Leap Day Baby

My sister-in-law gave birth this morning to a sweet baby boy! Little Malachi was 6 weeks early but still managed to weigh 6 lbs 6 oz. He's absolutely beautiful! He's in the NICU right now because his lungs are underdeveloped, but he's doing well so far. We were able to go in and see him today. I forgot to bring my phone in so I have no pictures to share, but he's got a headful of dark hair and a sweet little face! Only the mom and dad can touch the baby while he's in the NICU and let me tell you, it was so hard to keep from touching him. He was so pitiful with all those tubes and wires and he looked so little and alone. Please pray that his lung function will improve so that he can go home soon! 

Barn! Barn! Barn!

Our new house has a barn behind it. 


A big, old, red barn.

It sits just across the driveway, and the kids LOVE it. I don't think I can express how much the kids love it. I always thought the kids would like a playhouse in the backyard or maybe a treehouse or some sort of fort. The barn is all of those things and more. 


For the last week, all we have heard is things like this:


"Let's play in the barn!"
"When we get to the new house, can we play in the barn?" 
"Can you show us how to get up the ladder in the barn?"
"We promise we won't get dirty if you let us play in the barn."
"The barn is awesome!"
"I can climb the ladder to the loft in the barn!"
"I'm not scared to climb down the ladder in the barn."
"We're going to make/build/play <insert idea here> in the barn!"

Barn! Barn! Barn! Over and over and over again for a week.


And then, suddenly there was a younger voice calling out "Bar! Bar! Bar!" Jaxon was pointing with his little baby finger every time he looked out the back window of the house. "Bar! Bar! Bar!" I didn't realize what he was saying, but Jason said "He's saying barn!" We took him outside and that little finger went crazy, pointing all over the place while he yelled out "Bar! Bar! Bar!"


I don't think he knew what the barn was. I think he just knew that there was something very cool out there that his siblings were extremely excited about and he was repeating the word he'd heard more than any other word this week. It was very cute. Jason took him on a walk through the barn yesterday so he could associate his new word with an actual object.  


If you want to thrill your kids, get a barn. I think ours like this barn better than anything we got them for Christmas.

Jaxon at 12 Months

My very sweet, way too big boy. He's sooo big. This picture was taken at a friend's 3rd birthday party at Chik-fil-a. Jaxon joined in with the preschoolers like he was a big kid, eating his chicken nuggets and drinking from a juice box. He even played in the play area for the first time. He thought that was awesome! They gave him a stuffed cow to take home and we taught him that the cow says moo. All night long, we'd say "What does the cow say?" and he'd answer "mooooo" in this adorable little voice. So cute, but I think he got tired of performing for us. 

I took him to his 12 month appointment this week and he weighs 20 lbs 13 oz. He is 31 inches tall. We found out his iron levels are still low - actually, they are lower than at his 6 month appointment. He has to start taking iron drops daily. They are icky, and smell awful and they make his poop really awful! But I'm going to have to be diligent about them. 

He gets into the cabinets everywhere, even at the doctor's office.

He is walking all the time now. I finally went and bought him a pair of shoes the other day so that he could walk around outside without hurting his feet and he's loving being able to do that. He loves walking around like his siblings. He thinks he's big stuff.

Birthday lunch! We gave him his own plate for the first time.
He loves having what the other kids have. 

He loves feeding himself, so every meal time is a massive mess that requires a change of clothes and the washing of the high chair cover. I'm really liking eating out right now, lol. He is still nursing often, in spite of his love for food, though I've noticed him slacking off on daytime nursing. He will go 4 hours between sessions during the day, unless he gets hurt or mad or otherwise upset...milk fixes everything! 


I took him to Wal-Mart last night and he pointed to the ceiling and repeatedly said "up", so that's a new word for him. I love his little pointing finger. He uses it now to show us what he wants. He will also hold it up as a "1" when you mention his birthday or ask him if he's 1. He also will point to his hair if you ask him where his hair is. He can also point to his pee-pee. We've made no effort to teach him those things. Apparently we just talk about his hair and his pee-pee that much.


