Beach Baby

Like a lot of families, we're spending the beautiful Memorial Day weekend at the beach. It's a place I grew up coming as a little girl. My mom would bring my me and my sister and we'd spend a week with my aunt, cousins and grandmom playing in the sand and eating ice cream. Two decades later my in-laws bought a house in the very same town, just across the road from the beach house I grew up visiting. Now it's me and my husband who are bringing our little girl to experience one of life's most wonderful joys...summer at the beach surrounded by family.


My daughter was born in mid-August and we did actually make the trek last Labor Day. Brave, I know! So this is technically not her first visit. But at nine months, she's taking everything in. (Apparently, she was so excited for the beach she got up at 4:30 this morning) I love watching her explore the sand. "Why doesn't it come off my hand?" "Why is it in my mouth?" I like that the water seems intriguing, but it's just too cold for such little piggy toes. I love the way she has to tilt her whole head back to see around the brim of her new hat. I love the rolls that get even more rolly-polly with a bathing suit around her upper thigh. I love that she actually sat still...in a tent and kayak! At least, long enough for the photo op.

I'm sure this will be the first of many summers at the beach and I'm just so happy I can share one of the joys of my childhood with her!

A Gigglin' Good Time

Aren't baby giggles the best? I thought I'd share a quick clip of my daughter having the time of her life. It reminds me of the joy I felt the first time I heard her little giggle.

Twins Have 2 Different Dads

I didn't even realize this was possible...but apparently you can become pregnant by two different men at the same time. It happened to this woman who 9 months later gave birth to "twins." Only, not really...more like half brothers.

Twins Have Different Dads

Baby Food Tricks of the Trade

I've been making homemade baby food for my daughter for about 4 months now. As she starts eating more and more things I'm expanding the "recipes." But I'm also picking up a few tricks along the way. I thought I'd share them with you.


When your baby starts out eating solids, or when they're first trying a new food, freeze leftover home made baby food in ice cube trays. Pop them out and store in zip lock bags. Each cube is 1 oz.


As your baby gets older and needs more to eat at each meal start freezing homemade baby food in small cupcake trays. Use foil cupcake liners so the food doesn't get permanently stuck in the tray. The tray I use makes 3 oz portions. Serve the babyfood cupcake alone or add one of your 1 oz food cubes depending on your baby's appetite.

Use a turkey baster for a no-mess fast way to load up the ice cube trays with thinly pureed baby foods. This only works for thin foods like squash, pears and peaches.


Mix various fruits and veggies together before you freeze them. You can even cook and puree combos like chicken/peas/carrots or squash/apples together. Make sure your baby has gone through the 4 day wait for each food before you start mixing it with other foods.

Don't stress yourself out about only serving homemade food. Sometimes (ie overnight trips) you might have to buy a jar of baby food. Look for organic products and give your baby a taste before hand in case she flat out refuses them. If that's the case come up with a plan B.

Skip the baby-specific yogurt that's packed in individual portions and priced like gold. Instead pick up a large container of Organic plain whole milk yogurt and measure it out for your baby. I usually serve 1/3 or 1/4 cup of yogurt mixed with fruit and/or pasta for lunch.

Offer water instead of juice. If you get your baby liking the taste of water early on she won't know what she's missing in the juice department.

My Favorite Baby Food-Related Websites:

Wholesome Baby Food: Recipes, Starting Solids, What to Avoid

Baby's First Solids: How to Introduce Cereal

Questions on Starting Solids: Ask an Expert

Homemade vs Jarred Baby Food

Tips for Freezing Homemade Baby Food

Making Baby Food (Fruits) at Home

Making Baby Food (Vegetables) at Home

Relief for Infant Constipation

General Breastfeeding Help

My Toothless Wonder Is Better Than Yours

Sounds bratty, huh? Admit it though...our babies bring out the 5th grader in all of us. Moms are always sizing each other, and our babies, up? I'm as guilty as the next mother (not that I'm comparing, or anything). I think it hit me yesterday when I took my daughter to the neighborhood park for a quick swing on the swings. I stopped in my tracks when I saw a mom there, trucking through the mulch, in heels! Seriously, who are you trying to impress? That's when I checked out her daughter...


She looked a little older than my daughter...more hair, not quite as cute (hey, we're all bias), wasn't walking yet, still being carried around in the car seat (I give her mom credit for that! I wimped out on that thing a few months ago...although I did love what it was doing for my biceps). One thing I couldn't tell is if this little girl had any teeth. Probably did though, it seems every baby, but mine, has teeth. I'm a little sensitive about the whole teeth issue. I think it started when a little guy at the library, two months younger than Olivia, already had two...at barely five months no less. Even, my girlfriend emailed me, while on vacation in Florida, to tell me that her son (who's a week younger than my daughter) is now getting his top two to total four.

I started telling my husband this and he just looked at me and asked, "Does her baby crawl? Does her baby have hair? Does her baby say "mama?" Okay, I guess he has a point. All babies develop at their own pace. I think I knew all along but I finally realized, in the end, all babies will reach the same developmental finish line.

Afterall, aren't all 90 year old women pretty much the same...plus or minus a few teeth?