Double trouble...Grandpa Mattson and Campbell grandparents visit!!!

After Guy and I returned home from the farmers market. We met up with Steve "Grandpa Mattson" for brunch at the Neighborhood Cafe. Amelia had fun exploring Grandpa's face and mustache.

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Sweet potatoes for Pumpkin!

Last week I started solids with Amelia. It was more of a "sensory experience" than a nutritional experience. Amelia spit it all out and made the cutest sour puss faces. So...we took a break from solids for about 4 days. Today I introduced Amelia to sweet potatoes. She gobbled them up. Very little spitting and squirting it out of her mouth. She finished a whole cube of food. I was impressed. She wanted to put the spoon in her mouth, herself. So I let her help me guide the spoon into her mouth. She is a very determined (AKA stubborn) little girl. (I love it!)

Here are some pictures Amelia's first tastes of Organic homemade sweetpotatoes I made for her. I also tasted the puree...it was REALLY good. And so fresh tasting...I was a little jealous of her lunch.

Baby shower fun!

Amelia is growing by leaps and bounds. She loves to stand holding on to hands. She has even balanced next to the coffee table with my help. Amelia now can turn over both ways and roll from her tummy to her back sometimes. She can get her butt up and her knees under her and her torso up with her arms...but hasn't quite mastered doing them both at the same time. I am cherishing the time I have with her not quite so mobile, though I am looking forward to this new stage of development.

Today we attended Cousin Isabella's baby shower. Isabella is Steph Eiden (Guy's step-sister's daughter) she was born in early September of this year. (Sorry I can't remember the exact date!) She is so darling. I don't remember Amelia being to little, but she was. Kinda...repeat...kinda makes me want to have another one.. just for a second but then the insanity subsides and I come back to reality. It was really fun to see all the great baby stuff Steph got. I was glad I didn't have to find a place for it all at home! Amelia was so well behaved the whole time. I was so blessed. She didn't cry once even though she was being passed around all day. She especially liked Aunt Nancy's necklace, earings and fun design on her shirt. (and looking down her shirt too...no food in there for you!)

For those of you who know about my breast feeding woes. Amelia is starting to take more feedings at the breast. YES!!! She had 3!!! today. That is best she has done in months! I think it was part my fault too that Amelia started to strike. I needed to be more patient and calm. I think I was treating each feeding as a chore and not a wonderful time to bond with my daughter. I am sure she felt that and started her nursing strike. Tonight she actually refused the bottle and wanted the breast. That is a first. Wish us luck on lactaction journey. I also have a "Lactation Station" in the house too where all feedings take place. So Amelia has that routine and can know what to expect when we sit in the glider. We are figuring out our routine together. It's hard because as soon as we get a good routine going that works for me and for Amelia it is time for me to start my stretch working and it all is thrown out the window. Oh well, it will come. At least at this time Amelia is sleeping through most nights.

We started solids last week. Amelia loves pears. She is indifferent to rice pudding and apples. .I used my home made baby food. It was really great, easy to use and tasted great. No wonder why she gobbled it up. We are going to try sweet potatos next. Stay tuned for pictures.
Thanks for reading.
Blessings
Kristina Mattson

10 year (non) reunion

I can barely believe it has been 10 years since I graduated from high school. BUT when I think back to all I have accomplished; I can believe it. I attended Gustavus majored in Nursing. Worked as a staff nurse in southern California for almost 3 years. Moved back to Minnesota worked as a travel nurse. I have currently worked at the U of M for over 3 years. So I have been a nurse for over 6 years. I also thought back to all the experiences outside of my career. Falling in love and out of love several times. Finally meeting the man of my dreams, Guy, and actually marrying him! (I am very lucky!) Making new friends, growing past friendships and reuniting with childhood friends through the Internet. Seeing friends get married and divorced. Everyone having babies, including myself. Having my daughter Amelia (besides marrying Guy) is my biggest accomplishment in the last ten years.

I unexpectedly got the day off from work and thought...hmm maybe I will attend my reunion after all. BUT I found out pretty much most of the people I wanted to see where not attending. They were all meeting up at Brits Pub. Change of plan...and I met up with a bunch of people I hadn't seen in 10 years. It was a little awkward at first but once I relaxed I had a pretty good time. (The Irish Car Bomb didn't hurt either). It was really great to see everyone. We all are pretty much the same...which is comforting. Hopefully it won't take 10 years to all get together again.

First Day of School

Amelia had her first day at school last Friday. We started a birth-6mo ECFE (early child and family education) class. Of course she was all dressed up for her first day of school. Cute little purple onesie with an elephant and rainbow, hand knitted sweater (I didn't make it.) Little black bubble skirt and legwarmers (I made these). She looked like a little '80's baby. I loved it!!! A person in class said she reminded him of the movie "Flash Dance" and started to sing "She's a Maniac" to her. Very funny!!! I think Amelia liked class she was smiling and looking at all the other babes. Towards the end she was all tuckered out and fell asleep in my arms. Falling asleep in class...we'll have to work on that. But all in all it was a great fun time. Can't wait to go again this Friday.



