When to Say When?

I'm having a dilemma...again. :) This last week I've been away at a state training for teachers. I had to leave my boys in the care of my amazingly wonderful mom (who did a great job of caring for them).

All week I missed my babies and just wanted to be home. Because I'm nursing, I brought along my trusty pump and used it every chance I got. I wanted to make sure my milk didn't run out, which it seems to be heading that way anyway.

So, last night when I got home, I took N in to nurse him, cause I was sure ready to relieve some pressure. He wouldn't nurse. He fought it and cried. He would only take a bottle. Part of me doesn't really know how to feel at being trumped by a bottle. This morning, he still prefers the bottle over me.

N is 6 1/2 months old, which is how old J was when my milk ran out and we had to feed him other things instead of my milk. My milk is starting to look blue (a sign that your milk is drying up/going away/biting the dust/etc.) and I've been wondering how long it'll last this time.

Bottom line of my dilemma: Do I stop nursing and feed him the breast milk that I have frozen? Do I try to "force" him to nurse? Am I a bad mom for even considering stopping?

Baby Food

Baby food is insanely expensive! We bought all of the baby food we fed to J when he was eating the stuff. With N, I've decided to take a different approach. I'm trying my hand at making the food.

I had my reservations about doing this, because I thought it'd be hard to do, time consuming and messy. My sister bought a Baby Bullet, and it came with an extra one, so I split the cost with her and now we both have a Baby Bullet set. Way cute and way easy to use.

It came with a recipe book that not only has recipes in it, but it's organized by what foods you should start during what months, etc. I LOVE it! It's made baby food making really easy.

But I have to say that if I'd thought about it, I could have gotten away with doing the same thing in my regular blender. It just wouldn't have the nifty serving/refrigerating cups, the freezer cups and the flat blade...maybe your blenders came with one of those, but mine doesn't have one, so I'm assuming they don't.

What have I noticed about making my own baby food? I know exactly what goes into my baby's mouth. I can make and store a week's worth of food in less than 30 minutes. It costs WAY less than store bought baby food. It tastes better than the nasty stuff you buy. And I think it's just easier.

How do I make it?

Well, with soft things, like avocados, you just blend one up with 1/4 cup of water (more or less if you want it runnier or thicker) and there you have baby avocado food.

With harder things, like sweet potatoes, you boil, microwave or bake them, however you'd like to cook them, then you put them in the blender with about 1/4 cup of water. Very, very easy.

These things keep in the fridge for about 3 days, and in the freezer for about 3 weeks as per the instructions in the Baby Bullet cookbook. An easy way to freeze them is to put the puree into an ice cube tray. Then, when it's frozen, you take them out of the tray and put them into a freezer safe bag, label it and then just toss it back into the freezer. Simple as that. Depending on the size of your cubes, you'll usually have 1-1 1/2 of those as a serving size.

You can even make your own rice, oatmeal, millet cereal.

For cereals, grind 1/2 cup of brown rice, oatmeal or millet into a fine powder. Put it in a pot with 4 cups of water; cover until it boils. Turn down the heat to low and cook with the cover on for 20 minutes. Test the consistency of the cereal. If you want it thinner, add more water. This mixes well with fruit purees and, later on, with chicken or beef dinners.

I've tried both homemade foods and store bought foods with N. He definitely prefers the homemade.

For more recipes, go here.

Colicky Babies

Disclaimer: Sorry if this post seems a little jumbled. My head is that way for reasons explained in the post. :)

It seems a little crazy to me that something so cute and sweet as this:
could make you experience so many conflicting emotions. Joy, love, and awe are accompanied by frustration and sometimes depression.

Baby N has been here for a month now. I can't believe that it's already been a month, but on the other hand, I can't believe it's only been a month. It seems like he's been with our family for much, much longer. In that "postpartum" month, I've experienced all of the emotions listed above among several others. I've probably cried more in desperation with Baby N than I did for J when I had him. Why? Because Baby N has colic. 'Nuff said.

Ok, maybe not 'nuff said. He started out like pretty much any other cute little newborn baby. About 2 weeks after his birth, he started getting MUCH more fussy. Kids tend to do that anyway. But this wasn't the "normal" fussy. This didn't end with the soothing mommy or daddy gave. It kept going on and on.

