Eating and serving!!!

Sophia's new talent is being able to peel and eat a whole clementine!!! She was so focused on eating she did not say a word in the video! She has also been a very good helper with serving Carmine his breakfast and lunch.

Protein Ideas for Toddlers

One item we always have in our kitchen is medium or firm tofu. It makes quick, lowfat, protein- packed entrees.

Quick soup: Organic chicken broth + organic baby spinach leaves + diced tofu. Season with ground pepper. We honestly don't add salt in her food. Simmer for a few minutes and that's it! I've discovered that the baby spinach has been more successful than regular spinach leaves since it has less texture for toddlers. Before serving, use scissors to cut up the spinach leaves in strips.

Her first favorite finger food that's protein was cold, diced tofu. Sophia and her toddler peers are pretty particular about the texture of their protein. Today was the first day, at 19.5 months, that I was able to successfully serve her half of a lean, grilled, ground beef patty. After broiling, I added a bit of shredded cheese. Before serving, the patty was diced in smaller cubes. We served it with organic ketchup and BBQ sauce.

You will be amazed at how much more kiddos will eat if they can dip in things...no matter if you think it's good or not :) It's all about having fun to them.

Here are some of Sophia's favorite protein options:
Peanut butter
Tofu
Chicken corndog (purchased from Sprouts)
Whole grain breaded fish fillets or chicken nuggets
Crockpot chicken soup (has been hit or miss for little boss)
Turkey meatballs
Meatloaf
Scrambled eggs with shredded cheese
Edamame(fresh soybean) is a great option but we don't have much luck with this one.
Quiche
Turkey sausage and breakfast links

It's pretty interesting to note how your toddler reacts to the food. We introduce and cycle through the above list of food on a regular basis. We do not remove rejected items because toddlers are very inconsistent with their eating behaviors. Also, keep in mind the way you cut the food and make note if it makes a difference if she/he is feeding herself. Sometimes, just by giving her a utensil will increase your chances of success.

It's not about beefing (no pun intended) her up as much as keeping her healthy! For Sophia, it's been tried an true.

Shoes for the chubby piggies!

I love the infant and toddler stage. They are so meaty, I just want to squeeze them to death! I love, love, love See Kai Run and Pediped brand shoes. They have soft, sturdy, and flexible rubber soles which are great for new walkers. The insole, for sandals and covered toes shoes, is breathable leather and we have never had any issues with stinky piggies!!!

Accessories and Supplies

Here is minicoop almost at 19 months. She now understands that she can make decisions and have choices. She loves accessories, choosing which shoes to wear, and which coat to take!!

Here are some of the newborn items that we felt were a must when we first met our little boss.

-100% cotton, button up, outfits. It is more comfy and easier to use button up outfits since they don't have much neck support. They also have sensitive skin, so we tried to stick with breathable, soft 100% cotton material.

-Remember not to use dryer sheets with your baby's clothes. That could also cause your baby to have an allergic reaction.

-Try using regular laundry detergent on a load of clothes. If you see a reaction, try Dreft baby laundry detergent. We ended up using Dreft because she has a mild case of Excema.

-Speaking of dry skin, newborns and infants do not require daily baths. It will dry their skin out. Their skin is sensitive since the "tough" layer of their skin has not developed yet. Test the bath water with your wrist. It is more sensitive than your hands and fingers.

-To combat severe dry skin we used Eucerin Aquaphor. It comes in a tub; looks and feels like thick petroleom jelly. As Sophia got older her skin as less sensitive, like many babies, so we switched over to Cetaphil® Moisturizing *Cream*; nongreasy; we also use it on us! Love the whole line!

-Cotton blankets: Register for different sizes, different thickness, and multiple blankets. You will find out that you can't have enough! For your car(backup), babysitters' house or daycare, and extra for laundry.

-Baby monitors: We were given the Evenflo Whisper Connect. But the best part was, Aunt Victoria and Uncle Keith were generous enough to buy the extra monitor. That has come very handy! The set works very well.

-Changing table: This is a must! It will save you from backpains and help you avoid stains. Make sure to purchase a table with comparments to optimize space.

There is so much more to share! Aunt Cindy is generous enough to babysit tomorrow, so The Coopers get to go have happy hour with our friends!! Adult socializing without kids is far and few in between. We are trying to find that balance between being parents and a couple. But, it's refreshing to see that we still love being around each other after 19 months of diaper changing :)

Having fun! Go KU Basketball!!

In the spirit of University of Kansas basketball, Sophia is learning how to spot a Jayhawk and watch the games with Daddy! Here is a comparison between 4 months and 18 months! She is now a full 23 pounds of happiness. She is in the phase of dancing, imitating our expressions and hand gestures like "Shhh!" , understanding a lot of the direction that we give her, and great with helping us pick up(but she is smart of enough to ignore us!) during clean up time. She is also really into rides, drawing, and playing with stickers now! She loves her books. She cracks us up with her animal sounds! Loves, loves animals. Oh yeah...when she feels mean..she pulls on Carmine's tale! We make her hug and say sorry! It comes out as "awrry", since she can't say your "S" yet. :))

Preventing Diaper Rashes

Too funny! Last week, Sophia grabbed the tissue paper out of my hand and wanted to wipe herself! She is learning to "pat, pat" her hands dry. It's amusing she is understanding what I'm doing. Maybe she is ready for potty training! Not looking forward to accidents though! Ugh.

