And the Winner Is...

Has anybody noticed what a slacker I am? This adoption paperwork is overwhelming me. I nearly forgot that Spring is over which means it is time to draw the winner of the goop giveaway.



Tina in TX. Must be beginners luck, :-) Tina, email me and I will get your gift out to you.

Eat Your Choline

Are your pregnant with a baby who has Down syndrome, or nursing a newborn? A recent study performed by Cornell University has shown that more choline given to developing babies with Down syndrome has lasting cognitive and emotional benefits.

Where can you get choline? There is a lot of it in eggs, beef, cauliflower, navy beans, tofu, almonds, peanut butter, and in Nutrivene-D. The recommended daily dose of choline for infants is about 150 mg a day. For pregnant moms it is 450 mg and for lactating moms it is 550 mg.

I am not sure how many eggs or how much beef liver you would have to eat to pass that much choline to your baby through breast milk, so you may want to ask your pediatrician if Nurtivene-D is right for your child.

To get you started eating your choline, here are two recipes:
For baby...
Vegi Puree (32.3 mg total choline)
1 oz. breast milk (4.5 mg choline) or milk (4.0 mg choline)
1oz cooked navy beans, mashed (8.6 mg choline)
1oz cooked cauliflower, mashed (10.9 mg choline)
1oz cooked carrots, mashed (2.5 mg choline)
1oz cooked sweet potato, mashed (3.7 mg choline)
1tbsp melted butter (2.6 mg choline)
Put in all in the food processor or blender and puree it until you reach the consistency your baby likes.

For you... (and baby, lol)
Nigerian Baked Beans whose leftovers become Summer Stew (284 mg total choline)
(from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian (modified by L.L.Barkat)


(ds.mama substituted navy beans for Great Northern beans and shortened the cooking time.)
Stir briefly over low heat..
1 onion, chopped and already sauteed until light brown (5.7 mg choline)
4 cloves garlic, minced (2.8 mg choline)
1 TB curry powder
Add onion and garlic mixture to...
1 1/2 cups dried Navy Beans, already soaked and cooked until tender (retain cooking water) (144 mg choline)
2 tomatoes, chopped (16.4 mg choline)
1 1/2 TB peanut butter (15 mg choline)
salt and pepper to taste
Bake all together about 45 minutes or until tender and sauce is thickened.

For Stew the Following Evening... ( adds about 100 mg choline)
• cut 4-5 potatoes (22 mg choline per potato) into 1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks, add to beans with enough water to cover, and cook 15 minutes or until tender
• garnish with one onion sliced very thin, browned until crisp
• add a generous scoop of herbed butter (5.2 mg choline) and stir until melted

Picture credit: L.L. Barkat.

Five Great Goops

Glop, goop, and goo... some of my favorite things for babies (and mamas) come in bottles and tubes.

Lansinoh Lanolin
There is a good possibility that my breast feeding days would have been over early on if not for Lansinoh lanolin nursing cream. In the beginning, even if you are doing it right, breast feeding can be extremely painful on the nipples. This cream makes a real difference and it doesn’t have to be washed off prior to nursing. If you are pregnant and thinking of nursing, get some. The hospital you deliver in will probably have travel size tubes of it, so make sure you remember to ask for it.

detachol
One of our favorite nurses gave us a bottle of detachol to take home, a PICU parting gift. This magical goo removes anything that gets stuck to your baby’s skin or hair. Band-aids, electrode stickies, medical tape, tree sap, gum... you name it, detachol will get it off pain free.

Boudreaux’s Butt Paste
I’m not sure why this diaper rash cream seems to work better than the rest, but my babies’ bottoms have sworn by it for years. It looks like mud, smells pretty, and clears up irritated skin in record time. For an almost free sample (you pay postage) visit buttpaste.com.

Nordic Naturals DHA Oil
I have written about the wonders of DHA/Omega 3 oil in the past. Since then Nordic Naturals has introduced a DHA product designed for infants. It comes in an easy dose bottle and is unflavored (though I am not sure if that’s a good thing with fish oil, lol).

Coconut Oil
Babies with Down syndrome respond well to body massage and therapeutic touch. There are a lot of massage lotions and oils on the market but I prefer to use coconut oil because it doesn’t clog pores and has a very low allergy risk compared with other nut oils. It doesn’t leave baby’s skin greasy and it doesn’t stain clothes. It smells delicious (if you like coconut :-), has a long shelf life, and protects against dry skin. As if all that weren’t enough, there are even Internet rumors that coconut oil is beneficial against alzheimer’s disease.

