When I found out we were expecting our little peach, I have to admit, I was anxious and apprehensive about being the mom of FOUR children. I still get nervous thinking about it, hoping that all will always feel my love and they will not ever feel left out.
With each kick or hiccup from our little baby peach, though, I'm reminded that God must think I'm pretty good at this mama thing to be entrusting me with another blessing. (He hears me typing and senses it MUST be about him...CONTRACTION!! Ouch!)
Will our baby peach look like his siblings? Red hair like his daddy or blonde hair like me? Will he have our green eyes or his siblings blue eyes? You know, I read that's possible...even though the parents both have green eyes (And James is the first person I've ever seen with eye color identical to mine), the baby can have blue.
I can't wait to hold him, smell him, kiss him, rub on him and whisper in his ear that Mommy will always love and protect him. I can't wait to be able to hold him close and pat on his little peach fuzz back, calming him when he cries or has the hiccups. I can't wait to see the look on his daddy's face when he sees him for the first time and the look on his siblings' faces as they meet their new brother for the first time.
This pregnancy, like the others and really like every day, sends me into deep thought about what being a mom is all about. Being a mom isn't about buying everything they ask for and spoiling your children. If it were, wow would mommy hood be so much easier! And so many think that is exactly how to win the heart of a child.
Being a mom means loving them on good and rough days, it means picking them up and telling them it's okay before you ever touch the heirloom tea cup they accidentally knocked off and broke. It's stopping to hug them or give them a smooch, even when your to-do list is a mile long. It's being woken up in the middle of the night because they've had a bad dream. And realizing that they come to you because in your arms, they feel the safest. It means doing without so that they won't have to. It means showing them love and supporting them, even when you're most tired.
Being a mom isn't about what you can give them materialistically, although food and clothes are ESSENTIAL! :) It's about what you teach them about love, respect and caring for others.
I know that our baby peach will have a heart that is full of love because his siblings and parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-grandparents, etc. and our friends will teach him and love him.
I can't wait to meet you, our little baby peach. See you soon. I love you so much already!!
In honor of our baby peach's impending arrival, enjoy some peach baby food recipes.
Hugs,
Karen
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http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/nectarines-peachesbabyfoodrecipes.htm
Pureed Peaches for Baby 
Steam or Bake or Blanch Peaches for Making Baby's Peach Puree
These methods work for nectarines, plums and pears as well. I HIGHLY recommend giving baked peaches a try at least once. You will find they are more tasty when baked. Why not trybaking for all fruits?
Steam Peaches - Method 1
1. Scrub fruit clean and carve an X into 1 side of the fruit
2. Place X side down in a pan with an inch of water
3. Bring water to a boil and steam until soft and tender
4. Peel skin from fruit and remove pits and/or seeds
5. move to step #6 below
Steam Peaches - Method 2
1. Peel fruit
2. Pit the peach
3. Cut the peach into dices
4. Steam until soft and tender then
5. move to step #6
Bake
1. Halve the fruit, pit and place "open" side down in a pan filled with 1 inch of water
2. Bake at 400F until soft and tender and/or puckering of the skin appears.
3. Peel skin from fruit and remove pits if you did not do so prior to baking (you may also leave the skin on your baked peaches - the skin may simply melt into the fruit.)
4. move to step #6
Steam Peaches - Method 1
1. Scrub fruit clean and carve an X into 1 side of the fruit
2. Place X side down in a pan with an inch of water
3. Bring water to a boil and steam until soft and tender
4. Peel skin from fruit and remove pits and/or seeds
5. move to step #6 below
Steam Peaches - Method 2
1. Peel fruit
2. Pit the peach
3. Cut the peach into dices
4. Steam until soft and tender then
5. move to step #6
Bake
1. Halve the fruit, pit and place "open" side down in a pan filled with 1 inch of water
2. Bake at 400F until soft and tender and/or puckering of the skin appears.
3. Peel skin from fruit and remove pits if you did not do so prior to baking (you may also leave the skin on your baked peaches - the skin may simply melt into the fruit.)
4. move to step #6
"Blanch"
1. Bring 3 or 4 cups of water to a rolling boil
2. Add cleansed peaches or nectarines to the boiling water and boil the fruit for 3-5 minutes
3. Remove fruit to a bowl of cold water, allow to cool for 2 minutes
4. Slip off the skins and then take out the pit
5. move to step #6
2. Add cleansed peaches or nectarines to the boiling water and boil the fruit for 3-5 minutes
3. Remove fruit to a bowl of cold water, allow to cool for 2 minutes
4. Slip off the skins and then take out the pit
5. move to step #6
Moving to Step 6
6. Reserve any left over water to use for thinning out the fruits
7. Peel off skin if you have not done this already. Place fruit(s) into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
8. Add the reserved water as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin puree
9. Add cereal (if desired) to thicken up.
7. Peel off skin if you have not done this already. Place fruit(s) into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
8. Add the reserved water as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin puree
9. Add cereal (if desired) to thicken up.
Peeling Fruits & Veggies - It is suggested that fruits and veggies be peeled for those babies under 8 months of age. This allows for easier digestion. If you have always left peels on, then there should be no need to begin peeling. Read more about Peeling Fruits & Veggies
Peach Baby Food Recipes - Peaches & Tapioca
without yogurt 
with Yogurt
½ Cup Water
1/3 Cup Quick-cooking Tapioca
1 Peeled & pitted Peach
½ Cup Vanilla Yogurt
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Gradually add tapioca, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low & cook 5 minutes, continuing to stir constantly. Separately puree the peach & add to the mixture. Blend tapioca with yogurt & peach.
without yogurt with Yogurt½ Cup Water
1/3 Cup Quick-cooking Tapioca
1 Peeled & pitted Peach
½ Cup Vanilla Yogurt
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Gradually add tapioca, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low & cook 5 minutes, continuing to stir constantly. Separately puree the peach & add to the mixture. Blend tapioca with yogurt & peach.
Peachy Bananas
1 peeled & pitted Peach
1/2 ripe banana - peeled
1 peeled & pitted Peach
1/2 ripe banana - peeled
Steam peach if needed and then mash it
Mash the peeled banana into the peach
Puree if needed for your baby's texture preferences.
Mash the peeled banana into the peach
Puree if needed for your baby's texture preferences.
