Day: February 24, 2019

Visual Discovery

Leave a comment

Visual Stimulation (5)

A relative praised Veronika’s strong eyesight over the weekend, a nice compliment and a reminder of why I take the time to play little games at each stage that strengthen her vision. At three months old, we’ve moved beyond black and white and beyond bold colors, and now she can start to enjoy complicated patterns.

I sat her down comfortably and pulled out a variety of household objects with colors and contrasts for her to enjoy. First up, a ball of multi-hued yarn.

Visual Stimulation (1)

Then I showed her one of daddy’s ties. I talked about what the item was, as well as descriptions of the color and images on it.

Visual Stimulation (4)

This bandanna from big brother Travis was a hit!

Visual Stimulation (6)

So much so that we tied it in her bassinet for visual fun later in the day.

Visual Stimulation (10)

Even a two-tone hairbrush can be fun in this game.

Visual Stimulation (2)

Just be careful; unlike some games we play, items from this one weren’t meant to end up in the mouth!

Visual Stimulation (3)

If you’re stumped for what items to show your baby, head to the closet. There are sure to be racks full of interesting colors and patterns.

Visual Stimulation (8)

She especially loved one of mommy’s dresses!

Visual Stimulation (9)

Energy-Boosting Smoothies

Leave a comment

Energy Smoothie (3).JPG

This past week, I noticed my energy levels flagging a little; it’s right around this point that breastfeeding takes a lot out of you! Baby isn’t quite ready for solids yet at three months old, but needs upwards of 600 calories a day of milk alone. With my son, I hadn’t realized how many calories go into producing milk each day, and soon found myself underweight. Smoothies were my life saver.

So feeling like my supply has been a little low for Veronika, today’s activity was to make some energy-boosting smoothies to keep us both healthy and strong!

Energy Smoothie (1)

I played around with a few variations, and here are three that I loved. For all of the following recipes, simply combine the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. You can add ice if you like, but I prefer my smoothies without it.

Smoothie 1:

  • 5 ounces vanilla non-dairy yogurt
  • 1/2 cup fresh mango
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup carrot juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Energy Smoothie (2)

Smoothie 2:

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1 cup chopped Granny Smith apple
  • 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Energy Smoothie (4)

Smoothie 3:

  • 1/2 cup rice milk
  • 6 ounces apple juice
  • 1/2 cup avocado
  • 1 cup fresh baby spinach or watercress
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Energy Smoothie

This last was my favorite, rich and creamy from the avocado, and an instant energy boost. Feel free to play around with the above suggestions. Use oat milk if you like it better, or pumpkin seeds in place of the sunflower etc. If you have a recipe you like best, please share in the comments!