Colorful Books

Painting With Children by Brunhild Muller

I couldn't get into all of the Waldorf philosophy on the emotional impact of different colors.  I did like the ideas for telling stories to inspire color based paintings.  I think the stories will make painting to learn about color mixing more fun.  We did a color story tonight and the girls loved it.

New Fish

Red Fish

This color story was about yellow having a birthday party.  He invites blue and red over and discovers a rainbow of guests. 
Colorations Liquid Watercolor Paint 8 oz.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

I had never read this delightful children's book. It is delightfully imaginative and fun. I watched the movie right afterwards and I think it does a wonderful job of adapting the book for the screen. 

Good Tidings of Great Joy - An Advent Celebration of the Savior's Birth by Eric D. Huntsman 

My awesome sister in law gave this to us for Christmas.  I was a bit bogged down by the season so I didn't get to read it as in depth as I want to.  I will definitely be reading it again next fall to get ready for Christmas.  It made me really excited to try celebrating advent with my family next year.  I had been thinking about it before but this book definitely gives it a deeper meaning.  It was a perfect read for the Christmas season- Thank you L! I want to read Huntsman's Easter book now. 

 

Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes

 I like Brooke's theories on children and art.  She says that symbolic and realistic drawing don't have to inhibit eachother.  Drawing can be taught just like playing the piano or any other creative skill.  Anyone can be artistic with the right tools.  I am excited to try some of the drawing exercises with my kids, especially Red Fish.

Another Book & Seeing Stars

Teaching Montessori in the Home: Pre-School Years: The Pre-School Years (Teaching Montessori in the Home)

by Elizabeth G. Hainstock, Lee Davis

I'm not interested in starting an actual homeschool program for my kids but I'm always looking for new activities and ways to teach them things. I like the Montessori point of view.  This book had some nice ideas of projects to make for my kids.  There can never be enough activites or lessons in my mommy bag of tricks.

 Since our garlands didn't work very well the other day, the girls watercolored dozens of stars to string up around the house.  They never get tired of painting with watercolor.

What We Are Reading To Our Kids

I blog frequently about what I'm reading but I rarely mention what my kids like to have read to them.  We read a lot.  Both Two Fish and I read to them almost every single night and some during the day.  Here is a list of sixty of their favorites.  The stars indicate books that have been read at least 6 billion times and they have been obsessed with at least once if not for several phases. Suggestions for great books are always appreciated!  We have a ton of board books and really little kid books so I want to start getting more books that are a little bit older for Red Fish.

*Blue 2 by David Carter
*600 Black Spots by David Carter
*One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
*Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury 
*Time For Bed by Mem Fox and Jane Dyer 
*I Love You As Much by Laura Krauss Melmed
* Mother Goose Numbers On The Loose by Leo Dillin
* Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor
*Mommy & Daddy Boxed Set by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben- Includes Mommy Hugs, Daddy Hugs and Daddy Kisses
*Tell Me Again About The Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell
*Mini Masters Boxed Set by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober- We have ten of the artist books

 The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
*The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
*Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?- collection by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle includes Panda Bear Panda Bear and Polar Bear Polar Bear

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Oh, The Place You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
The Complete Tales Of Winnie The Pooh by A.A. Milne
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Curious George by Hans Agusto Ray
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Little Blue & Little Yellow by Leo Lionni
*Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Yellow Umbrella by by Dong Il Sheen and Jae Soon Lee
*I See A Monster by Laurie Young and Daniel J. Mahoney 
*Eight Silly Monkeys by Steve Haskamp
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
Theres A Wocket In My Pocket by Dr. Seuss
Mr. Brown Can Moo by Dr. Seuss
The Pokey Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey and Gustaf Tenggren
I Can Fly by by Ruth Krauss and Mary Blair
* There's A Nightmare In My Closet  Mercer Mayer
* There's An Alligator Under My Bed by  Mercer Mayer
* There's Something In My Attic by  Mercer Mayer
The Saggy Baggy Elephant by K. Jackson, B. Jackson and Tenggren
 Love You Forever  by Robert N. Munsch
The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle 
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
Marke Van Gogh's Bed by Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo
Too Many ABC books to list

