Snippets ... December, 2009

Just for fun ...Click HERE to see an hour of winter and Christmas on Rue Petit Champlain (Québec-city)

Our Christmas tree (above) and back deck (below) ... 2 days before Christmas!

Keeping a clear path to our house (above) ... and back garden (below)

Our garden and deck early December!

Off for a morning sled ride ... 

(the day after our first winter storm, early December)

......................................

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All!

Joey turns ONE! (Nov09)

Life is so much fun … it is all about observing and discovering for myself how things work; crawling as fast as I can into the kitchen to inspect what is going on every time I hear the dishwasher or refrigerator door opening, picking leaves off my favourite indoor plants, opening the kitchen drawers and cupboards (Mum has assigned me my own kitchen drawer now), pulling myself up to put my hands in the toilet, closing the bathroom door at bath-time, and being ever so quiet so Mummy has to come looking for me.  Here I am on my first birthday when I got to eat cake!

Matt publishes book in French (Sep09)

Having returned a week early from Denmark, Matt had the huge task of doing the final edit on his book to meet the publication deadline.  Several weeks later, with the book in print, he gave a talk to the Mayor and Historical Society of La Pocatiere who celebrated 150 years of their Agricultural College (La Pocatiere is about a 2 hour drive from Quebec city).  Jozef and Sheryl joined Matt to commemorate the occasion, along with several very good friends from Quebec city.

Family trip to Charlevoix (Jul09)

This was our time to take a break, and although it rained most of July we were able to get away as a family for 5 days to relax in a Swiss style chalet near a man made lake.  Jozef had his first taste of sand and icy cold mountain water which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Matt’s promotion to fully fledged, fully tenured Full Professor (Jun09)

After 12 years of hard work, and a mountain of paperwork to apply for a promotion, Matt was rewarded for his diligence and hard work with tenure-ship as a Full Professor (complete with an inflation adjusted salary!).

Trip to Parliament at tulip time (May09)

Matt’s work periodically takes him to Ottawa to chair a meeting or two, and this time we all went as a family.  After a 6 hour drive (with 2 stops along the way to feed a hungry 6 month old, we also had the opportunity to enjoy a meal with Dr Stephen & Moira Hayes (who recently retired from ministering and caring for the folks at St Andrew’s here in Old Quebec city).

St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Old Quebec city (Mar09)

Jozef was baptised at St Andrew’s in March and received a very warm welcome into the church.  In November of this year he also started going to a small Sunday School group where he gets to stand at the craft table and babbles away to the girls (mostly) aged 2 and 5 years.

Joey starts Baby Chat (Jan09)

Joey enjoyed nine months at Baby Chat (a group for Mums and under 1 year olds).  We’ve just graduated to the Take-a-Break group (where technically Mum gets a coffee break while Joey plays with Volunteers).  We enjoyed our first visit on December 4 where Jozef laughed at the puppets and had a great time playing a xylophone and piano.  He let Mum take his hand and he guided her around the room, heading straight for the door after stopping by the playmat, and puppet box.

  

Sheryl adjusts to her new role as a SAHM (Dec 08)

I couldn’t have wished for a happier, more content and easy to care for baby who sleeps anywhere from 11 to 13 hours at night and eats everything I prepare for him!  The transition to motherhood has been a big one (coming later in life), yet has introduced me to many young families.  Several of the Mothers I have met in the last year are now expecting their second or third child.  Quebec is a great province to bring up children and families are well supported by local community activities.

  

an afternoon trip to the Acquarium with Jozef (in spring time)

another trip to the Acquarium (in autumn) - my Mum bought a yearly pass, so we can go whenever we choose, to see the polar bears, walrus and seals

Children's Birthday Party ... how to keep it stress free!

