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.
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.
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.
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!
Cameron's Right Leg - Roseola rash
Cameron's Left leg - Roseola rash
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!