Nurture Shock: New Thinking about Children

by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman

Supposedly the latest and greatest parenting book out there. It's sort of like Outliers but focused on parenting. Two journalists gathered the latest studies relating to raising/teaching children. It isn't really a "how to" book but it has a lot of fascinating ideas and it really made me think about things I can do better. (Something I love in any book.) Here are specific things I thought were interesting arranged by chapter.
1. The Inverse Power of Praise - Compliments must be sincere and specific. I've definitely noticed that when I'm working hard with Red Fish on her speech it has been very important that I compliment how hard she is working rather than just say flat things like: "that was great." If I say "good trying" or "wow you worked really hard to learn that she works even harder to tackle the next exercise. Also as an artist I find it irritating when people just say "Beautiful!" to everything. Not everything is even trying to be beautiful. It's something I'm working on with my kids- I'm trying to say things that are specific like "look at that great texture" or "what interesting lines."

2. The Lost Hour - basically that on average, kids are getting one less hour of sleep now than they did when I was a kid. This causes huge problems academically and behaviorally. Since I am completely non-functional without enough sleep this was pretty obvious to me.

3. Why White Parents Don't Talk About Race - gave me some interesting ideas about creating awareness of race and culture with my kids instead of ignoring it and thinking that creates tolerance.

4-6 were interesting but I have no deep thoughts on them.

7. The Science of Teen Rebellion - had some interesting studies on how arguments between kids and their parents actually indicated a better relationship. Basically it encouraged me to set rules, expect a lot from my kids and be involved. This chapter might do more for me when I get closer to parenting a teenager.

8. Can Self Control Be Taught -This chapter was fascinating. It discusses some new preschool programs (tools of the mind) and how important supporting extended dramatic play is and the importance of planning with kids. I've been giving a lot of thought about how I can teach my kids to plan and follow through. I'm considering getting pictures of everything we do in a normal week and having them velcro them onto a board to plan the next part of our day. For example having pictures to represent brushing teeth, reading stories, putting on jammies etc for a bedtime routine so they've planned it. It might take some of the stress out of some our routines if they feel that control and commitment.

9. Plays Well With Others - All TV watching creates violence and studies suggest (disturbingly) that "educational" tv might cause more relational violence than regular tv. I liked the comments on children needing to learn more conflict resolution. It made complete sense to me.

10. Why Hannah Talks and Alyssa Doesn't - had some interesting things to say about how the interactions of mothers with their kids contribute to their speech development. It also totally reams Baby Einsteins DVDs. I've got to say I didn't really love this chapter but it might just be too sensitive of a subject for me. No matter how hard I work with Red Fish on speech I always have these twinges of guilt that I somehow caused it. I know it isn't true but it still manages to seep in.

11. Conclusion chapter - didn't do much for me.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

By Amy Chua

In case you have been living on another planet lately and have missed the controversy surrounding this book and the author's ideas you must read this article. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html

I also enjoyed Steven Colbert's interview with Chua:
http://tv.gawker.com/#!5743483/tiger-mother-amy-chua-defends-herself-to-stephen-colbert

The book is much the same. Maddening and fascinating. There is a lot of preaching about the "Chinese way" and the "Western way." Chua does have a dry sense of humor and she does poke fun at herself and point out her faults in a way that is somewhat endearing and partly irritating. There are parts of this book that made me laugh outloud, mostly at some of her over the top "tiger mother" ways. A few things were downright hysterical. I don't think she really knew where she wanted the book to go and it kind of just stops- perhaps because she isn't through parenting yet. I always appreciate a book that makes me reflect on my own parenting values and makes me think about where I want to go from here. If there is one thing I learned from this book, it's that I yell too much and that's not who I want to be.

I would be fascinated to know what my fellow mothers out there think about all this hubbub and also - when/what do you think the best way to introduce music to your children is?

