Mommy FTW

For those moms out there that know me, you are probably aware that Cameron is a very picky eater.  This is perhaps my greatest frustration with him.  At his 18 month check up his Pediatrician did a blood test on him to check his iron levels.  They were fine, but she wanted to be sure I was getting him to eat some red meat to keep them in good standing.  Cameron has always been a turkey and chicken lover, but red meat is sometimes a challenge.  Aside from the Trader Joe’s mini meatballs I wrote about before, there wasn’t a whole lot of it going on – except when we went to 67 Burger, where he would scarf it down!

Cameron chows down on burger, pickles, and sweet potato fries. Also pictured - Camelbak sippy and Skip Hop Mate Plate

On one visit to 67 burger I took an extra take out box home with me.  The next night I cooked up a small hamburger and placed it in the box.  Cameron was intrigued and excited (67 Burger is by far his favorite place to eat, and he recognizes their carry out packaging.  Yes, I am slightly embarrassed to admit that). I opened up the box, and revealed the home cooked burger.  He gobbled it up!  Now Cameron eats burgers as part of his regular rotation – and since he isn’t skeptical of them any more, I don’t have to deliver them in 67 burger boxes.

So, if your little one needs a little more iron, consider making them some mini burger patties at home.  It’s a quick and easy dinner served with some baked sweet potato fries, usually in Cameron’s case, and some pickles.  And yes, I count both of those as vegetables.  Pickles are cucumbers, you know!  I’ll take my victories where I can get them!

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

I recently posted about Cameron’s bout with pesky diarrhea.  Part of the solution was reducing his lactose intake, and another part was to get him eating some yogurt (the active cultures are good for the tummy).  Unfortunately, Cameron no longer likes to eat yogurt – but he does like to drink it!  I’ve been giving him Ronnybrook Drinkable Yogurt – his favorite flavor is strawberry.

Lots of flavors to choose from!

Ronnybrook drinkable yogurt is made with whole milk, fresh fruit, and 10 active cultures two of which are pro biotic.  There are 5 flavors -plain, Peach, Strawberry, Blackberry or Mango. You can find all the nutritional information for the Ronnybrook Drinkable Yogurt drinks on this page.

Locally, I’ve been able to find these yogurt drinks at the Fort Greene Farmer’s Market, Elly’s, Mr. Coco, and Fresh Garden.  You can also order it from Fresh Direct.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Earlier this week I let you know that Mommy For the Win is a year old.  Over the next few weeks I’m going to highlight some posts from the past and hopefully add some new information as well.  This first post revisit is a perfect example!

Cameron has been suffering from diarrhea for a few weeks now – nothing else seemed wrong with him (aside from the diaper rash that was being caused by all the poops!)  I couldn’t figure out what to do, and it took a call to the pediatrician to remind me of some advice she had given me in the past, and a post I had written – Pesky Diarreah and the Soy Solution.

Then, and now, Cameron had become briefly lactose intolerant.  The first time this happened, Cameron was just about a year old.  I took him off of regular formula and moved him to Soy Formula for a few weeks – magically, the diarrhea was gone!  This time, the pediatrician recommended trying Soy Milk with Cameron instead of his usual Whole Milk.  Well, he didn’t like that so much – I couldn’t get him to drink a drop of it!  Thankfully I was able to find some Lactaid brand Whole Milk.  Lactaid is milk without Lactose…. perfect!

Lactaid Whole Milk - Easy on Cameron's Tummy

Wondering where you can pick up this life saving milk?  Check your local grocer in the dairy section.  Fort Greene and Clinton Hill Locals – I found mine at Fresh Garden on Fulton.  It’s also available at Fairway (for a dollar less!)  And, although Fresh Direct doesn’t carry it – Peapod does.  And, thanks to A Child Grows in Brooklyn, I just found out that Peapod is now delivering to several zip codes in Brooklyn – 11201    11205   11215   11217   and 11231.

So, if your little one just can’t seem to shake their loose poops, and nothing else seems wrong with them – consult your pediatrician, and think about limiting their lactose intake (although yogurt is ok) for a few weeks and see if that helps.  It might just be your savior.  I saw Cameron’s first “normal” poop today for the first time in a long time.  I’ve never been so happy to see a poo!

For more information about babies and lactose intolerance, check out my other post, Pesky Diarrhea and the Soy Solution.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

At Cameron’s 18 month check up I was talking to his pediatrician about his picky eating habits.  She suggested that a good way to get him to try some new fruits was by making smoothies.  I didn’t have high hopes, but I bought some grapes and strawberries and decided to give it a try.  I threw a bunch of the fruit in my Cuisinart and pureed it until smooth.  Then I ran the mixture through a strainer to remove some of the seeds and make it easier for Cam to drink.  It was a little thick, so I added some v8 fusion to thin it out (you could also use water).

yummy yummy!

