Hold on! Hold on! That similac that he just drank was recalled?!

Easton has been an exclusively breastfed baby up until about 2 weeks ago when we decided to introduce formula. Justin and I had been talking about this for a few weeks prior to the formula intro trying to decide what to do since the stash of milk that I had stored before going back to work was diminishing in our freezer (completely gone now) and I am pumping just enough milk at work to keep up with Easton's needs for about 2 days out. The inevitable (to introduce formula) has been approaching though I didn't want to face it and actually cried (feeling defeated) when we decided it was time to introduce a feeding of formula into his day. We made the decision that he would receive one bottle of formula per day as I can keep up with the other feedings and this would allow for me to begin to store up milk that came with the extra pumping. So the decision was made...I was on board and Justin was glad that we could stop talking about what to do and just do it. That's when it happened. We got out the similac formula that the hospital had given us as a gift and made Easton's bottle. Sure, he drank it...downed it in no time actually and we went on about our day. Then the next day he had his 2nd bottle of formula just like we had planned...one bottle a day formula and the rest being from momma. This whole time, in the back of my mind, I thought I had remembered there being a recall on this stuff as I work at Walmart and those recall signs are posted everywhere, but for some reason, I just didn't worry about the Similac we had as being the recalled version of the product. "Surely the hospital wouldn't have given me the recalled stuff" I thought, and "wasn't that recall before I had Easton?" 


Come to find out the similac that my son had been given in not 1 but 2 bottles WAS the recalled formula. And to make matters worse, the reason the stuff was recalled was because BEETLE LARVAE had been found in the processing of the formula at the manufacturing plant. "I knew I didn't want to give him that stuff!" I told Justin when we found out. Daddy's response, "he's going to eat a bug in his life at some point."

Easton's Bird Dog

This pic was captured a couple of weeks ago at Jason's Deli as Easton slept with his buddy, Bart. Bart the Bird Dog is a close companion to Easton and was a precious gift given by close friends, the Schaefers, after Easton was born. Of course our little boy had to have his very own Bird Dog as his first best friend. Anytime Easton is in his car seat traveling or just taking a snooze you will see Bart by his side. Easton loves chewing on Bart's nose while awake or just cuddling up at his side while napping. I look forward to watching this relationship unfold as Easton gets older.

The Family Cat

This is Cleo. Short for Cleopatra. We chose this name for her when she showed up on our screened in porch last summer so skinny from lack of food that she literally looked like one of those cats you see in Egyptian hieroglyphics. That's right the Chester's have a cat...an outdoor cat that is... as she adopted us last summer and has become part of the family. Cleo is very skittish around new people as she is a true ferrel cat that only feels comfortable around our family (since we feed her). It's funny, though, as she has taken a liking to Easton as if he has always been around & she will rub herself back and forth around his little legs (when given the chance) while purring sweetly. She is a huntress as I am finding that most cats are (especially those that live in the outdoors). Cleo continues to leave us presents, as Justin calls them, on our back porch that consist of moles, birds, mice, rats, chipmunks, and the list goes on. The picture below is her most impressive and may I say largest gift she has ever left us. Justin tells me these "gifts" are the highest honor a cat can pay the human who takes care of them but I'm still not sure I fully believe this is the case. Can't wait to see what her next hunt brings in...

4 Month Checkup (at 20 weeks)

I can honestly say that not only does being a mother take up a lot more time than I had thought but being a working (full time) mother leaves me with not many extra minutes in my day; therefore, it has been a while since the last blog entry. 

East lying on our bed sporting his Lawn Butler one-sie. Thanks Kehne's for the sweet shirt!

Easton's 4 month checkup was squeezed into our busy lives at 5 months. Just a few weeks off, but we made it. At this appointment Easton was weighed, measured, and given his second round of vaccines. He weighs 14 lbs 10 oz and measures 25.6 inches in length putting him in both the 50% for weight and 55% for height which is a vast increase from his last weight & measurement at 2 months placing him in the 15% for both categories. The BIGGEST shock to us was that his head had grown so much that he is now in the 75th percentile in head circumference where he placed only in the 8th percentile at his last visit. WOW! This boy is growing! Dr. Greg encouraged me to move forward with Easton's solid foods sharing with me the only foods Easton shouldn't be introduced to is peanut butter as well as shell fish until after 1 year of age. This means HELLO meats and all kinds of veggies to Easton's diet. (He downed an avocado this week with no problem so we plan to introduce more foods as Easton's pediatrician has recommended). Dr. Greg also said that he wants E to eat 3 meals per day with a spoon...man, I can't believe we are here already with solid foods. Another reminder that my little boy is growing up.

"That's the best baby food i've ever seen?!"

The title to this entry is one of the best compliments I could have received from my husband who walked into the kitchen this past Sunday thinking his wife was making something delish, only to find that the food being prepared was not for him but for his son. Yep, with Easton turning 18 weeks this past Sunday and a pediatrician who recommends starting solids between 4 and 6 months to prevent food allergies (a conclusion brought by the latest studies in pediatrics that suggests not waiting until 6 months of age to introduce solid foods) this Momma decided to get in the kitchen and see what she could come up with. I knew I wanted to try to make Easton's baby food so with the advice & encouragement of some friends on how "easy" it would be I decided to try it. After steaming, processing, and then spooning into freezer trays frozen sweet peas, broccoli and cauliflower, I was able to make Easton 24 servings of veggies that we can hopefully begin introducing into his diet in the next week or so. After making the first batch of baby food, my conclusion is that it is fairly simple and cost efficient. We did the math and 24 servings of veggies made at home equaled out to about 8 cents (or less) a serving compared to 89 cents per jar of baby food if we had bought the prepared baby food jars at Walmart. 

About to steam the frozen sweet peas

The dark green squares are peas and the light green squares are the broccoli/cauliflower combo

Easton's first experience with rice cereal from a spoon

"I'm not sure about this, Momma"

P.S.When telling Mumsey (my mom) about my accomplishment in the kitchen she posed the question any southern lady would think to ask, "Did you add butter to the broccoli?" 

Overstimulation? No Daddy...just fun.

Easton playing in his excersaucer today

"This is crazy fun, momma!"

Let me just say that Justin and I both agreed during our pregnancy we would NEVER buy one of these contraptions. "They're huge and we are NOT going to have a bunch of toys spread around our house" was pretty much how the conversation went back then. Fast forward to the present day...these aren't the first words we've eaten in the 17 weeks of being parents. Oh well... We currently refuse a trampoline in the back yard...hope we stick to that one. :)

3 Month Old Pics

These are just a few of the portraits taken when Easton was 14 weeks old. Yes, we are his parents and every parent feels this way about their child but HE IS TOO CUTE! And yes, that is a patch of RED hair that's growing on the top of his head. 

 Holding his head up like a BIG boy.

This pic cracks us up as we say that Easton is mimicking Puss-in-Boots on Shreck with the big eyes. He's trying to seduce already.

His momma's favorite little smile.