A Tale of Two Blankets

This blanket. We've had it for a while. It was one we grabbed from Ikea on a whim and it lived in a basket in Teddy's room for several months before I moved it to the nursery, where it now awaits our new baby, along with countless other blankets and stuffed animals and items of comfort.

Like many other people, I've been following the refugee crisis in Syria, and I came across a photo series a while back called Where the Children Sleep, in which Magnus Wennman documents child refugees on their journey to safety. There in the photos was a 5-year-old girl, sleeping in the woods with the very same blanket. All of the photos were obviously horrific and heartbreaking, but seeing that photo was like a giant slap in the face. Just a few days before, I had been crying about a chair. A big, comfy chair I had picked out for the nursery that went out of stock before I could order it. I sobbed to my husband, telling him how unfair it felt, while also acknowledging how ridiculous I was being for crying over a A CHAIR (can I blame pregnancy hormones?). Because how many people would give almost anything for their biggest problem to be a chair that went out of stock?

Photo by Magnus Wennman

It feels wrong. Wrong to cry over chairs, wrong to go Christmas shopping, wrong to post happy little squares to Facebook and Instagram, when there are so many terrible things going on both around the world and right here in our own city. It seems that every time I turn on the tv or open my laptop I'm bombarded by the reality of the tragedies occurring all around us. I've been reminded more than enough lately just how fragile and precious life is. I hug Teddy crying on an almost nightly basis and think of those who can no longer do the same, thanks to war and shootings and racism and hate and any number of other things.

I don't know if it's this pregnancy or the approaching holidays or something else entirely, but the emotions are almost too much to bear these days. I want to run away from the news, yet I know pretending like it's not happening isn't the solution either. We need to be aware of what's going on within our communities and around the world because we owe it to future generations to make it better.

So what do we do? SOMETHING. We have to do SOMETHING. Because hugging my own son tighter and shutting out the world doesn't prevent another innocent life from being lost. I'm not suggesting everyone glue themselves to their tv or phones--finding balance is key--but when you do come across a troubling story, DO SOMETHING. Whatever you can; however you can. Whether that's contacting your representative about gun control, donating to an organization that assists refugees around the world or within the U.S., or helping a local family that's in need this Christmas--find what you are passionate about and HELP.

There's no shortage of organizations that could use your help or donations right now--UNHCR, UNICEF, the ASPCA, the American Red Cross, Planned Parenthood, the Wounded Warrior Project, One Simple Wish, and so many more--they need us.

And maybe if we all knew that every time we saw something tragic on the news or Internet, we could take comfort in knowing that our collective efforts are at least a tiny step in the right direction to make it better. We have to make it better.

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Dear Teddy,

You have a nasty cold. Tonight, shortly after your daddy and I read you books, sang you songs, and tucked you in, you began yelling for me. I was slightly annoyed and frustrated, as I was just about to collapse into my own bed for the night, but I knew you weren't feeling well, so I agreed to let you come lie in bed with us. You snuggled up beside me, nose almost touching mine, and smiled a tiny smile. I watched your eyes close and your chest rise and fall, until your breathing became slow and steady and the tiny muscles in your hands relaxed. I realized that, before tonight, I can't remember the last time I watched you fall asleep. And that made me sad.

Thank you, Teddy, for teaching me to slow down; for showing me that the most magical moments are the little ones in between that unfold organically; for reminding me that lowering my expectations is not a bad thing because sometimes it opens your eyes to what you've been missing out on.


Love,

Mama

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Toddler-Approved Smoothie Bowls (and A Tale of Food Allergies)

I very well could be the only person who craves smoothies when its -2 degrees outside. I think it might be my body's way of telling me that it's time to back off the stale Christmas cookies for breakfast. Who knows. Smoothies were one of the cravings I had when I was pregnant with Teddy, though that could have been because it was August and I was, well, big and hot (not the sexy kind). I've been hooked on them ever since and they've become a staple in my family's diet.

When Teddy was 9 months old, after so many sleepless nights and tears of frustration (from both of us), I gave him a tiny bite of hummus, which resulted in immediate hives all over his face followed by a whole lot of gagging. At that point, I had had enough. I called his pediatrician who gave us a referral to an allergist who agreed to blood testing (they usually don't blood test on children that young). When we got the results back, the test showed that Teddy was highly allergic to wheat, sesame (a main ingredient in hummus), dairy, egg, peanut, and tree nuts. I felt terrified and overwhelmed, but also relieved. We finally had some answers! What had previously been diagnosed as reflux and colic was actually food allergies, and after a drastic change in my diet (I was breastfeeding) and his, Teddy was a like a new, much happier baby.

(Side note: Over the past two years Teddy has outgrown his dairy, egg, and tree nut allergies, which has made life much easier, but we still maintain a mostly wheat/gluten free diet in our house and avoid peanuts and sesame.)

