15 weeks pregnant...

How much did becoming a mom change my life? So. Much.

I love it, but it's demanding. Ever since Naomi was born (oh yeah - did I mention we finally named her Naomi as opposed to Jade?) I haven't really found the time or desire to go back online and post on my blog. I guess that was my way of being in the moment. Living everything in its fullest and when she goes to bed, use that time to rest or complete some chores that are too challenging when she's up.

But now I owe it to myself to come back and blog again: I'm pregnant again and baby no. 2 deserves a diary in memory of my pregnancy too!

So, here are the milestones you missed:
  • My EDD is January 21st which means I'm 15 weeks pregnant.
  • The first trimester was HORRIBLE. Morning sickness was very difficult to deal with and could have been named "all-day-and-night-sickness". The fact that I'm still breastfeeding 13 months old Naomi might have contributed to the excessive lack of energy and hypoglycemic episodes. 
  • I started feeling the baby move after 13 weeks. He/she moves a lot more than Naomi did.
  • 2 weeks ago, we heard the heartbeat for the first time. Toc toc toc toc toc. 160 bps!
  • I again this time opted out of the prena-test, I should only have one echography. It is scheduled on September 1st. If Baby is cooperative, we should discover his/her gender then.
Thought of the week: what they say is true - the belly grows much faster in a subsequent pregnancy.

Coming soon! First belly picture!

Baby Gourmet Review

A couple of weeks ago, I received a sample of the Baby Gourmet baby vegetable and fruit purees for review.

About my little tester: 7 months old Naomi. Had only been fed breast milk and homemade purees up to that point. She can be a little fussy with the homemade purees and made it very clear to me that she would not eat just anything I provide in a spoon. Hehe...

The samples were wrapped in a box made of recycled material that looked like this:


Inside, was 9 pouches of food purees:
The first thing that got my attention was the packaging. The pouches BPA-free and vacuum-sealed for 15 months of freshness on the shelf. They have bright colours with cute baby pictures and have an attractive look and feel.

I liked the fact that the puree was kept in a soft pouch because it was easy to squeeze it out and use only the quantity needed at a time. I was actually able to drop the puree directly onto the feeding spoon as Naomi was eating and twist the cap back on when she was done for a safe, uncontaminated storage in the fridge. This would not have been possible with a traditional food container in which the spoon is dipped. Not only did this allow me to reduce waste of whatever she is normally unable to finished, but I was thrilled that my usual feeding cup became obsolete and completely optional. I hate dirty dishes... especially carrying them in a diaper bag!

The food is excellent. "One spoon for Mommy, one spoon for Naomi" excellent... She liked every single flavour she had. The trick is simple but efficient: the taste of nasty vegetables is disguised with flavourful fruit combos. Oh and, did I mention her hatred of brocoli? I was yet to find a food combo that would make her accept brocoli (even the sweet potato did not work) until she tried the juicy pear & garden greens I did not think it would be possible. The garden greens are in fact organic brocoli and organic spinach with a zest of organic lemon juice. Yum! She gave me her complete approval.

Did I mention the purees are organic and without added sugar, salt or preservatives? I'm giving it my Mommy approval right there.

This is a review so I must also try to find the product's weaknesses...

I couldn't really find much to be honest... The product had to be ordered online when I first checked. Then I read it would soon be available from every Walmart in North America but I haven't seen it there yet. The website says it should only be a couple of days before it's available at Walmart but it seems the delay has been pushed a couple of times...
The price is affordable and competitive at $19.99 for a mix of 9 pouches (shipping is free) when you compare with other organic baby food on the market.  However, at this price, I don't know who would want to purchase the 12 pouches package for $33.99. I can't find a justification to account for the price difference. I would expect the 12 pouches package to retail around $26, if not less since you're buying more.

In the end, if you're looking for a convenient and healthy organic option to feed your baby when in a rush or on-the-go then I think this product is what you've been dreaming about.  If you're planning to use them for every meal, then you might find them costly if you went with the 12 pack purchase, but your baby will adore you! I wish it was already available at Walmart so I could stock a few before my long trip to New Caledonia next week!

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