truly matters.

Luke 18:15-17

Some people were even bringing infants to Him so He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, invited them: "Let the little children come to Me, and don't stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

I have recently been faced with several hard facts. I realized that at times, I tend to act like I care more about exercise and my personal self image than the people whom I love most. While this could not be farther from the truth, my actions sometimes make this claim seem true. What a conviction. I have acted like I am more concerned with MY appearance, MY image, MY personal feelings than my family, friends, and most importantly, my Lord and Savior.

I have also faced the fact that as a selfish human, I am not doing my part in the church—and I do not mean a church congregation. I mean the church of Jesus Christ—as in the bride of Christ—as in worldwide—as in the countless number who are being persecuted (and killed) for their faith. I am not doing my part to uphold the orphans that are tossed aside.

What about the CHILDREN?

How can my CHOICES go to benefit them? How can my CHOICES stop being about ME? How can my CHOICES instead be about HIM and THEM?

John 15:16a

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain..."

I challenge you to watch this video. It is only two minutes long. I challenge you to ask God to show you where your choices are about YOU. I challenge you to change those choices and make them about HIM and THEM.

Romans 8:16-17

The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God's children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Just As I Am

One of my favorite hymns is Just As I Am by Charlotte Elliott.  Here are two verses that I especially love.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

One question that I hear rather frequently is "When are you going back to work?"
My response - "I am already working full time.  I am just a mom."

Now, I promise, I am not entering the debate about whether women should stay at home full time or not.  I have friends who are stay-at-home moms and friends who work outside of the home.  As I have blogged about in the past, it is simply mine and my Heroic Husband's personal opinion that the wife should be in the home.  But why does everyone seem to think that I need to go back to work outside of my little home?

Someone posted a blog a few weeks ago.  It posed the question, "Is being a stay-at-home mom enough?  Is just being at home with my children today satisfactory?"

This past week, Emma Watson stormed the U.N. with the HeforShe campaign, calling for "gender equality that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other of humanity, for the entirety of humanity."

I became curious about the history of the feminist movement, so I did some research.  Three of the key feminist leaders in the United States of America were Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Susan B. Anthony.  According to one article, "Women's rights movements are primarily concerned with making the political, social, and economic status of women equal to that of men and with establishing legislative safeguards against discrimination on the basis of gender."

I am all for women not be discriminated against, simply because they are female.  I definitely support women being able to vote.  But, I do not want to be equal with a man.  I am a WOman.  I am weaker.  I am more emotional.  I have a different role.  This is intentional.  God designed women to be different than men.  The old saying, "opposites attract," is 100% true.  My Heroic Husband is the opposite of me.  We complement each other.

Genesis 2:18
Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper as his complement." 

Here are some factoids about the leading feminists:

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

• When she married Henry Stanton in 1840, they omitted the word "obey" from their marriage vows.
•  She was a leader in promoting women's rights, especially divorce and the right to vote.
•  "Along with numerous articles on the subject of women and religion, Cady Stanton published the Woman's Bible (1895, 1898), in which she voiced her belief in a secular state and urged women to recognize how religious orthodoxy and masculine theology obstructed their chances to achieve self-sovereignty."

Lucy Stone

• When she married Henry Blackwell, they also omitted any suggestion of wifely obedience.
• She protested marital law and refused to adopt her husband's last name. "A wife should no more take her husband's name than he should hers.  My name is my identity and must not be lost." 
• She was ex-communicated from her Congregationalist Church after she spoke on the inaccuracies of Greek and Latin translations that led to the Bible’s demeaning of women. 

 Susan B. Anthony

• She was arrested for voting illegally.  She was fined $100, but she never paid.
• "She cut her hair and wore the bloomer costume for a year before ridicule convinced her that this radical dress detracted from the other causes she supported." 
• She attacked prostitution in a speech, calling for equality in marriage, in the workplace, and at the ballot box to eliminate the need for women to go on the streets.

