The golden hour is defined as the first and last hours of the day. This is because of the quality of light, and its effects on what you are photographing.
I have lots and lots of sunset pictures. When we lived in central Oregon we would see glorious sunsets on a daily basis. The Oregon Coast offers magnificent sunsets.
But I didn’t want to go that route. I wanted a new picture.
On Saturday we went to a friend’s house, they live on a Christmas tree farm, so there are lots and lots of land around them and I made sure to bring my camera. The big boys were paying with our friend’s bow and arrows, so of course Ian wanted to play too.
I love Ian’s expression after shooting the arrow. He was so excited!
They were shot at 7:38pm (sunset was 8:57 pm, so they were a little outside the golden hour, but close enough for me):
1/100 sec
f 5.7
400 ISO
55.0 mm focal length
I did not do anything to the pictures in Photoshop, but I think they could use a little adjustment. The pictures needed a little more light. But that’s how it is with kids, they decide to do something and you have no time to test the light before they are done.
I also had to include one of some plant life.
It was shot at 7:40 pm at 1/85 sec, f 5.7, 200 ISO, 55.0 mm focal length
My toddler loves those baby food pouches that are all the rage now.
The food pouches started coming out when he was about a year and a half. I thought they were fantastic!
They were easy for him to eat himself and they wouldn’t break in my bag.
Since then they have come out with a slew of food combinations. Ones that are just fruits or veggies and fruit/veggie combinations. They also have ones with yogurt and ones with grains.
But have you ever bought any of them? They are about $1.50 each. I usually try to get them only on sale, but they are still over a dollar each.
I had thought about ways to make my own reusable bags. But alas, before I could make a design someone else did. Well, now really multiple companies have ones.
As I talk about in this post, I purchased a system to fill up pouches with my own cooking.
This time I decided to make a yogurt smoothie.
I had a bunch of berries and a big carton of yogurt.
Homemade Berry Yogurt Smoothie Pouch
I cooked about 2 pints of berries with some sugar to draw out and concentrate the flavor.
Then I blended whole milk yogurt, the drained berries, dry milk powder, & baby oatmeal cereal. I use the baby oatmeal cereal because it is designed to be used with a liquid, without additional cooking. Plus it is a fine powder, so it will add nutrients and thicken the smoothie without any grit.
The berries can water down the yogurt so I would also recommend adding some dried milk powder.
I made about seven 4oz pouches, filled a couple of jars then froze the rest.
Of course Ian was excited, because he still loves to eat food out of the pouches.
He said “mmm…dat was delicious”
If the pouches won’t be consumed before the yogurt’s expiration date, then it should be frozen.
You can freeze the yogurt as drops for snacks, in ice-cube trays or in baby food jars.
Homemade Berry Yogurt Smoothie Pouch
2 pints of berries
1 tbsp sugar
3 cups whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup baby oatmeal cereal (or other milled grain)
1/4-1/2 cup powdered milk (for thinking)
Heat berries over low heat with sugar for approximately 10 minutes or toss with sugar and let stand at room temperature for about an hour.
Drain the berries, reserving the juice.
Blend berries, yogurt and cereal or powdered grains. If too thick add juice from berries, if too thin add powdered milk, until desired consistency is reached.
Here are some reusable food pouch resources (I have only used the Infantino product, so I know nothing about the others)
I was not asked to write this post, nor was I compensated in any way for it and the opinions expressed are all my own. I bought the products I have, and enjoy using them.
The pacifier, the binky, the mouth plug, the whatever you call it…
As parents we love them and hate them.
We love how they calm our babies down and gets them to stop crying.
We hate how dependent they become to them, how they look blocking that cute little smile, and how it can be a nightmare to wean the baby off them.
This would be such a sweet picture of Ian, with out that binky!
We, as parents, can also become addicted to the pacifier. It is a quick, easy, fail safe way to sooth an upset child.
