Mother Knows Best (And I'm not talking about myself)

As a first time mother, I have always felt very passionate about doing what is best for Oliver (and I'm sure every mother in the world feels the same way).  I wanted to breastfeed because I'm cheap and don't want to buy formula and because it's just so good for them.  I'm happy to say that 6 months later and through lots of tears and frustration and by the Lord's sweet grace, we are still going strong.  I also wanted to clothe diaper.  I'll be honest here and say I wasn't doing it for any environmental/hipster reason...I really just wanted to save a buck and with me not returning to work, we had to learn to cut corners at every cost (and those diapers add up).  I also wanted to make my own baby food.  Another thing to do for financial reasons, but also, because I want Oliver to be a healthier kid than I was.  I ate nothing but bread, butter, cereal, and cheese for the greater part of my childhood.  This was no fault to my parents--I was literally the world's worst eater.  They tried.  They tried to get me to eat eggplant my telling me it was french fries, and I loved it!  And then my sister, Amber, told me they were lying to me, that it was eggplant, and I wouldn't touch the stuff.  I have to say, as an adult, I am doing much, MUCH better.  I still have a hard time with textures and I doubt that will ever go away, but I'm learning to enjoy more foods that I would never have eaten as a child.

Which brings me to my reason for this post; homemade baby food.  We are not at the stage of needing to make food, yet (but in a few days we will), but I have done lots of research on the topic and asked questions to all the nursing mamas I know about how they introduced solids to their strictly breastfed baby.  As I searched sites I saw links for making your own rice cereal.  My inner hipster said, "What?!  Brilliant!  Another thing for me to be awesome at doing! (insert pride here)"  I had a miller that came with my Baby Bullet and every recipe said it was "super easy and takes no time at all!" I even told my mother about it, knowing she would be SO proud of her daughter making smart choices for her child so young in his small life.  The response I got was a bit different.  She told me she had never heard of anyone doing that and it seemed strange and was that something I really want to commit to doing.  Shocked and in new mother pridefulness I told her it absolutely was and I would now be the first person she knew that did such a thing. 

Well fast forward to my mother coming to visit last weekend.  I wanted to try giving Oliver cereal while she was here just because I didn't know what it should look like and plus it's nice to have your mother's help every now and then.  So I start the process of milling my bag of organic brown rice (SOOO healthy ;) ) and storing it away.  And then mom, from now on known as Honey, started boiling the water/rice combo for me on the stove.  Now I need to stop here and say that I thought ALL rice cereal had to be cooked, so seeing these recipes that said to COOK the rice seemed like it couldn't be so different from a box of the stuff.  Anyway, so we are boiling the rice.  It overflows.  Strike one.  So we reduce heat, clean up the mess, continue to boil.  Then 20 minutes later (which every recipe said it would take that long) still no rice cereal.  Just water goop.  We let it go a little longer.  Still nothing.  I was fed up.  This so called easy process was not easy at all!  My pride was slowly crumpling and Honey kept telling me how I could buy a box for the same price and all you have to do is mix it with breast milk.  WHAT?!  I didn't know it was that easy!  So I finally threw my hands up in the air, sang a little Sweet Brown ("Ain't nobody got time for that!") and trotted off to Publix with my husband to buy a box of Organic Brown Rice cereal, and literally, 10 minutes later, Oliver was enjoying (I use the term loosely) his first bowl of cereal. 

So I say to all you proud, first time mamas out there, listen to your mothers.  They know what they are talking about.  Even if they didn't breastfeed you, didn't clothe diaper you, or make your food from scratch, they know what they are doing.  I do still plan on making his food for him, which my mother is in FULL support of and thinks is wonderful, not that it matters.  As for cereal, he's getting the boxed stuff because, as I've said before, ain't nobody got time for that!

I Did It!

Well, world wide web, I've decided to blog again.  I can promise you nothing spectacular from this blog.  I honestly don't even know what my purpose will be in blogging.  I know that I want to give everyone a glimpse into the life of The Strouts, whether that is to be humorous, serious, or emotional, who really knows...will depend on the day!  I do love writing though and I hope to have at least one person read this (I'm sure my mother will...can always count on you, Honey! :) ).  Until my next post...