We are taught to idolize these women.  We are told to look up to them.  I am going to look up to God and His Word though.

Ephesians 5:22-23
Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body.


Ephesians 5:25-26
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. 

Mark 10:5-9
But Jesus told them, "He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts.  But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother [and be joined to his wife], and the two will become one flesh.  So they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate."

1 Corinthians 8:6
...yet for us there is one God, the Father.  All things are from Him, and we exist for Him.  And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ.  All things are through Him, and we exist through Him.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Romans 13:1-2
Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God.  So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.

The feminist movement was not all bad.  I am very thankful that I have the right to vote.  I am glad that when I did work outside the home, I was paid the same as my associates.  But we must remember that God created women differently.  He formed woman out of man.  He placed man ahead of woman.  The man is supposed to love and lead his wife as Christ loves and leads His church, His bride.  Women are to love, honor, respect, obey, and support their husbands as she does Christ.

I may just be a stay-at-home wife and mother, but I happy and content.  I do not need to be a man.  I do not need humanity to tell me I am just as good as a man.  God designed me with a specific purpose - a woman, a wife, a mother.  There are an infinite amount of things that I am able to do that HH cannot.

HH is busy at work as I type this.  BC just woke up from his nap.  He is sitting in my lap and trying to help me type.  In a minute, I am going to cuddle with him, feed him, and play with him.  Although the world may think that I am unhappy in my little home, I assure you, I am joyous.  The breadth, length, depth, and height of my love for my  little family is all that I need.

Is just being a stay-at-home mom enough?  Yes... yes it is.

Just my sweet little family enjoying God's magnificent creation

Burning Off the Baby Cakes

Baby weight. Uuuggg... Before I was pregnant, I was confident that after I had my future babies, working off my pregnancy weight would not be a problem. By the end of my pregnancy though, when I felt a little like a whale, I was not so sure.

At the hospital, before I was discharged, my doctor went over the postpartum "rules" with me. I was not allowed to do anything for two weeks. Then, I was allowed to walk. After my six week appointment, I would hopefully be able to exercise again. But that was SIX weeks away, and my poochy stomach was already driving me crazy : )

My Heroic Husband and Marvelous Mother encouraged me a lot in the hospital. When I got home, I was too nervous to step on my scale. Finally, after a few days, I took a deep breath and hopped on. Wow! I was already only seven pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight! I did not feel like I was, but the scale does not lie.

Between breastfeeding, constant deep squats to pick up BC, and bouncing my colicky baby on the exercise ball for hours, those first two weeks went by pretty fast. I thought I was going to gain lots of weight back, but to my surprise, I did not. I continued to slowly drop weight.

Once I was allowed to power walk again, HH and I took BC on lots of walks around the neighborhood. He slept, while we pumped our arms and talked. Pushing the baby stroller added some extra calorie burn too.

After my six week postpartum appointment, my doctor gave me the OK to exercise. I was so excited! I started that night with an old favorite exercise video that I had not been able to do since before I was pregnant. It felt so wonderful to hop, skip, and jump again!

Since then, HH and I have started to run again together, something we did a lot of pre-pregnancy. I also have discovered several new exercise videos on YouTube. Here are some of my new favorites:

• RealFitTV - I love step aerobics and kickboxing - and RealFitTV has great videos for both!
• Christine Salus - She has some of the most intense HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts I have ever done. The first video I did nearly killed me : ) 
• FitnessBlender - This husband and wife team have something for everyone. They have intense workouts with lots of beginner options. They also have lighter workouts. (I did one of their arm workouts two days ago, and I am still sore.)

I still walk and run with HH almost every day. We also enjoy doing core exercises together while BC plays on the floor, and after he goes to bed.

