I've been meaning to post this for quite some time and just haven't gotten around to it. I like to try to make new things in an effort to expand Shay's food list and she absolutely loves these nut butter balls. The recipe is courtesy of one of my favorite baby books The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet. This book is filled with a lot of great recipe ideas for babies and toddlers.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup unsalted or lightly salted cashews
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup dry milk powder
1 T. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pulse cashews in a food processor until they are fine crumbles, but not smooth cashew butter. Add the remaining ingredients and process until combined. Form into small, bite sized balls. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.
Sorry, I don't have enough blogging foresight to take a photo. You'll just have to make them yourselves and let me know if your little one likes them as much as Shay does!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Bad Blogger
Hi, my name is Jamie and I'm a bad blogger.
It's been awhile since I've last posted anything on here. I'm actually still debating the direction I want to go with this blog since I'm obviously really slow at updating what's been going on in the life of the Burton family.
I've been getting a lot of questions from friends about all things baby. While I'm very far from any sort of child rearing expert, I'm learning a lot...on a daily basis it seems! So when I get the time and the motivation to start typing out some more thoughts, I'll probably start sharing more about some of the baby products, blogs, advice, etc. that I'm discovering works (or doesn't). The recommendations from friends and advice I've discovered from other parenting resources has been so helpful so I'd like to pay it forward.
Stay tuned...
It's been awhile since I've last posted anything on here. I'm actually still debating the direction I want to go with this blog since I'm obviously really slow at updating what's been going on in the life of the Burton family.
I've been getting a lot of questions from friends about all things baby. While I'm very far from any sort of child rearing expert, I'm learning a lot...on a daily basis it seems! So when I get the time and the motivation to start typing out some more thoughts, I'll probably start sharing more about some of the baby products, blogs, advice, etc. that I'm discovering works (or doesn't). The recommendations from friends and advice I've discovered from other parenting resources has been so helpful so I'd like to pay it forward.
Stay tuned...
Monday, April 11, 2011
Springtime Fun
Nashville is beautiful this time of year with new leaves unfolding on nearly every tree and flowers in full bloom everywhere. Perfect time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors before the sweltering humidity rears its ugly head. What better way to kick off spring than a photo shoot of Shay at Centennial Park. Once again, our creative, talented and generous friend Erin got behind the viewfinder of her camera and shot a bunch of great photos of Shay, her gift for Shay's 1st birthday. Below are just a few of our favorite shots:
On April 9th, Erin, our friend Liesl and I threw a bridal brunch shower for our friend Kristen who is getting married at the end of May. We enjoyed beautiful weather out on the patio at local Nashville eatery Mad Donna's where we noshed on tasty food, sipped sweet mimosas and watched Kristen open her pile of gifts. A perfect lazy Saturday morning.
Also this past weekend, my Aunt Paige & Uncle Bob rolled into Nashville in their motor home so we got to spend time with them on Saturday and Sunday and they met their grand-niece for the first time. Shay, having gotten over her stranger anxiety a couple of months ago, welcomed them with all the vigor a 1 year old who has never before met her relatives can. Which basically meant that she did not cry and instead offered up some waves and blew kisses. She grabbed her Great Uncle Bob's cheek, fascinated for a brief moment in time with his facial hair, something she's never seen up close before (unless you count when her Daddy doesn't shave for a few days).
On Sunday, we drove to the campsite where Paige & Bob stayed in their motor home. It was fun to check out their mobile digs and Shay enjoyed the playground and an impromptu dip in the lake, her first time in non-bathtub water. She had a blast splashing around in the shallow water on the sandy beach and then trekked out into the lake itself seemingly oblivious to the coldness of the water. She even fell backward and went completely under but came up unfazed. As her mom, I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that she's so fearless when it comes to water. Maybe there's something to the ol' astrological sign thing...she is a pisces! After our daughter was thoroughly soaked, we brought her back up to the motor home, got her changed into a clean, dry outfit and enjoyed a great dinner outdoors.
Flower child
Love this one!
Love that she's starting to look like a little girl in this one...