Strengthening Our Families: An In-Depth Look at the Proclamation on the Family

Edited by David C. Dollahite

A collection of essays centered on the LDS Church's Proclomation On The Family and the foundational aspects of relationships between the sexes, marriage, and family life. There are a lot of interesting ideas on how to break through misdirected expectations and extra baggage in our relationships. A lot of my favorite parenting ideals are in this book and it gave me new ideas on how to raise my ideals but stay grounded in reality. I loved the essays on developing traditions in order to strengthen family relationships. I liked what the books says about the roles of mothers and fathers and the balance that must be found. The research is interesting for the most part and it gave me a lot of room for self reflection.There were a few places I glossed over because it is a text book and I'm not interested in reading about the history of leisure activities. Overall, definitely worth giving a read if you believe in the importance of family.

Art Education- All of My Worst Fears

Art Is Elementary: Teaching Visual Thinking Through Art Concepts
by Ivan Cornia, Charles Stubbs, and Nathan Winters

I love the way this book emphasizes the arts and visual thinking as an important part of education and child development. The book is currently out of print but still easy to get a hold of. I wish the basic concepts of this book could be a part of every child's education.

The text is a tiny bit dry if you were to read it in long sittings but for following the ideas as a step by step guide on guiding children from birth through level seven, the book does a great job of presenting a broad spectrum of ideas.

The introduction expresses almost exactly what I feel about the arts in education:

"The intrinsic values of art education are fundamental to the development of a productive, creative human being: therefore, a sound,successful teaching program in this field is the birthright of every child in school. Some people ask 'Why teach art?'-assuming that art is a gift to a few and that 'either you have it or you don't. But the truth is, art can be learned like any other subject. Further, it not only can but must be learned,for it is the foundation for effective visual perception, and the development of visual perception is fundamental to learning in any field."

My children are only 2 years and 6 months but the state of the education system still keeps me up at night. I can't stop myself from worrying that there aren't enough options left that will offer them a truly well rounded education with the opportunities I want them to have. Thinking about this stresses me to no end. While charter and private schools offered "advanced academics" etc. I am worried that the humanities have been so neglected they are just seen as "extras" rather than fundamental parts of basic education.

I've recently had many opportunities to discuss my feelings on this subject with many interesting people. One of the authors of Art is Elementary was at a recent dinner party I attended. After hearing Mr. Stubbs talk about his work lobbying for the arts in children's education and what has happened in our local school system after Mr. Stubbs retired, I was particularly disturbed. He pretty much confirmed all of my worst fears.

How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk

By Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

This book is officially the best parenting book I have read. I love it more than I liked Love & Logic. I'm a little overwhelmed at how many ideas I want to implement into the way I communicate with my family.

The writing style is clear, concise and well supported. I like the down to earth tone of the book. The authors offer plenty of suggestions, tips, techniques and examples of how to implement ideas without resorting to disrespectful, harmful or fear-based methods. Practical everyday parenting and communication issues are addressed in a sympathetic and respectful way that encourage children to make choices and think through problems. Family members are encouraged to hear each other clearly and use humor to respond to many situations. I really think the parenting ideas in this book can help bring and keep my family closer together.

Every topic is addressed from multiple angles instead of a one size fits all approach. My favorite parenting books are full of ideas rather than dictated plans of actions. A paint by the numbers approach to life has never worked for me.

This is a book I will definitely be using quite a bit.

Mitten Strings For God, Reflections For Mothers In A Hurry

by Katrina Kenison

This book is another book club book. It's completely perfect for where I am in my life right now. Kenison is a working Mom, raised during the feminist movement, who has chosen to slow her life down and really be mindful of the fleeting time she has with two sweet little spirits. Kenison has re-prioritized her life around finding joy, simplicity, and peace while nurturing her children and her own inner spirit. The book reminds me a bit of The Creative Family although it is focused more on finding peace rather than inspiring creativity.

The book is definitely colored by the Waldorf philosophy but it is mostly reflections on embracing the best parts of parenthood. So many times I wish I had known how short childhood would be and savored it a bit more. Mitten Strings For God celebrates the simple pleasures of childhood and reliving those joys through parenthood. Parenthood is a chance to see childhood all over again from a more grateful perspective. There are so many moments that can be made even more wonderful by allowing a deeper peace and simplicity into our homes.