Here is a collection of what we try to do to stay on top of diaper rashes. We have learned that it does not take much to create a diaper rash. Staying on top of it will pay off in the long run. A special thanks to my Mom, our daycare teachers, and our pediatrician for all of their advice and tips. A special recognition to Simon, "Daddy", for all of his due diligence and care.

-Daycare is expected to change diapers, at a minimum, every two hours. We follow the same schedule at home, with regular checks in between. Of course, soiled diapers are changed as soon as it is detected.
-At 18 months, its cute to be able to ask Sophia to take my hand and follow me so we can go change her diaper.
-After bowel movements, we wipe her diaper area with wipes(unscented has less ingredients and chemicals) and then wash the area with baby shampoo & water.
-Before a new diaper, we make sure to use a bit of toilet paper to pat her dry.
-Next, apply ointment (after each change).
-Moisture(from sweat or dirty diapers) causes the rash or infections. The acid from the soiled diaper is another reason.
-We like using unscent ointments like Boudreaux's Butt Paste or Triple paste diaper cream. Don't treat the cream like lotion. Apply it liberally. It is to provide a barrier to protect your baby's skin.
-Summer heat, car seats, too many layers, and the baby's sweat are other culprits for rashes.
-Consider using cloth diapers.
-Make sure the diaper is not on too tight (gives breathing room). Airing dry is very beneficial (naked time!) and it's a good opportunity for a kodak moments!
-We wash her diaper area every morning during her first diaper change.
-Using a lot of bubbles in bubble baths or taking long baths can cause infections. This is more of an issue for girls. Our pediatrician recommends for us to stick to 5 minute baths. Or, avoid using bubbles every night.

Happy Changing! Cheers to nake time!

New Beginnings and Finger Foods

Today, Sophia and I went out on our first Friday of 2010! Last fall, I made the decision to go on Select Time with Bank of America. This means, I technically only get paid for 32 hours a week. It is the best place to work given all of the associate benefits including maternity and paternity leave(12 weeks off!). Also, the work from home program is invaluable. It is a very supportive culture, and it is such a win win situation for both the associates and company.

Of course, it is a change in my income to be on the Select Time, but babies only grow up once! This is how I feel is the best compromise for me to still have a career and have quality time with my baby. It's been 18 months, and I am finally feeling comfortable with dropping her off at the 24-Hours Fitness kids zone while I workout. Their service was also recommended by a friend.

Afterwards, we had a great lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. I can't believe how a little being can provide such great love and company. I tried introducing her to hummus for the 2nd time, but she didn't care for it. She did welcome the hamburger pizza. I plan to recreate the pizza(angus beef, chedder+mozarella cheese) at home!

We have come a long way with regards to her food journey. From purees to finger food, now she just likes to eat!
--When Sophia got into solids I would simply cut(vs puree) her steamed/baked veggies/fruit in cubes. Or, cut steamed veggies like broccoli into little trees.
--When serving fruit, make sure it's nice and ripe.
--Make note of your baby's reaction to the temperature of the food. She might not like the cold berries, but it it might be well received if you take out the fresh or frozen fruit ahead of time (to shake the chill).
--With zucchini and yellow squash, I peeled the skin off before boiling.
--Cubed tofu was a hit, but she does not seem to care for it right this moment. I noticed she will go in cycles of not liking something, so I wait...then reintroduce it again. Don't write it off if babies or toddlers reject the food, try and try again.
--Edamame (boil it to make it softer)
--Even today, she still loves baked sweet potatoes
--Dried fruit(prunes, raisans)
--Cubed/string cheese is a bit hit!
--Whole grain toast, crackers
--If she has trouble picking food up, you can try coating them in Cheerios dust. I learned that from http://www.wholesomebabyfoods.com/
--Now she is getting into pistachios!
--Don't forget about the joy of dipping. You can use yogurt, broth, hummus, jelly, etc.

I tend to see what they have in the baby food aisle, and if it makes sense I will recreate my own simpler, all natural version.

Bon apetit! Above is during Christmas Eve. Sophia loved Aunt Cindy's mushroom soup!

Books, Vietnamese, and Thumbsucking!

I find it fascinating how Sophia and many toddlers thoroughly enjoy music and studying books of all sorts. I love watching her take her time to select her night time reading. Sometimes, she will sit quietly, suck her left thumb(always left thumb) and listen to us read word for word. On other days, she would rather flip through the hard cover pages like she's speed reading. As she is holding a book (or junk mail), it's held close to the face, her eyes beam this cute look of intensity from concentrating.

It is impressive how quickly she remembers new words. For that reason, I make it a priority to speak a lot of Vietnamese to her. It has been useful, since Simon is learning at the same time :)

Here are a few newly purchased books that will be going into our collection. This time the theme was focused on the Vietnamese language and thumb sucking. We are taking baby steps to help her wean off her thumb sucking. I will make sure to share more books that we have from her favorite readings (such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See).

--Ten Mice for Tet! - Pegi Deitz Shea ; A book to help Sophia learn about the Chinese/Vietnamese New Year celebration.
--Thumbuddy to Love: Ballerina Sue - Andrea Wulfing Van Ness
--Sing 'n Learn Vietnamese (English and Vietnamese Edition) - Hop Thi Nguyen; This comes with a CD; includes common toddler songs.
--Which Animals Suck Their Thumbs? - Kimberly Selzman

If the stories are simple, we use the book for the pictures and I substitute the words with Vietnamese words.

To a new year full of new stories!!! Cheers!