Here are several of my handy hints to help keep your child’s birthday party stress free:

•  Invite your guests at least two weeks ahead of time (one week at the very latest – with a phone call, followed by an email).
•  Buy your child’s gift at least one month ahead of time (it is very stressful to be rushing around shops at the last minute).  NB: Don’t forget to buy or make a card too!
• Wrap your child’s gift at least 2 days before the event.  Younger children love tearing the paper off a big boxed gift (don’t fuss too much – just wrap some nice paper around the middle of a huge box, stick a big bow on the top and they will be delighted … my one year old son was happily helped into the box to play with his friend.
• Keep the food simple … birthday cake, fresh fruit, light snacks - something sweet, something savoury, plus a nice big plate of homemade egg sandwiches.  Cheese-on-wholewheat toast and home made cereal cookies (for enfants and toddlers) keeps them happy.
• Make the cake one week ahead of time and freeze (Pound Cake is great!).
• Sandwiches can be made right after dinner the night before the event, and kept in the refrigerator overnight – ensure you lay a damp paper towel on top of the sandwiches and cover completely with cling wrap to keep them airtight (Tip: boil the eggs while making dinner and let them cool).
• Hang the balloons and decorations the night before, when the house is quiet and everyone is asleep.
• 3.00pm is a great start time for an afternoon tea party (ensure your little one has an early afternoon nap around 12.30pm).
• 2 hours is sufficient time for a party (guests and children will be winding down around 5.00pm).
• Be prepared that your guests will arrive up to 30 minutes late!
• Cook the hot food ahead of time (pastries, savouries no more than half an hour before the party start time and keep them warm in a warmer drawer).  If you cook them when guests arrive it can be a big distraction, as you will find yourself running in and out of the kitchen.
• Be relaxed – have hubby or a friend handy with the camera (as you will be tied up making hot drinks, comforting your little one or helping them play with their friends, all while playing hostess to everyone).
• Remember to take a photo of your beloved with your child! (Don’t leave them holding the camera all night, and be disappointed there is no photograph of them!)
• On his 1^st Birthday my son gobbled down one piece of birthday cake, one cereal cookie, one piece of cheese on toast and one Cadbury Chocolate Finger plus a bottle of milk before happily going to bed by 5.30pm!

Enjoy!

Christmas Shortbread (for the bake sale season)

Christmas Shortbread

Shortbread was originally made with melted butter, giving it that shortness in texture.

Ingredients

250g butter (1 cup)

2 cups flour (high grade)

1 cup cornflour

1 cup icing sugar

   

Melt butter in a saucepan large enough to mix all ingredients.

Remove from heat.

(Add one or two drops of vanilla essence if desired).

Sift flour and cornflour and icing sugar into saucepan.

Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Knead dough for 1 minute or until well combined.

Roll or knead out to 1.5cm thickness.  Shape as wished.

Place on baking tray (lined with baking paper).

Prick with fork.

Bake at 150^oC for 20 minutes (or until lightly golden)

Makes: 24

A Quick Take from home ...

-1-

Last week Joey began crawling forward and he took a few steps behind his smiley faced push-along walker (all in the same week).

-2-
Let toddlers learn to walk barefoot ... it makes a huge difference as they learn to grip their toes to the floor to gain their balance (without the restriction of shoes and socks).

-3-
The Spirit of Christmas - begin by talking with your family now about the true meaning of giving.  Let them each choose to give to or do something special for just one family member each.

-4-

Choose carefully what or who you will be committed to, rather than being burdened by overcommitment.  Learn to say No.

-5-

When the sun shines ... go outside (especially in the North, where the winters are harsh!)

-6-
Give five hugs a day!

-7-

Celebrate the gift of life - this Saturday Joey turns ONE!

Pumpkin Soup

Autumn is the time for beginning to prepare hearty comfort food to keep warm and satisfied during cooler days.

Pumpkin Soup

1kg pumpkin (butternut or squash)
1 large onion
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (chopped finely)
3-4 cups of homemade chicken stock (low sodium), or alternatively use 2 teaspoons of powdered chicken stock and 1 teaspoon of green herb stock granules (if available) mixed with 3-4 cups of water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
A dash of curry powder

Cut pumpkin into evenly shaped pieces.  Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven at 375 C until tender.  Do not overcook.  Cool a little, then remove the skin from the pumpkin.  Saute the onion (in a medium sized soup pot) until translucent and add the garlic and roasted pumpkin.  Cover the pumpkin/onion mixture completely with the chicken stock.  Simmer gently for 20 minutes. When cool blend with a hand held stick-blender.  To serve: Reheat gently and add 1/4 cup of cream before serving.