Growing up, I pictured my life as going down two seperate paths. I pictured a career and education driven life and then a family life with children. I never pictured them together because I could never quite figure out how they would coexist. Sometimes I still feel that way but the more I time I spend on this journey of motherhood, the more I realize that motherhood is as Kenison says: "my true vocation." Lately I've been especially aware of how precious my time is and how fast it slips through my fingers. Being a wife and mother is a truly lovely life and the more I concentrate on it, the more everything else seems to fall into place.

One of the biggest battles I think I will face as a parent is trying to protect my children in a media/consumer driven world where their peers might have a greater impact on them than I will. Creating a family bound together with love and a deep connection is becoming a more elusive task with every passing decade. I think slowing down and really concentrating on important values and fostering a more meaningful connection with my family is the only antedote for the accelerating worldliness my children will face.

The last chapter on choices resonated deeply with me. We make choices on a daily basis about what our priorities are. We choose how to treat our families and we chose how we express our love to each other. I've been trying really hard this year to try and find a rythmn for our life and make sure we are making time for the important things. This book definitely empowered me to keep trying. Kenison's reflections also inspired me really concentrate on the great moments in motherhood.

Great things that happened this week-
• Hearing Red Fish and New Fish giggle together and seeing Red Fish tickle her little sister.
• Doing head stands and summersaults with extended family and seeing Red Fish practice them with her Dad today.
• Sitting in church with my little family and feeling that rush of happiness at actually getting a peaceful moment together.
• Hearing my husband reading to my girls in the other room several times this week just because Red Fish asked.
• Waking up to a sweet two year old climbing into my bed with a stack of books prepared.
• Rocking my baby for an extra long time.
• Holding New Fish while she sleeps on my chest.
• Laying on Red Fish's bed and giggling with her while Daddy sings us goodnight songs.
• The smell of a freshly cleaned baby all ready to snuggle.

There were a lot of moments this week that I really stopped to think about what a great life I have. What a wonderful family I have and how deeply I am blessed. We had friends who unfortunately had a failed adoption this week. It just brought back a rush of memories of that deep longing on wanting these babies in our family so deeply. My family members are little pieces of my heart that I never knew were missing until that ache for each of them took over.

Music & Mobile

My grandparents gave our family this book as an early Christmas present. It's awesome. It has all of the best LDS songs from the hymn book, children's song book and other songs put together with paintings. Red Fish LOVES it. She wants to play piano all day long right now. She loves picking out a song and looking at the picture. She even made Two Fish play the piano with her when he got home from work today (he doesn't read music but she doesn't care.) Then she would pick a song, play furiously on the piano and have him sing to her accompaniment. Santa is bringing Red Fish another songbook and some CDs that I'm hoping will help with my new years resolution to do more daily musical activities with Red Fish. I think it's going to be a lot harder than doing art activities with her.

Red Fish showing her project to Blue Fish

Today we painted more watercolor paintings onto bleeding paper shapes using brushes and eye droppers. I'm pretty sure Red Fish could do this everyday. Then we stapled them onto a mobile.

Making some last minute adjustments
(Notice she is wearing two aprons.)

Books & Other Things

First Art- Art Experiences For Toddlers & Twos by MaryAnn Kohl
I had this fantasy for the summer that I was going to do weekly art projects with Red Fish and introduce her to all sorts of new media and ideas. The summer seems to have gotten away from me. We have painted a few times, colored a lot, done sidewalk chalk and used a lot of stickers. That's about it. This book has great recipes and ideas for toddler art projects. I'm trying to set a goal to actually use some of them by the end of the summer.

The Creative Family by Amanda Soule- A great reminder of the things I truly believe about the importance of family, love, creativity and imagination in parenting. I wish there had been a few more project ideas but I love the sentiments in the book. My ideal parenting would be full of creative projects, family traditions, and a lot of imaginative playtime. I totally agree with Soule's ideas about toys and art supplies. Kids need a few quality toys that can create an imaginary world. Art supplies should be readily available and high quality. Kids should be given tools to explore the world around them rather than distractions like television and video games. Now if I can just find the energy to implement these ideas in my family.

