Breakfast, the most important meal of the day right? Well this is what my child's plate looks like this morning: one scrambled egg, one frozen waffle with generic strawberry persevere, some ketchup and a homemade chocolate chip cookie. Now the cookie is there because he went "poop on the potty" and its better than giving him candy first thing in the morning. I like to give him waffles with either strawberry perseveres or yogurt because in my head its better than syrup somehow. So as I watch my child dip his cookie into the ketchup not only am I disgusted but I can't help but laugh at the irony. I remember all the intentions I had for parenting my first born son.
I remember being pregnant and reading all the books and blogs there were about raising happy healthy organic babies. Naturally when my son was born I was avid about breastfeeding and made sure not to introduce bottles before the 3 month mark so as to not invoke nipple confusion. However breastfeeding didn't come easy to my son and I; with all the constant calling and visits to my lactation consultant. It took lots of tears, some blood and many many tubes of nipple cream later we finally made it through alive with the support of my husband and all of our family. Once Dax my son, was 6 months old we started introducing solids with the baby led weaning approach. He loved everything I gave him and took to all the fruits and vegetables so well. I was swollen with pride at how amazingly well my son ate. However somewhere along the 9 month mark my life got crazier and the exhaustion that comes along with being a new mom had finally set in. I couldn't hand make every single thing that went into his mouth anymore, or maybe I just didn't want to.
Either way I started using the help of the groceries stores more and more. At first I made sure to pick up organic waffles, animal crackers, cereal and other bits and bobs. However as my child grows older he becomes more a part of the grocery shopping process, grabbing at things and saying "yummy" in the adorable way that he does. I don't have it in my heart to say no to such simple pleasures as the occasional sugary cereal and fruit snack. I know they aren't the best for him but we all love to indulge in treats here in there.
Even though I still make about 75 percent of the all the meals, sauces, snacks, stocks, and desserts we eat on a regular basis I can't help but laugh at myself. If I have learned anything from the last two years of parenting it is not to take myself so seriously! As long as I try my best my child will be fine. Honestly he will probably be better than fine! I am not a better mom for all the suffering I had to endure with nursing. Honestly it did nothing to help my postpartum depression and build a connection with my son. I wish I could go back and tell young me "Just relax, don't turn into a crazy person none of this will matter in the end." I wish I had just enjoyed my son more. Because it is more likely he will remember the mornings he spent with Dad eating marshmallow cereal and watching cartoons more than how organic the banana was that went along with his cereal. In all honestly even if he did eat a perfect diet every day until he was 18, he will one day leave home and ruin all the hard work I have done. So as I watch my son dip cookies into ketchup or tortilla chips into yogurt I have to remind myself to stare into his big beautiful dark eyes and appreciate this perfect moment because it also won't last forever.
-Angela, Mama
I remember being pregnant and reading all the books and blogs there were about raising happy healthy organic babies. Naturally when my son was born I was avid about breastfeeding and made sure not to introduce bottles before the 3 month mark so as to not invoke nipple confusion. However breastfeeding didn't come easy to my son and I; with all the constant calling and visits to my lactation consultant. It took lots of tears, some blood and many many tubes of nipple cream later we finally made it through alive with the support of my husband and all of our family. Once Dax my son, was 6 months old we started introducing solids with the baby led weaning approach. He loved everything I gave him and took to all the fruits and vegetables so well. I was swollen with pride at how amazingly well my son ate. However somewhere along the 9 month mark my life got crazier and the exhaustion that comes along with being a new mom had finally set in. I couldn't hand make every single thing that went into his mouth anymore, or maybe I just didn't want to.
Either way I started using the help of the groceries stores more and more. At first I made sure to pick up organic waffles, animal crackers, cereal and other bits and bobs. However as my child grows older he becomes more a part of the grocery shopping process, grabbing at things and saying "yummy" in the adorable way that he does. I don't have it in my heart to say no to such simple pleasures as the occasional sugary cereal and fruit snack. I know they aren't the best for him but we all love to indulge in treats here in there.
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| Dax at 10 months eating something. |
-Angela, Mama
Whatever else came out of your struggles that first year and for whatever it is worth, you won the admiration of your MIL,
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