Anyone want to borrow a 20 month old?

Oh, the joys of having a toddler. The constant neediness, attention seeking behaviour and of course that lovely word "no", which I hear more times a day then I would ever like to.
Leda has discovered a love for the toilet, a hatred for the change table and absolutely opposes with great reverence anything being shut on her...dishwasher, doors, toilet lid etc. This of course is met with screaming and Leda flailing about on the floor. It usually ends within a minute and is followed by fits of hysterics at whatever Leda finds funny at that moment. Thankfully Leda's laughing counter balances very nicely with her tantrums and I am thankful for that.
I believe that children are made adorable so that we can better tolerate them while they begin to learn the ins and outs of the world. Thankfully when Leda is freaking out about the change table she protests by hugging me tightly, refusing to let go and I guess I can accept the giant hug in return for a small battle which I know I will eventually win. When Leda is griping about doors shutting or being taken away from the toilet she yells "MA-MOO!!!" and I cant help but laugh at my new endearing nickname that she has given me.
I try to take it all in and appreciate this time for what is because just like pregnancy and infancy I am going to miss it when its gone.



The yummiest chicken meatloaf!

Here is a recipe for a super easy, delicious chicken meatloaf. Leda loves this meal!! Even when she was refusing to eat almost everything, she would still eat this. I have been making it forever and I enjoy how quick it is to put together and how yummy it tastes.

Chicken Meatloaf

1 medium onion chopped
2 celery ribs chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 can chicken and rice soup
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 package ground chicken

* You can also add extra ingredients. I like to add mushrooms and sundried tomato's.


Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 6 ingredients. Add ground chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Bake 1 1/4 hours until meat thermometer reads 160

Leda think the meatloaf is delicious!!

ENJOY!!

How amazing you're already One. What a precious person you've become :)

Leda dressed up and ready for her party.

It is hard to believe that Leda is a year old. I am glad it is done though. I was so sad the last week of her eleventh month and now it is easier to accept. I don't know what I thought was going to happen, if she was going to suddenly get up and take off running and instantly turn into this big girl, but thankfully she is still my little baby and Leda turning one was not as awful as I thought it was going to be. Now we just have to wait and see how I feel when she turns 18 months!!

Leda's Birthday party was wonderful. We felt so blessed that so many friends and family came to celebrate with us. Leda of course was spoiled and loves every gift she received and so do I! We are so thankful :)

Here are some pictures of the Birthday celebration and a couple of my favorite professional one year photos that were done the day after Leda's Birthday.

Leda's owl cupcakes :)

I made this banner for Leda. It had pictures from birth to 11 months

So many pinwheels!!

Leda opening up her gifts from Andrew and I in the morning

Looking at the beautiful scrapbook Aunty Chrystal made for Leda

Leda's first taste of sweets..mmm icing..

Sugar high!!

One more week :(

I am not ready for Leda to turn one. This has gone by to fast! I want the past year back. I want Leda to be tiny again and I want her to snuggle into me at all hours of the day, not just when she is exhausted. I know I cannot control this. I knew she was going to get bigger, but cant I just enjoy this a little longer?

So much has changed in the last year. I do not even feel like the same person anymore and thankfully I think it has been a positive change. Life feels so full now. Leda has been an amazing source of inspiration for me and I know that without her I would still be sitting on the couch at all hours eating junk food and I would have never met all the amazing people that I have. I will give myself some credit of course. Leda did not physically get me to boot camp or yoga or pilates, so I am proud of myself to, but I am also eternally thankful for my daughter and the better person she is helping me become.

Leda has changed so much in one year!! Where did my tiny 6lbs, 1oz baby go? Thankfully she is still pretty tiny and I am also not very sad that she doesn't move around yet, but she has gone from this tiny lump that I used to carry around in the sleepy wrap, to a funny girl who tries to head bang me when I carry her in the ergo and thinks its hilarious.

Of course Andrew and I have cheered Leda and all her wonderful developments on and I would never try and hold her back for my own selfish little baby needs, but I somehow doubt I am ever going to stop wishing for my newborn back. This past year has been the best year of my life and I am happy about the hundreds of pictures and loads of videos I have taken, because it really is to easy to forget.

I love when Leda nestles into my shoulder and I can feel her breath on my cheek. I love that her breath still smells sweet and she almost always smells delicious, with the obvious stinky interruptions of course. I love watching Leda learn to feed herself and chew. I know eventually she will learn patience and will stop shoving every morsel in her mouth at once and we will eventually be able to stop cutting her food into the tiniest little pieces. I can see that she wants to move and I know it is going to happen any day now. I am grateful it has taken her this long, because I know it is going to be non stop once it happens. I love, love, love watching Leda in her jolly jumper and how crazy she gets. Leda now smiles when she sees videos or pictures of babies and when she thinks something is funny she will laugh and then look to me for approval to see if I think it is funny before she laughs again. I love Leda's wonderful personality :)

This week is going to be hard, but I need to think about the future and all the exciting and fun things it holds. I need to think about the day Leda is going to really give me a big hug and say mama and really mean me and how someday she is going to tell me she loves me too and I know all the sadness that sometimes comes with watching my baby get bigger is worth it.

I know this was a little melodramatic and she is only turning one, but I know you new mamas and not so new mamas will all understand :)

mmm...the wonderful avocado..