Other than reading I've been starting to nest quite a bit. Before Red Fish was born I went crazy reorganizing the house and getting the perfect nursery ready. I feel the same urge to do that now but I'm having a hard time getting anything done. Turns out it's much harder when I have a toddler and my energy disappears at a shocking rate. I did manage to make a set of curtains for Red Fish's new room (I love my nursery too much to change it for the next baby and I just barely finished repainting the fish) Her room is coming together at a snail's pace. Good thing I don't plan to move her over until New Fish gets a little bigger and needs the crib instead of the cradle. Maybe I should plan on her room being done for Christmas instead of September. (My plans turned out to be more expensive than I planned so everything was put on hold until I could save up more money.)

I've also gotten to about 1/100th of my organization projects I wanted done by September. The fridge has been scrubbed this week, the pantry reorganized and all of the kitchen cabinets have been reorganized. That just leaves... the rest of the house including the scary garage and basement that never really got totally moved into. Wish me luck!

Big Ol Book List

I haven't written anything about any of the books I've read in the last few months for some reason. I haven't been reading as much as I would like (sadly the tv has sucked me in when I'm feeling nauseated from pregnancy but I plan to change that now that I'm feeling a little better.) I have read a few dumb books a some great ones. I'm going to concentrate mostly on the good ones because nobody cares what books I thought were dumb.

The Tipping Point- It's a business book the same way Freakanomics (a book I LOVED) is about economics. The book basically talks about how to start an epidemic in your business but it talks about everything from the broken window theory, selling ipods, or the aids epidemic to how painting subway cars in New York City supposedly dropped the crime rate almost overnight. It was fascinating and well written and I recommend it to anyone. I'm not sure how it applies to my business but still a great read. I want to read some of Malcolm Gladwell's other books.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire- my husband bought this for me for my birthday in November because I had just been to see the musical in LA with my friend Lovely L. I absolutely loved the musical. It's hilarious and creative and the music and design is fabulous. The book is creative and has some great plotlines but it does not have the same spirit as the musical. It definitely didn't make me smile the way the musical did. If you aren't easily shocked it's an interesting book. The details are rather dark and twisted. It won't be one I read again but I'm not totally horrified by it either.




Nutrition For A Healthy Pregnancy by Elizabeth Somer- I actually read this for the first time almost five years ago when we first started talking about kids. I spent a year reading pre-pregnancy books and nutrition books to try and get my body at it's healthiest. This is one of the books I have packed up several times and hid from myself a couple years ago. I finally had Two Fish bring it out for me and it's a great resource. Great lists of foods for specific vitamins, plans for exercise and healthy weight gain, and a reminder of the food pyramid and how it fits in to overall health.


I started reading parenting books in November. We were newly approved for adoption and trust me, having some sort of psychological preparation for a new baby is really important in adoption- you almost need a psychological pregnancy time. There is a reason women are pregnant for 9 months and go through a lot of changes to prepare. Part of my preparation is reading a lot. I read a lot of adoption books the first time but I've really lost interest in them since I've been through the adoption process before. It's funny that all through December I was doing my preparation and I was pregnant and didn't know. Anyway- that may be too much information but here are the parenting books I've been reading and liked.

Playful Parenting- Great ideas. I love that it made me lighten up a lot. There are so many small issues that don't need to be negative. There are so many hard things that can be reversed and made fun. The most interesting thing the book talks about is how kids use play to work out their own inner struggles and emotions. they don't talk things out like adults- they play them out. I've definitely noticed this with Red Fish after reading the book. One night she didn't want to go to bed and I sat on my bed with her while she pretended to put me to bed over and over. After she had worked out her frustrations and made herself feel more in power she went to bed without a peep. Another time I had been away for a couple days and when I came home Red Fish spent a solid hour putting a blanket over my head and ripping it off and finding me. She was working out her fear and frustration of my leaving her. Playful Parenting really reminded me to take the time to play with Red Fish and find out what is going on in her little mind. A great book- slightly repetitive and probably could have been a little shorter.