The worst thing about entering toddler hood are the tantrums. He started them about 3 weeks before his birthday and now he has at least one a day. He throws himself down on the floor and kicks. He's also learned that pulling my hair hurts me and so if he's in a position where he can't throw a tantrum, he grabs my hair and pulls. If I still don't give him what he wants, he pulls harder. He's also very, very strong, and very focused...when he decides to fight me on a diaper change, they end up taking 10 minutes. 


Even though Jaxon's a little bit wild sometimes, he's so much fun. He's also very loving, giving us sweet kisses and hugs all the time. He's my sweet little guy and I can't wait to see what all he does to amaze me next month!

We're Moving!

We're moving! We have had numerous problems with our current rental house, ranging from plumbing to electrical to a crumbling foundation. So we decided to start looking for somewhere to go and found a great, recently remodeled home that is just big enough for us. 

We're going from 5 to 3 bedrooms, so Jaxon will now be sharing a room with his older brother. We're going from 4 bathrooms to 3 and we're also losing our playroom. But, the house we are moving to is very much like new - think older home with new insides. It has new paint, new electrical, new everything in the bathrooms, some new floors, a new fireplace, and new appliances. It looks great, and I'm excited about it. It also has NO STAIRS inside the house. Since Jaxon has learned to open the door to the downstairs playroom, this move is coming right in time. He's also just learned to climb up on our fireplace hearth. The new house has a fireplace, but the hearth is lower to the ground, so that change is also welcome.

The loss of some of our space will be challenging. For all its faults, the house we are in now has tons of room. I've been purging and cleaning out toys and other things to make it easier to fit things in the new house. 

We're not moving very far away - only about 15 minutes. We'll be closer to the "city" but farther from the nearest town. We will be very close to our church building/food pantry, which will be convenient. We'll have several acres and we'll be planting a garden. We're very excited about that, but I'm sure it is going to be a lot of work. The kids are thrilled about all the land. I can't even describe to you how excited they get running through the fields. 

One thing we love about our current house is the street we live on. It's quiet and flat and we live on a cul-de-sac, so the kids have a great place to ride bikes. I was worried when we started looking for a new place that we would lose that play space for them. We ended up with something even better! Our new house has a huge circular driveway that starts at one end of the massive yard, circles completely around the house and comes out on the other end of the yard. So the kids have PLENTY of space to ride bikes and scooters, an even larger yard to play in, and acres of fields in back to run through. 

The only problem is that we're moving in 2 weeks. 

I hate moving...the packing, the unpacking, and the uncertainty in between while you try to get settled in your new place. I'm a creature of habit who likes needs order. Moving with kids is even harder. When we moved last year, Jaxon was 5 weeks old. I still had stitches and was not even supposed to lift anything heavier than Jaxon. Packing/unpacking/moving was hard for me because I'm a control freak who wants to have a hand in everything. I was completely dependent on other people to do things for me and that was very hard for me. At least this time I can do things in between rescuing Jaxon from his latest craziness and homeschooling and laundry and all that other stuff we moms have to do.  

So if I'm quiet the next two weeks, that's why!  

Happy Birthday, Jaxon!

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby boy!  

How did we go from this:

to this:

so quickly????


We haven't had a party for him, but he already got what is sure to be his favorite present from his grandparents. He loves this little Push & Ride Racer from Little Tikes. 

I can't believe how quickly he's growing and how fast time has passed since his birth. He is in full toddlerhood now, but I'll post more about that later. 


Right now, my new 1 year old wants to nurse. It's nice that he is still a baby in some ways!

If I Cry...

I have no idea who came up with this (my husband saw it on FB), but it's HILARIOUS.

