Baby weight race

I am standing in line with my groceries the other day and see the headline about Kim Kardashian's weight loss after baby. Immediately I am enraged. Why is this a "thing"? Why are women being told there is a race to lose the weight we gain while growing a human? In a society that puts a value on a thigh gap and sells the impossible dream of a 15-year-old body forever, how can mothers feel satisfied with our bodies?

Last night I was at a friend's house and we talked about baby weight. Here's what I had to say. Buy a bigger pair of jeans. Because it is exhausting trying to put on your old pair, only to hate yourself for not fitting into them. Buy a new pair and show off that sweet butt you have, thanks to a couple extra pounds of baby weight. You model that butt all over the room!

It's hard, in today's image obsessed society, to not have an issue with some part of your body. But while I may dislike my poochy tummy, I would hate it even more if my daughter thinks the size of her thighs is important. I realize it's hard to quiet the inner dialogue, but I need to at least try. I want my daughter to know that it is important that she is a good friend, compassionate, and brave. I need to recognize the things I am doing right now, whether it's with her or around her, are shaping her perception of the world. I stopped watching the Real Housewives because it's garbage television and it's not behaviour I want my daughter to think is okay. We go grocery shopping together and she picks out the fruit and veggies she wants. Unless it's onions. Then I say no. Because onions are gross. She is getting to pick which one piece of candy she has after dinner because chocolate is not the devil and she walked for an hour for that candy. And we tell her that we love her, because we do and that's what matters most at our house.

All the moms I know are different shapes and sizes, but it doesn't change the fact that they are amazing mothers who love their children. When I read about celebrity moms weighing themselves on 17 different scales, it makes me sad. And mad.

Let's teach our children to love their bodies by modelling that behaviour. Instead of dieting, I want to learn more and cook more nutrious, good food. Let's talk about what we like about our bodies (my freckles and my butt) and ask people, including our kids, what their bodies help them do (run faster, give good hugs). I want my daughter to know how she feels about herself is more important than how she looks. 

I would also like her to tell good jokes, but that's a personal preference ;)

The 80/20 rule

Today my post is about balance - can you achieve it, what does it look like, does it really matter? A friend recently told me she strives for an 80/20 balance of homemade vs. storebought baby food when it comes to daycare lunches. My question is: how do you attain that balance which makes you comfortable and should it really matter?

Tonight the Babe ate half a banana and half a cup of cornflakes for dinner. They were not organic corn flakes. They probably have high fructose corn syrup in them, and most likely are dyed yellow. You know what? Tonight I didn't care. I bust my butt on Sundays prepping food for the three of us for lunches and dinners for the week. If she doesn't want to eat the chicken, rice, corn purée I made on Sunday, then a banana is fine by me. Because I'll be damned if I'm going to thaw another batch of homemade purees, just to have it poo-pooed by her and end up in the garbage.

I am constantly trying new ways to get the Babe to eat veggies, legumes, less dairy and more fruit. But somedays it's hard, and I'm tired and uninspired and she ends up with something less than ideal for dinner. It's no one's fault, it's just the result of having two parents who work, somewhat clean the house and try to cook as often as possible. Sometimes she gets a delicious well balanced meal and sometimes, a banana because that's all she wants.

I think we need to give ourselves and other mothers a pass. You want to feed your son Annie's Bunnies for a few nights? Me too! Are you fed up with making oatmeal filled with squash, prunes and fruit purees, only to have it spat out? Me too! You've been sending your baby to daycare with jarred baby food for the last three days because the pizza you ordered for dinner doesn't purée so well? Welcome to the club sister! Or brother :)

Whether you work full-time outside the home, part-time, or work as a stay-at-home mom, this week give yourself a pass. Easter dinner wiped me out, as I'm sure it did the rest of you, and despite what Baby Centre may tell you, a few snacks of Goldfish crackers will not turn your child into a salt-hoarding Gollum. However, eating all your child's Easter candy in one sitting may require a few extra minutes (hours) on the treadmill.

~ H

Making baby food

I love making baby food. It is calming and it brings me peace. I can't eff up the recipe because there's usually only one or two ingredients. I can't overcook it because it has to turn to mush anyways. I like knowing what I am feeding my baby, where it came from and how it was processed. I like that we are trying new combinations, introducing meats, and even cheese! I love that the food is starting to smell like food and less like barf.

The only thing I don't like is the fear. The fear the Babe will hate it. Even worse, the fear she will be allergic to it. We've had one reaction, and now I'm always on the lookout for the slightest pink tinge on her skin or upset stomach. But so far, so good, and she only hates one food - butternut squash. Which isn't my favourite either ;)

~ H

Solids - an update

So we tackled solids a few weeks ago and it's been an interesting run so far. I keep forgetting to buy fruits and veggies to steam, so we often go an extra day on the same item before trying a new one. I've found that making the food is easy, unless you boil all the water out of the pot. That's okay, I didn't like that pot anyway (yes, I did, it was my favourite pot). Remembering to bring food with us when we go out is not really happening so I end up just breastfeeding still. The Babe hates squash and is allergic to cinnamon. The allergy was discovered during dinner when I wiped her face and a red mark appeared where the food had been. Another 811 call ensued, this one less frantic, and we agreed to not try cinnamon again for a few months. She likes carrots and is okay with tart apricots. We've learned that feeding her activates my husband's gag reflex, so mealtimes are a solo sport for me. And dance music makes the food go down faster (doesn't it for everyone?).

Most of all I have learned to be patient. As my husband keeps reminding me, she's only had breastmilk for the last 6 months, so I try not to get discouraged when she doesn't love something the first time she tries it. She is a slow eater, which is something I have learned to appreciate and I've stopped trying to rush mealtimes. We chat, sing songs and in between bites I get her to smile. Today she sneezed with a mouthful of carrots and yams. It was hysterical. Tomorrow we try pears with apricots, and yams for dinner. By Thursday - chicken!

~ H