At five and a half months, Link has started eating a little bit of food now. I wanted to wait until he was six months old or at least sitting easily on his own, but the boy did not want to wait. He has a new whimpering sound that he makes when he wants something and he got to the point where he spent every meal whimpering, grabbing at our food, plates, silverware, and table. Sometimes he would get so frustrated that he would started screeching and/or crying, despite us trying to distract him with toys. One night I just gave in and gave him a hunk of my sweet potato to play with. He didn't eat much (maybe nothing at all), but he did manage to pick it up and put it in his mouth and was happy to be included at meal time.
Since then, we typically give him some sort of food product to mouth during meal time. It's usually a large piece of vegetable or fruit that is easy for him to hold and gum on, but occasionally we give him things like applesauce and smoothies with a spoon. He can actually already pick up the spoon and bring it to his mouth, but he usually drops a lot and gets frustrated. So we will help him out and bring it to his mouth. He gets really excited/enthusiastic about this and will lunge to the spoon. His instinct is still to push his food out with his tongue (a nursing instinct) but he enjoys the concept and does swallow food sometimes.
He thought applesauce was tart the first time he tried it.
We did the same sort of feeding method with Meo, and it made him a confident self-feeder very early on and also helped him to always enjoy food. The method is called "baby-led-weaning" and it's essentially giving babies food in a manageable form and just letting them have at it. This encourages fine-motor development, it doesn't force them to eat before they are ready and helps them to develop a healthy relationship with food. You can read more about it on my blog post here: http://ouvrezvosyeuxjdr.blogspot.com/2012/01/first-solid-foods-and-all-about-baby.html.
Here is Link having fun with baby spinach.
It has been a lot of fun seeing how excited Link is about food. Meo is really into it to and wants to give Link all sorts of food (we only let him give him certain things of course). He also loves having him sit in his high chair next to him. But the best part is that if Meo sees Link eating a carrot or snow pea or some other veggie, he will ask to eat one too (he is not always very good about eating his veggies these days)!
Robbie and I had big hopes for blueberry pancakes this morning, but as I was thumbing through one of our cookbooks this morning I couldn't find a pancake recipe. Instead, I stumbled across a crepe recipe, which got my mouth watering. I love crepes, and we hadn't made them for a long time. So we set to work. I made the batter and fried up the crepes, Robbie diligently sliced 3 cups of fresh cherries and cooked them for the filling, and Meo helped empty the dishwasher and rearranged the Tupperware cupboard. The result was fantastic. It took a long time, and all of us (including Meo) were getting a bit cranky by the end. I always get a little edgy when I'm really hungry. But it was worth the wait! I wasn't sure about giving Mattimeo crepes, but he LOVED them. He ended up eating three all by himself! That was the first time he had crepes or cherries, and it was wonderful to watch him scoff them down. We were glad we stripped him down to his diaper beforehand, because eating cherry filled crepes is a messy affair!
Don't those look delicious?
So good!
We didn't put sugar in the filling for Meo's sake, but adding a drop of honey to ours was delicious
I must say, it has only been a few days since Meo started scooting around the house, but already it feels like he is a new baby. I am inclined to both mourn the passing of his very dependent stationary days, and to celebrate his excitement as a whole new world has just opened up to him. His is fast and curious and utterly adorable. I feel like I am starting to get to know him in a new way; I am now able to see what sorts of things fascinate him as he scoots over to explore them. He is learning so fast, and he is so happy and excited about everything right now. I was worried that once he started crawling around he wouldn't want to have anything to do with me anymore, but so far that's not the case. If anything, we have even more fun playing now and have all sorts of new games to master. And when he wants some mommy love, he just starts scooting in my direction and tugs at my pants, and it melts my heart. So far, the things he is most fascinated with are pulling books off his book shelf, knocking down block towers once he reaches them across the room, playing with cat toys, scooting after the cats, and wires (eek). Needless to say, we are working on some serious baby proofing this week. Here is a video of Meo and Buddy this morning:
We talked a little bit about food at our pediatrician visit yesterday, and that has also led to some pretty big changes for us. I had been putting off introducing Meo to wheat products and nut products, not really sure when it was appropriate for him to have those things. Apparently, a lot of nutrition books say that you should put off introducing those foods until there system is more mature. However, pediatricians now agree that it is best to introduce those highly allergenic foods early on. So she encouraged us to start giving him things like toast and cheerios and peanut butter and almond butter soon. She also said that since we have Meo on a vegetarian diet that it is especially important that we make sure he consumes enough iron. Up to this point, I had been making his grains on my own by grinding foods like quinoa, barley, rice, and oatmeal in a coffee grinder then cooking them on the stove top. But the whole grains that we have been consuming are not fortified, and she suggested that we start giving him grains that are fortified with iron. This makes my life a little easier because now I feel comfortable just buying some of the baby food grains at Whole Foods which don't require any cooking and are pumped up with nutrition. There is one brand of food that looks especially good to me called Happy Baby Foods. They organic, completely natural and enriched with things like iron, probiotics and DHA (for brain development). So far Meo likes the Happy Baby Foods brand sweet potato puffs; stay tuned to see how he likes the oatmeal and mixed grains. I guess feeding him Cheerios is also a good idea because they have lots of iron, are tasty, and are fun for babies to pick up and eat. Meo had some Cheerios and bananas for breakfast this morning and loved them.