Self Feeding (And How Mabu Can Help)

Jaxon has always had an independent streak in him. Lately, it's been manifesting itself more and more. This week, it showed itself during meal time. He's been feeding himself finger foods for several months. Cheerios, pieces of fruit, cheese, and chicken, green beans, and peas have all been great finger foods for him. When we do baby food, we usually do organic baby food pouches, which I've started letting him hold himself. He loves that. But sometimes I make his food and sometimes we do things like yogurt that I have to feed him. This week, he wanted to do it himself. 

As you can imagine (and probably see from the pictures), he made a huge mess. 


Thankfully, Mabu sent me some of their fabulous multi-cloths when they sent me their diapers to try. The Mabu multi cloths made it easy to clean up everything, even the baby! They are nice and thick so they can tackle tough jobs easily. They are also extremely absorbent, which works well for wet messes like this one, and they are super soft, making them perfect for wiping little hands and faces. Note: they are very stiff when you first open them - that's just from a vegetable starch stiffener put on them for packaging. After you wash them, they will shrink a little and fluff up!

Bottom: stiff unwashed cloth, top washed/fluffed cloth

I have been using them for several weeks now and each time I use them I love them more. Since they are color coded, you can be sure you aren't wiping the counters and the baby's face with the same cloth. 


Previously, I was using some basic dishcloths that I thought were fine for my counters and dishes. I did notice that they would start smelling bad very quickly and I was going through 3-4 per day, plus several baby washcloths for Jaxon's face and hands. I wipe my counters down several times per day, and I wipe the table down after every meal. I'm also cleaning Jaxon's high chair after each meal. The Mabu multi cloths rinse 99.9% bacteria free, so I can use two all day long (one for faces, one for everything else). I have sniffed mine after a long day of washing babies and counters and they still smell clean. I appreciate that!


They are made from 100% natural wood fibers, and have a neat open weave, 8 layered design that makes them great for scrubbing. With the Mabu Big Multi cloth, you can do all kinds of things including washing the car or cleaning outdoor furniture. They resist staining and all of mine still look brand new.  

Bottom: Mabu Big Multi Cloth
Top: Mabu Multi Cloth

Mabu multi cloths are sold in the US under the name Duzi as well. I received both Mabu and Duzi and I can testify that they are identical. You can purchase these cloths from Amazon. Since Duzi is the brand sold in the US, they are cheaper on Amazon, but I assure you they are exactly the same!

Mabu also sent me two Odor Gators. This is a little clip on patch that naturally eliminates odors by breaking them down into salt and water. It doesn't look like much, but I put one in the diaper pail and it has really helped the smell. It's not completely gone, but it no longer knocks me over when I open it. I put the other in the closet where we keep our trash can. Yep, our trash can has to be in a closet to keep Jaxon from licking the trash can, knocking over the trash can, or reaching in and grabbing things from the trash can to eat. Anyway, so it's in this tiny closet in our kitchen, and since we put the trash can in there, that closet had started smelling. The Odor Gator has helped to eliminate the stink. The Odor Gator can be refreshed by placing it in sunlight or by wiping it down. It's not on the market yet, but hopefully it will be soon. You'll love it!

Oh, and in case you want to see more of Jaxon feeding himself, I also took a video...




I received products from Mabu for review. All opinions are my own. 

Wordless Wednesday: Angry Baby

{{He did NOT want to leave the science museum}}

Mabu Baby Eco-Diaper System Review & Giveaway

When I first heard that Wal-Mart was going to be selling modern cloth diapers, I was intrigued. I contacted the company, Mabu Baby, about doing a review and they immediately replied and sent me a great package full of products (I'll be reviewing the non-diaper products in a subsequent post). I received a Mabu Baby starter kit which includes 2 diaper covers with pad holders, 2 washable inserts, 2 disposable inserts, and 5 liners. I also received an extra pack of disposable inserts and an extra pack of liners.  