Note: When sauteing the onion add 3 or 4 rashes of finely chopped bacon (without too much fat or rind) to give the soup added flavour.

Host a Light Party ... an alternative to Halloween

Today many parents are looking for a positive alternative to Halloween.  It is often not safe going out on the streets after dusk where children can encounter some scary costumes, sinister looking house decorations and silly pranksters spoiling the fun.

It is the one time of year that goes against what we teach our children about good behaviour and staying safe.  We have them knocking on the doors of complete strangers (even with parents standing in the background), accepting truck loads of candies (many of unknown origin) and witnessing the poor behaviour of some teens and adults running wild.

Why not consider an alternative and host a Night of Light Party at your home, local church, school hall or public venue.

• Encourage children to come as their favourite real life hero (nothing sinister or evil looking - keep it positive)
• Give prizes for the best dressed
• Have plenty of games
• Maybe some singing or dancing
• Healthy snack food and drinks
• Allow them to take home a treat bag from the 'Light Box' at the end of the night

Theme Ideas

• Dress up as a famous real life hero (astronaut, nurse, discoverer, scientist, preacher, president, king, queen, actor, actress, singer etc)
• Dress up as a famous sportsperson and do sporting events
• Carnival Theme (with bouncy castle, lots of balls, a slide etc)
• Concert (with items from the children)
• Creative Dress Parade
• Games Night
• Music and Dance party competition

Entertainment Ideas

• Bouncy castle
• Face painting, dress up (have some fun costumes available for children who are without)
• Animal balloons and clowning
• Storytelling/Drama (contact your local theatrical group)
• Puppets
• Mainly Music session (email me for the details)
• Mime or circus artists (interacting with the children throughout the event)

Let this be an alternative Halloween to remember!

Louise Cake recipe

Here's an easy "kiwi" favourite; a thin layer of shortcake topped with your favourite berry jam and coconut meringue:

Louise Cake (slice)
125 g butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs (separate yolks from whites)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam (or any other berry)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 C.
2. Cream the butter and first measure of sugar (1/3 cup) together.
3. Separate the eggs and add only the yolks to your creamed butter mixture. Save the whites for the meringue.
4. Sift together the flour and baking powder, add to butter mixture and mix well.  Press into a sponge roll pan (I use a non stick glass oblong pyrex baking dish).  Put your dish into the refrigerator for 10 minutes (this helps to set the mixture a little before the next step).  Spread the uncooked base with your favourite berry jam.
5. Beat the egg whites until stiff, add sugar and salt and continue beating until it goes glossy.  Fold in the coconut. Spread gently on top of the jam/cake base.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the meringue topping is golden.  
7. Wait until the slice is quite cool before cutting into squares.

Enjoy!

My top TEN things to be thankful for ...

10.  Harvest-time
A little or a lot, then autumn is a great time to be thankful for the bounty of goods our gardens produce (whether we grow our own or buy produce from a local Farmers' market).  This year we harvested at least 40 lbs of tomatoes, several feeds of green beans, and a large sack of potatoes (enough to keep our family of three going throughout the winter).

9.  Places to play and times to Celebrate
Yesterday, my husband, son and I celebrated Canada's Thanksgiving Day with a 4 kilogram organic grain feed chicken; wonderfully creamy mashed potato, roasted pumpkin, sweet juicy peas and a delicious gravy.  Dessert was a fresh peach walnut crusted pie with a crumble topping served with Balkan yoghurt.

We invited an old friend to join us.  My husband, and friend took our son to the local park for a swing, which our son loves.  While the men were away I went outside for an hour to tidy up my garden, and add a further six tulip bulbs to my tulip patch.

Vegetables for our Thanksgiving Dinner had be prepped the day before - the dessert made 2 days ahead of time, so all I had to do was cook the chicken (which took almost 4 hours).  In the morning I had cooked the potatoes, mashed and creamed them, put them into a baking dish ready for heating at dinner time.  That left the peas and gravy to make.  I had also carved the chicken ahead of time (and this morning put the leftovers in the freezer as there was plenty to go around at dinner time).

8.   Electricity
With the onset of winter I am grateful the city provide electricity that keeps our house warm.  Without heating we would not survive in this landscape.

