9 Months || 28 June

They are what they eat.

Around here, we are dedicated to growing happy, healthy babies. That said, it matters what grows them. We believe they are what they eat, and we take very seriously every single thing that touches our munchkins' lips.

When I had to begin supplementing their milk intake with formula, it was a tear-filled, stress-filled (okay. . . for me it was) endeavor. Everyone knows breast milk is best, but when you're trying to feed two growing babies and yourself and grow a third baby while battling 3 months of nausea and fatigue, it's tough stuff. So, for their milk, we aim to be organic, and as lactose- and soy-free as possible, but sometimes the budget just doesn't allow. That's when we go to the Lord, asking that He'll bless our attempts to be as nutritious as possible with our little ones, while still being wise with the funds He's given us.

Until Sebastian and Katharina turn one (at which point we plan to switch to goat milk) we're keeping them strictly vegan (right now, not even vegetarian), sugar-free, wheat-free, eating-fresh-from-the-land little people. That means they have no idea refined sugar exists, and they've never had a grain of salt. Or toast and eggs, cheese chunks, popsicles. Their lips have never tasted yogurt or milk, not a lick of ice cream.

And Peter continually says they're better for it. I agree. We've yet to find a flavor or texture they curl their noses at, and have no guilt in wondering if they'll be 3 before tasting ice cream for the first time. Peter was 4.

Back in Scotland I would take a day every week or two and stock our freezer full of delicious baby foods. In the past several weeks I've taken a few days over the course of a week and baked, boiled, roasted and steamed a huge variety of fruits and veggies.

We want to continue to develop well-rounded palettes that love to explore new tastes and textures. I somehow became a relatively picky eater (but marriage to a food explorer has stretched me!), and Peter told me many times even before we were married, that he would not tolerate our children to be picky. Around his house growing up, they ate what was made, if they didn't like or want it, it was covered with plastic wrap until they decided they were hungry enough to eat it (or mold started growing. . . kidding). It was the same around my house, and sometimes I even just waited for breakfast, only to see last night's reheated salmon in place of my scrambled eggs.

We've found it's not as difficult as it initially seemed to mix things up while being limited to just the earth's goodness. The produce section is loaded with different colors and textures, nearly all of which can be combined for tastebud-popping meals. As of today, our freezer is stocked (and I mean stocked) with:

•  beets (both pureed and chunked- for my self-sufficient, self-feeding firstborn)
• cauliflower
• peaches
• apples
• lentils
• barley
• yellow, butternut, and acorn squash
• eggplant
• peas
• split peas and rice
• carrots

Of course there's plenty to do raw as well. There's always a banana in our diaper bag. They could live on avocado slices. We just introduced raw pepper slices, peeled apples, and carrot sticks, especially for teething. The list goes on.

Since we do purpose to give the babies only organic, we are a bit more limited in the store. The nearest grocery store is literally a skip and a jump away, and Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are maybe more like a hop, skip and a jump. Sometimes that hop is the deal-breaker for me. I've gotta be practical with my time too, hey? Besides, I am not entirely convinced Whole Foods is as organic as they promise to be. Or the itty-bitty organic sections of Kroger or Giant Eagle, for that matter. That's definitely more research down the road, and for another day. But until I know exactly where I stand with all that, we do try to stick to the dirty dozen list of foods to definitely buy organic. It's things like apples, berries, and spinach-- basically those fruits and veggies you pop in your mouth or bite right into, the ones that get the pesticides sprayed right on the parts you immediately eat.

One last thing I'll hit before running off (it's after 1:30 p.m. here and I haven't even done my hair or make-up. I officially feel like a slob). We can still travel while cooking for our children this way! And you have to know, for us, things have to be travel-convenient. I've mentioned in an earlier post how great the mini muffin trays are, and for longer trips, a bag of frozen food cubes in a cooler is great. For shorter day trips (also freezer-safe), we have specific baby food containers (easy to find anywhere in glass or BPA-free plastic) in two sizes-- one's smaller for purees, the larger ones we stuff with roasted veggie slices for self-feeding. We stack these in a lunch-box-sized cooler and have baby food for on-the-go. We recently drove to Pittsburgh to visit extended family and during the car ride, 30 minutes before lunchtime pulled a container of yellow squash out of the cooler to reach room temperature before feeding time.

