The Adventure of Mommyhood: Infantino Fresh Squeezed Review

I don't know where time has gone, but Addisyn is already eating baby food!!!  At her 4 month appointment, she was in the 75th percentile for weight & height, so Dr. B gave us the go ahead to start baby food.  I've been a little picky about what she eats since right now I can know everything going into her little body.  I noticed that in the cheaper baby foods there were extra preservatives that I just don't want to give her especially at such a young age, so I began buying the pouches of baby food.  I loved the ease of being able to just squeeze a little on a spoon at a time.  I tried some of the little Gerber containers, but it was really hard to take those with us places because of the mess.  The pouches just made my life so much easier.  Plus, Addisyn LOVES sucking out what is left.   The problem is I am also on a budget and those pouches of baby food cost approximately $1.75 each.  It was starting to add up.

(The first time Matt fed Addisyn)

One of the items I registered for, was the Infantino Fresh Squeezed System.  I hadn't done a whole lot of research on it, but I liked the idea of making my own baby food.  When Matt & I bought the necessary items still left on our registry, we didn't feel like it was something we needed right then, so we held off.  Last week, after realizing how much I was spending on these pouches, I brought the Fresh Squeezed System to his attention.  After much discussion and research, we purchased the items on Amazon.  I spent a little over $50 on the Fresh Squeezed Station (which comes with 10 pouches), 50 additional pouches, the funnel, 2 spoons that attach to the pouches, and one reusable pouch.

Yesterday, I decided I would start small and make some fresh green bean pouches.  I had purchased a bag of fresh green beans BOGO at the grocery store.  Since they were already washed and the ends had been cut off, it was easy!  I just steamed them then pureed them in my food processor.  After this I filled each tube with the green bean puree and pressed down with the suction.  This filled the pouch then suctioned out any additional air.  The only issue I noticed was that since the green beans are water based, the water leaked out the top of the pouch.  No big deal. (Unfortunately, I have no photos of actually using the squeeze station.  I got too involved in the process.)  I actually had fun making the pouches!  In fact, I even went to the grocery store that night to get more fruits and veggies to make more!  Making more meant calling in for help.  Thank God for my mom.  She came over and we spent 3 1/2 hours making carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, pear & oatmeal mix and an apple & oatmeal mix.

The end result: 28 food pouches to put in my freezer.

  I really like the Fresh Squeezed System.  I'm already looking forward to the next batch of food to make.  Just know that as with making anything- it takes time.  I also recommend taking the night off from cooking. :)

The Adventure of Mommyhood: It Begins...

Well, she's here!!!!  I've spent the last 4 1/2 months focused on this sweet little girl and am just now getting back into the swing of things with my new normal.  So, to kick back off my blogging, here is a brief blog (it's mostly photos) of what we've been up to.

Addisyn Kate Sloma was born on May 26, 2013 at 12:45 pm.  She was born nine days early and is determined not to miss out on anything!

She has shaken up our world and truly changed it for the better.  

Her favorite time of day is the morning (not sure who she got that from).  Her world could be absolutely falling apart, but you put her in that bathtub and she is as happy as can be.

She's already been on two big road trips to Evansville, IN & Louisville, KY and then to Orange Beach, AL.  She's a great little traveller!

(She wrote a letter to Santa when we stopped in Santa Claus, Indiana)

(Hanging poolside in Louisville)

(Louisville Slugger Museum)

(Orange Beach, AL)

(The Wharf @ Orange Beach)

She participated in her first Walk to Defeat ALS in memory of her Great Uncle Harvey.

We truly love this little girl and are so thankful God entrusted her to us.  I already can't imagine my life without her.

Now that we are semi in a routine, I hope to be back blogging about our adventure in parenthood, crafting and other miscellaneous things! 

It's A...

GIRL!!!!

Addisyn Kate will be joining us on or around June 4, 2013!  We are so excited!!! 

(I'm slightly behind in posting this, but I'm playing some blog catch up today.)

Another New Adventure Begins...

Since I was a little girl, it has always been my dream to be a stay at home mom.  I even dressed up as one for Halloween when I was 4.

When Matt & I got married, I had hoped and prayed that one day when we had kids that it would be possible.  Once we found out we were pregnant, we discussed and determined that it would be possible to do this.  I turned my resignation in early in March with the plan for my last day to be right before we left on High School Choir Tour.  I ended up returning to work part time for a couple weeks after we returned from New York in order to train the new girl they hired.

I am so grateful to have this opportunity.  I've been home for the last 2 weeks and it has been wonderful to be able to rest, get things organized & get back to my couponing & crafting.  

