Motherload

The motherload of blog entries is here. If you aren't interested in cute pictures, Sophie's diet, or my homemade concoctions then stop reading now. I have been slacking, but the dearth of blog activity in no way reflects the level of activity at the Barber household!

Baby #2 update: I've gained only 4lbs (which I believe will be picking up pace here soon the way I've been eating!), and we have our 18 week ultrasound tomorrow. I started feeling the baby move for sure over the last seven days. That is one of the most incredible things to me - to feel the little human inside of me dancing around! Sophie has started kissing my belly, patting gently and saying "baby!" Oh, I can't wait to see her playing with her sibling in a few short months.

What Sophie has been doing: Running, sprinting... she really only has one speed these days and it's fast. Mommy has to watch her potty mouth now because we have a parrot in the room - she repeats everything! She was officially 18 months on Friday. Seriously, where does the time go? She loves jumping off the side of the pool into my arms and going underwater - she honestly wants me to just let go and swim on her own. But babydoll, we need a few more swim lessons before that happens.

What she is eating: Geez louise. We had toddler food boot camp start on Friday. Dad was around all weekend to help me with willpower because I couldn't do it alone. Brief history: I nursed as long as I could, I made almost all of Sophie's baby food, and I buy organic whenever possible. It's no secret that I get over-the-top frustrated when she doesn't eat well for a few days. It's also no secret that I get euphoric when she eats a well-balanced meal. SO, back to the toddler food boot camp.

The short and sweet is that we took the sweets off the table - literally (juice, dried and fresh fruit). Friday she was offered a protein, grain and vegetables... and went to bed without eating dinner Friday. I made banana corn fritters with whole wheat flour and flax seeds Saturday morning... and she didn't eat breakfast. Come lunch time on Saturday, she was hungry ("hummy" as she likes to say). She ate grilled chicken, cucumber, sunflower seed butter toast, a banana corn fritter, water and as a treat, a box of raisins. Saturday dinner and all day Sunday was just as successful and we're trying new vegetables and using fruit as maybe once a day treat instead of what seemed like an entire meal sometimes. Now that Dad goes back to work tomorrow, let's hope we have continued success!

It is summer and lots of kids like Popsicles when it is hot out. Keeping in line with my healthy food plight, I will do anything to keep Flav-o-ice and it's high fructose corn syrup out of Sophie's little body. With my bpa-free Popsicle forms, I made apple-sicles! One part organic chunky applesauce, two parts organic apple juice, one part water.

And now, for recent pictures.

Apple-sicles.

One happy customer.

Dada picked out and hung a new swing for Sophie.

The neighbors were outside for her inaugural ride.

Farm Day at the Charlotte Nature Museum.

After this encounter, every animal was "horsey!"

Dada and Sophie in the butterfly room.

I finished putting breakfast away and found Sophie standing

in her Dad's Crocs and smiling widely.

Pickles.

My second attempt at homemade dill pickles loosely adapted from this recipe... these were right on par. We ended a great Father's Day weekend with grilled burgers and fresh green beans from our neighbor's garden. The burgers were topped with as many pickles as we could fit! Happy Father's Day to the most wonderful Dad Sophie could ever ask for, and to my Dad, the best one I could ever ask for!