...and still looks like a baby in this one
The bride to be
Pretty flowers Erin brought
Something must've been funny
On Sunday, we drove to the campsite where Paige & Bob stayed in their motor home. It was fun to check out their mobile digs and Shay enjoyed the playground and an impromptu dip in the lake, her first time in non-bathtub water. She had a blast splashing around in the shallow water on the sandy beach and then trekked out into the lake itself seemingly oblivious to the coldness of the water. She even fell backward and went completely under but came up unfazed. As her mom, I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that she's so fearless when it comes to water. Maybe there's something to the ol' astrological sign thing...she is a pisces! After our daughter was thoroughly soaked, we brought her back up to the motor home, got her changed into a clean, dry outfit and enjoyed a great dinner outdoors.
Checking out the inside of the motor home
Jeff & Bob hanging outside "Big Gray Box"
A happy Shay Bug
Yep, she has all the makings of a gymnast...loved hanging on the bar
Great Uncle Bob & Shay at Old Hickory Lake
Splish Splash!
She kept the boys on their toes
Beach baby
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Big 1!
Shay's 1st birthday has come and gone and I am left in awe thinking back on everything that has changed over the past year. Her Daddy and I can't stop referring to her as a "baby" even though she's technically a toddler now. I have to admit I cried a little the day of her birthday at that thought. Not because I'm not absolutely thrilled to be able to watch my little girl grow up happy & healthy, but because this first year has passed so quickly and she's changed so much that I just don't want her to grow up TOO fast.
Part of me misses (and probably always will) Infant Shay. Don't get me wrong, I don't miss the crying-almost-all-of-the-time Infant Shay. The little banshee wails at all hours of the night and the shear exhaustion that would ensue. Infant Shay did not smile or laugh for the first few months. However, Infant Shay would cuddle and fall asleep in my arms (didn't realize how fast that stage would pass). Infant Shay would let me swaddle her into a little "baby burrito." Infant Shay had that intoxicating sweet baby scent. Yes, I will miss her.
Ah but Toddler Shay is so much fun and there will be new, exciting things to look forward to. Toddler Shay gets more and more interactive with each passing day. She's still not saying any words but she likes to mimic facial expressions, sounds and actions (she gives high fives, waves, claps & gives kisses). Toddler Shay loves going to the playground and running around. She really keeps us on our toes! She is into running and climbing on everything. She has a smile on her face a lot of the time and it's easy to get a giggle or squeal of joy out of her. We're going to enjoy every stage of watching her grow up.
A big thank you to everyone who came out to Shay Bug's birthday party! We are so blessed to have family and friends who love on our little girl so much! Here are some pictures taken by our friend Erin...
Part of me misses (and probably always will) Infant Shay. Don't get me wrong, I don't miss the crying-almost-all-of-the-time Infant Shay. The little banshee wails at all hours of the night and the shear exhaustion that would ensue. Infant Shay did not smile or laugh for the first few months. However, Infant Shay would cuddle and fall asleep in my arms (didn't realize how fast that stage would pass). Infant Shay would let me swaddle her into a little "baby burrito." Infant Shay had that intoxicating sweet baby scent. Yes, I will miss her.
Ah but Toddler Shay is so much fun and there will be new, exciting things to look forward to. Toddler Shay gets more and more interactive with each passing day. She's still not saying any words but she likes to mimic facial expressions, sounds and actions (she gives high fives, waves, claps & gives kisses). Toddler Shay loves going to the playground and running around. She really keeps us on our toes! She is into running and climbing on everything. She has a smile on her face a lot of the time and it's easy to get a giggle or squeal of joy out of her. We're going to enjoy every stage of watching her grow up.
A big thank you to everyone who came out to Shay Bug's birthday party! We are so blessed to have family and friends who love on our little girl so much! Here are some pictures taken by our friend Erin...
Butterfly Birthday Cake
It was a butterfly themed party
Me & my little Love Bug
Smiles
Love this photo!