Some parents are totally opposed to them, some insist their children have one, while some just let the infant decided.
The American Academy of Pediatrics have concluded that pacifiers, among other steps, might help to reduce the instances in SIDS for babies who are more vulnerable to it. They recommend introducing it only after the first month if baby is breast-feeding and for no longer then 12 months. They also say not to force your child to take one; my nephew would have nothing to do with one.
When I was pregnant with Ian, I had decided I would not force the issue one way or the other.
Ian was four weeks early and had a hard time nursing. He wouldn’t/couldn’t latch on. But he wanted to suckle on something so I had asked one nurse for a pacifier. She flat-out refused me. She told me it would only make things worse for him and eating. (She was also not very nice about our issues breast-feeding) So I waited until shift change and asked the new nurse.
She brought Ian one of the Soothie pacifiers that they give out at most hospitals. It is designed more like a bottle nipple and made out of one piece of silicon.
For about a week I had to pump and then feed Ian with a syringe, tube and a finger in his mouth. This is not really doable with one person. So instead of a finger I would have him suck on his pacifier, while I plunged the syringe releasing milk in his mouth. It was these two actions together that helped him figure out how to suckle to get milk.
However, Ian became increasingly dependent on the pacifier to calm him and to help him to sleep.
I became more dependent on it so he wouldn’t cry in public.
I figured I would wean him off the pacifier around two-years old. But we had a lot of new things happening to him, we made a trip out to the east coast, he was getting a sibling, his dad was working out-of-town, he was changing to a toddler bed and getting potty trained. So I figured I could let him keep his binky.
Ian and Baby Sid. Both with a binky…
I decided to wait till he turned three. I am not sure why we are dependent on some kind of mile-stone to in order to make this type of change. But that was the one I chose.
When he was approaching his third birthday we discussed what would be different about this age. One of the things I told him was that he wouldn’t get his binky anymore. I should note that after the age of two I didn’t really let him have it unless it involved sleeping or sickness.
I decided that we would go to Build a Bear and he could pick out a stuffed animal. He would then have to say good-bye to the binky and place it in the stuffed animal. That way he would always have it, just not in his mouth.
Shortly after his birthday we were going to the mall for Easter Bunny pictures and he decided that he was ready to trade his binky for a stuffed animal.
He decided on a penguin, he loves penguins, from the movie Happy Feet. It has a bow tie on that lights up.
The employee had him give his binky a kiss, say good-bye to it and place it the penguin.
It was great that she had him put it there, so it didn’t appear to him that she was taking it away.
He went to sleep the first night without any issues, but he wanted his binky when he woke up. He was pretty upset when he couldn’t get it out of the penguin. When he was more awake, he didn’t find it quite so upsetting.
I would give him his penguin and explain again how his binky is inside it, because he was a big boy and didn’t need it in his mouth anymore.
He has only asked for it a couple of times since. I thought it would be an issue because his brother now uses one, but he understands that Baby Sid is a baby and that is why he gets one. Although, Ian does like to take it away from Baby Sid when he wakes up. Ian says “Baby Sid not need dis, he awake now” and then puts it in the baby crib.
I have decided that I will take away Sid’s around his first birthday. By that time he no longer needs it to learn to suckle and needs to learn to sooth himself with out it. Plus I feel he is too young to put up a protest about it.
Baby Sid’s first Halloween, with a binky
I also think it will be easier on Sid because he doesn’t really depend on it like Ian did. In fact when he was younger he didn’t really like it. I am also trying to limit the amount of time he has it.
There is a book written by Melissa Burnett called The Paci Fairy. It is a story book designed to help wean your child off the pacifier with some tips to help you. On her website you can download a form for your child to write a letter to the Paci Fairy. I have not read this book, but I do know someone who has used it.
Whatever your feelings are about the pacifier, make the choices that are right for you and your family.
