Feeding Our Little Foodie.

We've been spicing it up . . . in the kitchen that is. That's right, over vats of puréed baby food.

We make all of Noah's organic baby food from scratch--and so far, so good. Though I consider myself to be more "the baker" of the house and Dean "the gourmand", it seems that I have a newly-found knack for puréeing too . . . though it's honestly not that hard.

Last night I whipped a few weeks worth of the following:

• Apricots
• Zucchini with fresh garlic
• Asparagus with fresh garlic
• Apples with a dash of cinnamon
• Mixed fruit surprise! (Nectarines, Apples, Mangoes & Bananas)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Curried Butternut Squash
• Mangoes

Our baby food cookbooks suggest several ways to cook the fruit and veggies before puréeing them, and though they say baking preserves more flavor, I think that it is a less energy efficient method for us. For example, in the time that it takes to preheat our oven and then bake the food, I could have already prepared several batches of steamed food using less resources. I have found that using a steamer basket placed in a pot on the stove top with just a small amount of water in the bottom produces quite yummy and perfectly softened fresh fruits and veggies--the only key is not to over steam.

The best part is the vitamin-packed juices that have drained from the fruit and veggies during the steaming process and fallen to the bottom of the pot. Though we think that we are going to avoid giving Noah juice more than just once or twice a week . . . we think that this is a perfect substitute to sugary store-bought juices. We just dilute the juice with a little bit of water and . . . voila . . . a refreshing treat!

Noah Finn is, unfortunately, still not too keen on avocados which greatly disappoints me because I love, love, love them--and they are oh so super nutritious! I continue to offer them once a week hoping he might cease to gag and spit them out the second they hit his little pink wagging tongue. Other than that, he is a super great eater and has no problem packing down two square meals a day plus plenty of mommy milk in between.

If you haven't already given making your own baby food a thought or two, I strongly encourage you to try it . . . just once. I truly take pleasure in the process--it's just a ton of fun. Plus, knowing EXACTLY what goes in to my little guy's tummy and knowing that it was prepared with love is the most fulfilling feeling in all of the land. The website wholesomebabyfood.com has been an incredible and indispensable resource for all things baby food. They even have a search feature that allows you to type in the name of any fruit or veggie to get detailed nutritional information, cooking directions and tasty recipe suggestions.

A*poo*cots!

I've solved it! The ever-pressing mystery--what does breast milk baby poop smell like? And, by George, I solved it while making baby food! Well, it may not be a mystery or even a question you have often pondered. But during the many, many hours spent crouched over a changing table while wiping off the brightly colored orange and sometimes yellow goo from my little guys fanny cheeks, I've often wondered what it smells like?! For those of you who have never had the *ahem* honor of smelling the runny stuff, let me give you a quick rundown: it doesn't actually smell like, well, poop, per say, it's just very very unique and even faintly . . . .well, sweet.

This evening, while peeling cooked apricots that were on their way into the food processor, it dawned on me--it's APRICOTS! Cooked, or should I say steamed because I am not sure if it matters, apricots smell incredibly similar to breast milk baby poop!

Now that's out of the way, perhaps my creativity mojo will come back.

Brain Slump.

So, I have been feeling 100% uninspired lately. Some weeks the sight of a flower sends me into creative overdrive as I craft soliloquies in my sleep and think in "blogspeak" as I shower. But for the last few days . . . the creative tap has run dry--if you haven't already noticed. And I am not sure why. Perhaps it's the heat. Perhaps it's the lack of sleep (Noah is almost 7 months and still wakes up a million times at night and still takes forever to fall asleep). Perhaps it's just "mombrain" settling in.

Whatever it is, hopefully I'll be up and running with full mental cylinders within the next day or two. Hopefully . . .

Mommy Milestones.

Yup, moms have milestones too. And one of those includes being able to host a successful playdate with your wee little tot. Noah and I, today, hosted our first official "group" playdate--and it was smashing! Sure, we've had one or two babies over here and there, but most of our socializing has been done elsewhere--allowing our dirty dishes, piles of laundry and dusty furniture to remain a well hidden secret.

For six months I dreamed about the time, somewhere in the future, when I would be able to manage hosting again. Pre-Noah, Dean and I used to have somewhat of a revolving door--frequently throwing dinner parties, birthday parties, wine parties, funday parties, any reason to party, really. But, since baby that has understandably taken a back seat to say, just simply showering and making dinner for the two of us to eat cold and separately while the other puts junior to bed.

But . . . today we triumphed. Even though we gave up going to the Lotus Festival in Echo Park this weekend to stay home and scour the spitup stained floorboards and wrangle cathair tumbleweeds from the corners, it was well worth the sacrifice. Nearly ten moms brought their spectacular spawns to drooble and dribble on the playmat, hiphop in the jungle bouncer, bebop to the babytunes and teethe on all of Noah's toys.

As soon as I finish picking up from today's smash, I will mark this occasion in our "milestone calendar"--"Noah and Mommy host their first playdate: July 13, 2009"--right beside "Noah Finn's 2nd tooth: July 4, 2009".

And . . . we're doing it again on Wednesday!

All In A Good Day's Play: 2nd Edition.

Here's our second weekly installment of, "All In A Good Day's Play"--a post where I chronicle, once a week, our day in snapshots!

