Round 2: Molly v. Squash

Round 2 went much the same way as round 1, but this time I tried adding some milk and rice cereal, after she kept spiting out the yellow squash, to see if changing the texture to something that she enjoyed would make a difference. She managed to eat a little bit more of the mixture but when I went to make a second serving of that she'd decided that she had enough. From there we just gave her rice cereal in the same cup with the same spoon so there was a hint of the flavor and she ate it with gusto. Due to the fact that although we will try to feed her yellow squash again but most likely she won't eat much of it Dad will be figuring out how to make a meal with pureed yellow squash, I will make sure to report what was made and all the different ways you can make purred food that you're baby doesn't like into an interesting adult meal. As you can see from the picture below she loves to eat and is now trying to take it, literally, into her own hands.

 

Art Project

Tomorrow is Grandma Kris' birthday (my mother) and this evening Mom and Molly made her a present. We are not previewing the present as she reads this blog and we want her to be surprised with the result tomorrow. This is Molly in her art smock in preparation. I will have a picture of the result tomorrow. Molly really really enjoyed the experience with new textures.

Helpful Hint: I have learned from my sister, a mother of 2, how useful art smocks from Ikea can be used as a full body bib for when your child plays with their food and smears it everywhere. It protects the clothing and it easily wiped clean. 

Fighting my PPD

I know that not all parents enjoy arts and crafts or have the time and patience to do so with their children but this is something I enjoyed in my pre-Molly life and wanted to continue. I find that it is important to my well-being to continue doing some of the activities I did before having a child and this is one of those activities. It isn't always pretty or easy but it means a lot to me. Having physical, visual reminders of my accomplishments with my daughter to supplement my memories helps me fight by PPD. 

When Molly and I first came home from the hospital I really struggled with feeling useful because I stayed in bed for the most part recovering from my surgery and couldn't do a lot to help. I asked my husband, parents and mother in law to take pictures of my interactions with Molly whether it be feeding her, cuddling her, bathing her or anything else. I made photo books (FreePrints Photobooks App and Shutterfly) to help remind myself that I was helping and engaging with her. Now I also make these books for my husband, to show my appreciation of everything he does to help and how wonderful he is with her. 

Being a parent is the scariest thing I have ever done in my life and I often sit in awe of this miracle that I not only help make, but am helping shape into a, hopefully, beautiful and wonderful human. I keep my focus on getting through one day at a time and try to plan fun bonding activities that Molly and I can do together. It is hard living with someone that cannot effectively communicate and relies on you for everything, I am constantly guessing and second guessing what the problem might be and ways that I might resolve it. My husband has said it best: Raising a child gives you the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.