Babies

[Stacy]

Hey girls. I was hoping some of you might share any info you have
acquired regarding stuff for babies under one year old. I have a 2
month old, and just as Heather has lots of interesting stuff to share,
I'm sure some of you might as well.

Anything about making baby food at home, books you like, neat
websites, places or activities for young babies, and especially
learning activities would be very helpful! Thanks!

[Heather Thalwitzer]

Avocado was Harrison's first food. I think I used this website for
recipes and stuff- http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ . Next time I'm
going to give meat as the child's first food. I've read lots of
interesting things supporting meat as a first food. It's more popular
in Europe. Basically, at six months iron stores start to go down.
That's why we've started to feed more than breastmilk or formula
around that time. It's also why doctors have recommended iron
fortified rice cereal. That cereal doesn't naturally have iron and
it's pretty processed, so I won't use it. But meat is naturally high
in iron & other vitamins.. especially the grass-fed meat I buy.

Gymboree is near you, but it's kind of pricey. They have a free
introductory class, so you can go online, sign-up to go, and you have
nothing to lose by doing that. I think the pricing is around $70/month
here for 1 class a week and unlimited "open gyms", not sure about
there.

Your baby isn't really old enough to go to playgrounds or anything. I
mean, you can go to parks just for a different sensory experience and
put a mat down or something. There are story times at Leu Gardens,
Libraries and Barnes & Noble (all free, I think) ... I happen to think
that just hearing the words in the background is beneficial for
babies, but it probably wont seem like those activites are idea for
you. The library I went to in Ft Myers when Harrison was tiny had a
special class where you interacted with your infant and did some
rhymes and hand things.

When Harrison was little I took it upon myself to organize "stroller
dates" with some other moms I knew. We would walk about a mile or so
to a starbucks, grab coffee, walk to a park, have a picnic while the
babies rolled around, then walk back. Stacy, you live close enough to
a park to go on lots of really nice walks. Hope this helps!

If you have any questions that are more specific, I'd be happy to
help. Sorry this is a lot of info and kind of ... disorganized. Maybe
it will help Krysti, too... since she is new to Orlando, living near
the airport, and looking for fun activities for her baby & toddler as
well.

[Heather Thalwitzer]

Also, my immersion blender (probably $20 at Bed Bath & Beyond or
Target) was my favorite baby food making tool. It allowed for smooth
purees in the beginning and chunkier as he got older. Which I didn't
make chunky food soon enough and he lost interest until I allowed for
more chunks. Something for you to consider there.

Also, Mine is not plastic and I can blend the foods in my glass
measuring cups pretty well. Many of the food processors and stuff on
the market are made from bpa-leaching plastic.
>

[Sydney Lendian-MacDonald]

Hello!
 Well one cool thing to make/buy is a sensory toy. Something that has a lot of different textures. Like crunchy fabric, smooth fabric, corduroy, etc. You can add buttons IF you sew them on very well, even maybe glue as well. Avalon has an elephant like that, with different colors on it, and she has loved it since the beginning. And I feel it really helped her learn her surroundings, and it still will entertain her for some time. We would also show her any new textures we encountered out and about.
I also really like the "Mommy Hugs" books by Karen Katz, there's a bunch of different ones.
And as far as tummy time, which is so needed, We bought those anti-stress mats from Sams. They were something like $25 for 6 feet worth. We'd put a blanket down on there and she could scoot around. They're really easy to clean and nice and soft (we had essentially concrete floors).
I don't know what you're planning for solid foods, but we used Beechnut jar food. It's actually quite healthy, and cheaper than Gerber. They also have a cool deal where if you save up a certain number of UPC codes, you can get great coupons from them.
Pbskids.org has a bunch of games and learning tools too.
Congrats on your little one!
Sydney
Mom to Avalon, 3

> Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:05:41 -0800
> Subject: Babies
> From: staceat...@aol.com
> To: thoughtful-moms-of-gr...@googlegroups.com

[Sarah Boye]