My first impression when opening the starter kit was that the washable insert is extremely soft. Initially, I thought was that the system seemed a little complicated, at least compared to my other diapers. However, the kit includes very clear instructions that shows how to easily put the diapers together. So make sure you look for the instructions when opening the kit! Once I put the diapers together the first time, it was easy after that. 


This is the diaper cover. It has soft hook and loop tabs. The hook and loop tabs are extremely soft and do not irritate Jaxon's stomach the way most other hook and loop diapers do. It is lined with Ecowix fabric, which is made from natural white bamboo charcoal and recycled polyester. It's a moisture wicking fabric that keeps baby's skin dry. It also helps break down odor. 

This is the diaper pad holder. It snaps into the cover. The cover and diaper pad holder are both made of recycled plastic bottles. 

The snaps are tiny, but easy to use.

 This is the diaper cover with the diaper pad holder snapped in.

This is the disposable pad. I don't really know how to describe it other than it reminds me of those giant pads they give you at the hospital after you have a baby. 

Then the diaper pad lays inside the diaper pad holder. 

This is the reusable insert. It is terrycloth topped with the Ecowix fabric. It has a fold in half design that allows it to be absorbent while still allowing it to dry quickly. In the dryer, the pad and cover will be dry in a matter of minutes. I hang everything to dry and mine were dry within 3-4 hours. The insert has remained soft after washing and any stains have easily sunned out.  

Terrycloth side

Ecowix side

 Folded in half

Reusable pad inside cover

It's not necessary to unsnap the holder from the cover when washing (this makes it easier to use after washing. The hook and loop tabs did not stay fastened when washing, but I have only used one brand of diapers whose laundry tabs actually worked. If you go ahead and put the diapers together straight out of the wash, including the pad, these diapers are as easy as a disposable to put on. 


The sizing is supposed to be similar to disposable diaper sizing making it easy to find your baby's size if you are switching from disposables. Since we never use disposables, I cannot attest to this. However, Jaxon is 20 lbs, and the size 2 that I was sent is for babies 9-20 lbs. When I saw the sizing on the box, I was concerned since he is at the top of the weight range. Once I opened the box, I realized the sizing is generous. The size 2 fits him well and works great. Jaxon has a small waist, so the hook and loop tabs meet in the middle -crossover tabs would be helpful, especially for use on babies at the smaller end of the weight range. 

I tried it with both the disposable and the washable insert. Both worked well and there were no leaks, even after several hours. Jaxon likes to christen new diapers by pooping in them immediately (do other babies do this?), and this diaper was no exception. We tried the reusable insert first. I did have to change the entire diaper once he pooped - I was unable to reuse the diaper cover. I did use one of the diaper liners,  but it did not keep the poop from reaching the elastic around the legs of the diaper. I use liners on a fairly regular basis with other diapers and have a problem with liners shifting in most diapers. This could be user error on my part or could be due to the fact that Jaxon never stops moving and the liners end up shifting. 

Comfortable leg elastic - does not leave any red marks on chubby thighs

I was able to reuse the cover when we were using the disposable insert. The disposable insert fills the diaper out a little more and therefore seemed to keep the messy contents farther away from the diaper cover and pad holder. This was my first time to use a disposable insert. I must admit, they were strange to use after using only cloth for almost a year. However, I can certainly see where they would be useful especially when traveling. They seemed to absorb well and  Jaxon's bottom still felt dry even when the insert was wet. The disposable liners are flushable. The disposable inserts are not flushable, but they can be composted or you can just throw them in with your regular trash.  


You can find Mabu Baby diapers at some Wal-Mart locations. To find the Wal-Mart closest to you, click here. The diapers aren't sold at the Wal-Mart nearest me, but they are sold at one about 30 minutes away so when I was going to be in that area, I stopped by to check out the display. The starter kit retails for $29.94. 

