Pad Thai

I love eating out. Partially because I hate cooking on the weekends, going to the grocery store for the 15th time, thinking up something, etc. I also love to eat out because I get really sick of eating the same things over and over again. And I sure as heck don't want something healthy a.g.a.i.n. That's way too boring and not fun. Life is short people! Now that we have that adorable creature living with us, it makes going out to eat impossible. He wants to be on the move!! So I found this recipe on pinterest and thought, perfect! Thai at home! It is a super easy recipe and very good. A little spicy (which I love).

My finished product :)

better-than-takeout easy pad thai

 

Author: Rachel Schultz

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces pad Thai noodles
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1 cup cilantro
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• ½ cup chopped peanuts

Instructions

1. Prepare noodles according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, scramble eggs for about 2 minutes and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, sriracha, lime juice, canola oil, and brown sugar together.
3. In a large skillet, combine noodles, chicken, and sauce.
4. Top with bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions, and peanuts.

Beginner Cups

Most people transition their baby to a sippy cup then a straw cup. But being a speech therapist I hate sippy cups. If you do a quick google search you can find some really good articles about why you shouldn't use them. My biggest concern is lingual protrusion or creating a lisp. Lisps are really hard to correct so why even go there? Jackson still drinks mainly from the bottle but we do water in the straw cup.

My suggestion is to get a soft long straw cup to start with and then go to a shorter straw once the baby gets the hang of it. We started with a cheapy from target and he learned in one day. I used some tactile cues but mainly I showed him with my own mouth and he got it!

It's a bad picture but you get the point

After the cheapy one, we tried the Lolla cup. I like it because it has a lid, doesn't spill, and it's easy to use. It also is one of those cups that it doesn't matter what position he tilts it, he will still get water. Jackson does have trouble with it because the water comes out really fast but he also has had a hard time transitioning through the nipple sizes (which I read is common with kids with tongue ties). They are really expensive!

Feeding Favorites 4-6 months

Ok I know Jackson didn't have any foods until 6 months so it was really our 6-8 months but you get the idea.

Bowls:
Munchkin Bowls- They are cheap, cute, and work! I love that you get 5 bowls for $5. We have two sets.

OXO Bowls: These are like the mac daddy bowls. They serious keep the food frozen even if you put it in the fridge. I love that they have lids. But of course these are pretty expensive for bowls. I use them the most for the nanny or Jamie so the food is all in one spot. It makes it easy on them. If I worked full time I would have a million of them. For now we have two :) 

Beaba Food Storage: This is what I put his food for the day in. I just plop the "ice" cubes of food in each one and then mix whatever I want to mix into a Munchkin bowl when it's time for a meal.

Spoons:

OXO Spoons: Again the best! I love that they have a groove and they are soft. These are really great to start off with. But they are expensive. I think we got them as a gift thank you :)

Munchkin Spoons: I actually had these for feeding therapy and decided to buy Jackson some. They are very shallow spoons which makes it easier for them to clear the spoon with their lips and to get the food off in general. You aren't rubbing the spoon on the roof of their mouth are you?! Shame Shame if you are!  These are also super cheap and come in a big pack! We have two sets of these bad boys too.

Bibs: I don't really have a favorite yet.. I don't like the plastic ones. I know they are easy to clean but I think I would rather throw them in the washer. I like the bibs that are soft. I have no advice for this one!


High Chair: Graco Oasis I know I said I was indifferent about it before but I love it now. It may look like a spaceship but it has wheels! We move this thing all around the kitchen. It's also sooo soo easy to clean! I can also change the positioning which is also really important for feeding. I love it!

Food: Obviously I make 98% of his food but occasionally he decides he won't eat anything I made and I'm scrambling around trying to find something.. and it ends up being canned food or if we are on vacation, etc. We stick with Earth's Best which he loves. I want to try Healthy times but we still have a ton of Earth's Best to get through.

Does this help?

