Is string cheese and hot dogs all you got?

I've decided to dedicate this blog entry to food. No, not for all the food I love or the great dishes that are out there for everyone to try. This is for all the food my son won't eat. I've read articles and seen books on how to get your picky kid to try new things, but I'm almost certain that they haven't met Evan. Anytime I give him anything new. And by new I mean anything that isn't a hot dog, string cheese, peanut butter toast, grapes or chicken. So, as you can see that leaves a lot of things out there that Evan doesn't like.

At first I thought I could be tricky and sneak things onto his plate without him noticing. WRONG! When I do that he kind of gives me this who-are-you-trying-to-kid look and promptly throws the food on the floor. Fun!

I've tried combining foods so it has a familiar taste but different ingredients. For example, the one I was most proud of was cauliflower that I steamed and made like mashed potatoes with cheese. Who would turn that down? Um, that would be Evan! He acted like I gave him poison and dug the cauliflower concoction out of his mouth and threw it on the floor. More fun!

What gets me is he doesn't even try the entire bite of food. He judges by the first second it hits his tongue, and if he doesn't like it (which is 99.9% of the time) he will take it out of his mouth and banish it to the floor. I almost picture him doing an Italian accent when he does it while saying "get outta here" in his best mafia voice. That is then followed by the who-are-you-trying-to-kid look. How am I supposed to get him to try new things when he won't even give it a try?

I worry with his limited palate he isn't getting the nutrition he needs and that he is going to grow up and become the Oscar Myer spokesman. To over compensate I feed him fruit (the only thing he loves completely) and milk like it's going out of style, which I'm sure if I look hard enough I can find something that is wrong with that. Sigh!

The only thing I can hope for is that he will grow out of this stage and come to love normal kid food, like pizza and mac and cheese. Until then, you'll find me in the grocery isle stocking up on hotdogs and string cheese.

Feeling like me again

These past 13 months have been a whirlwind of excitement, emotion, and adjustment and even though it's been a little over a year since I had Evan, it's taken me that long to start to feel like myself again. The one thing I never fully understood is how much having a baby will change your life and you. I think this is more so for the moms because they go through 9 months of being pregnant. The crazy influx of hormones and changes in your body does something to you that I can't even explain. It's a wonderful thing, and I wouldn't change it for the world but it's also different and comes with its ups and downs.


I feel like the last year has been an emotional roller coaster for me. I was trying to adjust to my new life of being a new mom, working, and trying to keep in touch with the friends that I love (to which I'll admit I wasn't the best at). The day I had Evan it was like a light switch was flipped and I didn't feel the same about things. I saw the world in a different light, and I still do. But, only a few weeks ago I started feeling like my old self again. I finally feel like I got a grasp on this parenting thing, although I'm still thrown for loops and will continue to be I'm sure.

I don't quite know how to explain it but the light switch that was flipped seems to be evening out again. Which makes it hard for me when I start to think about baby #2. Am I ready to go through everything again? Can I love another child like I love Evan? Will I ever have time for John and I again after #2? What will happen to my friendships?

All these questions bounce around in my head and I'll admit it makes me nervous to add to our family. I want Evan to have a brother or a sister and to experience that sibling bond. When I get around other babies I feel my biological clock ticking and find myself wanting another one. Then there are nights that I think to myself, things just started getting easy again do I really want to go through the newborn stage again? If it took me a year to feel normal again after one child, will it take two years after the second?

I know the man upstairs has a master plan for all of us, so I'm going to leave it up to him. I'm going to enjoy this new stage my family and I are moving into and most of all enjoy being me again!

Did I spawn Satan himself?

With Evan's year birthday came changes that I'm not sure I'm quite ready for. My once angelic sweet little boy is turning into an independent and strong willed little boy. To which I am constantly telling him no or trying to divert his attention to something else. Sometimes it works, but sometimes his momma's gene of turning into a crazy mad person comes out and he turns red with anger and the temper tantrum begins. I thought I had another year before that started. Isn't there something called the "terrible twos"?? The craziest thing about Evan's anger is it is evident at just one glance at him. His face and eyebrows turn red, and I swear his lips snarl and for a second you might think, "Is he going to bit me?" That all happens in seconds followed by what I can only describe as pure madness.....a temper tantrum.


His temper tantrums are insane. He throws himself back and it looks like some evil force has taken over his body and he flails around on the floor. And if that doesn't get your attention he will then start banging his head on the floor just too really let you know he isn't playing. He then goes into that silent cry that I've only experienced when I'm in extreme pain, the kind that knocks the breath right out of you. The first couple of times I heard this cry with his tantrums I freaked out because I thought he really hurt himself, but soon realized its all part of his game to get you to give into him. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me!

Anything can invoke one of these crazy tantrums and I still get a little bit baffled by them. The only true remedy I've found is to put Evan in his crib in his room and walk away, not showing any reaction. At first the shrieks that come from his room from being ignored can really pull on my heart strings, but soon after I realize that true love is setting boundaries and letting him know that I'm the adult. My reasoning usually wins out and a few minutes later he'll calm down and turn back into my sweet little angel. As I go and get him from his room to let him know that I still love him, I can't help but think "did I spawn Satan himself"? But as soon as he wraps his arms around me and puts his head on my shoulder I realize he's not Satan just a little boy realizing his independence and trying to learn the world around him.