Although my stomach still feels poochy to me, my arms and legs are slowly shaping up - and yes, quite a bit of that toning is simply from juggling a 15 pound, very wiggly, baby boy : )

BC does side plank lifts with HH and me : )

Sugar & Spice & All Things Nice

As I have written, brown rice cereal was a real hit with BC. Then, we tried acorn squash. The first few mouthfuls were delightful. But by the end of his bowl, he was a little tired of squash. Next, we tried pumpkin. He ate it, but did not look like he really enjoyed it, which made me a little sad, since pumpkin is one of my all time favorite veggies. I began to brainstorm on how to make BC's vegetables more delightful for him.

Now, although I love pumpkin, I admit, I do not just eat it out of the can. I like to add cinnamon, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and cinnamon to my pumpkin (yes, I really love cinnamon... I even add it to my salads sometimes). So, why would I think that little BC would enjoy pumpkin straight out of the can? I would not eat it, so why should I expect him to gobble it up?

On a whim, I looked up when babies can have spices added to their foods. I found some very interesting articles. According to an article from BabyCenter.com,

Believe it or not, babies can handle all sorts of interesting food well before age 1. New research and a fresh look at baby feeding are turning cultural norms and even expert guidelines on their heads, and many believe that the result will be better health for kids.

The article goes on to say,

The bland fare that has traditionally dominated the diet of American babies—rice cereal, plain pasta, and the like—isn't bad for them, but it may be depriving babies of important nutrients and creating a generation of picky eaters. With their cautious palates, it's not surprising that preschoolers reject healthy "real food" in favor of uniform, sodium-loaded "kid food." (Think macaroni and cheese, breaded chicken fingers, and those ever-present fish crackers.)

My desire is to have an "odd eater" - not that BC eats weird food, but that in comparison with typical American kids, he eats differently. I want BC to eat and ENJOY a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. Eating veggies should never be considered a "punishment" for children. I was blessed with a Marvelous Mother and Fabulous Father who encouraged me and my Brave Brother to eat a variety of nutritious food. Was I labled a "picky eater" and "weird lunch box girl"? Sure. But in reality, I ate and eat a much broader variety of food than most people. Maybe I do not eat all the types of pizza at the buffet, but I will eat almost ANYTHING on a salad bar - and I do not mean a small salad bar, I mean like a Sweet Tomatoes kind of salad bar.

So, as I did my research, and thought about the grimace BC made at his pumpkin, I decided that it was more important to find a way for my little boy to enjoy his veggies than to not spice up his food and limit his diet. I started with 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon. I still got a little of a leery face. I added a tiny bit more. Suddenly, BC's eyes brightened! He began to open his mouth for more! He started saying "Mmm...mmm...mmm" (which he does when he is enjoying a food). Now, he LOVES pumpkin, acorn squash, and butternut squash. All he needed was a little spicy kick.

Firstly, do not take my word - do your own research - talk to your pediatrician. Remember, this is your baby's health. Secondly, I would not recommend to start your baby off with spices - as in the very first food they try. But once you start vegetables, if you and your doctor agree, add a little spice to their baby food and jazz it up!

I am thankful that MM did not force or guilt me into eating food as a child. She did make compromises with me - I could not go back for more salad until I had eaten three bites of meat - or no dessert if I did not drink all my milk. She never told me about starving children in third world countries though.

Tony Merida, an author, pastor, and seminary professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary preached a sermon on adoption. He has five children, four adopted from Ukraine, one from Ethiopia. He tells a story about his son shortly after they brought him home from Africa. 

Joshua, we brought him home, I will never forget, it was like the second meal we had, Kimberly made a spinach salad. It's what she does sometimes. We learn to like them. Anyway, she sets one down, and Joshua, there is some other food on the plate, and he doesn't just eat around the spinach salad, he protests and leaves the room. Yea, he gets up and leaves. I put him back down, and he gets up and leaves again. I am trying to explain to him, even though he doesn't know English yet, you have to eat. And I kept thinking to myself, you know, when I was a kid, my mom used to tell me, "You need to eat your green vegetables." And I would be like, "Why mom?" And she would say, "Well, there are starving kids in Africa. And you should eat them." And I was just thinking to myself, "Apparently, they won't eat it either." My mom has used terrible logic to guilt me into eating spinach, and maybe some of you need to be freed as well. 