Really, it's not that complicated.

Feed your babies well!

Settling down.

I suppose one could say we're settled now, though it still feels a bit like we're vacationing. Life has been fast-paced-great, but more emphasis on the "great" than "fast-paced", or this summer will end too soon.

around here, there's always a project with wheels happening.
This year, it's Honda cafe racers.

checking out Uncle Noah's newly completed project.

Our flight over was far better than I can even say, and smoother than we even hoped. Our babies are so adaptable, and that's another reason we're thankful they've been so many places in 8 months of life-- very little takes them by surprise.


We were given baby cots that invaded our whole row, making leaving our seats nearly impossible. We became [close. Literally.] friends with the patient businessman to our left, who, by the last couple hours of our flight, welcomed Sebastian's high-fives and Katharina's vocal choruses.


Sebastian and Katharina's 9-month birthday is this week. We have no idea when they got so old and who allowed them to do it; it wasn't either of their parents.

Both have two shiny bottom teeth. We've discovered a new favorite food: beets. Cube them, puree them, slice them. Boil, steam, roast. They love them. They also like mulch, grass, and cat hair.

Sebastian is a tiny man-child. Eats like a man, looks like a baby, is a tiny body of pure muscle, and I am certain he has a hollow leg. He likes to bounce on his knees, unload the wine glasses and steak knives from the dishwasher, chase cats, climb stairs, and pull the guitar down on himself.

Katharina is long and lean-ing out. She's beautiful and quiet, loves snuggles and books, and becomes slap-happy when she gets tired. She's also learned to be bashful when attention is focused on her. She seems to be a week or so away from walking on her own, and is still trying to master crawling. She loves water, her Johnny jumper, walks outside, and kisses from Papa.

soaking up endless attention from aunts and uncles. 

They were last weighed about a month ago and had the most weight ever recorded separating them: 15 ounces. Sebastian was 14-2, Katharina was 15-1. I haven't had the chance to weigh them since coming over, but I'm guessing they're somewhere around 15 and 16 now.


Here's just a taste of what we've been up to lately (I'm off take some chicklets to feed some ducklings):

meeting cousin Ralphie for the first time!

the best time of day.

organising Grandpa's tools.

"We'd like to stay in here all day, thank you."

little Ralphie and his mama.

handsome man.

beautiful daughter.

adorable nephew.

"America is so much fun!"

Sebastian and Katharina met Great Grandma and Grandpaw Hopkins last
weekend.

4 generations of Hopkins men.

downtown Pittsburgh to see one of our groomsmen tie the
knot.

a visit with Grammy Hopkins.

morning snuggles.

20 weeks with Little no. 3

We're still here, we're still here.

We're busily settling into Summer life in the States and enjoying every moment of it (but desperately missing St Andrews).

About this pregnancy.

It's fun to observe the similarities and differences between this and my last. Second time, one baby or not, has definitely been harder. I can feel my body telling me to slow down (or just slowing down!) after far less exertion than before. A perk though: time has not slowed down while I'm busy chasing twins around, and 20 weeks has caught us all by surprise!

Exercise this time has been a little less jogging and yoga and a lot more get-the-babies-out-and-take-a-long-walk or, before we were back in the States, walk-to-meet-Peter-for-coffee trips that become my exercise. Basically, I've found I have much less time to have a structured work-out each day. And that's perfectly okay with me because working out is not my cup of tea. I'd rather sit around and have a cup of tea.

Still trying to get a midwife, an obstetrician- whoever- sorted over here. In a moment of pregnant forgetfulness I booked a 20-week scan and check-up with someone, somewhere in Michigan (at least I think she is in Michigan) but lost the number, can't find it online, in phone records, on my forehead, anywhere. I have no idea where I would even to go for this appointment, and so, that's that. And now I may be running a slight fever out of sheer shame of missing the appointment with no notice. How embarrassing. Who doesn't know what number or office they called?

Here I am sporting a 20-week baby bump:

And here is 20 weeks with Sebastian and Katharina, because it's fun to compare.