7.  A roof over our heads
We have a wonderfully steeped Normandy roof, that allows the snow to slide right off during winter, so there is no need for us to worry about banks of snow building up there!

6.  Transport
The bus stops right outside our door, and I have a car to go grocery shopping, visit friends and take my son to activities with other children.

5.  Friends
Who keep in contact, offer encouragement and do practical things to help each other in life.

4.  Family connections
We enjoy keeping in touch with family overseas (as far away as New Zealand) via SKYPE.  My son loves talking with his Grandma and Grandad and seeing them on video.

3.  My 11 month old son
He is growing fast and is a joy and a delight.

2.  My husband
Who works so hard to keep the bills paid, keep a roof over our heads, and accomplishes extra things like publishing a book, travelling and giving public talks.

1.  My Relationship with Jesus
One who cares about my life, understands everything I encounter in life and offers HOPE!

A penny for your thoughts ...

The Bible reminds us to fix our thoughts on what is ...

True NOBLE Just pure
LOVELY, of good report

if there is any VIRTUE, and if there is anything Praiseworthy

then MEDITATE on these things!

Go to http://www.biblegateway.com to read more from the New Testament book of Philippians Chapter 4 verse 8)

Cereal Cookie (for babies)

Babies who are eating their solid foods well for breakfast, lunch and dinner will most likely require extra fuelling during the day with nutritional snacks and a healthy drink of milk or water.

My 10.5 month old really enjoys this soft cookie made with baby cereal (plain or flavoured), fruit puree (apple, apricot, banana or pear) and the yolk of an egg.

Serve it together with a drink of milk in their favourite sippy cup for morning tea:


Cereal Cookie

125ml (1/2 cup) butter
125 ml (1/2 cup) fruit puree (eg mashed banana; or stewed apple, apricot, pear, prunes or dates ... you could even try a pureed vegetable like zuchinni)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks (beaten), for babies under 1 year old or 1 egg
150 ml (2/3 cup) white or wholewheat flour
150 ml (2/3 cup) baby cereal (oatmeal, wheat or mixed grain - plain or with fruit added)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder (optional - gives it a nice rich flavour)

Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius (375oF).
Line 2 cookie sheets with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar, then sitr in fruit puree.
Gradually add the vanilla and beaten egg (or egg yolks).
Mix the dry ingredients together in another bowl.
Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet.
Drop heaped teaspoonfuls onto the cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes.

Songs to sing and sign with your baby

Babies love the sound of your voice, lots of eye contact and follow carefully any gestures you make.

Here are a few fun songs to sing and baby sign to your little one. These songs are sung to some very familiar sounding old tunes ...

(to the tune of She'll be coming round the mountain)

Oh it's time to change your nappy, 'cause it's wet, cause it's wet
Oh it's time to change your nappy, 'cause it's wet, 'cause it's wet
Oh it's time to change your nappy, it's time to change your nappy,
Oh it's time to change nappy, cause it's wet.

(to the tune of Row, Row your Boat)

Wash, wash, wash your face.
Wash your little face.
Pour the water on your face.
And Wash your little face.

This is also a great way to learn new words.

Have a go yourself. Perhaps even make up some words to the sound of your favourite tunes.

Enjoy!

Saline solution for babies and toddlers

From the age of 3 months, I cleared my son's nose with a home-made saline solution, not more than once a week.

He remained free from coughs, colds and a runny nose until he was around 18 months of age.

The saline solution helped to loosen any build up in the nostrils.  Do not overuse.

I made a fresh batch of saline solution each time.

Saline solution for the nose:
Add 2.5ml (1/2 level teaspoon) of salt, never more, to 250 ml (8oz) of cooled boiled water.  Boil the water for at least a minute before cooling.  Use a good quality sea salt. Measure quantities accurately.

Cleaning your Infant's nose:

• Lay baby on their back.
• Place a full dropper (1ml) of salt water (saline solution) in each nostril.
• Clean inside very gently with a cotton swab (Q-tip) to catch any build up.  Use a new Q-tip for each nostril.

If there is any sign of a cold or congestion, apply another full (1ml) dropper of the saline solution in each nostril. Clean your dropper between applications, to avoid contamination.