I will never guilt BC into eating food that he does not like. However, I will show him how to be thankful for the food God has provided for us to eat. I will encourage him to at least try new foods (especially before he gets seconds on foods he does like). I will teach him to be polite when food is offered that he does not care to eat.

1 Corinthians 10:31
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory.

BC enjoying peas spiced with a little ghee and cumin.

 

Products I Love

A few months ago, I wrote a blog listing several products that I discovered and loved. Here are a few more products that I have learned to love as BC has grown - and I have become slightly more experienced (although, I still feel clueless sometimes : )

Clorox 2 (Color Safe Bleach) - BC is a boy - through and through. I have discovered some of the ickiest and most random stains on his clothes. I pre-treat with Shout AND Clorox 2. Then, when I put his clothes in the washing machine, I add more color safe bleach in with my normal detergent. Sometimes it takes two of these cycles, but so far, almost every stain has come out.

Dr. Smith's Diaper Ointment - BC has yet to have a really bad diaper rash (Praise the Lord!), but when he begins to be a little red, I pre-treat with diaper rash cream. I have tried numerous brands (Desitin, Burt's Bees, Boudreaux's Butt Paste, Balmex, and a few others), and none of them seemed to work. I had a small free sample of Dr. Smith's. I tried it on BC - and it worked!

H-E-B Diapers - Huggies did not work for BC at all. He leaks through them instantly. Pampers, especially Swaddlers, work great, but they are a little on the pricey side. H-E-B diapers, however, work really well and are less expensive than other brands, like Luvs. We have yet to have a leakage with the H-E-B brand.

BC sporting H-E-B diapers (and probably Dr. Smith's too).

 Earth's Best Brown Rice Cereal - Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, and it is also less likely to spark an allergy. Thus, I wanted BC's first solid food to be brown rice. I was originally going to order brown rice cereal online, but my Marvelous Mother got me to investigate Gerber Brown Rice Cereal at Walmart. I was excited and went to get BC's cereal. However, the Walmart, Target, and H-E-B in our area did not carry Gerber's Brown Rice Cereal! They did carry Earth's Best - and that was the only brown rice option I had - so we tried it. Seth LOVES it! AND, it is actually LESS expensive than Gerber's Brown Rice Cereal.

Munchkin Baby Products - I have yet to find a Munchkin Baby Product that I did not like.
Here are some of my very favorites.

BC figuring out his Transition Cup

• White Hot Safety Spoons - They not only tell me if BC's food is too hot, they are also shallow enough for him to get all the food off. We have plastic spoons, and the food just gets layered.
• Latch Series - If I was registering today for BC, I would have out these bottles on my list. However, they were not available - but I might still get some for our future babies : ) Thankfully, Seth is able to enjoy the Transition Cup - and he loves it! It is similar to a sippy cup, but has more characteristics of a bottle. BC can hold it, put it in his mouth, suck, and learn how to drink by himself. He is so proud that he can give himself a drink! (I am considering trying the pacifiers, but have not yet.)
• Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail - This is hands down the best diaper pail. The Diaper Genie has nothing on this amazing pail.
• Orajel Back Teeth Teether - This was the very first toy I convinced BC to chew. When we brought him home from the hospital, he was scared of toys. I would pick one up, and he would burst into tears. I was so excited the day he nibbled on this teether without crying. Today, it is one of his absolute favorites.
• Fresh Food Freezer Cups - These are wonderful! They travel easily, and they freeze - what more could a mom who is trying to make most of her own baby food ask?

Orajel Teether is a favorite!