You can get 4 additional pads in the size 1 for $9.94

I really liked these diapers. I reach for them often when we're at home, which is really saying something since I typically hate hook and loop diapers. They never leak! I don't use Mabu very much when we are out, but that's mainly because I like to show off my diapers so I take my cutest ones when we go places. I would love to see Mabu offer colors or prints, because I think that the cute factor is what attracts many people to cloth! I think the plain white is in keeping with the cost savings factor that Mabu's display promotes. When I use Mabu diapers, I prefer the reusable insert to the disposable insert, mainly because it's easier for me to just throw everything in the diaper pail as opposed to throwing part of the diaper away. I do like having some disposable inserts on hand. There have been times in the past when we were traveling that I wished we had disposable inserts. I usually don't think about it until we are packing, so I am glad I have an affordable option that can be easily purchased without having to order online and wait for it to arrive.

Despite the fact that I liked these diapers and they worked wonderfully, I felt like most people who use cloth now would not care for these diapers, which is sad because they are great diapers. They're not as cute as most of my other diapers. But, for a casual shopper at Wal-Mart who may not be aware of the modern cloth diapering world, I feel like they are a great gateway diaper. While they are a little complicated the first time you use them, it's really easy after that. If you stuff the inserts in the diaper ahead of time, they are as easy as disposables to put on. They work well, the price is reasonable, and they are easy to use and easy to care for.  


Would you like to try Mabu Baby Eco-diaper system for yourself? One reader will win a starter kit of their very own to try! Enter using the easy Rafflecopter form below (click read more if you cannot see the form). 

My Little Artist

The other day while we were doing school, one of the kids thought it would be hilarious to give Jaxon a pencil. To my surprise, instead of eating it, he started trying to write in the the book he had been looking at. I had no idea he knew what to do with a pencil. So I gave him some crayons and a piece of paper and he had a blast drawing his first picture. He kept laughing and he would get so excited when we would compliment his artwork. 

I keep thinking of him as a baby and sometimes forget that he's on the fast track towards toddlerhood! It's time for me to get on Pinterest and find some fun things to keep toddlers occupied. First up is this great finger painting idea! I think even my big kids would like this!

                                                             Source: momsbalancingact.com via Brandi on Pinterest

Find the Perfect Toy at eBeanstalk.com

Jaxon's first birthday is coming up this month! I can't believe my baby is turning 1! While he doesn't need any toys, I've still been checking out toy sites trying to find the best gifts for 1 year olds. 


While searching for toddler toys, I came across ebeanstalk.com. Ebeanstalk.com makes it easy to shop for any child on your list. You can shop by category or by age (including ages like 3 months, 6 months, 1 1/2 and 2 3/4). I thought that was funny, but as a mom I know there's a huge difference between a child who has just turned 2 and an almost 3 year old. It's a great feature, especially for those who may not be very adept at shopping for little ones.  


Every toy at Ebeanstalk has been selected by experts with the purpose of helping kids grow, learn, and have fun. The site offers some of my favorite brands such as Melissa & Doug, Haba, Citiblocs, and Educational Insights. They also offer wooden toys for all ages. I really like wooden toys because they have a certain timeless appeal to them. I also love that they don't require batteries and don't make annoying electronic noises.

Melissa & Doug Pound a Peg - $9.99 at ebeanstalk.com

One of my favorite toys that Ebeanstalk carries (and that I've never seen anywhere else) is this Very Hungry Caterpillar pull toy! How cute is that? I kind of have a thing for the Very Hungry Caterpillar (if you do, too, you can follow my Very Hungry Caterpillar Obsession board on Pinterest). 


Ebeanstalk also has a section on developmental milestones. It shows what a child should be able to do at a specific age. I purchased this shape sorter for Jaxon for his birthday, so I was happy to see shape sorting on the milestone list for 1 1/4 years. 


Ebeanstalk.com offers free shipping for orders over $65 and hassle free returns. They also offer a grandparents discount and a birthday reminder service. This weekend, you can received 20% off all orders over $50 using promo code WEEKEND. 





I received a gift card from ebeanstalk in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own!