The Adventure of Telling Our Parents

I spent a lot of time googling how to tell your husband, your parents, your friends & students that we were pregnant.  I have a need to be creative in EVERYTHING possible.  I don't want to be predictable, but I do want it to be fun and meaningful.  So, one day while reading the forum on my what to expect when you are expecting app, I found the perfect way to tell our parents.  It was a letter.  One that could be emailed!  Now, some would find that an email letter is impersonal, but we really needed to find a way that we could let them know at the same time- to be fair to both sets.  So, here is what it said:

I do not have a face to see,
Or put inside a frame.
I do not have soft cheeks to kiss.
I don't yet have a name.

You can’t yet hold my tiny hands,
Nor whisper in my ear.
It's still too soon to sing a song,
Or cuddle me so near.

But all that will change come June;
That’s when mom says I’m due.
I am your new grandson or granddaughter;
And I can't wait until I meet you!

All I ask between now and then,
Is your patience while I grow.
I promise I'll be worth the wait,
Because of all the love we'll know.

So what I have to give you now,
Is a wish to you from me.
I cannot wait to be a part
Of this wonderful family.

Then we just sat back and waited for the phone calls.  :)

Starting a New Chapter in Our Lives

So, I'm behind in my blogging... AGAIN.  If anyone still reads this blog, I'll be amazed.  I have a good reason for being so behind this time I promise!
We have been so, so, so busy.  In the midst of all the busyness, we happily discovered we were expecting our first child.  So, due to being extremely nauseous and tired over the last several months, I was not really up to blogging.  It was all I could do to make it to work in the morning and then cook dinner at night.  Matt has been so good to me by handling all the cleaning so I could get some rest.  I am so thankful for him.  Here is the story of how I told him I was pregnant:
It was a Thursday morning when I took the test.  I was SHOCKED when it came out positive.  Matt sleeps later than I do in the mornings, so he was still asleep.  I was so hoping he would wake up so I could tell him, but alas, he did not.  So, I spent the day at work trying to plan a creative way to tell him. I knew that I had to use a Gigi's Cupcake as they have been a big part of major events in our life.  The question was how I could incorporate it.  So, I bought a pacifier, stuck it in the top with a piece of paper attached that had the estimated due date and then set a jar of Prego spaghetti sauce next to it.

 I had this great plan to video record it.  The phone was perfectly set up to go and when Matt finally walked in the door, my fat finger double clicked it, so no recording.  Boo!  He kinda stared at the cupcake and it took a little while for it to register.  Once it did, he got really excited.

(Good thing he thinks his wife rocks!)

Then, I had to tell him that he had to keep it a secret for awhile.  He really wanted to tell people.  Bless his heart!  I made him wait till after our first appointment before we even told our parents!

We are so excited to start this new journey!  It's going to be so much fun!

In the next edition, I'll share how we told our parents.

Oh My...

Oh my!  I guess I've been a little MIA on the blog lately.  Time seriously does go by so quickly for us!  We are so, so, so busy!  Student choir started back in August, so we've been working on getting back into a routine with that.  We have a great group of students that truly want to learn both about music and about God.  It's such an honor and blessing to work with them each week.  I have left some of my usual Sunday activities so as to cut back on stress.  Currently, I am teaching a 4 year old Life Group and I LOVE it!!!  It's been two weeks and I seriously have the MOST precious kids!  Last week, we pulled them together to tell the story.  The whole time I was telling it, they kept inching closer and closer to me.  I couldn't help but think of how at such a young age, they just wanted to hear more.  I am so excited to be with them again tomorrow.  I am also still a part of the adult choir.  It's been an amazing few weeks of worship with them.  The choir is growing and it is so exciting to see!  We are so excited to have a new Worship Pastor.

My latest craft project was a fabulous door hanging.  I love the brightness it adds to our door.  Plus, it was just SO fun to make!

 I had to say goodbye to my girls this past month.  Not going to lie, it was a very tearful goodbye for all of us.  I have been so blessed to be able to work with these sweet girls over the last few years.  We have been through quite a bit together and have bonded in some unusual ways.  They are all grounded in the Word of God.  I am so looking forward to seeing how God is going to use them not only at their school, but also in their future. I already miss them a lot, but am so thankful for texting and Facebook so I can still keep up with them.

(We made the awesome headbands/bows in our last girls day)

I think that is about it going on right now.  We spent Labor Day at home this year.  It was kind of nice to have a chill weekend.  Matt's birthday is coming up this week.  I've been working on a craft project for some birthday decor, but still haven't finished it.  Hopefully, I'll have it done by Tuesday and then I'll be able to do a post on it.  

Until next time...  :)