Here is another picture of the leg warmers I made for Amelia.

Farmer's Market

This Sunday Guy, Amelia, and I went to the Saint Paul Farmers Market. We had a blast. Guy and I got breakfast at one of the stands. Fall is in the air and so are a lot of the fall vegetables. I was like a kid in a candy store, except it was a veggie paradise! We bought acorn and butternut squash, sweet potatoes, green beans and broccoli. I made sweet potatoe baby food for Amelia when I got home. (I am freezing it as she isn't quite ready yet for soilds). I plan to cook the butter nut squash and make some of it also into baby food to freeze for Amelia. It was so much fun to get out as a family for an outing. Amelia was loving it. Looking at everything. She loves to people watch. By the end she was tuckered out.

Cloth diapering

Since about 2-3 weeks old I have been using cloth diapers for Amelia. I have to say it's really easy and not too bad at all. I am saying this before starting solids though, so we'll see how it goes once the stools change. BUT for now...everything is going pretty smoothly. I am even making some of my own diapers for Amelia. I am an OK seamstress. I thought, "I could make this". So I did. My version is flannel fitted pocket diaper which requires a cover. (The butterfly patterned fabric I used is adorable.) I really don't care for the AIOs (all in ones) because they take SO long to dry and don't seem to get completely clean sometimes. I love my Bum Genius' but they are quite spendy. I got the idea for the pattern from a diaper I bought on EBAY from a WAHM (work at home mom). I have made 4 so far. It has already paid for it's self making them vs. buying them. I spent about 30 on fabric. I would have spent that easily on 3 fitted diapers. Amelia never has rashes and I don't have to go to the store when I run low...I just wash them at home. It is actually more convenient than towing Amelia to the store.

First Immunization

Today Amelia received her first immunization, DTap. She didn't even flinch, she just smiled at me the whole time. WOW, what a trooper!!! Here are her measurements 15lbs 12oz (90th%), 26.5in (95%), 16.5 in head circumference (50%).




Amelia also has another fun thing she LOVES to do, whenever she has a chance.
TOUCH HER TOES!!! It is too cute!

Bedtime Stories

I have attempted reading to Amelia on several occasions, more for my benefit than hers, but tonight she was paying attention. Amelia and I read 2 board books tonight, "The Big Red Barn" and "Baa Baa La La La". I have read, "The Big Red Barn" to her so many times now I have it nearly memorized. When I read it I point to the animals and make their sounds. Amelia is usually looking at the wall paper or my face and or whining to stand on my lap. Tonight she was poking at the pictures and actually helped turn the pages. (See in the picture to the above.) It was SO much fun. I think Amelia was more interested in turning the pages than the story. So we "read" aka turned the pages of the book 3 or 4 times through. I didn't care, we had our first interactive story time. I am so excited and hope she has an interest in reading like Guy and I do. It kept her attention for about 10 -15 minutes. I am impressed!

Good intentions

I had good intentions of finally taking Amelia in for a professional portrait at Target (I had a coupon). As we were leaving the mall for Target Amelia puked up big time all over her cute little outfit. It wasn't meant to be. I remember seeing portraits of Marky and I that were everyday. My mom would decide on a whim at the store to have our pictures taken. I think those pictures of my brother and I were the best. We were not little kids squeezed into uncomfortable outfits and forced smiles. My hair a little wispy, my brother with drool on his shirt. We were happy and the picture captured happiness. So perhaps tomorrow or some other day I will on a whim have Amelia sit for a professional photo and it will hopefully capture my happy child and not a perfectly matched outfit. Happy is what is important.
I am happy. Being a mom rocks!

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"Bumbo Time"

Guy meets "Bjorn" & Amelia's new friend

After a couple of months of persuading Guy to try the Baby Bjorn, Guy came home from work and said out of the blue, " I would like to Bjorn it over to cheapo with Amelia". I was AMAZED!!! It had been weeks since I had last suggested the Bjorn. Here are some pictures to prove he actually wore it. I think he liked it too!!! Amelia sported her Minnesota Twins hat for the first time. I have been looking forward to when this hat would actually fit her. (our bathroom in the background)

(yes, that really is a huge picture of Bob Dylan on the wall.)

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Amelia's New Friend Bergan
One of my friends from book club Carrie invited me into her "Highland Park" mom group. It's so nice to meet up with other moms and touch base. It's also nice because we are all on the same page about many aspects of raising our little one which is awesome too! I meant to take more pictures of the girls and their babes but I forgot. Here is pic of Amelia with her new boyfriend Bergan. Watch out Finn you may have competition. :-) Bergan is about 2 weeks older than Amelia. Thanks Jenn B. for hosting mom group this time and for all the yummy treats!

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Fun New Pictures to Share

Holding on to Mama while she sleeps. Too cute!

Our little "drama queen"