Housewifery....

Well...

Life and time march on.

Faith had her 6mos check up at the doctor on Monday and we succeeded in getting her to the 5th percentile for weight...its still not ideal, but the doc says she will breathe a little easier with her at least being on the chart. We mentioned that we've been having issues with her spitting up (projectile vomiting) after she eats...sometimes hours after she eats...its always frustrating and disconcerting. We discussed the possibility of her having developed reflux...its unlikely, but not unheard of...then again, Faith proved at her 6 mos appointment to have a lot of that going on...magic teeth that appear then disappear (the whole 2 steps forward 1 step back idea) is another thing that has been happening that isn't unheard of, but isn't very common...We decided to try switching her formula, but if after attempting the formula switches, we're still having issues the doc said she'd get the ball rolling for her upper GI tract to be checked for holes, or definite signs of reflux...

I thought the first new formula was working, but the projectile vomiting has returned... We know we need to wait a little longer, the spit up could just be from the formula change itself and her tummy adjusting...so we're going to give it a couple of weeks before trying to the other formula...then if that doesn't work it means spending half the day in the hospital for the test...Yay...

Other than that, Faith is still smiley and perfect!

In other news, I am working on finding recipes that I can easily turn into freezer recipes for the crock pot.  I know that my ward here is awesome about helping the new moms in the ward, but I also don't want to be completely dependent on others...so Jeff and I are trying to build a stockpile of freezer meals that we can use for after we aren't getting as much help from the sweet sisters of my Relief Society group (who are ALL awesome by the way...) I have no illusions about things being rosy and perfect, and I am preparing myself for a new baby that is the polar opposite of the angel that I have now...It almost doesn't seem fair that Faith is so even tempered and wasn't colicky when she was little...Its heaven's best way to trick me into a false sense of security before the trial...LOL

I  just want to expect the worst and then be pleasantly surprised if I have another angel baby like Faith, or have the ability to breathe and remind myself that I knew it could be really, really hard.

I actually made a lot of headway today in the freezer meals department. I am super excited for our next shopping trip so I can meal plan a few of them and start testing which recipes we'd like to have on hand.

I also found a great list of 8 weeks of dinner menus with recipes and what would be a whole cookbook full of 30 minute meals!

Since I like to share:

For crock pot meals go HERE  I think a lot of them could easily be turned into meals that are semi prepared ahead of time, placed in a gallon freezer bag and frozen for use later!  I am going to have some fun with this one!

For the 8 weeks of Dinner Menus go HERE - Some of these could even be turned into freezer meals...plus, this will make my life much easier when it comes to making meal plans for a while! LOVE IT! My pocketbook will be thanking me when I save money by just shopping for what I need!

Last, but not least, for the 30 Minute Meal Recipe Treasure trove go HERE....

My next quest will be to compile lists of baby food recipes, and possibly print off my own little baby food cookbook... My pediatrician was VERY impressed with how easily Faithers took to solids and gave us the green light to move onto stage 2 foods.  I went to the store and canvassed the baby food aisle for inspiration, and this week we started to mix flavors that she already loves.  Let's just say that peas and carrots are a huge success in my house this week. I'm excited to start letting her try meats and other veggies that we'd refrained from. I will try to post a blog of the good stuff I find for those of you that are interested in making your own baby food, or already do!

We save at least $30 minimum a WEEK on our grocery bill by not buying baby food in a jar (that number has gone up - as in better savings- as my pediatrician now wants me to feed Faith 3 times a day). The Baby Bullet was the best investment we've made when it comes to money saving in a while (besides our cloth diapers!) and making baby food isn't that hard at all!  In fact, in about 20 minutes time I will have made enough baby food to last 2 weeks!  (we still need to get more storage containers so I can actually make enough for 2 weeks- but it only takes about 10 minutes for me to make enough to last a week. :)  )

How did I have time for all my research today? Well, today I am feeling incredibly dizzy- more than likely I am suffering from an iron deficiency...so I've been trying to stay down as much as I can. Don't worry...I stood up for 5 minutes spurts to clean my kitchen, dining room, bedroom and do laundry...but in my time down I've researched recipes for future use.  Gotta love Pinterest and the internet!

Here's your daily dose of cuteness:

Faith enjoying her first sippy cup...it pretty much rocks her world...notice the HAIR...its an unruly, curly mess (it may not look like it in these pictures but she has a major blonde afro after her bath!)...its a wonder I'm ever able to tame it even for a little bit!

Hi...yes this is my baby chilling in her cute argyle print diaper because she decided to make a mess of her outfit...no big...LOL "Hi world!"

Hugs and loves until next time darlings!
 (P.S> We find out if Faith will have another little diva to compete with or a little man to watch out for on Monday! Do you think we'll be buying more pink, or blue?)