The Allergist

Monday we had our appointment with the allergist. I was really hoping for a hey he just has eczema and the MSPI. Sweet. I can live with that. Not the case. He did a skin test, testing for apples, bananas, wheat, dairy, soy, and eggs. Probably some other stuff too but I can't remember. After 15 minutes of pure torture trying to get Jackson to not touch, roll, or lay on his back we got the results. He has a severe egg allergy and mild soy allergy. And don't worry you need an Epipen for the egg allergy but just. in. case. At first I was taking this really well. OK just eggs got it. And then I called my mom who informed me that eggs are in EVERYTHING. And then it really hit me that we have an EPIPEN. And oh by the way we have to come into to do a test for the milk formula... blah blah. AHHH over whelmed doesn't even begin to describe it when he broke out in hives yesterday and had swollen eye lids. I'm trying to figure out what to feed him. And don't even start with just give him fruits, vegetables, and meats because what we are going to wait until he is 16 to have the texture of bread, crackers, cake, etc. I SEE KIDS FOR FEEDING THERAPY. Not to mention my panic of omg when he goes to a birthday party and grabs a piece of pizza and eats it. Or think about preschool. And now I'm thinking of how I'm going to make his dinner then our dinner while he screams at me to be picked up.. because if you haven't witnessed me making dinner yet it would drive anyone insane. I can never make his dinner fast enough and luckily he is only eating purees (it takes about 30 seconds to heat it up). I would wait until Jamie gets home from work to start this process but that's usually 7 and we are trying to do the bed time routine and then we would be eating at 9. Sigh. I need a personal assistant... or a chef? So my plan of action (not that anyone cares) is GOOGLE, Pinterest for ideas on foods. Going to Native Sun for food. Never sleeping again. And buying these cute allergy bracelets for him to wear when he's out just in case. Buying an epipen case for the diaper bag alone with benadryl. Demanding that Jamie comes home by 6 every single night :) And I quit working out again because like I really have time to do that now. Please. Vent over.

But look how cute he is in that picture?!

Happy Mother's Day!

Look how our lives have changed!! Getting a family picture this year was next to impossible. We have 10 pictures where one person is smiling and the other two are waving menus (Jackson) or trying wrangle the baby. Last year read here  was a little bit more relaxing but not nearly as much fun! This year I woke up to a fussy baby :( We can officially feel one tooth there might be another one but he isn't letting us in his mouth. But then he decided to take 2 really amazing naps and I had no idea what to do with myself! I actually read a book and laid on the couch. I was super spoiled this year:

Pink roses, CHOCOLATES, COFFEE, and Ponte Vedra Spa (body, toes, and nails) package and the sweetest card! I couldn't have asked for anything else! I am so excited!! I actually bought my mom a pedicure so we could go together. AWWW so freaking sweet! My boys did a great job.

After Jackson's second nap we went to the Fish Camp at Neptune Beach and had lunch with my parents. Jackson sat in the high chair for maybe 15 minutes and then we all took turns walking him down to the beach. Exhausting but still really fun! Nothing a couple glasses of champagne couldn't fix :) We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the pool. It was a great day!

Wish list

Now that Jackson is 8 months old, he has decided he is so over all his baby toys. I'm not even kidding. The jumperoo is quickly becoming a torture device even though he used to love it. Finding ways to entertain him while I get ready for work or cook dinner is next to impossible. I regress. I have a list of new toys I really want to get Jackson... But we just spend lots of money baby proofing boo.

1. Activity table- similar to the jumperoo but he can stand around it. Mr. Independent would love this. I'm loving the baby Einstein one because I'm pretty sure it says it has over 100 songs. AMEN.

2. Push walker- since you aren't suppose to use the other walkers anymore this is the next best thing.

3. Wagon- a way to walk Jackson with out him sleeping. I didn't realize how expensive these are but look at that! It even has a little sun cover!! Oh Radio Flyer I will be dreaming of you.

4. Water table- totally a wish! Jackson loves water so I think this would be a big hit.

5. Aden and Anasis sleeper sacks. We have one that he literally wears all week and then I wash it... I know gross. But he wears jammies under it and they are so $$$$. And no you cannot replace them with any other brand because these are light weight. Which is perfect for Florida and my extremely hot baby. This has also been key to improving our sleep!!! He loves these things.

Hmm Christmas in may?! Hahah I wish. Maybe my husband is reading this? (shaking his head and telling me I am ridiculous)

Salsa Verde and Flautas

I have been quite the chef these days, making new recipes left and right. Jamie is in heaven. He gets so excited when I say crock pot or Mexican, it's a little ridiculous (also really makes me happy). I have learned not to say the recipe name before he eats something because he will immediately decide that it sounds "gross." But anyways one Friday night I decided to make my own Salsa Verde and Flautas. They turned out amazing! I got the recipes Here. If you are looking for some new recipes these are great!

Spicy Salsa Verde

Baked Flautas