The Mom Crowd

Vanessa is the mother of two children, a boy and a girl. I’ve known her for 8 years and I find her fascinating, talented, and devoted to everything she loves. You can catch more of her stories on motherhood at It’s Called Guilt.

“I’d do anything for my kids!” We repeat this motherhood mantra over and over. For some of us, it’ll mean giving up a much-needed vacation so Junior can go to soccer camp. For others, it’ll be piano lessons instead of a plasma TV. Whatever the sacrifice, we’re glad to do it…mostly.

My turn at sacrificing came in December when my daughter was just three months old. Our little one had had troubles from early on. She continued to plateau on her weight even after we remedied tongue-tie, colic, and an oversupply of breastmilk. One poopy diaper revealed the harsh truth: baby girl is allergic to milk (and possibly soy) protein. The pediatrician came in with the news and my alternatives — put baby on formula or start a dairy-free, soy-free diet.

My first reaction was, “Okay! Bring on the formula!” But the more I thought about it, the more the mantra replayed itself in my mind. I knew I had to give this new meal plan a try. That first day I hunted around my house, looking for something, ANYTHING I could eat. I didn’t come up with much.

But for the last three months, I’ve devoted myself to learning about “hidden dairy” ingredients, finding new recipes, and investigating every morsel of food that touches my lips. I can’t say it’s been easy. I have dreams about accidentally ingesting ‘contaminated’ bread. I go to restaurants only to learn I can order a garden salad with no croutons and oil & vinegar for dressing, or else mandarin orange slices. That’s all.

I miss cheesecake. And ice cream. And getting to eat whatever I want without thinking about it. But I’ve learned discipline through it all. I don’t think I ever could have done this just for me. But for my baby? That’s another story altogether.

By Christmas everyone said she was a different baby. Gone were the days of one hour fine, one hour in pain, one hour of sleep, and repeat. Her smile now lasts throughout the day. That’s the silver lining in all of this. That and the weight that’s just sliding off. Hey – it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

How have allergies affected your family? Have there been other sacrifices you’ve had to make as a mom?

March is a big month for your contributors at The Mom Crowd: Amanda, our founder, just had her second child, and McKenna is going to Eastern Europe for the first time to meet her new daughter (for the first time!)  When Amanda asked for guest posters to step in and share their wisdom, the response was phenomenal.  Keep coming back to The Mom Crowd every day for fabulous information, tips, stories, and inspiration! 

Kristi has an admitted coffee addiction and lately has been indulging in an occasional spoonful of chocolate frosting straight out of the can.  When she is not chasing her 1 year old around the house, trying to keep him from eating electrical cords or learning about the life cycle of frogs with her 3 year old, she enjoys teaching ladies’ Bible studies, talking about Biblical womanhood, and blogging at Run the Earth, Watch the Sky. 

I am one of those crazy people who make their own baby food.  Yes, one of those.  You know the kind:  I pull out my baby food at restaurants and grind up steamed carrots (ordered with no seasoning, no butter, please!) while my friends look on with an incredulous look that says, “We knew you were weird, Kristi, but this…?”

Why did I do this (for two babies, so far)?  Obviously, every new mom is a little fanatical when it comes to health and safety.  We dutifully pick up every single thing that falls on the floor and sanitize it.  We carefully boil or sterilize everything that will enter our child’s mouth.  I was no different, and the thought of feeding my baby unrecognizable vegetable-based substances that are who-knows-how-old from a jar that has been who-knows-where did not sit well with me.

These thoughts were confirmed the first time that I tasted jarred baby food – wow!  That stuff is bad!  I was used to tasting my daughter’s homemade purees, and I was shocked when the jarred butternut squash tasted more like dirt than anything resembling a fresh vegetable.  She obviously agreed, because she wanted nothing to do with that orange muck coming toward her mouth!

So, I chose to make my own baby food for health reasons and taste.  That, and let’s face it: we are extremely cheap.  Those little jars of baby food seem cheap when you’re standing in the grocery aisle, but when your baby starts eating 3 or 4+ jars a day, suddenly that adds up fast!  For example, you could buy a five pound bag of carrots for $2.99 and end up with 36 servings of baby food.  If you buy carrots in the cute little plastic containers, it would cost you $18.00 for that much!  Yikes!

So, here’s what to do:  (it’s very complicated, so take notes)

1. Get some vegetables or fruit
2. Cook them until they’re soft
3. Puree them in a blender or food processor
4. Freeze them in ice cube trays
5. Pop them into labeled plastic freezer bags

Presto!  Tricky, isn’t it? 

Most people seem to feel more comfortable with the little jars and containers for some reason.  I am frequently asked how you know what to feed the kids.  My suggestion?  Go to the grocery store and look at “level one” foods.   What are they?  Buy them.  Cook them.  Repeat the steps above.  You can even buy one jar to check the consistency if it makes you feel more comfortable.  Trust me, Gerber does not have some magical formula for carrots.  They use: carrots!

Another great benefit to making your own baby food is the ease of transition to other foods – once they are ready for ‘chunkier’ foods, just do a quick, coarse puree and freeze them in ice cube trays.  I have also found that silicone muffin cups work great once they start eating larger servings.  Once they’re ready for finger foods, just chop the vegetable/fruit into chunks and freeze them.  As your children get older, start grinding/mashing up whatever you’re eating for dinner, and they automatically learn to eat what the rest of the family eats.  I will usually pull a portion out before I add salt, etc.

You can do this!  Your baby will thank you (well, maybe not.  But you’ll feel good about it!) and so will your wallet!

If you want a book that spells out what to do when, and gives you more specific ideas and pictures of the purees, I love First Meals by Annabel Karmel.  I also like www.wholesomebabyfood.com.  In addition, you can check out Amanda’s post on making baby food.

Do you make your own baby food?  Do you have any qualms about taking the plunge?

I have always been blessed with an easy-going and happy baby until this past week when Godzilla Toddler appeared in the body of my sweet 20 month old daughter. Last week Annabelle got the 24-hour stomach bug that was going around. We cuddled and held her for 2 days caring for her every need. Then when her health returned she emerged into a brave new world where parents don’t hold toddlers in their laps while they eat and booster seats are hot molten rocks not to be sat upon.

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Last Friday I shared my grocery shopping philosophy and I wanted to know how you shopped and budgeted for groceries. We had a great discussion in the comments.

Amelia asked if everyone includes household items like cleaning supplies and diapers in your grocery budget.  Most everyone that commented does include all household items in the grocery budget. There was also a discussion on whether or not gas should be included. I like to keep our gas separate, so I can track my spending better.

Heidi asked if anyone had any experience using a Food Saver (a vacuum sealing kit). Trina thinks that as long as you put the effort behind it and remember what you have in the freezer then they really do save you money.

How much should you spend on groceries?

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Now that I am a stay-at-home-mom and I don’t generate a paycheck anymore, I feel like the way I contribute financially to my family is by managing the budget. The biggest budget items that I have control over is our Grocery and Dining spending.

Before I go to the grocery store I create a list, because I will completely forget it all while I am constantly trying to keep my toddler entertained and seated in the cart. To make my grocery list I first check the sale ads online. Then from there I think up 4 to 5 meals based on what is on sale, what we already have on hand, and what we feel like eating. Then I make sure that any ingredients I need are on the list.

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