When my baby was around 9 months of age I began showing them how to gently blow air through his nostrils. Blowing bubbles in the bath (face under the water), and blowing a cotton ball across the table, pushing air through your nostrils, is a great way for little ones to watch and learn!

Cleaning a Toddler's nose
Beyond the age of 12 months my son became too fussy to have his nose cleaned while laying on his back.  So, I began using Hydrasense when I noticed congestion (which rarely occurred).  Now 4 years old he uses a tissue when he needs one, and continues to remain free from any serious coughs and colds.

If you are using any type of nostril aspiration/suction system, then you will need to reassure your infant before and during the process. I was only able to use a nasal aspirator once with my son.  The sound of the mucus being sucked out of his nose gave him a fright.

Hydrasense is a saline mist that is great for adults and children with sinus, colds and nasal congestion.  There is a very gentle mist for children.  Use cautiously on children under 18 months of age.  Check with your pharmacist first.  Hydrasense is available in Canada and major pharmacies, and at well.ca (online, with free delivery).

I have used the Hydrasense spray mist, with my son, once or twice when there has been signs of nasal congestion, between the age of 18 months and 2 years.  I believe, if there are no major health issues, then the less intervention, the better.  

Hydrasense helps sore throats, colds and sinus problems, especially during North American winters when homes have much lower humidity because of our winter heating.

eat, play, sleep

Eat, play, sleep ... that is all your little one and YOU need do for at least the first 6 weeks!

When they are very young eat, play, sleep happens often. Sleeping takes up most of the time, next to eating and play is only for very short periods during the day.

As babies get older, anytime from 6 weeks on (or in my son's case at 3 and a half months of age) babies can and do stretch out their feeds during the night and sleep up to 6 hours quite easily.

Remember an older waking baby may not always be hungry (he may need a little soother, stroking for reassurance). Try and not pick them up or talk to them when they have woken during the night as this will send them a confusing message. They may think they are getting up to eat and play again. A hungry baby will not take a soother for too long before he is crying again.

eat
Milk feeds can be every 2 to 3 hours and last up to 40 minutes. As your newborns gets older you may notice they feed more quickly. By 6 weeks of age my son was done with one side of the breast in 10 minutes, sometimes less.

play
To encourage a burp, gently stroke the back of your baby, in an upwards motion on the left side. Ensure you are stroking their back well above the kidney area. Chat or sing to your little one. My son enjoyed being held with his arms up and over the top of my shoulder (while waiting for him to burp).

This is all part of play.

Sing a song, say a nursery rhyme or read a book. It is never to early to start reading to your child.

sleep
Then get ready to change their diaper (make it a short time of play), sing a little more, give them a cuddle and talk about getting ready to go to sleep.

At 8.5 months of age I still sing this little song to my son (while signing to him) to the tune of 'Frére Jacques' after changing his diaper ready for bed...

"Are you sleepy? Are you sleepy?
Baby mine, Baby mine,
Now it's time for bed, Now it's time for bed,
Time to sleep, Time to sleep

Try putting your baby down to sleep within 20 to 30 minutes of a feed. Watch for the signs that your little one is ready to sleep. Are they rubbing their eyes, pulling their ears, or giving a small yawn. The sooner you can put them to bed after catching that first sign of sleepiness the easier it will be for you, and baby will go off to sleep well.

Awake time = 1 to 1.5 hours (up to 3 to 4 months of age)
Sleep time = 2 to 3 hours (up to 3 to 4 months of age)

For extra help and ideas go to http://www.thesleepstore.co.nz for articles on baby sleep.

Homemade Baby Purees (for a 6 to 7 month old)

As a first time older mum I recently attended a Baby Puree making workshop and learned about nutrition, and how easy it is to make my own baby food. If you need a little motivation, here are some homemade baby puree recipes for you to try ...

Sweet Potato Puree, Pumpkin or Squash Puree
Peel and cut 2 or 3 medium to large size sweet potato into cubes. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft. Reserve the cooking liquid. Puree the cooked cubes of sweet potato with a stick blender or a kitchen blender until very soft and fine. As you are blending add some of the reserved cooking liquid to make a nice soft consistency for baby to swallow.

