Sub Plans

I just spent much of my evening steaming and pureeing (and now freezing) broccoli, zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach for Moana. Did you know that a whole huge bag of spinach only makes 7 veggie cubes after it's steamed and pureed?

My mission this week is to get everything ready for Moana so that while I'm gone this weekend she'll have as much 'normalcy' as possible. Hopefully her dad will make the effort to thaw out the veggie cubes and mix 'em up with the Super Porridge so at least she can eat good food in my absence. Even if it is guaranteed to end up all over her face instead of in her belly.

Think I'm kidding? Check out what happened last time Scott tried to feed Moana.

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

That's yogurt all over her face and in her hair. And no bib, so she'll have to have her entire outfit changed after each meal.

Oh, how is Moana going to survive this weekend without me???

I went to the store today and made sure we're totally stocked up on diapers, wipes, formula, and bottle liners... I'll go once more on Thursday to make sure there is fresh yogurt and poi for Moana and soy milk and other fruits/veggies for Scott. I'm trying to envision him grocery shopping alone with Moana in the cart... I think I'll save everyone at Safeway from having to witness that by making sure he won't have to take her. Though it probably would be a good lesson for him if he did indeed have to make a trip.

So I leave Thursday night for Lake Stevens! Jenny and I are leaving our daughters with our husbands and escaping for a girl's weekend of fun and racing up in Washington!! I am really excited. Although this will be my first time being away from Moana for more than about 6 hours so that part is going to be hard. She's thisclose to taking her first step and I swear, if she does it while I'm gone I'm going to scream.

Please, Moana. Wait until Tuesday. Mommy deserves to see your first step. She really does.

Anyway, the good news is that my awesome neighbor, Christina, is going to come over and watch Moana on Friday and Monday while Scott is at work. Christina is incredible... she's from the Salomon Islands and just has such a loving heart. She and her husband have been trying to have kids for years and it's just not going to happen for them. So sad, because if there's one woman on this planet who should have kids, it's Christina. Her love for Moana is so incredibly obvious, so I feel really good leaving them together while I'm gone.

Christina came over this afternoon to learn all about how I typically run Moana's day... I thought I'd make things easier for her and type up a bunch of detailed instructions on her typical daily schedule (subject to change daily) and other info about how we do things around here. Not sure how many of you are actually interested in this info, but there might be a few of you, so here are the Sub Plans I wrote out for Christina. (They're for Scott too, though he won't read them.)

Moana’s Ideal Day…

6:00ish Wakes up (on her own)
Change diaper, get dressed
Drink bottle
Play
Walk the dog

8:30ish Eat solid foods

9:30ish Diaper change
Morning nap

11:30-12ish Wakes up (on her own)
Drinks bottle
More play time- run errands, go to park, etc.

1:30ish Diaper change
Eat solid foods
More play time

3:30ish Drinks bottle
Afternoon nap

5:00ish Wakes up (on her own)
Walk dog- outside play time
Solid food dinner

7:00ish Drinks bottle
Bath time

7:30 Books/bedtime

This is just a general guide- All times are subject to change. General rule of thumb I go by is that I feed her 4 bottles/day and 3 solid food eating sessions. Feedings are generally a few hours apart, but bottle upon waking and before bed, plus twice more in between meals, and solid foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Usually she’s good to stay awake for 3-4 hours between naps (not more than 4) so her afternoon nap always just depends on her morning nap and when she wakes up. If the morning nap happens to be shorter (like 90 minutes), you can usually count on a longer afternoon nap, and vice versa. Sometimes if the morning nap is long (2 ½ hours) the afternoon nap will just be like 45 minutes. No problem. Sometimes it happens that she wakes up crying 45 minutes into her nap. If this happens, do not go get her. Wait a few minutes and generally she will go right back to sleep on her own (unless it’s the afternoon nap and she already had a long morning nap).

She almost always cries out in protest of the nap when you first put her down. This is okay and it will only last a minute or two. I’ve found it’s best to kiss her on the cheek and walk out of the room, closing the door behind you. She’ll get the message that it’s nap time and will go to sleep within minutes. I try to manage her day so she’s awake from her afternoon nap by 5:00ish. Too much later than that and then bedtime becomes 8:00 or later and that will mess up tomorrow.

To make a bottle- put 3 scoops of formula into bottle. Add hot water, shake to mix, then fill the rest of the way with cold filtered water from refrigerator.

Bibs are in the laundry room or in the top drawer of her closet.

Solid food feedings: Always in her high chair (easiest to feed her!). Usually she has been eating like 2 big espresso cups full of food. Sometimes more, sometimes less. She’ll let you know when she’s done because she’ll stop eating and turn her head… or she’ll purse her lips or something. When she’s done, you’ll know.

Offer her water in her sippy cup after each solid food feeding. Sometimes she’ll drink it. Sometimes she won’t. No worries either way.

Breakfast: Usually I mash up a banana and maybe another fruit if I have (mango, papaya, avocado, applesauce or whatever). Then I also feed her oatmeal (already made up in the fridge)- I scoop out some from the Tupperware into an espresso cup… maybe add a little hot water if it’s too thick and put in the microwave for 15 seconds to warm. Add a scoop of almond butter or tahini and mix it well. She’ll like that.

Lunch: defrost a sweet potato cube in an espresso cup (15 seconds, then turn it over and 15 seconds more). Add a scoop of soy yogurt to the potato and mix it up well. Offer her a cupful of poi if she still seems hungry after the yogurt.

Dinner: pick two green vegetable cubes from the freezer and defrost them- again, 15 seconds, then turn over, 15 seconds more. Add the rice/bean mix from the fridge to the green veggies, maybe add a little hot water if it’s too thick, microwave again for 10 seconds to warm. If she eats that whole cup, offer her another cup of poi or fruit.


So hopefully with all that info, Moana will have an ok weekend. I mean, I know she will... Scott actually is a really good dad, even if I give him a hard time on this blog sometimes. I am sure of one thing though, he is going to appreciate the heck out of me when I get home next Monday. :)