1st cupcake
Enjoy it now kid...you won't be able to play with your food like this for long
Love that Erin got a shot of the cupcake 'do!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Lessons from My Daughter
First off, Happy Valentine's Day to you all! Jeff and I are waiting until Wednesday to celebrate our relatively new holiday, V-Delay! V-Delay comes two days after Valentine's Day and consists of each of us taking $5 and seeing who can get the best clearance Valentine's Day paraphernalia for the other. We both have the mindset that Valentine's Day can be cheesy and generic...so why not exploit that and make it fun(ny)? Our wedding anniversary is our special day to celebrate in the romantic manner.
So, as I said in my last blog post, I'm off of work as of last Friday through next Monday, enjoying the remainder of my parental leave time. Jeff was out of the house running around most of last Friday and Saturday which gave me lots of time with Shay Bug. And you know what? I'm learning so much from her.
JUST BE.
I've been so keyed up in my routine of work, taking care of baby, family time, errands & the damned never-ending To-Do List that I haven't stopped lately to just BE. Now let me insert the disclaimer that to just BE is a really difficult thing for me to understand, let alone do. I've read it in the bible, heard it preached in sermons, discussed it at length with my husband & friends and I get the concept but still didn't know HOW to actually DO it. Until now. There has never been a more real example to me than Shay. In her everyday life, she exemplifies what it means to just be. She doesn't fret about the future. She doesn't dwell on the past. There is only THIS moment and that's where she lives.
DON'T WORRY
With so much free time on my hands, my thoughts shifted from worrying about work to worrying about the future. Shay doesn't worry. She trusts that Mommy & Daddy are going to provide for her. I need to just trust that God will do the same for us, for me. As a parent, I love my child so very much and only want the best for her. How much more does God want that for His children?
BE YOURSELF
I LOVE Shay's innocence! I love that she is 100% not afraid to be herself. She doesn't worry about what other people will think of her. She isn't self-conscious. She doesn't get embarrassed. She has no fear of rejection. She hasn't yet been tainted by the crap that people and life will throw at her and formed walls to hide behind and defense mechanisms to keep herself from getting hurt. It makes me sad to know that as she grows older she will lose a some of that raw innocence. I have such a better understanding now as a parent of what God meant by putting such an emphasis on having a child-like heart.
RUN TO GOD
I hate it when Shay gets hurt or doesn't feel well and cries. As her mommy, I just can't stand to see her in any pain. But I love that she finds so much comfort when her Daddy & I just hold her. And she knows to come straight to us when she's in need of encouragement, cuddles, a hug...love. It's such an example to me of how I'm supposed to do the same with my heavenly Father. How often to I try to get my comfort from anything and anywhere but God?
JOY IN THE SIMPLE THINGS
Shay has so many crazy toys that light up, play music, teach concepts, move, etc. But you know what? She is happiest playing with a simple plastic bottle cap or batting around her bottles of lotion. As adults, we want the latest, greatest electronics, cars, houses, music, movies, gaming equipment, and the list goes on and on. How much more joy would we have in life to just find beauty in the simple things and appreciate what we already have?
Really, there is so much more that she's teaching me but I need to wrap it up. I'm sure I'll have more blogs on this topic. It's about time for her to wake up from her "cutie sleep" so we can all hit the Greenway on this beautiful day!
So, as I said in my last blog post, I'm off of work as of last Friday through next Monday, enjoying the remainder of my parental leave time. Jeff was out of the house running around most of last Friday and Saturday which gave me lots of time with Shay Bug. And you know what? I'm learning so much from her.
JUST BE.
I've been so keyed up in my routine of work, taking care of baby, family time, errands & the damned never-ending To-Do List that I haven't stopped lately to just BE. Now let me insert the disclaimer that to just BE is a really difficult thing for me to understand, let alone do. I've read it in the bible, heard it preached in sermons, discussed it at length with my husband & friends and I get the concept but still didn't know HOW to actually DO it. Until now. There has never been a more real example to me than Shay. In her everyday life, she exemplifies what it means to just be. She doesn't fret about the future. She doesn't dwell on the past. There is only THIS moment and that's where she lives.
DON'T WORRY
With so much free time on my hands, my thoughts shifted from worrying about work to worrying about the future. Shay doesn't worry. She trusts that Mommy & Daddy are going to provide for her. I need to just trust that God will do the same for us, for me. As a parent, I love my child so very much and only want the best for her. How much more does God want that for His children?