Cameron really liked it!  And now, he’s actually started eating strawberries in their whole form as well.  I think the smoothie really helped him warm up to them.  I’ve also been making smoothies with watermelon and raspberries too.  I think any fruit would be great.  Give it a try!

Cameron isn’t as much of a fan of scrambled eggs as I would like, although we have had occasional success with them. My pediatrician is always saying it’s great for Cameron to eat lots of eggs because they are a good source of iron – but besides french toast, I was having trouble getting him to eat them on a regular basis. Eventually, we discovered does seemed to like flat eggs because he was always going after the egg in my husband’s weekend favorite – the bacon egg and cheese sandwich. So, when it was Dad’s turn to make breakfast for Cameron, he came up with “Eggs Daddy Style.”

Here’s the method – beat an egg and put it in a hot greased skillet (I use a little Pam, and then a dot of butter). Cook for about a minute, or until the egg is lightly browned on one side. Flip the egg and cook for a few seconds more. That’s it! It’s basically a flat omelet with no filling – but feel free to get creative and add things in!

It only takes a minute in the pan

Cameron eats it up!

Recently a mom told me that her daughter loved to snack on fig newtons and that that her pediatrician had recommended them as a healthy snack.  I went on Fresh Direct looking for them, and I was happy to find that they had 100% whole grain Fig Newton Minis.  They come in little packages, which I keep in my diaper bag.  Cameron really loves them!  I did a little research on figs, and I learned that they are indeed good for you.

A tasty treat mom approves of

Here’s some of what I found out:
The mineral content of figs closely resembles that of human milk

Figs are rich in both vitamins A, B1, B2 and calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, sodium potassium and chlorine

Figs are high in vitamin B, that is essential in the intestine regulation, the fig has a similar function in our bodies as cereals do;

Dried figs are rich in fibre, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron

The fig is oxidant, laxative, diuretic, digestible and a blood cleanser

Figs excellent for the liver

Sounds good to me!  Snack on, Cameron – snack on!

My daily Diaper Rash cream for Cameron is Kiehls Diaper Rash Ointment, but when he has a little “situation” going on “down there” I get out the big guns – Triple Paste.  One of the things that makes Triple Paste so good is that it is really thick and stays in place…. but this also makes it hard to apply.

Triple Paste - Pasty, But Good!

A trick I use to loose it up and make it easier on myself (and baby’s butt) is to put the jar in a sink filled with hot water for a few minutes.  This makes the Triple Paste a little easier to smooth on, and, obviously, warm…. which Cameron seems to like better.  Remember when they put that cold goop on your tummy for the ultrasound?  Yeah, no one likes that feeling!  Give it a try – it works wonders!

Cameron and I had such a great time in DC over Christmas that we are going back down today.  We’re taking the train together – so I will be sure to report on how that goes once we return!

I’ll try to post while I’m gone, but in case I don’t – have a great week everyone!

Check out some great posts you might have missed to keep yourself busy:

Free Infant CPR at the Brooklyn Hospital

Reading for Babies at the Clinton Hill Library – a great winter activity

My Pediatrician’s remedy for pesky Diaper Rash

My sleep training bible – Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Baby

Dealing with a leaky diaper?  Maybe it’s time to go up a size

And check out my posts about What Cameron is Eating

At Cameron’s 12 month check up I was talking to our pediatrician about how to get him to eat eggs.  Sometimes he goes for scrambled eggs, and sometimes not….  She suggested trying french toast.  For Cameron, it was love at first bite!  A mom asked me the other day for my recipe.  I don’t really have one (I never measure) but here is a rough estimate:

1 egg

1/2 cup whole milk

dash of cinnamon

pat of butter for in the pan

4 pieces of whole wheat bread

French toast and strawberries!

I whisk up the egg, milk, and cinnamon and then dunk the bread in for a few seconds on each side.  Then cook in the pan with the butter until nice and brown on both sides.  I always make extra (Cam usually only eats 1/2 – 1 piece per serving) and keep it in the fridge.  It reheats well in the microwave.  Serve the toast with fruit and a touch of maple syrup if you like.

By Cameron’s 9 month check up he had a few teeth, and his pediatrician mentioned to me that I should start brushing them, or wiping them down with a moist washcloth.  I thought to myself, that isn’t gonna happen!  I talked to a few moms about my doubts and they recommended the RaZbaby RaZ-a-Dazzle Silicone Baby Toothbrush.  I bought Cameron one, and it was love at first brush!  He really seems to enjoy it, and I think it’s teaching him the beginnings of good oral hygiene.