What's Scary to an 11 Month Old

This little wash mitt was the source of much angst and terror at bath time tonight. He's not new to the family, but he is new to Jaxon. I grabbed it tonight from the linen closet to bathe him with. He didn't pay any attention while I was bathing him -he was concerned with other things like the bubbles and trying to turn the faucet back on. Then I went to pour water over his head, courtesy of our new Green Toys tugboat (I'm loving this toy).


He really doesn't like it when I pour water on his head, even though I'm careful to not get it in his face. So when he saw the tugboat coming his way, he took off for the other side of the tub. The tub has a sliding glass door, and it's very difficult for me to reach him on one side of the tub. He obviously knows this. So when he went to the end of the tub, I attempted to coax him back with my turtle wash mitt/hand puppet. He smiled and laughed at me/it. But then I put my wash mitt hand towards him, grabbing at his little baby toes.


Jaxon burst into tears. And went hysterical. I threw the wash mitt off and grabbed Jaxon and hugged him and tried to calm him down. As soon as he pulled his head away from my chest, he turned and saw the wash mitt again, and burst into a fresh round of tears/hysterics, trying to climb out of the tub and away from the terrifying wash mitt. I pulled him out and started drying him off. He was still sobbing. I took him to his room, grabbed his sleeper and a diaper and then went to the living room to tell my husband what happened. I grabbed the wash mitt on the way (keeping it out of Jaxon's sight). When I got to the living room, I showed it to Jason explaining what happened. Jaxon lifted his head from my shoulder while I was talking to Jason and while he had never stopped crying, he ramped up his tears to terrified screams when he once again saw the wash mitt.


It was sad, and crazy all at the same time. Jaxon climbs on everything, pulls things over on himself, and is constantly trying to dive down our stairs. Small animals don't upset him and he will grab live bugs off the ground and try to eat them. He doesn't think twice about any of this and we've talked about his lack of fear. But the little cotton wash mitt terrifies him. So, apparently, he does have some fear! 


Does your toddler have any seemingly irrational fears? 

The Start of Something Wonderful?

Yesterday, Jaxon took a two hour nap at a normal time (1:15-3:15). That's unheard of for him. If I get him to take an afternoon nap, it's usually later in the afternoon and never for 2 hours. So this was great. More importantly, he woke up in a fabulous mood. Then, to make things even better, he went to sleep last night at a decent time (around 8, maybe?). I wasn't paying a lot of attention, but I wish I had taken better notes on exactly when he fell asleep. I was able to lay him down in his crib (that's a big win, too). While he woke up a little later, around 9:30 or so (normal for him), he immediately nursed and went back to sleep (not normal). In the past, when he has fallen asleep around 8, he is back up around 9 and up until 11 or later. I was able to lay him back down in his Pack 'N Play in our room, where he slept for several hours before I had to bring him into bed with us. It was really nice.


Then, this morning, around 10:30, he wanted to nurse. He went right to sleep, let me lay him in his crib, and then he slept for almost 2 hours! He also took another nap this afternoon (though that one was in the car, so I don't rank it as high). 


I am so happy that he is napping and sleeping better. It's also been so great to be able to lay him down while he naps. It's nice to be able to get a few things done while he sleeps! He also seems to sleep better when I lay him down and he's less likely to get woken up by his siblings. It's only been two days, but I truly hope that this is the start of something wonderful! 

Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Baby Face

Ella's Kitchen Review & Giveaway

When I first had Jaxon, I had these grand dreams of making all his baby food, from fresh organic ingredients. I did make a lot of his food until my Baby Brezza broke. But when we needed to leave the house, I quickly found that homemade baby food doesn't travel very well. With my diaper bag already stuffed full of cloth diapers, I would end up carrying a separate small cooler bag with the baby food in it (and an ice pack). That works sometimes, but at other times, it was just not practical. So I was happy to find that someone else had already encountered this same dilemma and come up with a great solution!