BE YOURSELF
I LOVE Shay's innocence! I love that she is 100% not afraid to be herself. She doesn't worry about what other people will think of her. She isn't self-conscious. She doesn't get embarrassed. She has no fear of rejection. She hasn't yet been tainted by the crap that people and life will throw at her and formed walls to hide behind and defense mechanisms to keep herself from getting hurt. It makes me sad to know that as she grows older she will lose a some of that raw innocence. I have such a better understanding now as a parent of what God meant by putting such an emphasis on having a child-like heart.
RUN TO GOD
I hate it when Shay gets hurt or doesn't feel well and cries. As her mommy, I just can't stand to see her in any pain. But I love that she finds so much comfort when her Daddy & I just hold her. And she knows to come straight to us when she's in need of encouragement, cuddles, a hug...love. It's such an example to me of how I'm supposed to do the same with my heavenly Father. How often to I try to get my comfort from anything and anywhere but God?
JOY IN THE SIMPLE THINGS
Shay has so many crazy toys that light up, play music, teach concepts, move, etc. But you know what? She is happiest playing with a simple plastic bottle cap or batting around her bottles of lotion. As adults, we want the latest, greatest electronics, cars, houses, music, movies, gaming equipment, and the list goes on and on. How much more joy would we have in life to just find beauty in the simple things and appreciate what we already have?
Really, there is so much more that she's teaching me but I need to wrap it up. I'm sure I'll have more blogs on this topic. It's about time for her to wake up from her "cutie sleep" so we can all hit the Greenway on this beautiful day!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Baby Steps
I've been wanting to update this blog for awhile now, but work and family have kept me so busy that I haven't really had any down time (when I'm not too tired) to do so. Not complaining though, simply grateful to have a blessed life that I love living. However, this morning found me with extra time to sit down and get some jumbled words out. Daddy & Baby are both napping (they got up at 6:00 this morning and let me sleep in until 7:30). Work is delayed a couple of hours due to "massive by Tennessee standards, puny by Minnesota standards" snowfall from yesterday. So here I am...
The most exciting news as of late is that Shay Bug is starting to walk! Last Saturday, she took her first 4 unassisted steps. Last night it was 8 steps in a row. She's getting sturdier, but still looks like a tiny, drunkard staggering around...quite amusing for Mommy & Daddy! For the most part, crawling is a faster means of mobility so she'll take a few steps and then drop to the floor and crawl. You can almost hear her thinking, "Ah, screw it...this is too freakin' slow." Albeit, hopefully with a more graceful vocabulary.
We can't believe Shay is just over a month away from being a year old! Time really does fly! I still can't think of a better quote to describe the timespan of parenthood than "the days are long but the years are short."
Flight tickets are booked to Minnesota over Easter. We're excited to be able to bring Shay to Duluth to meet her Great Grandma Joyce, Great Grandpa Cliff, Uncle Ty and Aunt Jen (along with a host of other relatives) for the first time! Not so excited for the 4 flights that will take us there and home again (American Airlines does not have direct flights from Nashville to Minneapolis). This should be an adventure. Hoping (Praying, Pleading?) that Shay does not decide to fuss the entire time. We'll be armed with lots of toys and snacks!
I have tomorrow and all of next week off of work so I'm excited to spend lots of time with my little family. It's supposed to be in the 50's most of the time I'm off, so we plan to take lots of walks on the Greenway and perhaps get Buggy to the real zoo for the first time :)
Hope all of you are doing well and staying warm!
I'll leave you with a video of a Burton Buggy Bathtime Baby...
The most exciting news as of late is that Shay Bug is starting to walk! Last Saturday, she took her first 4 unassisted steps. Last night it was 8 steps in a row. She's getting sturdier, but still looks like a tiny, drunkard staggering around...quite amusing for Mommy & Daddy! For the most part, crawling is a faster means of mobility so she'll take a few steps and then drop to the floor and crawl. You can almost hear her thinking, "Ah, screw it...this is too freakin' slow." Albeit, hopefully with a more graceful vocabulary.