While things improved tremendously, it was not without a lot of stress. If you are a mom of a toddler, you've likely agonized over their diet at some point along the way. If you are a mom of a toddler with severe food allergies, you do this daily. I threw out most of the foods that had previously been staples in our diets. A food did not enter his or my body before the label and ingredients were thoroughly examined. And life now revolved around finding and making healthy things we could actually eat. I made the choice to breastfeed on a very strict diet until Teddy was two, partly because I enjoyed our toddler nursing relationship, but mostly because it helped ease my worries that he wasn't receiving an adequate amount of fat, protein, and calories elsewhere. But after he turned one and was nursing less frequently, I started to look for more ways to get good, wholesome food into his body. Smoothies ended up being key. You can squeeze (and hide) so much goodness in a smoothie! I've made many different combinations of smoothies over the years and there are far too many to list them all, but a few of my favorites include:

-Strawberry, Banana, & Spinach (your kid won't even taste it)
-Banana, Sunbutter (this is just a nut-free alternative to almond or peanut butter-feel free to use those), & Chocolate. I love this smoothie for boosting fat and protein!
-Blueberry, Banana, Beet, & Spinach
-Mango, Pineapple, & Spinach
-Coconut, Pineapple, & Banana
-Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Banana, & Spinach (I call this one Bananaberry and it's the one I've made for this post)

Are you sensing a spinach-y theme here? Some of these smoothies will be green in color because of the spinach (you can also use kale, I just prefer spinach). This has never bothered Teddy, as we usually just make them sound fun by calling them "green monster smoothies." If your child has an aversion to green foods, you can ease them in with any of the ones that include blueberries or beets, as these tend to do a good job of "masking" the green-ish color.

When Teddy was younger, he mostly just drank the smoothies out of a cup with a straw. We still do this when we are on the go or running around outside in the summer, but once your child has mastered using a spoon, smoothie bowls offer a whole new opportunity for making smoothies fun and adding even more healthy goodness via toppings!

So, without further ado, I give you the Bananaberry Smoothie Bowl

For this one I used blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, banana (not pictured), spinach, greek yogurt (feel free to use coconut milk yogurt if you are vegan or have a diary allergy), ginger (I add ginger to most of my smoothies when I have it on hand because I love the kick it gives, but feel free to omit it), and coconut water. Coconut milk will give your smoothies a creamier taste and texture, but for this smoothie I like to keep it more icey and fruity. I also threw a few ice cubes in this one. If your fruit is all frozen, you may not need to do this. I tend not to measure things out when making smoothies because I think it's mostly unnecessary and creates more work and a bigger mess. Instead I just keep everything out on the counter and add more as I go and taste.

You'll want to put all of your ingredients in the blender with the leaves on top (otherwise it doesn't blend as well). You can also blend the spinach with the yogurt and liquid first to make sure there are no chunks, but my blender seems to do an okay job without that step. The key to getting a nice, thick smoothie that's good for spoon eating is to not add too much liquid! You just need a splash of coconut milk or water- just enough to get it going in the blender

Once it's all blended well, you can pour it into a bowl and let your child go to town "decorating". You can make this really fun by having them make different designs or faces. A few of my favorite toppings include:

-Granola: I love the Kind brand because there are tons of options that are gluten free. This one has quinoa, which is an awesome source of protein, fiber, magnesium, phosphorous, and manganese
-Chia Seed: Great source of fiber, protein, and omega-3's
-Raw Cacao Nibs: Lots of fiber, iron, and magnesium
-Almonds: Have tons of protein, fiber, and vitamin E
-Pumpkin Seeds: Great source of zinc, omega-3's, and magnesium. I recently read that magnesium can help with morning sickness. I wish I had known this when I was pregnant with T because I would have been buyin' up ALL THE MAGNESIUM FOODS.
-Raisins
-Coconut Flakes

If you have a picky eater, let them choose the toppings! Chunks of fruit, chocolate chips, sprinkles- anything works!
-About 1 C Blueberries
Place all ingredients in the blender with spinach on top (or blend spinach first with yogurt and liquid). Blend thoroughly, pour into a bowl, and top with toppings of choice (scroll up for some suggestions)
Enjoy!!


In the end you get a beautiful, delicious smoothie bowl that both you and your little one can enjoy!

Banaberry Smoothie Bowl (serves 2ish)

-About 1/2 C Raspberries
-8ish Strawberries
-1 Banana
-2 Large Spoonfuls Greek or other yogurt
-2 Handfuls Fresh Baby Spinach
-1 t Fresh Ginger (I just break a small piece off, scrape of the skin, and toss the chunk in)
-Splash coconut water or coconut milk