Remember that sweet potato, and, if you are cooking pumpkin or squash will absorb quite a bit of water when blending into a puree, so add at least a 1/2 to 1 cup of cooking liquid.

The same recipe can be made with carrots, BUT you must ensure that when you puree the carrots use freshly boiled, slightly cooled water and NOT the cooking liquid.

Carrots contain nitrates that leak into the cooking liquid and are too strong for a young baby.

Green or Yellow Bean Puree
Another good source of vegetable containing fibre to start introducing to your 6 month old. Steam the beans until soft and puree together with some of the cooking liquid.

Zuchinni Puree
Quick and easy to steam lightly.

My six month old seemed to really enjoy it unpeeled, cooked and pureed finely.

There is no need to add water to this mixture when blending Zuchinni as it contains alot of liquid.

Apple Puree
Peel and slice your favourite eating apples. Simmer until soft in freshly boiled water, use approximately 1/2 cup of water to 3 to 4 large apples. Puree when slightly cool. Freezes well in ice cube trays.

Prune Puree
Soak approximately 2 cups of pitted prunes in 2 - 3 cups of boiling water for 20 minutes (in a pot). Then simmer gently in a pot on the stove for 15 to 20 minutes. Once slightly cooled blend with blender stick. Note: Prunes can be frozen in small containers, but will remain slightly sticky (which makes them more difficult to freeze into ice cube trays).

Freezing homemade baby purees
Vegetable and Fruit Purees can be made at home quite easily, cooled and frozen into ice cube trays. Once frozen store them in labelled containers or ziplock bags. Remember to rotate and use up older frozen purees first. Frozen fruits and vegetables have a relatively short shelf life (no longer than up to 6 months in a large deep freezer, or 2 to 3 months in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator). Pureed frozen meats, frozen purees containing milk and frozen legumes (lentils and tofus) should be used within 2 to 3 months.

Remember it will be only a few short months and your child will be enjoying table food (around 11 or 12 months of age you will be able to make them dinners almost the same as you are serving the rest of the family, simply mashed lightly with a fork, without a lot of spices or added sugar or salt.)

Getting Baby started on solids 6 months+

As a family, we always enjoy eating breakfast together. Our son seemed ready to sit at the table, in his highchair, with my husband and I, at around 5 months of age.

When he was much younger we lay him in his stroller next to us, so he could see what was happening, and be able to interact with us.

At 5 1/2 months of age I noticed our son moving his mouth up and down, while sitting in his highchair (as if he was mimicking my husband and I eating), and he began to reach out to grab a banana, when he saw it, so I began making baby purees for him to try.

Here are some tips and ideas for getting your little one started on solid foods.

Firstly, it is wise to remember that 'breastmilk or formula is the best source of food' for your young baby.

Your baby needs a good source of daily milk supply, with all its vitamins and minerals, up until, at least, the age of 2 years and beyond. Cow's milk (3.25%) can be introduced to an older infant from the age of 9 months+, but it may be better to wait a little longer until they are aound 12 months of age.

When introducing solids, start around 6 months+ of age. We started a little earlier as our son was almost 10 pounds at birth and he seemed ready. Continue to offer the breastmilk or formula first, before offering any solid food. I usually wait 15 to 20 minutes after giving our son milk before I offer him cereal, fruits or vegetables.

Be sure your baby can sit well, and hold their head up on their own before introducing solid foods. This is to avoid any type of choking hazard. Look for signs that your baby might be interested in beginning solids eg reaching or grabbing for food while you are eating.

Start with a Cereal
I started my little one on 1 Tblspn of rice cereal for breakfast and dinner. His milk feeds remained at 3 to 4 hourly during the day, with his first feed at 5.00am and his last feed around 5.00pm (half an hour or so before bed).

Then Introduce a Vegetable
After 3 days of cereal only, I then introduced 1 Tblspn of vegetable puree (squash) in place of the rice cereal at dinner time.

Gradually he began eating more cereal and vegetable puree at mealtimes. It wasn't long before I added a fruit puree to the breakfast and dinner menu.

Offer Water at mealtimes
Remember to always offer cooled, boiled water to your baby at mealtimes, along with cereal and purees.