We can't believe Shay is just over a month away from being a year old! Time really does fly! I still can't think of a better quote to describe the timespan of parenthood than "the days are long but the years are short."
Flight tickets are booked to Minnesota over Easter. We're excited to be able to bring Shay to Duluth to meet her Great Grandma Joyce, Great Grandpa Cliff, Uncle Ty and Aunt Jen (along with a host of other relatives) for the first time! Not so excited for the 4 flights that will take us there and home again (American Airlines does not have direct flights from Nashville to Minneapolis). This should be an adventure. Hoping (Praying, Pleading?) that Shay does not decide to fuss the entire time. We'll be armed with lots of toys and snacks!
I have tomorrow and all of next week off of work so I'm excited to spend lots of time with my little family. It's supposed to be in the 50's most of the time I'm off, so we plan to take lots of walks on the Greenway and perhaps get Buggy to the real zoo for the first time :)
Hope all of you are doing well and staying warm!
I'll leave you with a video of a Burton Buggy Bathtime Baby...
Saturday, January 15, 2011
10 Months Old
Shay is 10 months old today! She's so much fun and learning so fast! I cannot believe that in just 2 short months she'll officially enter into Toddler World and leave Baby Land (although she can be 30 years old and she'll still always be my baby)!
Let's see...what has changed since my last post?
She's standing a lot on her own now. She still won't take any steps but we think it's just a short matter of time before she starts walking. According to Jeff's mom, he had only one speed when he was young and that was RUN! If she's anything like her daddy, we'll be in for it!
She has also declared war on eating anything green. By "war" I mean making dramatic gagging sounds and promptly spitting up the entire contents of her stomach. So far, no luck with peas, green beans or, the most recent attempt, pureed broccoli (which translates into a cheesy broccoli dip for mommy & daddy so not a total loss or waste of time spent steaming and pureeing the broccoli). I am so excited to get the book The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet that I just ordered. It got great reviews on Amazon and I love some of the Google preview recipes like combining apples and cabbage...something I never would have put together on my own. I'll get green in this kid one way or another!
She's continuing to sprout more teeth too! 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom. Just adding to the cuteness factor when she smiles. She's using them too...she thinks it's pretty funny to clamp down on her spoon and not let go. She just sits in her high chair booster seat with the spoon clamped firmly in her mouth and gives us a look of impish glee. She's a regular comedian!
Let's see, what else?
Shay's "15 minutes of fame" have extended to the Duluth News Tribune, the newspaper out of Duluth, Minnesota where several of my relatives live. My grandma sent a picture of Shay in to the paper and it made the "Grandma's Brag Book" section. Love this photo!
She should be waking up from her afternoon nap any moment now so it's time to sign off. Hope 2011 is off to a great start for you!
Let's see...what has changed since my last post?
She's standing a lot on her own now. She still won't take any steps but we think it's just a short matter of time before she starts walking. According to Jeff's mom, he had only one speed when he was young and that was RUN! If she's anything like her daddy, we'll be in for it!
She has also declared war on eating anything green. By "war" I mean making dramatic gagging sounds and promptly spitting up the entire contents of her stomach. So far, no luck with peas, green beans or, the most recent attempt, pureed broccoli (which translates into a cheesy broccoli dip for mommy & daddy so not a total loss or waste of time spent steaming and pureeing the broccoli). I am so excited to get the book The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet that I just ordered. It got great reviews on Amazon and I love some of the Google preview recipes like combining apples and cabbage...something I never would have put together on my own. I'll get green in this kid one way or another!
She's continuing to sprout more teeth too! 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom. Just adding to the cuteness factor when she smiles. She's using them too...she thinks it's pretty funny to clamp down on her spoon and not let go. She just sits in her high chair booster seat with the spoon clamped firmly in her mouth and gives us a look of impish glee. She's a regular comedian!
Let's see, what else?
Shay's "15 minutes of fame" have extended to the Duluth News Tribune, the newspaper out of Duluth, Minnesota where several of my relatives live. My grandma sent a picture of Shay in to the paper and it made the "Grandma's Brag Book" section. Love this photo!
She should be waking up from her afternoon nap any moment now so it's time to sign off. Hope 2011 is off to a great start for you!
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