Spring Giveaway
It is still Spring... thank goodness I didn’t miss an entire season without giving a little something away ;-) This time you can win a bottle of Nordic Natural’s new baby DHA product (and a cute growth chart for your wall). A representative from Nordic Naturals contacted me to say how pleased the company was to know that their product is especially beneficial to children with Down syndrome, and they offered to donate this season’s giveaway goodies. To be entered to win, just leave a comment on this post by June 20th.

Your Turn
Got a favorite goop? Tell us about it. We love to hear what other people are using and why. If you comment, you will be entered into the drawing so if you don't want to win, make sure you tell me to keep you out of it.

We’re Expecting... TWINS! Sorta...

Well, I promised you big news and here it is... we are adopting two little girls from the Ukraine. They aren’t really twins, in fact they are a couple years apart in age, so it is really more like a two-for-one special ;-)

We invite you to follow along on our adventures.

(And now you know why I have been a bit of a blog slacker for the past two months.)

I'll be there...will you?

Guest post by Kelli

The National Down Syndrome Convention is fast approaching...July 16th-18th in Orlando, FL. I'll be there...will you?

Last year Monica over at Monkey Musings designed badges for all moms that attended and blog about their life with Down Syndrome so that everyone could be easily identified. This year, as she is expecting their 5th child (brave, brave woman)...she has passed the baton, to me! So, if you are attending and would like a badge, please let me know by commenting on this post or emailing me at livinglifewithes (at) yahoo (dot) com.

I hope many of you do attend...I cannot wait to meet you and shake your hand...oh, who am I kidding, I would love to give you a big fat hug... you have become an extention of my family through your encouragement and support. I can't wait to see your smiling faces in person and tell you how much I appreciate you sharing your lives through your blogs.

If you haven't registered yet..make sure you hurry over to the website and do it now, you have to register before June 10th to get the early bird rate (it sounds like I am talking about a meal, doesn't it!). If you haven't decided whether or not you are going...well consider that it's in ORLANDO where there is always an abundance of sunshine and fun, especially for the kiddos!

I would like to make sure that everyone that plans on attending gets a badge so if you woudn't mind helping me spread the word, I would really appreciate you linking back to this post from your blog or mentioning it in some way so that I can make sure that all DS bloggers receive a badge if they want one.

Hope to see you all in July!!!


(Note from ds.mama... Well, we were planning on going and then something big, something huge happened (I'll tell you about it later this week ;-) and we had to change our plans for this summer. We'll miss you guys and Mickey too.)

Purees, the First Foods

Stage two feeding is so exciting... it’s the introduction of real foods. Mushed up, watered down pureed foods, but cereals, fruits, and vegies just the same. Really, who isn’t totally psyched to run out and buy that first box of rice cereal and a couple teeny tiny jars of apples and sweet potatoes?

You don’t have to limit yourself to the baby food aisle though... you could make your own purees. It is easy and cheap. It is also healthier since the high heat processing in commercial baby food depletes the nutrient levels in those jarred foods. The best reason to make your own is because it tastes better and it tastes like real food... the real food your baby will be feeding herself in a few months.

A Few Guidelines
When introducing a new food, wait three to four days before introducing another. Having your baby eat the new food for three days will help you to figure out if your baby is going to react to it. Allergies will show up as a rash, hives, diarrhea, gas, congestion, or puffy, watery eyes.

Always cook vegies and fruits before you puree them, with the exception of bananas and avocados. Why? Because it makes the food easier for your baby to fully digest it.

What is a proper serving size for a baby? The first couple times you introduce a new food, do not give your baby more than two tablespoons per serving. Once you know your baby is not allergic to the food, you can feed her a serving somewhere between an 1/8 to a 1/4 cup, which is 2–4 tablespoons, or 1-2 ounces. However, if your baby turns away or acts disinterested, trust that she is done eating and do not push her to eat more. In this beginning phase of eating real food, it is more about exposure and practice rather than nutrition and calories. Your baby is still getting her nutritional and caloric needs met through nursing or bottle feeding.

To make some of these recipes it would be helpful to have a steamer basket and a food processor of some sort... a blender will work too.

5 Yummy First Purees
Baby Rice (15 servings, can freeze) B&T
1/4 cup white rice (short-grain like Basmati)
breastmilk or formula
Rinse the rice under cold water. Put it in a pan with just enough water to cover it. Bring it to a boil and stir it. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Puree the rice in a blender with the breast/formula milk until smooth.

Pear Puree (2-3 servings, can freeze) B&T
1 small, ripe pear
2 tbsp. water
Wash, peel, core and cut up the pear. Put the pear chunks in a pan with the water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes until the pear is tender. Cool and then puree using a little of the cooking liquid.