Angelcare Bath Support Seat - Originally, I was mesmerized by the adorable Blooming Bath Baby Bath - and it is great for sink baths. But, we transitioned BC to the real bathtub pretty early (sink baths were just tedious, and he liked being in the water). The flower in the tub was not so great. It is hard to sqeeze enough water out of it in order to take it to the dryer. It became very cumbersome. So, we got the Angelcare seat - and it is wonderful! It keeps BC propped up, but his legs are free to kick - which he does a lot.

Cloud B Gentle Giraffe Sound Soother - This sound soother is wonderful. It has white noise, as well as three other fun sounds. When BC was first at home, it helped him sleep. We took it everywhere with us. He now likes to have it in his crib, but we do not have to attach it to the car seat just to go to the grocery store : ) Cloud B has several other great sound soothers - one friend has the lamb, and her precious little one loves it!

Newborn BC with Stretch, his Cloud B Giraffe

Fenugreek Seed Capsules - I have done lots of research on what helps breast milk supply. Although the "scientific" evidence does not confirm that fenugreek increases supply, almost every breastfeeding mother says that it does - and I have to concur. I take tons of it - like nine to twelve capsules a day.

I hope this list is beneficial for "old" moms, "new" moms, and moms "to be" (either in the near future or the far future). Once again, let me remind you that every baby and mother is different. So, just because a product works for us, does not mean that it will be as stupendous for you.

I would love to hear what some of your favorite baby and momma products are!

Starting Solids

"Don't give your baby ANYTHING but breast milk for the first six months." I was told this over and over before I had BC. Now, I was very determined not to give BC formula - not that formula is "bad," but breast milk is better. However, six months? I was not sure about that.

1 Corinthians 3:2

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready.

I did lots of research.

According to Mayo Clinic: 

"Breast milk or formula is the only food your newborn needs. However, by ages four months to six months, most babies are ready to begin eating solid foods as a complement to breast-feeding or formula-feeding." 

It is important to remember that every baby is different. That is why there is a range of months for when to start solid foods. Before four months, babies mouths and tummies typically are not ready for solid food. But after four months, it is time to start looking for "signs."

• Can your baby hold his or her head in a steady, upright position?
  CHECK
• Can your baby sit with support?
  CHECK
• Is your baby mouthing his or her hands or toys?
  DOUBLE CHECK
• Is your baby interested in what you're eating?
  TRIPLE CHECK
  (BC had started to try and grab my food from my hand - and mouth : )

To me, it looked like we were about ready for solid food. At BC's four month well baby appointment, which was actually at four and a half months, I asked his pediatrician when we needed to start solids. After looking BC over and going through the above checklist, he told us to go ahead and start when we were ready. I asked about waiting until six months. The pediatrician shook his head and said, "The longer you wait, the harder it typically will be to get your baby on solids."

That night, my Heroic Husband and I decided to wait two more weeks - BC would be five months. A few days later, we changed our minds. BC started to get fussier. He would consistently get fussy one hour after eating breakfast. I began to think he was just really hungry, especially after sleeping through the night. He just needed more calories.

HH and decided to go ahead and start BC on brown rice cereal. We use Earth's Best Whole Grain Rice Cereal - which we bought at Walmart for less than $3.

BC was pretty excited. He carried the box of cereal around the entire store.

Day 1 - 2

I mixed one tablespoon of brown rice cereal with 4-5 tablespoons of breast milk. It was so watery, we put it in a bottle. BC LOVED the taste. He attacked the bottle, and typically, he will not take a bottle at all.

He did not even give us funny faces the first time he tried the cereal. He just devoured it!

Day 3 - 5

I thickened the cereal up a little bit and fed it to BC with a spoon. You have to be careful that your baby does not get in the habit of thinking solids are to be drunk from a bottle. It was like soup though - messy and frustrating to eat. BC still loved the taste, but did not enjoy eating the brown rice cereal as much. I increased from one tablespoon a day to two tablespoons a day.

He preferred the brown rice cereal in "mush" form.