I love avocado's! Avocado on toast is one of my favorite snacks and sometimes an easy and delicious lunch. It is so easy to make. You just mix avocado in a bowl with a little bit of lime juice, salt and pepper and then spread on toast and broil! You can also add tomato if you want. I don't think my mother ever bought an avocado growing up and I cant remember eating guacamole until I was in my twenties. It is definitely another underrated fruit and if you have never tried avocado or given it a fair chance, I think avocado on toast would change your mind :)

INTERESTING AVOCADO FACTS

• Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable.
• There are more than 500 avocado varieties.
• Another name for the avocado is the "alligator pear," so-called because of its alligator skin texture and pear shape.
• The Aztec word for avocado was ahuacatl, which means "testicle tree".
• The Hass is the most common avocado in the United States and is the only avocado grown year round.
• Mexico is the world's top producer of avocados, with California coming in second.
• One tree can produce between 150 and 500 avocados per year.
• The average avocado contains 300 calories and 30 grams of healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.
• Avocados have the highest protein content of any fruit.
• Avocados contain more potassium than bananas.
• One avocado contains 81 mcg of lutein, an important nutrient for healthy eyes.
• Once an avocado is picked, it takes between 7 and 10 days to ripen. Keeping it in the refrigerator will slow down the ripening process, while putting it in a paper bag with a ripe apple will speed up the process.
• On average, 53.5 million pounds of guacamole are eaten every Super Bowl Sunday, enough to cover a football field more than 20 feet thick.
• Avocado's act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients.
• Those with latex allergies might also be allergic to avocados, according to the George Mateljan Foundation, since they contain chitanases, which are associated with the latex-fruit allergy syndrome (hmm..I have never heard this before!)

MARINATED MUSHROOM AND AVOCADO SALAD

 

Ingredients:

½ cup sherry wine vinegar
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
6 lettuce leaves
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded, diced
12 slices Italian bread, grilled

 

Preparation Instructions:

1) Whisk together vinegar, basil, mustard, and oil in a medium bowl. Add mushrooms, toss to coat, and marinade 30 minutes.

2) Plate salads: place lettuce on 6 serving plates. Top with avocado, bell peppers, and marinated mushrooms. Drizzle remaining marinade over. Place 2 slices grilled bread on plates and serve.

AVOCADO IS EVEN GREAT FOR YOUR SKIN!

Treat yourself to an avocado facial. Beauty, they say, is only skin deep. Luckily, avocado has moisturizing power to help make your skin more beautiful. For years, people have used avocado as a natural facial treatment, especially for dry skin. It's easy to do in your own home. Just remove your makeup and wash your face with warm water and soap or your favorite cleanser. Mash some avocado and mix it with a little milk or oatmeal and apply it to your face. Leave it there for 10 minutes, then rinse it off with lots of water.

Leda's Favorite Baby Food Recipes!!

These are a couple of Leda's favorite recipes. I cut up the meatballs for her and she loves to eat them herself. Lately she has been eating whole meals by herself! I am constantly on the lookout for more interesting finger food recipes, so if you have any please feel free to share :)

CHICKEN AND APPLE BALLS


Makes 20 Chicken Balls


2 tsp light olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated (I used a Gala and it was fine)
2 chicken breast fillets (about 1/2 lb) cut into chunks
1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme or sage. chopped, or a pinch from mixed dried herbs
1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled (if your baby is over 1 year)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
all-purpose flour for coating
vegetable oil for frying (i used olive oil and as little as I could get away with)


Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute half the onion for about 3 minutes. Using your hands, squeeze out a little excess liquid from the grated apple Mix the apple with the chicken, cooked and remaining raw onion, herbs, bouillon cube (from one year), and breadcrumbs and roughly chop in a food processor for few seconds.
With your hands, form into about 20 little balls, roll in flour, and fry in shallow oil for about 5 minutes until slightly golden and cooked through. Cool slightly before serving.

TASTY LIVER CASSEROLE

*Liver is so good for children! It is easy to digest, a good source of iron, and is very easy to cook. A lot of adults dislike the taste, but children seem to enjoy it :)

1/4 lb calfs liver, trimmed and sliced
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
scant 1 cup chicken or veggie broth (homemade is of course best)
2 medium tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

Saute the liver in 1 tbsp of the oil until browned, then set aside. Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and saute the onion for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped carrot and saute for 2 minutes, then pour over the broth, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over a low heat for about 15 minutes. Chop the liver into pieces and add to the pan together with the tomatoes and parsley, and cook for about 3 minutes. You can either serve with mashed potato as it is or blend the mixture for a few seconds to make a rough puree.

Homemade Baby Cookies

I was talking to my Holistic Nutritionist about Leda and finger foods. Leda loves puff's!! I do not mind giving them to her, but the 4th ingredient is sugar and there are a few ingredients I cannot pronounce. As long as I can control what I am putting in her tummy, I plan on trying to make her food as healthy as possible. I tried to make my own rice rusks to save money and it went horribly wrong, so I will continue to buy Baby Mum-Mum's, but I was still looking for a healthy snack that was portable and not to messy. Thank goodness for Vanessa and her baby cookie recipe :)

1 cup quick oats
1 cup ground oats (ground regular oats)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup finely shredded vegetable (zucchini, carrot..etc)
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp coconut oil (you can sub olive oil)


Mix all ingredients.  I usually mash my wet ingredients including veg first.  Drop onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or so depending on the texture your baby likes. Enjoy


I made them this morning and they were super easy. I used carrots and had some bananas in the freezer that worked great. I tried one of the cookies and it was pretty gross, but Leda loved them!! I gave her one after dinner and she inhaled it! I still had to break it up into little pieces, but they were nice and soft and great for her to practice chewing on. I highly suggest making these healthy cookies for your little one.