BLW, Baby Gear, and Blessings
So, a quick update on BLW: our new family doc totally supports us in our decision to do BLW with Baby Loquacious, although she did advise that we somehow get a bit more iron into my little girl, a suggestion I totally agree with since I'm borderline anemic at the best of times, and I'm sure whatever Fe stores I had are used up now! Unfortunately, since Baby L is only budding teeth at this point, meat is not really in the cards for us. Plus, I'm still a little stuck on how to serve her chicken, liver, and egg yolk. I've seen the videos, but I have no idea how those babies could take on an entire chicken drumstick and not gag at all.
Hence, the introduction of iron-fortified infant cereal. Gross, right? Puree consistency. Thankfully, the one that I got as a sample (and used tonight) ended up being quite yogurt-like in consistency, and sweet enough to be a pudding. I loaded up two spoons (alternating them) and Baby L went to town, double-feeding herself and enjoying the messy process. She only finished about half of the bowl, and judging from the mess, only about half of that actually made it into her mouth.
The rice cereal pack that I used (Gerber Nestle Baby Rice Cereal) was a Stage 1 food, so I'm thinking that when I actually drop some coin on a box or two, I will pick up some Stage 2 stuff instead. Hopefully my girl will take to that the way that she did with this particular bowl of gooey goodness.
***
Let's face it, I'm superficial. I like shopping and I like new stuff. It seems more acceptable, however, now that I'm buying for my baby and not myself. Two items I am impatiently awaiting in the mail are:
Moboleez Nursing Hat
I may have mentioned in the past, but I am unable to do public breastfeeding, not because of embarrassment or any of those reasons that people usually cite, but because I lack the coordination to use a nursing cover properly. I'm horrible at it, and Baby L likes to tear the thing off the first chance that she gets. The end result? My big ol' boob, hanging out for the world to see. Of course, I don't care. Half the world already saw it during my labour. However, I think that there are nudity laws that preclude my letting the girls hang out.
So imagine my delight when I discovered that someone had invented a nursing hat for klutzes like me! Apparently the hat is designed so that it doesn't tumble off of Baby L's head all that easily, and there is a giant brim that keeps me covered up. Brilliant! Also perfect for airplane rides and on the beaches of Hawaii and at the park across the street. Can't wait to see if it lives up to the hype!!
Boba Air Baby Carrier
The current baby carrier that we own is the Beco Gemini, which I love to bits. It's soft, comfy, and I could wear it for quite a long time. However, it is quite a thick carrier, and bulky to pack in our stroller bag whenever we go for a walk or to the store.
Some genius soul came up with the idea of a baby carrier that is ergonomic, lightweight, and folds up into a little pouch for easy packing. It's small enough to fit in my purse! It's like they read my mind. Seriously.
That's on order now. I had to buy it from a shop in ON since it is so new (July 2012) that many baby stores in the province have yet to carry it, if they carry the Boba brand at all. Though it's not really popular in Canada, it seems that Boba is quite well known in other parts of the world (US, Australia...). The reviews for this thing are absolutely glowing, so I'm excited to try it for myself. Squee!
***
Once again tonight, Hubbs and I talked about how blessed we are. Whenever we come across stories of sick children, we thank God that He has blessed Baby L with good health. Tonight, Hubbs read about a friend of a friend who has a young baby with a heart condition. It was moving enough that Hubbs had to come in and give our girl a big hug, even though she was already asleep.
At our well-baby appointment today, we were also reminded of God's goodness to an undeserving us. Baby L is perfectly on the curve for her weight, and scores well into the 90-something percentiles for height and head circumference. She has been reaching milestones, and for every question our doc asked us, our responses were right on target. Nothing weird, no random skin conditions or allergies or infections or behaviour problems or anything out of the ordinary, which is exactly what a parent wants for their kid. Normal is good! Abnormal, concerning.
But the crazy thing is, it has nothing to do with us. God, by His grace, so happened to grow this child in this healthy manner. Glory! Glory! But if He were to will it otherwise, would I still say glory, glory? Or would I point my finger at Him in accusation, or would I buckle under the weight of sorrow and seal my lips shut? We have wanted a child for years, and for several of those years, we were barren. Much like Sarah with Isaac, I had made my peace with God beforehand that whatever He willed, I would accept.
When He finally filled my womb, I committed Baby L to Him. She would be, and is, His child. It is our privilege to have her in our lives each day, but if God should take her away, though my heart would shatter and my grief be absolute, still should I praise Him and cling to Him. Glory! Glory! It is always about His glory. About Him. I am not that important in the big scheme of everything; my value is through Christ alone, because He redeemed me. I was reminded of this in the following:
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. - John 9:1-3, ESV.
Sometimes God's work is displayed in healing, and sometimes it is displayed in the valley of sorrow. Might we point to God through Baby L's good health, just as we hope to point to Him in the event that she should be anything but healthy.