-We did story time at the library a lot and that gave me lots of songs and finger games to play with her.
-I tried to talk to her constantly. Tell her all about what we were seeing/doing/ect. I think that helps with language skills and understanding.
-I've done sign language with her since she was born, but she only signs a few things. It's really helpful now with communication since she's a bit of a shy talker.
-She had reflux and REFUSED to do tummy time, but had no adverse issues physically from not doing it. I still made sure to hold her in ways that helped her use all her muscles.
-I really enjoyed the book "Itsy Bitsy Yoga" for doing yoga with her. It really helped her colic and reflux.
-Another great book is "Positive Discipline the First Three Years". It has some great ideas. The Dr. Sears baby book is great too.
-We did baby led weaning after trying purees unsuccessfully at 6 months. She wound up being really interested by 8 months and we would give her small pieces of what we were eating (one thing at a time to be aware of allergies) and she fed herself. We also never force her to finish anything and just keep offering something if she doesn't seem to like it. A few things, she's changed her mind on. Generally, she's a great eater now and we have very little power struggles over food.
-I also love this newsletter, Aha Parenting

Sarah
(Vala, 22 months)

[krysti abreu]

ooh where do I begin! Beleza is 2 and a half now, but I think she was the easiest child on the planet cause we had a great babyhood together :) she HATED tummy time so we did other things like propped with pillows.. exc. we read a TON of books, LOTS of time outside and on walks, went to playdates with our mothers group (even when she was 4 months old, she needed to see other children and watch them communicate, see new things, people..) I kept her away from TV entirely until she was around 22 months old. I read that it helps with verbal skills and communication skills. we also listened to music where ever we went. she is at a 4 year level with speech (so says her Dr) now so I dont know if its just her or it really did anything. Ely is 7months and not making much of the same speech patterns as Beleza and she does see/listen to the tv sometimes????? who knows! BUT NO BABY TALK, pronounce every word the correct way for them and practice saying sounds in front of them. she will think its funny anyway hahah.
one thing that really supper helped us was routine, it helps them feel secure, and balanced and helps bed time to go much smoother. sing and read to and touch your baby often as it helps them feel and learn the world around them and helps them communicate with you and feel safe with you and where ever you are together. my children prefer to sleep in their own beds, much to my dismay and sad mommom heart. so things like this help me to feel closer to my baby, a special time with just them in the evening will calm you both down <3
I make almost all our food at home (I like plum organics pouch foods when we are out, they are yummy and cheaper than most baby foods) she wont eat anything that she cant chew so puree is out... but I use my little blender allot. I started both on avocado first and than went to sweet potatoes. grains cause your body to react with an insoline spike and than its cranky town so we stay away from them as much as we can plus Beleza has Celiac so it makes it easy for us. she does get gluten free teething crackers and stuff now however. one food at a time though, look for reactions. rash, cranky, gassy.. than I move on in 3 days.
hope this helps! what will really help you is to be around more mommoms :D we were never meant to raise our children with out a community of other mothers

--
 Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.... 
 Then let us, one and all, be contented with our lot;
The June is here this morning, and the sun is shining hot;
Oh! let us fill our hearts up with the glory of the day,
And banish ev'ry doubt and care and sorrow far away.

Source: James Whitcomb Riley

[Sydney Lendian-MacDonald]

I TOTALLY agree with no baby talk! We always speak clearly and openly with her. We do spell things like "ice cream" though! ;) We limited TV for a long time as well. Where do you live? Maybe we can all do play dates every now and then :)

---

Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:31:30 -0500
Subject: Re: Babies
From: krysti...@gmail.com
To: thoughtful-moms-of-gr...@googlegroups.com

[Sydney Lendian-MacDonald]

Ack- I forgot, I also highly reccommend the Dr Sears books. I read The Fussy Baby Book, and it became my daily go to. Avalon was very high need and Colicky and this book kept me sane.

---

Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:31:30 -0500
Subject: Re: Babies
From: krysti...@gmail.com
To: thoughtful-moms-of-gr...@googlegroups.com

[Heather Thalwitzer]

We still do no tv- 25 months and counting... The American academy of
pediatrics even says no tv until 24 mos.

On Friday, February 11, 2011, Sydney Lendian-MacDonald

<merlynt...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Ack- I forgot, I also highly reccommend the Dr Sears books. I read The Fussy Baby Book, and it became my daily go to. Avalon was very high need and Colicky and this book kept me sane.
>

> Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:31:30 -0500
> Subject: Re: Babies
> From: krysti...@gmail.com
> To: thoughtful-moms-of-gr...@googlegroups.com
>
> ooh where do I begin! Beleza is 2 and a half now, but I think she was the easiest child on the planet cause we had a great babyhood together :) she HATED tummy time so we did other things like propped with pillows.. exc. we read a TON of books, LOTS of time outside and on walks, went to playdates with our mothers group (even when she was 4 months old, she needed to see other children and watch them communicate, see new things, people..) I kept her away from TV entirely until she was around 22 months old. I read that it helps with verbal skills and communication skills. we also listened to music where ever we went. she is at a 4 year level with speech (so says her Dr) now so I dont know if its just her or it really did anything. Ely is 7months and not making much of the same speech patterns as Beleza and she does see/listen to the tv sometimes????? who knows! BUT NO BABY TALK, pronounce every word the correct way for them and practice saying sounds in front of them. she will think its funny anyway hahah.
> one thing that really supper helped us was routine, it helps them feel secure, and balanced and helps bed time to go much smoother. sing and read to and touch your baby often as it helps them feel and learn the world around them and helps them communicate with you and feel safe with you and where ever you are together. my children prefer to sleep in their own beds, much to my dismay and sad mommom heart. so things like this help me to feel closer to my baby, a special time with just them in the evening will calm you both down <3
> I make almost all our food at home (I like plum organics pouch foods when we are out, they are yummy and cheaper than most baby foods) she wont eat anything that she cant chew so puree is out... but I use my little blender allot. I started both on avocado first and than went to sweet potatoes. grains cause your body to react with an insoline spike and than its cranky town so we stay away from them as much as we can plus Beleza has Celiac so it makes it easy for us. she does get gluten free teething crackers and stuff now however. one food at a time though, look for reactions. rash, cranky, gassy.. than I move on in 3 days.
> hope this helps! what will really help you is to be around more mommoms :D we were never meant to raise our children with out a community of other mothers
>
> On Fri, Feb 11, 2011 at 6:13 PM, Sarah Boye <sarah...@gmail.com> wrote:
> -We did story time at the library a lot and that gave me lots of songs and finger games to play with her.
> -I tried to talk to her constantly. Tell her all about what we were seeing/doing/ect. I think that helps with language skills and understanding.
> -I've done sign language with her since she was born, but she only signs a few things. It's really helpful now with communication since she's a bit of a shy talker.
> -She had reflux and REFUSED to do tummy time, but had no adverse issues physically from not doing it. I still made sure to hold her in ways that helped her use all her muscles.
> -I really enjoyed the book "Itsy Bitsy Yoga" for doing yoga with her. It really helped her colic and reflux.
> -Another great book is "Positive Discipline the First Three Years". It has some great ideas. The Dr. Sears baby book is great too.
> -We did baby led weaning after trying purees unsuccessfully at 6 months. She wound up being really interested by 8 months and we would give her small pieces of what we were eating (one thing at a time to be aware of allergies) and she fed herself. We also never force her to finish anything and just keep offering something if she doesn't seem to like it. A few things, she's changed her mind on. Generally, she's a great eater now and we have very little power struggles over food.

> -I also love this newsletter, Aha Parenting <http://www.ahaparenting.com/about>

[Stacy]

What great ideas everyone! I have made a list of EVERY single idea,
even the basic ones, so that I don't forget any of them. I have the
books you guys suggested in my Amazon cart to look at. One main thing
you girls reminded me is that I won't be silly for taking my baby
George to different places just for him. I have kind of been thinking
that I have to wait until he's a year old or so to go places just for
him to enjoy, but now I plan to go to parks and events for him! Of
course, I might wait a few weeks until this flu/sickness season wanes
a little bit because everyone and their uncle is sick!

As far as making baby food goes...I notices that all of the containers
to freeze the extra baby food are plastic. I don't like the feel of
plastic, plus I worry about whatever may be leach into it, so did
anyone have any glass containers they used specifically for freezing
small portions, or know where I might find some?

And I live in Winter Park.

And does "no TV" mean he shouldn't be around it at all, as in like, in
the same room? My partner and I definitely watch TV with baby in the
same room right now.... I would love some websites with info about
this to help me convince hubby to be more motivated to turn the TV
off. I definitely will not put George in front of the TV as a
babysitter to watch cartoons, but I wonder about him being around it
in general.

Thanks again so much for all of your input! I love it all!!!!!!! :-)

[Sydney Lendian-MacDonald]

Wow, Winter Park? What part? I'm in the "unfashionable" side (lol) by Fullsail, off Aloma. I don't drive, but if you're within biking distance I'd love to meet up, or meet at a playground! Taking him out to do things this young is totally great!

> Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:10:00 -0800
> Subject: Re: Babies
> From: staceat...@aol.com
> To: thoughtful-moms-of-gr...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>

[Stacy]

I'm off Aloma also, by the bowling alley, a couple blocks east of
Whole Foods. I will friend you on facebook :-)

[Jen Larsen]

Stacy, where do you live? I have a 2.5 yo and a 2 mo old ( born dec
8). Perhaps we can get together with our little ones one morning while
my older daughter is in preschool and talk about motherhood :)

Xo Jen
Southwest Orlando (SWO), Dr Phillips area near Universal Studios

[Heather Thalwitzer]

Harrison is around tv-- but we don't have cable. We have Netflix. I
like it b/c it allows me to be more discretionary about the shows I
watch myself and doesn't expose me to commercial after commercial. I
never find myself just watching TV to just watch it having it in the
background. My hubby watches 3-4 hours of football every Sunday. We're
almost always there when he does. Harrison is never very interested
unless a truck commercial airs, & he didn't notice that for a good
while. When we walk through Target, by the TV section, Harrison points
at the TVs and says his word for football, "butt butt ball." Sometimes
he just TOTALLY mispronounces words- for now it's funny.

SO.... my kid thinks TV is FOR football. I'll take it.

He also doesn't really have any electronic or light-up toys. He's very
creative and content to just occupy his time with his own mind.

Here is a good article on it--
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071123204938.htm

As for stuff on the TV-- I encourage you to do your own research if
you are truly interested. Both Montessori & Waldorf methods of
schooling have lots of literature against watching TV, how it's
detrimental to development & not an educational tool.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also has info. Even they are
against it... so that's pretty much enough for me!

[Stacy]

Jen I live in Winter Park. My son George was born on December 8th
also! Funny!!! I sent you a friend request on facebook also!

Thanks for the info Heather. I saw your fb post about butt-butt ball,
I love it! I totally want George to not know what TV really is! I'm
definitely going to read that article and look up more stuff about it.

[krysti abreu]

We live in vista lakes near semaran. About 10 from the airport. We would Love to have a play date! We only have one car so id have to plan in advance. Let me know

On Feb 11, 2011 9:13 PM, "Sydney Lendian-MacDonald" <merlynt...@hotmail.com> wrote:

I TOTALLY agree with no baby talk! We always speak clearly and openly with her. We do spell things like "ice cream" though! ;) We limited TV for a long time as well. Where do you live? Maybe we can all do play dates every now and then :)

---

Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:31:30 -0500
Subject: Re: Babies
From: krysti...@gmail.com

To: thoughtful-moms-of-gr...@googlegroups.com

ooh where do I begin! Beleza is 2 ...

[Heather Thalwitzer]

I can't believe we have some birthday buddies on Dec. 8th! HOW COOL! I
think you both had your babies naturally... one at a birth center and
one at home! <3

[Sydney Lendian-MacDonald]

That's not too far! We must meet up. You're near Phelps park, which is a really cool park if you've not been.
Sydney

> Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:00:56 -0800

> Subject: Re: Babies
> From: staceat...@aol.com
> To: thoughtful-moms-of-gr...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>

[Allison]

Phelps park is great!

Allison Vaughn

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."- Voltaire

[Stacy]

Yes I've been going to Phelps park since I was just a little tater tot
myself! I haven't been in a few years... I hope they havent changed it
much. I have a pic of myself when I was about 4 sitting on one of the
slides, it would be awesome to re-create with George!

[krysti abreu]

I am pretty darn new to Orlando, we moved here about 20 days before I gave birth to Elyna in June 2010 so you can imagine, we haven't really been out much, plus the one car thing jacks things up for us being very adventurous. we will have to plan a date there! Beleza Bunni LOVES parks and Elyna really enjoys going to parks too, shes my crazy woman :P

[krysti abreu]

Jen, you have a 2.5 year old? we should get our girls together, Beleza desperately needs a friend/playmate

