Trip

We just got back from our trip to Wichita, Kansas. Estelle did ok with the journey, although there were some rough patches. For the most part, she slept, but when she was awake we did have to stop more frequently because she was getting antsy stuck in that carseat for too long. That's ok though. It was nice to stop and stretch our legs occasionally. The wedding was colder than expected... a lot colder. It was an outdoor wedding at the botanica. I felt bad for the bride and bridesmaids in their knee-length, sleeveless dresses. Poor things were shivering. Estelle napped through the whole ceremony, thank goodness. I had her nicely bundled in her stroller so she wasn't cold. For the rest of our trip we enjoyed relaxing, shopping, and eating out at nice resturants. Traveling is different when you have a baby. We couldn't go to a couple of the really nice resturants because they didn't seem all that baby friendly and we certainly couldn't do anything that we would need a sitter for. But it was fun nonetheless. Estelle really enjoyed the hotel pool and she behaved well for the most part.

Straw Sippie Cup

Estelle has finally started drinking from something other than juice boxes. I bought her a sippy cup with a straw and she's been using that. Now I just need to teach her how to hold it herself. She's lazy and wants me to hold it for her when she drinks.

Recipe - Baby Formula Pudding

At only 10 months old, Estelle is practically weaned off breastfeeding, but refuses to drink formula from a bottle. She drinks juice and water, but refuses milk and formula. So, I've resorted to other methods of getting formula into her diet. Here's my recipe for Baby Formula Pudding. Estelle LOVES it!

1/3 cup sugar (less if desired)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
14 oz baby formula
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare formula as directed on package to make 14 oz (about 2 cups).
In a microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Beat in milk and egg yolks until smooth. Microwave on medium for 5 minutes. Beat well. Microwave on high for two minutes; stir. Blend in butter and vanilla. Pour into small plastic containers and place in fridge. (old baby food jars/containers work great because they are just the right portion sizes)Chill for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Glorious Sleep

This week, we started putting Estelle into her crib at night. Previously she'd shared our bed, but she's just gotten too big for that now. So, I decided it was time for the switch. The first night was rough. She woke up every 5-20 minutes and screamed most of the night. I didn't get much sleep until 5:00 in the morning when I brought her back into our bed. Sooo, the next evening we went out to Bed, Bath, & Beyond and forked out $30 bucks for the Homedics Lullaby Sound Spa. It was well worth it. This little machine is great. It plays a variety of soothing "white noises" including heartbeats, rain, ocean, and soft lullabys. Estelle seems to enjoy the rain. It also projects a moving picture on the ceiling to entertain baby until they fall asleep. There are three different picture "disks". So far we've only used the one. At first I wasn't sure if the white noise would help much, but it has. The first night using it, Estelle only woke up once an hour and usually just for a few minutes only crying a little before falling back asleep... a deffinate improvement. Our second night using it, Estelle seemed to associate the rain sound with sleep and went to sleep just 10 minutes after I put her down. She woke up a few times that night, but went back to sleep without much of a fuss. And last night, was heavenly. I got up once to feed her and once to put her binkie back in and that was it! And this morning, I thought she might like to come into our room to cuddle, but she couldn't fall back to sleep in my bed. She just kept tossing and turning and whining. So, I took her back to her crib, put her "rain" on and she fell back to sleep almost instantly. I was amazed.

Oatmeal and Oranges

This morning I made myself some oatmeal for breakfast. And, since Estelle isn't a fan of oatmeal, I gave her some manderine oranges instead. Because my oatmeal was hot, I would blow on each spoonfull before eating it. Estelle watched me and soon I noticed she was blowing on each piece of orange before putting it in her mouth. I didn't realize baby's could mimic actions so early on. It's so cute!