I began offering water to my son in the little cup off the lid of his baby bottle. He is gradually learning to hold that cup in both hands, and drink himself. He drinks when he his thirsty, and I don't worry too much if he turns his head away or pushes the cup away.

At 6 months of age my son was enjoying cereal for breakfast, and squash, carrots, beans or zuchinni for dinner. He had also started to enjoy finely mashed banana, apple puree and prune puree.

Remember to introduce your little one to only one new item of cereal, fruit or vegetable at a time for a period of up to three days. This is to help identify any potential allergies or reactions to the food. It wasn't long before my son was eating one serve of fruit, vegetable and cereal all in the same day!

My son quickly gained an appetite and I gradually increased the quantity of serves to 3 Tblspns of cereal, fruit and vegetable over the course of 3 to 4 weeks.

Hope for the future

'Hope' and 'change' seem to be the latest buzzwords. Many people pin their hopes and dreams on other people, and are often left disappointed and let down. The harsh reality is that not one of us is perfect.

Where is there hope for the future? Who can we put our trust in today?

As a new mum, I find myself 'hoping and praying' that my baby will settle quickly. There are just so many things to catch up on during a one and a half hour nap time... washing, cooking, cleaning, answering messages, making appointments and so on - not to mention getting a little rest too!

When we are out and about my young son is often complemented on being happy and calm. He seems to be able to take most things in his stride, and with a cry lets me know when he is not right. Is he hungry? Does he need to sleep or a nappy change? Has a toy escaped his reach, or, would he simply like a cuddle? I can hear my baby now as he wakes from his morning nap, babbling away to himself. At eight months, he is experiencing change everyday. This week he is now able to hold and feed himself from a bottle (which gives me confidence that he could be weaned at any time). He has eaten home made chicken liver puree (for the very first time), as babies around 9 months need a good source of iron rich foods. And he has learned to make the consonant 'ba ba ba ba.' His future is going to be filled with many new experiences!

Babies need to know there is security around them, and there is a sense of rhythm in their life. Too many changes, too quickly and they easily become unsettled.

Are you struggling with how much your life has changed since your newborn arrived? Have you lost hope that you'll be able to do the things that you loved doing before this little bundle came along?

Stay focussed on the task at hand for now and allow yourself to catch a glimpse of the future when you can.

Life is different now and the rewards are immeasurable. As parents we have the priveleged task of teaching our children to become kind, compassionate, well educated neighbours and friends.

Someone who cares

Have you ever that it is 'all up to me' to get things done? Perhaps, as a new Mum, you are wondering 'Where am I going to get the energy from to do all the cooking, cleaning, feeding, nappy changing, bathing of baby?' Are you facing these things alone?

Be encouraged - there is someone who cares for you, more than you could ever imagine.

Treasures of the heart

It is said "For where your treasure is there your heart will be also."

Have you ever thought about the use of your earthly treasures?

How many people do you know who are giving generously, not coveting wealth or possessions? Or, are you observing more and more people living for themselves - desiring greater wealth, often spending more than they earn, and living life on credit in the pursuit of personal happiness.

Here is a story of a rich man whose land yielded more crops than he had room for in his barns. The rich man thought to himself, "What shall I do? I have no more room to store my crops - I know, I will tear down ALL my barns and build bigger. Then I will say to my soul - EAT, DRINK and BE MERRY - for you have stored up well for many years."

Isn't this like the people in life who are always building BIGGER, BETTER, GREATER material wealth and possessions, careers, homes, land, income and even debt.

Life is a gift - and there is not one of us who knows how long we will walk on this earth. Who will inherit the treasures of your heart, and all the things for which you have provided?

Can a person who lays up treasure only for themselves be rich toward God?

Life's Application: Decide to act this week and give generously to others from what you have earned. View money differently than you ever have before - there are many who have lost their entire life savings due to the mismanagement or misappropriation of funds by financial institutions all over the world - choose to act and remember it is a wise person who builds for themselves riches in heaven (that will not be able to be destroyed). Read and meditate on the Word of God, The Bible.

Life is more than food and the body is more than clothing. The Bible teaches us that if we seek after a relationship with our Heavenly Father then ALL these things will be added to us - we need not be anxious about clothes, food and material things that can so easily be destroyed.

Who have you given the treasure of your heart to?