Feeding Frenzy!

A couple of months ago ... the feeding frenzy began for munchkin number two! The photo below was taken during Naomi's first 'meal' ... baby rice!! As you can see she's looking amused and bemused by the whole experience!

Yet again is has been a slow process ... not helped by the fact that we had a month in the UK where feeding times and opportunities were not as regular as they would have been back home. Also the fact that she has been sick for the last couple of weeks and so not at all interested in eating as a result. I'm sure it won't be long before there'll be no stopping her though.

Abigail was quite slow at the beginning as well but you would never know that now. She is a really good eater with a healthy appetite and not too fussy, trying new stuff all the time, even if she decides it's not something she wants for the time being. 

The only thing she was fussy about was store-bought baby food ... she refused to eat it ... only the home cooked stuff was good enough for her! Definitely not something to complain about it although there were days when it might have been easier to just reach for a jar!

When Abigail was little, I was introduced to the wonderful world of Annabel Karmel ... and in particular a great cookbook for food from the first purees onwards, 'Feeding your Baby & Toddler'. For helpful tips on how to start and continue feeding, ideas of what to puree and good combinations, healthy snacks, food for fussy eaters, meal plans and a whole lot more.

While feeding little ones isn't really rocket science, on the days when I was tired and lacking inspiration, this bright and helpful book was the perfect solution for a first time mum. Now I'm really looking to getting it out again and trying some of the stuff I overlooked first time round!

True Friends

One thing that is really important to me are the friendships I share with a few special ladies. The kind of friendship that has lasted a long time, through thick and thin and where you can pick up where you left off ... after a week, a month or even a year. That latter is a definite priority given that as a family we're moving all over the world. 

When we were recently in England we were able to spend some time with Rachel, one of those friends and her family. As you can see Abigail made a new best friend too ... in fact I have been best buddies with her mum since we were the same age as these two are now ... about thirty years! (A very scary thought!)

While having these strong friendships behind me ... I know how important it is to build new ones wherever we move to. Many people couldn't imagine leaving such good friends behind and while it is a sacrifice ... the important friendships can endure and become stronger as a result. Rachel even left her family behind last year and came to visit me out here in the States. We had some girly time like we haven't had since we were little ourselves.

Building the new friendships isn't always straight forward and easy but is definitely worth the effort. When you arrive somewhere new, everything is unfamiliar and so requires you to give more of yourself especially when trying to transition a family and can make you feel exhausted. Sometimes you feel like you're repeating a little spiel about yourself over and over again while you're getting to know new people. Some days you don't even want to bother.

But being intentional about finding new friends is the way to go ... find groups with similar minded people, those with the same hobbies or other mum's with children around the same age as your own. One great piece of advice I was once given was 'don't go looking for what you can find in a friend, go looking for how you can best be a friend to someone else' ... and be encouraged the friendships will follow!

I know when we leave the States and move onto our next assignment I am going to leave quite a few great friends behind ... people I didn't even know two years ago! Let's hope they will be happy to follow me round the world too!

Being Thankful

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in the States ... something that I had never fully understood or appreciated until I lived here in America. Even though I have shared in a few Thanksgiving meals back in the UK, quite a few years ago, I only learnt the history side of what it all meant and what was traditionally eaten but didn't get the true essence.

While we were recently back home in England a few people were asking about Thanksgiving as we had planned our flights so that we wouldn't miss celebrating it in America. We were able to explain that although there is a lot of hype about the food ... it is essentially a long weekend starting on the Wednesday evening, a chance to spend quality time with family and close friends and a time to reflect on what is important and all that we have to be thankful for since the previous year.

The food is similar to what the English would expect for a traditional Christmas meal ... Roast Turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce etc ... although back in England we would swap the mashed potatoes for roasted ones, include sausages wrapped in bacon and more veggies not forgetting the brussel sprouts. The Thanksgiving meal is also a time when the Pumpkin Pie (and pumpkin dishes of other varieties!!) come out in full force too!

I have had the privilege of spending three Thanksgivings here in the States, each one very different. The first with 3 other families, the second with 10 other families (and huge amounts of food!) and this time, just us and another family with two small children, similar in age to our two girls. Each time it has been slightly different but always a chance to stop, spend quality time with special people and think about all that we're thankful for. Something that in the hustle and bustle of life in the UK we don't tend to do. 

As Naomi is officially American 'on paper' anyway, we have decided that we will try to incorporate some of the cultural experiences we have learnt here into our own family traditions. This is definitely one that we will be taking with us ... and probably tweaking a little to suit us better depending on where we are in the world.

I have loved the opportunity to sit back and reflect on what has happened in the last year and think about what I am thankful for. Here are just a couple of those (once you start, it is easy to go on forever ... try it!) ...

• For the safe arrival of Naomi in April
• For a well-timed and safe trip to the UK this last month
• For the life of my Nan
• For the continued support from family, friends and churches in the UK
• For the chance to take our family overseas and work for MAF
• For a home that we love