Carrot Puree (1-2 servings, can freeze) B&T
1 small carrot
1-2 tbsp water
Wash, peel (or scrape) and slice the carrot. Steam the carrot for 10 minutes. Cool and then puree in a blender with a little of the cooking water.

First Applesauce (8-10 servings, can freeze) MM
3 Medium sized Golden Delicious apples (or other low acid mild apples)
water as needed
Wash, core and slice apples but leave the skin on during cooking. Place slices in a steamer basket and set in a pot of already boiling/steaming water. Cover tightly and steam for 10-12 minutes (add more water as necessary). When the apples pierce easily they are done. Set them aside to cool and save the cooking water. Scrape the skins off and puree the apples with a tablespoon of cooking liquid for each apple.

Avocado Puree (1-2 servings, doesn’t freeze so you can eat the extras ;-) B&T
1/2 small avocado
Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh and cut out any dark spots or hard spots. Mash until it is smooth and creamy. Serve right away.

5 Combo Purees
Pear, Apple, and Banana Combo (4 servings, doesn’t freeze) HB
2 tbsp. pear puree (see above)
2 tbsp. apple puree (see above)
1/2 small ripe banana, mashed
Mix all three ingredients together and serve immediately.

Broccoli and Pea Puree (2-3 servings, can freeze but is better fresh) B&T
3 broccoli florets
small handful of fresh or frozen peas
a little breastmilk or formula
Steam the broccoli for 7-10 minutes, adding the peas 1 or 3 minutes (depending on if they are fresh or frozen) before broccoli is done. Cool and then puree in the processor, adding a little bit of breast/formula milk to counter any possible bitterness from the broccoli.

Butternut Squash and Pear (4 Servings, can freeze) HB
1 medium butternut squash
1 ripe pear
Peel the squash, cut it and take out the seeds. Chop it up and steam the pieces for about 12 minutes. Peel, core, and chop the pear. Add it to the steamer pot and cook for 5 minutes longer, or until the squash is tender. Puree in the processor.

Mashed Banana Flambe (2 servings, doesn’t freeze) HB
1 tsp. butter
1small banana, peeled and sliced
a pinch of cinnamon
2 tbsp orange juice, fresh if available
Melt the butter in a small skillet. Stir in the sliced banana, sprinkle with cinnamon and saute for 2 minutes. Pour in the orange juice and cook 2 minutes longer. Mash with a fork and serve once it has cooled enough.

Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon (7 servings, can freeze) HB
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
pinch of cinnamon
3 tbsp breastmilk or formula
Put sweet potato chunks in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about a half hour or until tender. Drain and puree in processor with cinnamon and breast/formula milk until smooth.

Baby Cookbooks
These recipes come from a few of my favorite baby cookbooks. I can’t fully endorse any of these books because in each there are some suggestions that I personally don’t agree with for babies with Down syndrome or typical kids, but every one of them has an array of super recipes and food ideas for little ones.

Mommy Made, Home Cooking for a Healthy Baby & Toddler by Martha and David Kimmel (MM)

The Healthy Baby Meal Planner by Annabel Karmel (HB)

Wholesome Meals for Babies & Toddlers, Parragon Books (B&T)

They Get Messy

Babies are notoriously messy eaters. They figure out right away that throwing, squishing, and spitting food is fun. It takes a while to get good hand/eye coordination going and as they practice there are plenty of misses resulting in food in the eyebrows, hair, ears... you name it. Then there is the lack of solid motor-planning which means cups and utensils often end up on the floor. Picking an object up does not require the same skills as putting it back down, and for some reason learning to place items back on the tray does not seem high on a baby’s priority list.

The first few times your baby ends up an absolute mess, it's kind of cute. You whip out the camera and preserve the memory for all time. Months upon months of glopped hair, soaked and stained shirts, and spills on the floor can become tedious. This same behavior in a restaurant or at a friend’s house could even be embarrassing. What’s a grown-up to do?

The Eating Arsenal


There’s no lack of bib styles out there, and after four kids I think I’ve tried them all. When I want to minimize the mess I go with the plastic full sleeve pocket bib that ties at the neck with a soft cotton collar bib underneath it for comfort as well as absorbing anything the dribbles down the neck. If your baby is not wearing short sleeves, roll up his sleeves before putting the bibs on.

Use simple hair clips to hold back your baby’s hair. You can do this for a boy too provided the macho police aren’t peeking in your windows during mealtime.

Position a spill mat under your baby’s highchair. We are using a Mimi the Sardine mat I picked up for half price on GreenBabyBargains.com. There are other brands that probably work just as well or even better.