Along with the fussiness, you could hear, actually hear BIG gas bubbles rumbling around in his poor little tummy, but no amount of us trying to burp him helped. Not even Mylecon (or however you spell that) drops worked very well for him. I know there's a direct correlation between the food you eat and how gassy you and your baby are (if you're nursing) and I try to avoid gassy foods at all costs.

As you would rightfully assume, having a very gassy/colicky baby leads to little or no sleep for mommy and daddy. That's what we've had here for about 2 and a half weeks. We've gone to the doctor and she suggested that since I was lactose intolerant during pregnancy (not before...just during) that he might be not only lactose intolerant, but dairy intolerant. She suggested taking dairy out of my diet entirely for 3-5 days, then to slowly introduce it back in. She said to start with yogurt first as it's the mildest form of dairy.

I also heard that there are pediatric chiropractors out there who have colic treatments/adjustments. Who knew?! I did a Google search to find one in my area and took Baby N to see her.

We've been off dairy for a week. I decided to give it 7 days instead of just 3-5. And we've also had 3 visits to the chiropractor. The adjustments have helped a bit. I haven't noticed much difference in fussiness with yogurt being introduced back into my diet.

So now, I have a couple questions for you:

1. What are some other things you know of that help with colicky, gassy babies?
2. What's the difference between postpartum depression and baby blues? (As you might imagine, with little to no sleep, I'm getting to be a little down. I know there's a direct relation to the amount of sleep I get and how down I feel. I'd still like to know what you think is the difference between the two, if there's any difference at all.)
   

Freezing Foods

I like to buy in balk, its cheaper, it saves time (trips to the store) and I always have something to make at home.

With such a large family its rare that the balk stays in the freezer more then a month or two, but it would be good to know what can be frozen and how long it will keep.

So here's a little list that shows how long food will keep in the fridge and freezer. Hope it helps on the never ending quest to save time, money and our sanity. :D


(site: http://www.demesne.info/Home-Maintenance/Keeping-Food.htm)

*I do disagree with the "not recommended" on freezing milk. I freeze mine all the time. Milk can be frozen for up to six weeks.

Baked Goods

The thing about baked goods is how lovely they are when they are fresh. Buy fresh and luxuriate in the aroma and texture. With good baked breads, cakes, and cookies there's really not a terrific reason to stockpile them.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Bread	Don’t refrigerate. Signs of spoilage are often evident after 7 days.	1 month
Raw Cookie Dough	2-3 days	3 months
Cakes	Store at room temp., except for cheesecake	Unfrosted cakes 2–4 months; fruit and angel 6–12 months
Cheesecake	3-7 days	1 month
Pumpkin Pie	2–3 days	1–2 months
Fruit Pie	2–3 days	6–8 months

Dairy

Typically, most aged, hard cheeses freeze reasonably well and keep fine in the fridge too. If they get a bit of mold, you can usually cut it off and use the clean cheese. This is not true of soft cheeses. Once you get even a hint of mold, pitch it.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Milk	1–2 weeks	Not recommended
Cream, Half & Half	1–2 weeks	3-4 weeks
Buttermilk	1–2 weeks	Not recommended
Open Canned Milk	1–2 weeks	Not recommended
Fresh Whipped Cream	1 day	Not recommended
Aerosol Can Whipped Cream	3 months	Not recommended
Sour Cream	2–3 weeks	Not recommended
Cottage Cheese & Ricotta	1–2 weeks	4 weeks
Yogurt	1 month	Not recommended
Hard Cheese & Grated Cheese (Opened)	6-12 weeks	Easy to freeze. Defrost in fridge to reduce crumbling.
Soft Cheese (Brie, Bel Paese)	2 weeks	Not recommended
Cheese Spreads	3-4 weeks	6–8 months
Cream Cheese	2 weeks	Not recommended. You can freeze cream cheese and use in recipes where creaminess isn't required.
Butter	3 months	12 months
Margarine	3 months	12 months
Pudding	2 days	Not recommended

Eggs

The closer you are to your egg source, the longer you can expect them to keep.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Fresh in-shell, unwashed	1–2 months	12 months. To freeze, mix eggs well. Add a small amount of sugar or salt to preserve. Label with additive and use sugared eggs with desserts, salted eggs for baking or omelettes.
Fresh in-shell, washed	4-5 weeks	12 months.
Hard Boiled	2 weeks	Not recommended
Raw Whites/Yolks	2-4 days	12 months.
Pudding	2 days	Not recommended