Eating Cheerios for the first time (8 months)
I really do love watching Meo grow and cheering him on as he embarks on new adventures. I feel like we are both learning together, and it is a wonderful, exciting time!
That's right. Mattimeo tried a lemon last night! I was cooking dinner and needed the juice of half a lemon. As I was wrapping up the other half of lemon to store for later, I thought it would be funny to see how Meo reacted to eating a lemon. Robbie thought it would be funny too and got out is camera to take a video of his face.
We were so surprised by his reaction! He actually liked the lemon, and didn't make a sour face at all! I was intrigued and cut the lemon half into a more manageable slice and let him have at it. I was astonished to find that minutes later, he had completely sucked out all the juice for his quarter of a lemon! Very impressive I think.
Mmmm, lemons! (6 months)
Thus, Mattimeo had a lemon for an appetizer. For dinner, we made falafels. These are an Indian dish of mashed up chick peas and an assortment of spices fried in oil. We like to top ours with Greek yogurt mixed with lemon and tahini (sesame seed paste). This time I made my falafel from a recipe I found in Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly: Quick Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Love!, a vegetarian cookbook by Mattare and Muldawere. I am finding this cookbook to be quite helpful when I want to make something quick that is packed with nutrients and something a little different than what we usually have. Yes, I realize its a kids' cookbook, but turns out grown-ups can use it too. Normally we eat falafel with tomatoes and lettuce like we would a burger, but this time we tried it with shredded carrots and cucumbers as suggested by the cookebook. They were so delicious (and nutritious!).
Falafel for dinner
With some unseasoned mashed up organic chick peas and shredded carrots, I even had a little meal for Mattimeo. I love giving Meo a variation on what we are having for dinner, I think it makes it feel more like a family meal.
Quinoa is an amazing grain that my friend Lauren introduced to me a couple years ago (check out her food blog: the spiced plate). Why is it amazing? Here are a few reasons:
Quinoa is high in protein. Not only is quinoa high in protein (6g in 1/4 a cup), but it also is a complete protein. Plant products high in protein don't usually contain all nine essential amino acids like those found in meat, but quinoa is an exception. Quinoa contains the amino acid lysine, which is essential in tissue growth and repair.
Quinoa is high in magnesium, which helps to relax blood vessels. This is especially helpful for someone who gets a lot of headaches or migraines. Magnesium is also important for cardiovascular health.
Quinoa is high in manganese. Manganese is an important ingredient in making antioxidants which help your immune system keep your body healthy.
Quinoa is a great source of fiber. Fiber is important for digestion and toning your colon.
Quinoa may aid in preventing ailments including asthma, breast cancer, diabetes, artherosclerosis, insulin resistance, gallstone formation, and heart disease.
You can read more about the benefits of quinoa at these two sites, among others:
Knowing that quinoa is so wonderful for our bodies, I was psyched when a friend of mine told me how to make homemade quinoa cereal for babies. Most doctors agree that there really isn't any nutritional value to giving your baby cereals, but making cereal from quinoa is an exception. As a vegetarian family, I am eager to pump Mattimeo up with complete proteins so that he can grow strong, healthy muscles. Quinoa cereal is easy to make, extremely healthy, and tastes delicious. Here is how to make it:
Step 1: Toast some quinoa. I toasted my quinoa by constantly stirring it over medium heat in a pan with olive oil until the quinoa turned a golden brown. I am sure you can experiment with other healthy oils.
Toast the quinoa
Step 2: Grind the toasted quinoa in a coffee grinder. This gives the cereal a smooth texture and makes it ideal for mixing with fruits and vegetables.
Grind the quinoa
What it looks like all ground up
Step 3: Cook the ground quinoa like you would normally. Since I made 1 cup of quinoa, I needed to add 1.25 cups of water to the pan. I then brought the mixture to a boil and then reduced the heat until all the water was evaporated.
Cooking the quinoa over a low heat
Step 4: All done! You can add breast milk or formula to the quinoa to thin out the consistency if you choose. I stored mine just as it was and kept it in the in fridge. It seems to keep this way for a long time.
Finished quinoa cereal
I like to use our quinoa cereal as a base to mix with other foods. Sometimes I will mash up a banana or avocado in a small portion of it. Sometimes I will stir in some homemade apple sauce, or scoop in some baked sweet potatoes. We have a green sprouts food mill which we have used to grind up some lightly steamed broccoli to mix in.
Green sprouts food mill after grinding up some broccoli
Meo eating a spoonful of quinoa cereal and broccoli (6 months)
I invite you to add this simple, healthy and delicious cereal to your babies menus. Mattimeo loves it, and is always asking for more!