Our Friday in snapshots:

• 11:00 a.m.--Playtime after morning yoga, breakfast and jogging with daddy.
• 3:00 p.m.--On our way home from a mommy meeting at "The Coffee Table" in Los Feliz AND our trip to "The Pump Station" for our first sippy cup EVER!
• 5:30 p.m.--Bathtime after an eventful visit with Mary Jo, Asami, Kai and Yumi!
• 6:00 p.m.--A little bit of baby oil, a back massage and lullabies
• 6:10 p.m.--Jammietime! (we had to cancel out of going to free jazz Fridays at 6:00 in the park because Noah's lack of napping today left us with one sleepy baby)
• 6:30 p.m.--Noey's in bed and I am left to pick up the pieces after the storm . . . loads of clean laundry make just the perfect cat bed . . . I just wish they knew how to fold.

Art Is Meant To Be Seen, Not Heard.

Says who, anyway? Us, being devout lovers of all things music, have frequently questioned this--but not so well as our little Noah Finn did today at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

During on our evening stroll through the La Brea Tar Pits, just blocks from our house and next door to LACMA, we decided to take advantage of the free after 5:00 p.m. deal at the museum in order to see the visiting installation, "Your Bright Future", by 12 contemporary Korean artists. While meandering through the cavernous hall housing Richard Serra's 183-ton ribbon of weatherized steel, Noah discovered his voice in a way he never had. Shrieking his high-pitched shrills of joy as we advanced from one immensely large exhibition space to the next, Noah nearly shattered Gimhongsok's glass case containing Mao and Nixon's 1972 Cold War milestone conversation--and what a pity that would have been. Sheesh, near miss.

And as Noah squealed at registers migrating whales off the Pacific coast perhaps heard at that moment, Dean and I laughed ourselves to tears. We cared not for the few studious and stuffy patrons eying us from across the room (because, heck even the security guards were buckled over in amusement). We just mosied on through realizing that before Noah Finn, we used to be just like that--thinking that art was reserved for some special sect of childless persons clad in all black who mulled over the minutia of supposed symbolism and nuanced meaning during late Sunday brunch with friends named "Thad" and "Evie".

No. Noah single-handedly shattered the silent stuffy glass box constructed around the art of viewing art. He made it accessible for all--even families with a bright red stroller and an almost 7 month old tot who likes the sound of his own voice . . . especially when echoed in a large room filled with conceptual art.

On our walk home, Noah reasoned that art is meant to be seen and heard . . . and we said that we enjoyed it much better that way.

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P.S. A happy, happy birthday to my beautiful sister who turns 21 today. My gosh, how old I do feel.
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Our Screaming Banshee.

I realize that referring to our little wailer as a "banshee" is rather morbid, given that a banshee according Irish legend, wails around the house when someone is about to die . . . and that once this tidbit is revealed, the reference loses it's playfulness.

But I must attest, nevertheless, that our little cherub's happy sounds summon images of banshees for me--if nothing else, he sings in a register that perhaps only dolphins, whales, dogs and deer can hear . . . and because we are his parents and we love him . . . we think it's darn right adorable!

HELP: Locks In Postpartum Peril!

I have a feeling this could be a postpartum phenomenon--unlustrous locks. I mean, with all of the better parts of mom going literally into the baby during pregnancy and breastfeeding, it's no wonder that her hair might fall a little short of being an attraction-worthy mane.

As mom's natural hair beautifying potion bids a farewell and catches a ride out with the breast milk every few hours (or every few minutes on some days), I began to wonder if there is any saving serum that is, well, green--meaning environmentally and animal friendly, natural, organic . . . well, you get the picture.

I have naturally curly, or rather indecisively wavy, dry hair--even before we moved to the deserty sands of southern California with 0% humidity, it was fairly moistureless. But, postpartum hormones paired with a lack of every kind to spend more than 30 seconds on my mop, has left my locks uninspired and lifeless, dull and dumpy. My normal all-natural go-to's have been unsuccessful at resuscitating this nest and I don't want to fall victim to Pantene's claims only to pay a price--chemically coiffed curls.

It's been 6 months since baby and I am finally back to my pre-pregnancy weight. One milestone down for mommy and yet another one to go . . . now, it's time to tackle and tame my temperamental tangles. Does anyone have any suggestions for natural hair care products for the postpartum "hair" blues? And, miracle elixirs that won't break the bank are especially appreciated--because miracles should always come cheap, right? Ha.

To Party Like A Rockstar . . . Again.

So, alas, we have graced another celebrity birthday party . . . same family, different child's super special day. But this time, instead of an incredibly coiffed flock of petting zoo friends it was a Star Wars themed bash!

The news of each kid coming as a Star Wars character sent me scrambling last week to find the perfect get up for little Noey Finn's first costume gala. I found the cutest costume that perhaps has ever been spotted--an infant Chewbacca suit--but surprisingly, I could not find it anywhere in the city so we had to settle for ol' Yoda instead.

Noah still rocked the event and the long green ears. He had an incredible time watching all of the other party munchkins throw around lightsabers as they recreated movie action scenes and the hired Darth Vader tied long colorful balloons into dogs on leashes, flowers and bunny rabbits.

May the peace be with you and this pea, Papa . . .

Eureka! We've Struck Gold . . . Again!

Enameled gold again, means another milestone achieved! Just as I suspected last week . . . Noah Finn has sprouted his second pearly white on the bottom just beside his only other neighbor! Yay! We spotted it this Saturday and it has only made it's way higher and higher above the puffy pink gums since. Maybe we'll get a brief reprieve from teething? Maybe. I'm crossing my fingers . . .