[krysti abreu]

babys are born with no knowledge of how to communicate besides "here is my mommy, I want my mommy and i need to let her know when I need something". as they grow and watch and listen, they learn how to speak. Part of learning how to speak is listening and feeling the vibrations in the cochlea. your brain interprets it and learns its pattern. The brain grows through auditory stimulation- that is, training our brain how to process sounds and words.  This happens for children through engaging play activities, reading books with parents, telling stories and communicating with other children and adults who can provide good language models.  Even “educational programming” is no substitute for conversation when it comes to developing strong language and listening skills. in a nut shell, it teaches your child to primarily listen instead of actively return communication. we aren't saying that tv will ruin your babies chances at speech or make them unable to learn to communicate but there are direct correlation between the time it takes to "get it" and watching or even just listening to the tv. for example, my one sister lets her kids watch tv all day, and if they arent watching it, its on in the back ground. both of her children are "late talkers' as in, my nephew just turned 3 and he has half the vocabulary as my 2 and a half year old or even my 2 year old nephew (from my other sister) who is only allowed to watch around an hour of tv a day and had no tv for the first year and a half. Also, TVs moving spectrum is way too advanced for your baby to proses, making it difficult to focus and causes them to "over react" aka cranky town.. over stimulation is a big issue especially in the evening when its time to wind down. it can also effect your childs ability to learn the skill of focusing and "paying attention" when they are in school or even when you are trying to teach them at home, your child may have issues with listening and learning because there isn't enough visual stimulation that their brains are used to from being over stimulated by the television.  most parents never even learn about it. so that is my reasoning.. I need to get more serious about keeping Elyna away from it more... I get lazy sometimes. also, I want to stress that I dont think that occasional tv will hinder him in any way, its continual I think that make it an issue.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/pregnancy-and-parenting/baby-health/infant-health/baby-tv.htm

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1902209,00.html

http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/tv.htm

[Andrea Branagan]

For freezing baby food, I save gerber jars and when I make a batch I fill them all and put them in the fridge. Once they are nice and cold I move them all to the freezer. Make sure there is about a half inch from the top for the food to expand when it freezes. To defrost, move one jar to the fridge about 24 hours before you need it. I like this way better than using plastic. ;) I also have a glass blender that I love. I will have to see what brand it is.

[Heather Thalwitzer]

Unfortunately jar lids are also lined with BPA- you can't get a break!
I loved Anchor brand smaller glass storage containers (buy at Publix)
if you are adamant against BPA. I re-used Earth's Best jars, as well
as anchor storage, for my baby food. Even the organic brands jar lids
are coated w/ BPA. :(

[Andrea Branagan]

If the food doesn't reach the jar lid (I did think about what it was lined with) and the lid never touches the food, wouldn't it be better than plastic?

[Stacy]

SO far I've found that the best way will probably be to use the Anchor
or Pyrex freezable glass "tupperwares," or canning jars made to be
frozen.

I found this about old baby food jars on a website:

Baby food jars are not manufactured for freezing or for extreme
heating. Glass that is not specifically manufactured for freezing has
the unfortunate ability to crack, leave behind tiny, microscopic
shards and fragments and also is prone to bursting.
BALL, makers of home canning products, manufactures 4 ounce jars
specifically for freezing as do other manufactures.

Most of the websites suggest using ice cube trays and once the food is
frozen to just put it in a Ziploc. Nice idea, but I know when I use
ice from a plastic tray I can taste the PLASTIC so that means that
perhaps bad stuff will get into that food!

And thanks for the info about TV, Krysti! It was very helpful. I have
saved the links to all the articles to read in the next day or 2 when
I have time, and I'm very excited about it!!!

[Sarah Boye]

I'm going to play devils advocate here so no one who lets their kid watch tv feels guilty or judged.
We watched tv around Vala when she was little. Most of the time she was sitting against my knees facing me so I could talk to her. She started being interested around 8 months. We didn't really start putting shows on for her until a year. For a while she only watched while I sat with her and could interact with her about the shows (dance with her, describe the scene, ect). Now, yes I do occasionally put on sesame street so I can clean but it's not on all day and I don't count it as a major babysitter. She only sits to watch for a 5 seconds and then runs around playing. She really only even pays attention when songs come on (but don't dare try to turn it off lest you summon the tantrum monster! (lol)
That being said, I've actually seen positive things come from her watching tv. She's learned dances from Yo Gabba Gabba that I had nothing to do with teaching her. She's learned new words from Sesame Street. Most of all, I have a way to find my sanity during a rough day when I just need to do the dishes without her trying to help by throwing knives across the room.

So, definitely do your research, but realize that not everyone is tv free and it doesn't make you a bad mom if you aren't.

