Top 10 Reasons why I love Leda (today)

After a very trying afternoon with my very cranky daughter I decided to try and focus on the positive and list the top 10 things about Leda today that made my heart swell with love. If I were to talk about all the reasons I love Leda this blog would never end, so here are today's top 10.

1. Leda's 2 bottom teeth (her only teeth). They make her big smile even sweeter.
2. The way Leda smells after her bath. I use Burt's Bee's Shampoo & Wash and I have been using this on her since the beginning and I LOVE it! She smells so delicious!
3. The way Leda laughs when I smell her feet. I have to say "mmmm" after I smell them because if I say "ewww" she stops laughing and just looks at me funny.
4. Leda's hair. I put barrette's in it, but it is not long enough yet for ponies. Sometimes I think her hair resembles Donald Trump's comb over.
5. The way Leda will sometimes squeeze her eyes shut when she laughs now.
6. The way Leda is starting to reach out for me and the way she swats at me when she does not like something I am doing.
7. Leda's passion for puff's and Baby Mum-Mum's. Eating finger foods is serious business.
8. Leda's enjoyment of reusable grocery bags. One kept her entertained for a good 20 mins while I put away and sorted through her clothes tonight.
9. How Leda can scream and jump in her Jolly Jumper all at the same time. It is like she cant resist that urge to jump, no matter how angry she is.
10. How much Leda loves Nesta. I wish I shared her affection for the cat...maybe some day.

Leda's First Time Camping..

Andrew, Leda and myself went to Fair Havens from June 23rd - June 27th.
I have gone to my parents house with Leda and spent the night and we have gone across the border once, but this was Leda's biggest trip and I think with any new baby you are curious about how they are going to do. Leda is a fairly adaptable baby and I was not really concerned, but she exceeded my expectations (in a positive way of course).

Leda slept in her play pen in the "add-a-room" and a couple of the nights she slept better there then she does at home. It rained a lot while we were there and I think she liked the sound of the rain on the roof. It helped to create some fantastic white noise.

The trailer was great and it was nice having somewhere to be while it rained and we did not feel cramped. We still made our way out in the rain for walks and Leda was nicely protected under her rain cover.
It was fun enjoying Leda in a different environment. Sometimes I feel we go stir crazy in this little house and Leda always seems happiest when we are out and about. The same was true for camping.

Leda enjoying puffs and cheerios



Leda after her bath :)

 Leda enjoyed watching all of the people and did well with the long walks in the stroller. Now that Leda is eating finger foods it is a little easier to distract her sometimes. I am very thankful for Baby Mum-Mum's. One of the highlights of the trip was the awesome splash pad. Leda loves the water and she is a little trooper.

The water was chilly!!

Leda is never to sure what to think about water on her face.

A beautiful picture of a beautiful girl :)

lol...I love the look on her face :)

Some Things I Learned About Leda While Camping

1. Leda loves hummus
2. Leda hates the texture of hamburger
3. Leda LOVES Johnny Cash and his music makes her stop crying and also helped put her to sleep on the way home :)
4. Leda's newest favorite toy is her tambourine and she is really good at smacking it and trying to make music

Here are some more pictures of our trip..

I love Leda's Valco highchair. It folds up flat and easy to bring on trips.

Andrew and Leda watching a church cheering competition. It was pretty entertaining.

I love Leda in purple :)

lol...Leda and her tambourine. Leda knows when I am going to take a picture now and closes her eyes because of the flash.

Leda all bundled up for sleep. She looks like an angry little doll.

On our way home we stopped off at The Apple Factory and they had some farm animals to watch.

Wordless Wednesday...

FOOD, FOOD, FOOD!

                                              

I enjoy making Leda's baby food. I like knowing what exactly is in her food and I enjoy being able to give her a wide variety of food that perhaps you could not find on store shelves. At times it can be time consuming, but it is worth it. Sometimes I think Leda's food smells better then what I am going to have for dinner. I thought I would share two recipes that I made for Leda today.


The first I got from Vanessa Case and Leda loved it! Leda is a fan of tart desserts though, she likes mango's, apricots and now I can add rhubarb to the list. I cant wait for the day I can give her a lemon or a pickle. I think she will be in heaven.

YUMMY BERRY RHUBARB

INGREDIENTS

• 5-6 stalks rhubarb (wash it and cut into small 1/4 inch discs)
• 3 apples (peeled, cored and chopped) *You can leave peel on if baby is 6 months +
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple juice or apple sauce
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 berries of your choice (cut into small pieces)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place water and apple juice or apple sauce into a pot
2. Add rhubarb and simmer until tender, usually ten minutes
3. Add the apples and the berries
4. Turn down heat to low, add the vanilla and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Puree to the consistency you want

*You can add cinnamon or nutmeg

*If your baby does not enjoy tart foods you can choose to add a bit of stevia or agave syrup to sweeten

This next recipe is what Leda had for dinner tonight and she wolfed it down!

LEEK, SWEET POTATO, AND PEA PUREE

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup leeks, thoroughly washed and sliced
• 3 1/2 cups sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup frozen peas

DIRECTIONS

Put the leek and sweet potato in a saucepan, pour over the vegetable broth, and bring to a boil.Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the peas and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Puree to the consistency you want.

Fall seven times, stand up eight. ~Japanese Proverb

Leda's sleep situation has been getting better. For the last two weeks she has not been waking up every 1-2 hours and her first feed isn't until 1 or 3 am, she eats again around 5 am and then has been sleeping till 7 am, which is much better then 6 am..although I would prefer 8 am, but I will take what I can get.

After 3 am is when things get difficult. It is hard to say how long she will continue to sleep and she will still always wake up at 5 am, but I trust this will get better with time.

It is funny how you think you are getting a grasp on one thing and then something else changes completely out of the blue and there you are...facing another challenge and trying to bring peace and harmony to your home. Cant we all just get along?

This is what my mornings have looked like lately..

Isn't she lovely? The jolly jumper usually does the trick, but not any more. I breastfeed Leda right away in the morning in the hopes that it will make her happy and help get through the next 30 minutes of her day, but to no avail. Leda always has a grain and a fruit for breakfast and the whole process takes about 20 mins to prepare and she just looses it. I am not sure if she is not getting enough sleep at night even though she is in bed for 12 hours, but she is a miserable child in the morning. Hopefully we will get over this soon and have a better start to our day.



Wordless Wednesday...

Wordless Wednesday...