Extraordinary Health 27 | Page 11

Baby Murphy Turns

IT ’ S amazing how having a child makes time fly .

Time has been strapped to a rocket ship and careened down a wormhole . I can hardly believe that an entire year came and went already , and Murphy is celebrating his first birthday . Every month of this year has offered different levels of joy and challenges , and , through it all , I have grown in heart-bursting love for this tiny human .
The first six months with Murphy were pretty crucial for bonding . I held him all . . . the . . . time . When I needed two hands to do things such as cooking , I would put him in his baby carrier so that he could still be right up next to me while I got things done . Once he started crawling , which was at about eight months , he definitely did not let me hold him as much . So , I ’ m glad that I took advantage of the time I had when he was just a little fella . His crawling adventures have developed into routines . He crawls from the living room into the kitchen , where he pulls open drawers and takes out things such as Tupperware ®, bibs and all of my measuring cups and spoons . When he ’ s done with that , he will crawl down the hallway and see what doors he can push open . If I have been successful in remembering to close all the doors , he will end back up in the living room , where he goes through his toys and finds something to play with . His favorite toy at this point is a ball , which was also his first word . Murphy has great aim and will roll or throw a ball to me or my husband any chance he gets . He also loves looking at books , going outside and playing in the yard , playing with his toys , dancing and eating .
Murphy can eat as much as a five-year-old mountain moose . I make most of his baby food because it ’ s actually really easy and it ’ s healthier . For breakfast , Murphy gets a “ smoogie ” which consists of coconut milk , avocado , banana , probiotics and some protein powder . Lunch and dinner are usually similar meals that are blended up veggies and chicken that I have prepared in the crockpot . He ’ ll never turn down a snack or milk . Since I am weaning him , I have been introducing raw dairy milk , which he seems to enjoy . My diet has been the same for the most part , except that I have been using more of our new RAW Protein & greens ™ and the Dr . Formulated Mood + probiotics . My husband and I are consistent in eating a Paleo diet and working out five-to-six times a week while incorporating a “ cheat day ” where we eat pasta and the breadiest of bread .
Some of my favorite highlights this year have been hearing Murphy say “ Mama ”; watching him in social settings because he absolutely loves people ; kissing his sweet face every day ; hearing him belly laugh ; listening to him making hilarious noises in his crib when he wakes up ; watching him smile at everyone he meets ; letting him crawl up on my lap for hugs ; and witnessing his first step .
What a wonderful first year this has been !