Deli Foods

Buy deli type foods only for immediate consumption. If taking to a party or picnic, be vigilant about keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold! That said, some of us really do like cold pizza and Chinese food for breakfast.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Entrees, Cold or Hot	3-4 days	Not recommended
Sliced Lunchmeat	3-5 days	1–2 months
Salads (excluding green)	3-5 days	Not recommended

Fruit

Keeping fruit can be tricky. It depends on how ripe it is when you buy it and what conditions it needs to fully ripen. Some need a chill, others want to be left out on the counter. Many fruits can be prepared for freezing using a sugar and citric acid pack so you can enjoy them long after the season is past. That said, they are typically best used for jam or smoothies because freezing breaks them down so they taste fine but look ugly.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Apples	1 month at 32–35°F	Must be prepared for freezing.
Apricots, Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears & Plums	2 weeks–1 month at 32°F	Must be prepared for freezing.
Avocados	3-5 days at 35–45°F (buy green and leave on counter for a week)	Not recommended
Bananas & Plantains	Bananas turn brown in the fridge but remain perfectly edible for a week or so.	Not recommended
Blueberries	2 weeks at 32°F with 90% humidity	6–8 months. Wash, dry, freeze in single layer. When frozen package and label.
Cherries	2 weeks at 32°F	Must be prepared for freezing.
Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes & Oranges	2–6 weeks depending on type	Must be prepared for freezing.
Guavas & Papayas	1-2 days	Not recommended
Juice, opened container	1 week
Kiwis	3-5 days	Must be prepared for freezing.
Mangoes	Do not refrigerate	Not recommended
Melons	1 week	Not recommended
Pineapple, whole	1 week at 50–55°F	Not recommended

Meat - Fresh

As a general rule, the smaller the cut or package the less time it takes to dry out.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Chicken or Turkey Pieces	1-2 days	9 months
Whole Chicken or Turkey	1-2 days	12 months
Beef Roasts & Steaks	3-5 days	6–12 months
Duck & Goose	1-2 days	6 months
Game Birds	1-2 days	6 months
Giblets	1-2 days	3–4 months
Ground Meat or Stew	1-2 days	3–4 months
Lamb Roasts or Chops	3-5 days	6–12 months
Pork Roasts or Chops	3-5 days	4–8 months
Pre-stuffed Pork, Lamb Chops or Chicken Breasts	1 day	3 months if prepackaged for freezing
Heart, Liver, Tongue	1-2 days	6–12 months
Venison Roasts, Steaks, or Chops	3-5 days	3–4 months
Ground Meat	1-2 days	3–4 months

Meat – Smoked or Processed

Preserved and deli meats should be presented carefully if used in a buffet setting. Keep in mind that the clock starts ticking the minute you set food out and is cumulative, so if you leave crackers and ham salad out for a half hour this evening, and set it out again for a half hour tomorrow, the total is one hour, not a half hour for each time. (It's something to think about so you can avoid getting sick.)

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Bacon	7 days	1 month
Corned Beef	5-7 days	1–2 months
Whole Ham, Fully Cooked	7 days	6 weeks
Slices of Ham & Half Ham, Fully Cooked	3-5 days	6 weeks
Hot Dogs	7 days	1–2 months
Sausage – Smoked Links & Patties	7 days	1–2 months
Sliced Sausage (Pepperoni)	2-3 weeks	1–2 months

Meat – Cooked

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Chicken Nuggets or Patties (prepackaged)	1-2 days	2–3 months
Fried Chicken	3-4 days	2–3 months
Ground Turkey/Chicken	1-2 days	2–3 months
Rotisserie Chicken	3-4 days	2–3 months
Cooked Red & White Meats	3-4 days	2–3 months

Seafood – Fresh

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Fresh Lean Fish: Cod, Flounder, Trout, Haddock, Halibut, Pollack & Perch	3–5 days	4–6 months
Fatty Fish: Mullet, Smelt, Salmon, Mackerel, Bluefish, Tuna & Swordfish	3–5 days	3 months
Shucked Mussels & Clams	7-2 days	1-2 days
Shucked Oysters	7-9 days	3–4 months
Crabmeat	7 days
Shrimp	3–5 days	6–12 months
Scallops, Crayfish, Squid	2-3 days	2-3 days
Caviar (Opened)	1 day	Not recommended

Seafood – Cooked or Processed

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Cooked Pieces	5–7 days	Not recommended
Smoked Fish	14 days	Not recommended
Cooked Shellfish	3-4 days	Not recommended