Day 6

I made brown rice cereal "mush." BC  really LOVED it! He ate three tablespoons throughout the day! And I bet he would have eaten more : )

One "serving" of brown rice cereal is four tablespoons. I am now giving BC one full serving a day, but spaced out in three parts throughout the day.

We are going to start BC on his first vegetable this week - squash. My Physicians Assistant sister-in-law gave the tip to introduce veggies first, and then add in fruit - so BC does not get used to the natural sweet fruit taste. I am making most of my own baby food, so I looked at some websites to see how much veggie to give him. Most sites said for five-six months, start with half a baby food jar. One jar is seventy-one grams - so, in my Munchkin Freezer Cups, I measured out thirty-five grams. Half an acorn squash made four servings.

When deciding when to start what food, just like the "what not to eat while breastfeeding" lists, every single one is different. So, I combined three lists and my own personal research to make my list. Since BC is blood type A, the red foods are "avoids." We will limit those foods for him.

I am still breastfeeding. The solid food that BC eats are "supplements." The breast milk is still his main protein, nutrient, and calorie source.

It is hard to believe that my little baby is already eating solid food! But I am confident that it is the right time - and I love watching him grow up into the man that God has prepared him to be.

Hebrews 5:13-14

Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature — for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

In addendum:

Acorn squash success! He loved it!

Anti Social

I think some people have the impression that since BC's birth, my little family has become anti social. Please let me correct this misconception.

First of all, I know that BC for the most part is a happy baby - but note the "for the most part" part. He is still a baby, and believe me, he has a fussy side. His cry is so loud that it makes my ears ring. He turns red. It is horrible to watch - and very embarrassing in public. He is an active boy, so he does not like to be in one place for very long - and when he is ready to move, he lets you know.

"Mom won't give me her cell phone to chew on."

Our doctor recommended that BC and I stay "in seclusion" for six weeks after he was born. We did that. Call my Heroic Husband and me overprotective, but hey, it is our first baby - and I am a little bit of a germaphobe. We really did not take BC anywhere. If we went to a store, either HH or me would stay in the car with BC while the other shopped. I remember the first time BC went into a store with us - Office Depot at an off time during the day - and we had him covered up completely in the car seat.

Once the six weeks were up, we took BC to church for the first time. We kept him with us the whole time. It is not that we did not want anyone holding him, it is just that once one person holds him, everyone wants to hold him. And then, you have a little baby being tossed around. HH and I decided it would be better for us to hold him for now. Come over to our house, and you can hold him as long as you would like : )

We have been invited out to eat with several people, and yes, we asked for a rain check. BC does not do restaurants well. We tried it - once - and let's just say it ended with me stuffing an entire salad into my mouth, while HH tried to calm down a screaming baby - and then me feeding BC in the car, while HH finished his lunch all alone inside the restaurant. Everyone around us was staring. It was bad.

BC can go from smiling to screaming in 2.5 seconds.
These pictures were literally taken one minute apart.

I know what you are thinking. Why didn't you just feed BC before? Well, I did. This kid eats ALL the time. Literally, you can set your watch by him. At one and a half hours after the start of his last feeding, he starts to get grumpy. At two hours, he is getting fussy. At two and half, he is at critical mass. BC refuses to take a bottle, and I am not the kind of gal who can feed him in public. Thus, if I feed BC before we leave for a restaurant, by the time we get our food, he is ready for his next meal - and then no one gets to eat.

However, there is good news! BC is rolling around like crazy and trying to crawl. Now that he can move a little, it makes life a little easier. BC is also very interested in our food now, so we can eat at other people's houses, and he will sit in our laps - and try to steal our dinner. AND, our doctor has told us to start solid food! So, hopefully, the occasional restaurant will be "on the menu" for us soon!

I promise we are not anti social. We just have a baby : )

We LOVE to have company, so PLEASE, COME OVER and play with this sweet baby boy : )