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!
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.
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:
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.
As if a cold, then diarrhea, then another cold, and an ear infection didn’t make for an eventful enough fall already, this past weekend while we were in Chicago visiting family Cameron came down with Roseola. Thankfully another mom friend had just encountered it and told me about it before we left – so even though I was stranded miles away from my pediatrician and my trusty copy of Baby 411, I figured out quickly what I was dealing with, and we all made it through. So, here’s a little about roseola so you can be on the look out:
Roseola is sometimes called “baby measles” or the “sixth disease.” It is a form of herpes. Roseola is highly contagious, being spread through contact with saliva or being breathed on by another baby with roseola. It usually starts with a sudden high fever with sometimes no other symptoms (in Cameron’s case he had some “cold like symptoms” as well). During this phase of the illness just give your child ibuprofen to try and keep him comfortable. I didn’t notice Cameron’s fever as being especially high, but he was already being dosed with ibuprofen for his ear infection, so I think this helped keep it down. FYI – About 10 to 15 percent of children with roseola have a seizure. If this happens, your baby may become unconscious and jerk his arms, legs, or facial muscles for two or three minutes.
I didn’t realize what I was dealing with until Cameron got the telltale rash. The rash isn’t itchy or uncomfortable, and contact with the rash itself doesn’t spread the illness. It’s usually seen on the trunk and neck, but it can extend to the arms, legs, and face. It usually lasts for about 24-48 hours.
There’s no specific treatment for roseola. Like most viral illnesses, roseola just needs to run its course. The most important thing you can do is make sure your baby rests and gets plenty of liquids.
Here are some pictures of the rash Cameron had on his left and right legs. It looks a little scary but it didn’t last long!
It’s only November and Cameron has already had two colds, an ear infection, and the diarrhea that wouldn’t die. I think it’s going to be a long winter! And then there was the heat rash and diaper rash of the summer time. So I decided to add some new categories – pediatrician and illness – so it was easy for you moms to keep track of all the pearls or wisdom my pediatrician was bestowing upon me, and Cameron’s illnesses. I hope you find them useful!
As I mentioned I recently found out Cameron had an ear infection. I am happy to report he is currently getting dosed with medicine, and is on the mend! The first questions I get from a lot of moms are “How did you know to take Cameron to the pediatrician? How did you know he had an ear infection?” So I thought I would post about how it all came to pass.
Cameron had been sick over a week. He had a fever initially, along with a runny nose, and the usual “cold” symptoms. He seemed to be getting better, and his fever was gone. A little runny nose remained, but it seemed that the worst had passed. Then all of a sudden he got a fever back, his boogers took on a lovely green/yellow color, he was rubbing his ear, and he seemed pretty miserable again. I had been reading up on my Baby 411 and that clued me in that he might have gotten the ear infection. That, coupled with the fact that this coming weekend we are taking Cameron on his first plane ride motivated me to get this problem figured out, and fast! So, to the doctor we went! I hope this is helpful to the moms out there….. I guess, when in doubt, trust your mommies intuition, read your baby 411, and call your Pediatrician.