Whenever possible (usually at lunchtime) I place a feeding mirror in front of Summer while she eats so that she can see herself eating. The speech therapist said this is supposed to help her visualize what she is doing. Make sure the mirror is out of reach, or that will end up on the floor too!

When I am planning on being right there the whole time, I use a place mat that we made for her that has a bowl/plate spot, utensil places, and a cup spot clearly marked on it. The mat does not adhere to the table so I have to be nearby to save the lunch bowl from ending up on the ceiling. The guides on the mat are to help her understand where to “set down” her eating tools. I only use this mat when I am specifically working with her on the concept of setting down her cup/utensils (instead of the usual Olympic shot-put method she has come to excel at.)

Keep a box of wipes or a damp cloth nearby so that you can wipe up spills as you go along. Keeping stray dribbles and chunks wiped up will keep them off the clothes, hair, and floor.

Consistent Caregiver Responses
After the first messy baby photo shoots, try to refrain from giving attention to messy eating. Don’t laugh or smile when your baby throws things, or blows raspberries with a mouth full of pureed peas. You don’t need to have a negative reaction either, a simple “No thank you, we don’t do that,” is fine.

Lessen Frustration by Teaching
Much of the mess is borne of frustration... baby wants more drink not more peaches and so the peaches go flying to the floor, etc. Teach your baby the signs for more and all done, and food and drink. Those words can make a big difference in how a meal goes. Your baby is going to let you know when she is done with her peas...she will spit the last ones out, or throw her spoon, or even swing her arms and knock the spoon out of your hands. If she knows the sign for all done, there is a good chance she’ll use it instead.

It is important for your baby to learn to wipe her mouth with a napkin or cloth. You want your baby to get used to this, to get in the habit of it. Children with Down syndrome often cannot feel little bits of food on their lips or cheeks/chin, and as they get older this could become a source of embarrassment or teasing. Teach your little one to always wipe her face after taking a couple bites of food.

As mentioned before, setting items down requires different skills than picking items up. Teach your child how to release his grip on his spoon or cup and to place it back on his tray. Many times babies throw their utensils simply because they haven’t the motor-plan for any other method of releasing them. You can teach “set down” by using a hand-over-hand motion with your baby and gently tapping the spoon/cup onto his tray so he can hear and feel as well as see where it goes.

A Little Help from You
Spend a couple minutes doing some mouth prep prior to feeding your baby. Use your z-vibe (or let your baby chew on his vibrating teether) for a minute to wake up his mouth muscles.

When you are doing the feeding, place the spoon in the center of your baby’s mouth with a little pressure so that his tongue forms a “bowl” around the spoon, and then let him close his mouth on the food before you remove the spoon. Don’t scrape the food off the spoon against the inside of his upper mouth as you remove the spoon. If he is self-feeding, you can use hand-over-hand motions to guide the spoon or cup appropriately.

When your baby is drinking from a cup or eating something of thin consistency, you can help him to keep in that last sip by placing your finger under his chin and supporting his mouth closure with some slight pressure. This will encourage him to swallow that last sip rather than let it rush out.

This Too Shall Pass


Learning to eat without a big mess is a process. Try not to get discouraged, and keep at it consistently... your little one will get there! One trick I use before each meal is to decide ahead of time how much mess I am willing to tolerate. From that decision stems my choices of how much to “bib up”, who gets to do the feeding, what she gets to eat, which cup we use, etc. For example if we are going out to eat, I make sure I have clips, a cover-all bib and neck bib, that I do the feeding and wiping, that she eats the least messy food on the menu, etc. If we are home and I am in a tolerant mood at lunchtime, she gets to practice self feeding with her own spoon and cup, and can eat a food that will stick to the utensil... I let her go at it on her own (and I even sneak pictures of her when she isn’t looking!)

Your Turn
Got a messy eater? Or maybe you have a feeding trick we need to know about? Tell us about it! Have you posted on this topic? Comment with the link and I will add it to the related posts.

Related Posts:
Homemade Monday: Feeding Kit


Picture Credits:
Sheridan from Genetically Enhanced
The Quail from The Tao of Tulips
Pudge from The Adventures of Pudge and Zippy

Look What I Found

Every year we find an egg or two days, even weeks after Easter. Thank goodness we use plastic ones now. Well, just like at home, the same thing happened on the blog... I found two more eggs and they belong to a couple of beautiful boys.

Sutter
Wren, Rich and Big Brother Landon announce the arrival of Sutter.




Rowdy
Lance and Erika (and Grandma CiCi) announce the arrival of Rowdy.