Sarah
(Vala, 22 months)

--
Sarah
=^..^=

[krysti abreu]

Oh, totally agree with you Sarah. I truely hope no one feels bad or guilty about what I added. I only ment to inform on the studies done and my own experience. Beleza watches what I call "sanity TV" often now that she is older. Especially now that I have 2. I NEED that time so I can clean, cook, or sometimes I need to focus on the baby or even chill a minute and regain sanity (if its possible) . Please, every parenting choice is personal and should be respected as such. my choices aren't the only ones or even the best or right ones For Sure! That's the truth for everyone. You gota do what fits your family. Period. Thats what makes an awesome, loving parent. Don't let anyone make you feel less for any reason or oppinion or personal parenting choice you made between you and your baby.

On Feb 15, 2011 7:03 AM, "Sarah Boye" <sarah...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm going to play devils advocate here so no one who lets their kid watch tv feels guilty or judged.
We watched tv around Vala when she was little. Most of the time she was sitting against my knees facing me so I could talk to her. She started being interested around 8 months. We didn't really start putting shows on for her until a year. For a while she only watched while I sat with her and could interact with her about the shows (dance with her, describe the scene, ect). Now, yes I do occasionally put on sesame street so I can clean but it's not on all day and I don't count it as a major babysitter. She only sits to watch for a 5 seconds and then runs around playing. She really only even pays attention when songs come on (but don't dare try to turn it off lest you summon the tantrum monster! (lol)
That being said, I've actually seen positive things come from her watching tv. She's learned dances from Yo Gabba Gabba that I had nothing to do with teaching her. She's learned new words from Sesame Street. Most of all, I have a way to find my sanity during a rough day when I just need to do the dishes without her trying to help by throwing knives across the room.

So, definitely do your research, but realize that not everyone is tv free and it doesn't make you a bad mom if you aren't.

Sarah
(Vala, 22 months)

On Sat, Feb 12, 2011 at 7:40 AM, Heather Thalwitzer <heathert...@gmail.com> wrote:
>

> Harr...

--
Sarah
=^..^=

[Heather Thalwitzer]

Sarah, no one is judging you or anyone else who watches TV w/ their
kiddo. Every child is different, every set of parents is different.
You won't be outcast from this group or snubbed if you don't choose
"all natural" choices for your child. Actually, I can not control
other people... so if they decide that you aren't cool enough, then
that's their loss. But I will never try to pin them against you.

I'm glad you found something that works well for you, you are
comfortable with, and it sounds like it isn't even that big of a deal.
Your child is one of the happiest kids I have ever met. You're
obviously doing something right!

Your message was posted with a delay b/c google sent it to me as
"potential spam." I told google to always allow your posts. Sorry that
happened. I have no idea how to turn "auto-moderation" off. If you
make a post and it gets thrown into the "auto-moderator" then I am
sorry for the dely, but I will always let it through to post... unless
it's blatantly "buy viagra pharmacy discount" or some strange link
that tells me you were hacked.

[Allison]

We are a tv family too. In fact its why I believe Carli's language is slightly delayed. I struggle managing two kids. I've started turning the tv off and encouraging active play but we have our bad days. I think the main thing is not what you've done but what you want to do and learning from past experiences and doing the best you can.

I really look forward to when she's 4.. I'll know what to do, lol.

Allison

[Jen Larsen]

I always used ice cube trays then popped cubes out and stored in
ziplocks in freezer. I used plastic, but you can find silicone mini
muffin pans (dunno if they make silicone ice cube trays) and use those

On Feb 14, 4:00 pm, Heather Thalwitzer <heatherthalwit...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Sarah Boye]

Ikea has silicone ice cube trays super cheap. That's what I used when I made baby food and when I froze breastmilk.

--
Sarah
=^..^=

[Allison]

Ooh I need to find those. I was freezing breastmilk in plastic cube trays and cracked them. Probably for the better if they have stuff in the plastic.. :/

Allison

[Sydney Lendian-MacDonald]

As far as TV- we also are a more TV family. Avalon wasn't into it until about a year, but we had those "Your Baby Can Read" DVDs, and BOY did they make a difference! She has always been really interested in them, and learned a lot from them.
I'm also really picky about what she watches. It's cute when she quotes science stuff from Sid the Science kid, or talks about a feeling she understands from Caillou. :):)
Syd

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Subject: Re: Babies
From: ale...@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:44:56 -0500
To: thoughtful-moms-of-gr...@googlegroups.com

[Allison]

We love the Your Baby Can Read series! It taught Carli all her body parts when she was just a year old! 

Allison Vaughn

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."- Voltaire