Things are going pretty smoothly in our little realm.  The boys are great, Liam ate all the sweet potato/carrot food I made him, and also the banana/yogurt mixture.  Next is broccoli/green bean/potato (bought from a local farmer :-).  The first time around he didn't like it, but I'm hopeful.  He didn't like the sweet potatoes the first time around, but then he ate both jars.  I feel so virtuous making my own baby food.  I use the food processor and everything.  The only thing I don't do is make a lot and freeze it in ice cube trays.  That's too much work for me.  

  So we are deep in the middle of summer and I want to wrap my arms around it.  I want to go camping, I want to go to the beach, I want to go to the fair, I want to go blueberry picking.  Is that too much for the five weeks we have left of summer?  

"animal, vegetable, miracle"

I am reading this wonderful book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle", by Barbara Kingsolver.  I first read her fiction books ("The Bean Trees" is great) but this is nonfiction... and it's changing the way I think about food!  I'm sure we are all more conscious about what we're eating, how can we not be with all the info in the news about trans fats, poisoned tomatoes, etc.  I buy organic when possible, no hydrogenated oils, and have heart palpitations when my son drinks soda.  Then I started reading this book, and I am inspired to become a locavore.  This is a movement wherein you buy food only from local sources.  If it is trucked, flown, or in any other way freighted in, then it's off the list.  The purpose is to support local producers and local economy, but also to avoid increasing the amount of fuel and greenhouse gases, and wasted energy in order to ship strawberries to NY in January, or to ultra-pasteurize milk to maintain its "freshness" on its 2000 mile journey to [insert big name supermarket here].  The Kingsolver family moved to a farm in VA and began growing their own fruits and veggies, EVERYTHING they ate had to come from a local source.  She even made her own cheese.  I wish I could go that far, but I know I'll never do it.  I can barely work up the will to make baby food (which I did tonight - two jars worth!  Unfortunately my wee gourmand rejected my offering, but that's another blog).  So we are not going to start making our own cheese, pasta, bread, or raising chickens; but I am going to only buy local foods, especially produce.  I try not to think too hard about the lasting trauma I'm causing my son when I make him say "please", "thank you", and "may I be excused", or the numerous other ways in which I could be driving him to future psychotherapy; however I do worry about what I am putting into, and on, his body.  Who knew parabens and phthalates might affect my chances for grandchildren (at the least)?  There's a cool website about all the environmental hazards that could affect children.  Warning: it's not for the easily paranoid.  It's www.safemama.com   It's interesting to read, but only in tidbits.

So I encourage you all to read this book - it's very interesting, and she mixes anecdotes with facts about the science of food, which is both enjoyable and enlightening.

sleepless in santa paula

Our angel, Liam, has decided that sleep is not his thing.  Have I mentioned this before?  I thought I was so smart because he never slept in our bed (unlike his brother who slept with us until he was over a year old); I thought this way Liam will learn to sleep by himself.  This worked like a charm while Liam was in his bassinet, he was sleeping six hours a night when he was a month old.  Then we moved him to his big boy bed, and he knew.  For a while he would "nap" from 8 until 9, then he'd stay up until 11 or 12!  It was craziness.  So it was time to put the hammer down.  Liam is crying it out, and it is hell.  It tears our hearts to hear him crying, and, crying, and crying.  The first night was 55 minutes, tonight it was 50 minutes.  I just hope that what I read is true - that after a week he'll get used to it and learn to put himself to sleep.  I see babies doing it all the time so I know it's possible.  But I can't shake the feeling that I am a bad mommy for not holding him until he falls asleep, and then not holding him all evening long until he finally sleeps.  There is a part of me that feels like I should just hold him.  I really hope I don't regret this later!