The No Cry Sleep Solution- Every kid goes through cycles in their sleep patterns and this book has given Two Fish and I some great ideas on how to handle some of those issues. My sister in law- L had recommended the newborn version of the book to me but Red Fish was a great newborn sleeper. Since she has entered toddlerhood we have had several speed bumps in the sleeping area. This book has been a great reference to handle the different situtations and helped to resolve them quickly. I love books that don't dictate one way of doing things but instead gives you ideas to test on your own.


Love And Logic For Early Childhood- recommended by my friend Cari. I LOVE this book. I'm not very close to being able to totally apply it but I like the overall philosophies. I love the idea of a love account that you either put deposits or withdrawls on. Everytime you pay attention to your child, focus on them, give affection, make them laugh etc. you put a deposit in. Everytime you are short with them or upset them is a withdrawl. Both are bound to happen over the course of a day but the key is to make sure you put more deposits than withdrawls on your relationship.

I think one of the hardest things as a parents is allowing your kids to struggle or be hurt by a situation but kids will never learn to deal with hard things unless you let them practice with the small stuff. This book really encourages you to let your kids learn things for themselves instead of alway bossing them around.

The book also helps to keep threats and screaming out of a learning situation. Instead help the child use logic and learn consequences in a loving way. I highly reccomend the book- there is a whole series of them.

So there is my big list of recent reads. (At least the ones that are worth talking about.)

Dilemnas of a 1st time Mom

So today I was just having one of those mornings during which I felt no need to get dressed for the day. My Mom's dog is here visiting and I had the dogs playing in the backyard while Red Fish and I had a leisurely morning. Next thing I know the dogs have figured out how to escape from my newly fenced yard and I have to chase them down the street in my rather embarrassing pajamas at 10 am. Hello new neighbors- here I am in all my glory! The day has only gotten better from there. They attacked my realtor who came over to say hello (now I am wearing my high school volleyball sweatshirt and jeans - no hair or makeup today) and the stupid barker breaker I've been using (it makes a very loud and annoying noise meant to scare the dogs) went berserk and wouldn't shutup. Red Fish started crying because she got knocked over during the hullaballoo. It was a regular circus around here. Sigh...

I've been reading "What To Expect The First Year" a chapter a month for the past year. I mostly skim for relevant issues to my parenting style but I like that it sort of prepares me for each stage of Red Fish's life so far. It also gives me a bit of a reality check because most of the time I assume she is much too little for things. Actually I just have a hard time letting her grow up even in tiny steps. The book reminds me to allow her new experiences. So here enters my dilemna. I have been giving her a sippy cup for a long time now but until the last week or so she mostly used it as an accessory rather than an actual instrument for aquiring liquid sustenance. I read last week in WTETFY that babies should begin to rely mostly on a sippy cup somewhere around the first year. This was shocking information to me because the thought hadn't even occured to me. When I first read it I figured it was a personal choice and Red Fish just wasn't ready because she doesn't drink much out of the sippy. Then in the last week she has gone crazy with the sippy cup and elected to get rid of her afternoon bottle unless it is in a cup. I think she is trying to tell me something. Perhaps it's a sign that I'm the one who isn't ready.

This also applies to her food. Red Fish is still mostly a toothless wonder (she has two bottom teeth and couple on the top, side of her mouth.) I'm a big fan of baby food. Nice, organic, easy, nutritious baby food. I've been adding alot of finger foods like string cheese, steamed veggies, chopped fruit, cheerios etc. trying to allow her to self feed but if I go just with the finger food she won't get nearly the variety she had in the jars- I'm just not a great grocerry shopper or cook.

So here is my question... What are you guys feeding your toddlers and when did you wean from the bottle? I need some ideas for nutritious food. Am I holding her back by clinging to the baby things? The advice of my wonderful mama friends would be greatly appreciated.