Ella's Kitchen was founded by a dad who was looking for something healthy, yummy, and easily portable for his daughter, Ella, to eat. There was nothing like that at the time so he set to work. Doesn't it seem like the best ideas are always born from a parent's need for a better product? 


Ella's Kitchen is passionate about health and nutrition, which is why they only use organic ingredients. They take their commitment to health even farther though. Ella's Kitchen foods contain no preservatives and nothing artificial. They are also egg, gluten, sugar, salt, and wheat free. They don't even add water -it's just pure organic goodness! They come in BPA free packaging. They also believe that taste and convenience are important (I agree!), so their pouches are highly portable and their flavors are kid-friendly. 

Look at all the fun colors of the Ella's Kitchen foods! They are broken down into several product ranges:

First Tastes - for babies just starting solids, these foods are single flavors and contain nothing but fruit and (in some pouches) a tiny splash of lemon juice. 

Fruit + Baby Rice - organic brown rice with organic fruit

Ella's 1 - fun blends for babies who have had exposure to each of the ingredients separately. No added water, preservatives, or extras- still just yummy organic fruits & veggies for baby. Eat them alone or added to mashed or ground chicken, turkey, or fish! 

Ella's 2 - these blends introduce meats and textures. 

Baby Brekkie - organic fruit, yogurt, and rice - still 100% organic and a perfect breakfast for babies or toddlers!

Smoothie Fruits - with names like "the red one", these are perfect for toddlers and older kids - an easy way to put some fruit in their diet. Pop into lunchboxes or grab one for an on the go snack! I'm going to pick some of these up for our big kids. 


The first one I pulled out to try was an Ella's 1 flavor - spinach, apple, rutabaga. To be honest, I wasn't sure what a rutabaga was, so I had to look it up (it's a turnip). I knew it was something I'd never eat, but I'm always happy to feed healthy foods to my kids, even the ones that don't appeal to me. 

Jaxon sucked that pouch down like he'd never tasted something so great (see another pic).   

He is very serious about that pouch.

One thing I've noticed about the Ella's Kitchen mixtures is that they seem slightly thicker than some of the other baby foods we've bought in the past, even those in pouches. Jaxon's sensitive to texture, but he actually seem to prefer the thicker mixes. I like the thicker mixtures because he can easily handle the pouches himself without accidentally spilling them. He loves being able to feed himself. 

Mangoes are his favorite!

He also ate Ella's Kitchen "apples apples apples" and for the first time ever, he seemed to like apples. I've give him at least 3 different brands of apples and even made some for him at home, with and without cinnamon, and he's never cared for them. But he really seemed to like the Ella's Kitchen brand. He also loved the other First Tastes that we tried: bananas, mangoes, and pears. 

These apples are better than yours, mom.

He also loved the Ella's 1 blends we tried. He did not seem to care for the Fruit + Baby Rice, though in all fairness, he doesn't eat rice cereal. He seemed a little unsure about the Baby Brekkie at first, but he ate it (mangoes are his favorite and we were trying the mango Baby Brekkie). We will definitely be purchasing more Ella's 1 blends and First Tastes foods, and I will also give the Baby Brekkie's another try. 

Sadly, Ella's Kitchen is not sold at any stores in our area. We have to drive at least 25 minutes to get them. They are sold at Target, Kroger, and Buy Buy Baby, as well as some Whole Foods locations. You can click here to find out where they're sold in your area. You can also purchase Ella's Kitchen online  - with free shipping. I found that their online prices are comparable or even cheaper than what Target is charging. They are also available at diapers.com and amazon.com.

If you want to receive Ella's Kitchen special offers and coupons, click here to sign up for their mailing list. You can also look around their website - they have some recipes using their pouches that kids love (great way to sneak in some nutrients!). Be sure and follow them on Facebook & Twitter by clicking the buttons below!

Want to win your own 10 pack of Ella's Kitchen foods to try?