God, give us hearts for You. For You alone are God, and You are worthy to be praised in all circumstances. Let us not raise up our beloved daughter as an idol, but may she be ever Yours to care for. Help us to sing Glory! Glory! on the mountaintops, and give us voices to whisper Glory! Glory! in the valleys, so that whatever may be, You would be made famous through our worship. Amen.
Hence, the introduction of iron-fortified infant cereal. Gross, right? Puree consistency. Thankfully, the one that I got as a sample (and used tonight) ended up being quite yogurt-like in consistency, and sweet enough to be a pudding. I loaded up two spoons (alternating them) and Baby L went to town, double-feeding herself and enjoying the messy process. She only finished about half of the bowl, and judging from the mess, only about half of that actually made it into her mouth.
 |
| Baby L seems to favour using her left hand to feed herself. |
 |
| Hamming it up. She totally treated the spoon like a lollipop. |
 |
| Some right-handed action. Doesn't look as natural, does it? |
The rice cereal pack that I used (Gerber Nestle Baby Rice Cereal) was a Stage 1 food, so I'm thinking that when I actually drop some coin on a box or two, I will pick up some Stage 2 stuff instead. Hopefully my girl will take to that the way that she did with this particular bowl of gooey goodness.
***
Let's face it, I'm superficial. I like shopping and I like new stuff. It seems more acceptable, however, now that I'm buying for my baby and not myself. Two items I am impatiently awaiting in the mail are:
I may have mentioned in the past, but I am unable to do public breastfeeding, not because of embarrassment or any of those reasons that people usually cite, but because I lack the coordination to use a nursing cover properly. I'm horrible at it, and Baby L likes to tear the thing off the first chance that she gets. The end result? My big ol' boob, hanging out for the world to see. Of course, I don't care. Half the world already saw it during my labour. However, I think that there are nudity laws that preclude my letting the girls hang out.
So imagine my delight when I discovered that someone had invented a nursing hat for klutzes like me! Apparently the hat is designed so that it doesn't tumble off of Baby L's head all that easily, and there is a giant brim that keeps me covered up. Brilliant! Also perfect for airplane rides and on the beaches of Hawaii and at the park across the street. Can't wait to see if it lives up to the hype!!
The current baby carrier that we own is the Beco Gemini, which I love to bits. It's soft, comfy, and I could wear it for quite a long time. However, it is quite a thick carrier, and bulky to pack in our stroller bag whenever we go for a walk or to the store.
Some genius soul came up with the idea of a baby carrier that is ergonomic, lightweight, and folds up into a little pouch for easy packing. It's small enough to fit in my purse! It's like they read my mind. Seriously.
That's on order now. I had to buy it from a shop in ON since it is so new (July 2012) that many baby stores in the province have yet to carry it, if they carry the Boba brand at all. Though it's not really popular in Canada, it seems that Boba is quite well known in other parts of the world (US, Australia...). The reviews for this thing are absolutely glowing, so I'm excited to try it for myself. Squee!
***
Once again tonight, Hubbs and I talked about how blessed we are. Whenever we come across stories of sick children, we thank God that He has blessed Baby L with good health. Tonight, Hubbs read about a friend of a friend who has a young baby with a heart condition. It was moving enough that Hubbs had to come in and give our girl a big hug, even though she was already asleep.
At our well-baby appointment today, we were also reminded of God's goodness to an undeserving us. Baby L is perfectly on the curve for her weight, and scores well into the 90-something percentiles for height and head circumference. She has been reaching milestones, and for every question our doc asked us, our responses were right on target. Nothing weird, no random skin conditions or allergies or infections or behaviour problems or anything out of the ordinary, which is exactly what a parent wants for their kid. Normal is good! Abnormal, concerning.
But the crazy thing is, it has nothing to do with us. God, by His grace, so happened to grow this child in this healthy manner. Glory! Glory! But if He were to will it otherwise, would I still say glory, glory? Or would I point my finger at Him in accusation, or would I buckle under the weight of sorrow and seal my lips shut? We have wanted a child for years, and for several of those years, we were barren. Much like Sarah with Isaac, I had made my peace with God beforehand that whatever He willed, I would accept.
When He finally filled my womb, I committed Baby L to Him. She would be, and is, His child. It is our privilege to have her in our lives each day, but if God should take her away, though my heart would shatter and my grief be absolute, still should I praise Him and cling to Him. Glory! Glory! It is always about His glory. About Him. I am not that important in the big scheme of everything; my value is through Christ alone, because He redeemed me. I was reminded of this in the following:
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. - John 9:1-3, ESV.
Sometimes God's work is displayed in healing, and sometimes it is displayed in the valley of sorrow. Might we point to God through Baby L's good health, just as we hope to point to Him in the event that she should be anything but healthy.
God, give us hearts for You. For You alone are God, and You are worthy to be praised in all circumstances. Let us not raise up our beloved daughter as an idol, but may she be ever Yours to care for. Help us to sing Glory! Glory! on the mountaintops, and give us voices to whisper Glory! Glory! in the valleys, so that whatever may be, You would be made famous through our worship. Amen.
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