Since I became a parent three years ago I sometimes find myself remembering with fondness our life before kids. I don’t wish I had that life again, I enjoyed it, but I love being a mom.
There are just a few things I sometimes miss, like stopping by the bar after work to meet up with my husband and friends. Or being able to quickly stop by the store to grab something, without it being a big production to bring the kids along, or figuring out who will watch them.
While those things are nice, I wouldn’t trade what I have for anything. Not even for a 1950′ Corvette, or a beach house on Kauai’
1956 Chevrolet Corvette
Well maybe I would….
But there are somethings I do not miss, like stuff that is just highly overrated luxuries.
1) Sleep
OK, so I might miss it sometimes, but really who needs it? We can sleep when we are dead, right? Losing sleep means that I am there for my kids when they need me, no matter when it is. If they are scared, hungry or just can’t sleep, they know they can come to me for comfort. Sometimes they just need me to hold them while they sleep.
2) Warm meals
While it has been a while since I have been able to eat my dinner while it is still warm, I know my child is. I know he is eating a warm healthy (sometimes just healthyish) meal because I am taking the time to feed him. He might not always want it, and fights me about eating it, but I know he is well nourished. When you have to feed two kids, the last thing you get to do is feed yourself. At least until they are all done, and sometimes after they are in bed.
3) Being able to pee, or shower, or do anything by myself
I don’t need visitors with my hygiene practices but I know that when he comes barging into the bathroom it is because he just wants to be with me. I know my children love me because they won’t leave me alone. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy having a conversation while brushing your teeth?
4) Clean clothes
When Ian was a baby he spit-up all the time, now Baby Sid does the same thing. When Ian started to eat food the spit up on my clothes changed to food particles. Either from his mouth or his grubby little hands. Baby Sid likes to feed himself, so needless to say food gets everywhere, especially on me. Sometimes I would be at work and smell baby vomit only to realize Baby Sid had spit-up on my shoulder.
But that is why we have washing machines. But all this mess is OK because it means my boys have enough food in their bellies.
5) Walking at any pace I want to
There is nothing better than strolling along at a snail’s pace with a three-year’s old tiny hand clutching your fingers. Their little legs take little strides and it takes FOREVER to get anywhere.
But I am grateful my son has the ability to use his legs, because there are some that don’t. I will walk at any pace he sets as long as he walks with me.
6) Watching something on TV that doesn’t air on Disney Jr
I used to watch crime shows, among other things, whenever I wanted. Now when the TV is on it plays Disney Channel, Ninjago, TMNT, Star Wars, or some other superhero show. My shows fill up our DVR because I never get the chance to watch them. But that’s OK because my son is happy, and it could be worse.
7) Having an adult conversation with out constant interruptions
It is such a joy to be able to talk to an adult sometimes and not have a conversation about what this Lego guy or that action figure is doing. However Ian usually likes to join those conversations and ask questions, lots of questions.
I love the sound of his voice and they way he pronounces words. I love the way his mind works and the things he says. I am always happy to hear what he says.
“Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don’t listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won’t tell you the big stuff when they are big. Because to them all of it has been big stuff.” ~ Catherine M. Wallace
8) Carrying only my purse
Gone are the days where I can grab my coat and purse then leave the house. Now I have more bags than I have hands to carry them.
I must make sure to get whatever the boys might need as we away from the house. Will Ian need a snack or a change of clothes? Will Baby Sid need a bottle, or will I be able to nurse him? If I feed him a bottle I will need to pump, so I must bring that too.
Getting all the things mentioned above takes time. I have to carefully plan ahead and prepare. Check the diaper bag for the necessities. Get the food or bottles together and so forth.
Maybe I over-prepare but at least I know we will be ready to face whatever the day brings.
Plus it takes some time to look this stylish, and Ian has to gather all the things he needs to bring.
10) My sanity
Really though, who needs it?
While they might have stolen my sanity, I am sure happier for it.
I Tri and Craft 