It's always a special day when we get to spend it with family. Today was especially special because not only did we get to see family (Memere, Pepere, Cousin Bryce and Uncle Brian), but Meo got kisses from the dogs (which makes him laugh) and got to try bananas for the first time. Here are some photos:
Already to go see his Memere and Pepere
With Uncle Brian
Meo and my brother
With his Pepere
Checking out Bryce's shoes
Cousins (5 and 14 months old)
Cousins
Bryce and his Memere Rocray
Patting Jack
Meo patting Jack
Kiss from Jack
Kissing cousins
Hugs
Cool dude handshake
To give him bananas, we just split the banana into thirds (no knife necessary, bananas break naturally this way) after breaking it into 2 inch long pieces. This makes it long enough so he can grasp it in his fist and still have a little stick out for him to chew and thin enough so it fits easily into his mouth.
Trying bananas for the first time
This is the face he always makes when he tries a new food
Mattimeo trying solid food for the first time (almost 6 months)
Mattimeo ate solid foods for the first time this weekend! I really can't believe that it has gotten to the point for him to be doing that yet, but he certainly has! I had been trying very, very hard to not give him solids until he was at least six months (as recommended by pediatricians), but he wasn't having it. Seriously. Eating anything in front of him made me feel like I had tied him onto a wooden plank and was yanking his arms and legs in different directions; abstinence from food was torturing the poor guy! I figure that if he had been born on his "due date", he would be six month in two days anyways. Plus, he seems to be developing a little ahead of the developmental curve (you may recall that our pediatrician referred to him as a developmental superstar hehe). Anyways, here are the signs that convinced us there was no point on waiting anymore.
Since he was about three and a half months old, he has been putting everything he can find into his mouth. Around four months he started wanting everything I put in my mouth too. He would reach for my plate and try to take my utensils. He would stop nursing every time I drank because he was so fascinated and he wanted to reach for my glass. This is just evidence that he is curious about his surroundings and what Mama is doing...not really enough to convince me to start giving him solids.
He can sit up with support now perfectly, and can even sit for extended periods of time without support now. He gets better everyday in fact. Today he was sitting all by himself and bending forward to pick up blocks, then returning to an upright position. He is still not to the point where I would feel comfortable not being right next to him in case he tumbled over, but he is getting very close! It's amazing how much better he gets at sitting each day! Part of the reason why it recommended you wait until babies are six months old for solids is so that the muscles in their stomach and intestines are strong and thick. Sitting up is evidence that they've reached that point.
He started not only putting things up to his mouth to explore them (aka slime them), but to taste them and chew them as well.
He can sit perfectly straight in his high chair.
He was becoming very difficult to eat around! No matter if he was in my lap, someone elses lap who was in the same room as me, one of his chairs surrounded by toys, or jumping in his jumparoo...if he saw me eating food, he had to have it! (He reminds me of Noah in the Notebook when he first asks Ally on a date...if Ally was food)
In restaurants he would make a scene if he couldn't have food. The last time Robbie and I went out to lunch at Panera Bread with Robbie, he devoured 3 napkins, 1 paper bag, nearly pulled my plate off the table, got a handful of salad, and slobbered all over my cup as he yanked it towards his mouth. I had trouble nursing him because he was so distracted!
The other night he grabbed my fork that had a half eaten brussel sprout on it and jammed the brussel sprout in his mouth! Then he tried chewing it up! If that isn't telling you he's ready for food, I don't know what is!
So for these reasons, he is now eating food.
But then there is the whole issue of how to start him on solids. Basically no one agrees on how this should be done and everyone has an opinion. At our four month pediatrician visit, our doctor told me that he could start solids any time but it was best to try to wait until 6 months unless he started really acting like he wanted food. She said there was no need to start him on cereals. Cereal is basically empty calories that will just fill him up and prevent him from eating as much breast milk which is still really important. Even cereal fortified with iron isn't that great because that type of iron is difficult for the body to absorb. She said if we really wanted to give him cereal, making some out of brown rice or quinoa would be most nutritional. The doctor also said that pediatricians are starting to pull away from feeding schedules. They don't really matter. After 6 months, the baby's immune systems are pretty ready for food. She said if he was to have allergies, then he would have them no matter what and it doesn't matter what schedule we put him on. She did say it was a good idea to introduce new foods slowly though and give them a couple of days to make sure he doesn't have bad reactions. She also said no honey (it can cause botulism) or cows milk (to drink) until he is a year old. Finally, she told me to make sure I nurse him before mealtime so he doesn't fill up on solids. It's still important that I try to breastfeed him until at least a year old.
The baby sits with the rest of the family at mealtimes, and joins in when he is ready.
He is encouraged to explore food as soon as he is interested, by picking it up with his hands- it doesn't matter whether or not he manages to eat any at first.
Food is offred in pieces that are the size and shape that the baby can handle easily, rather than as purees or mashed food.
He feeds himself from the start, rather than being spoon-fed by someone else.
It's up to the baby how much he eats, and how quickly he widens the range of foods he enjoys.
The baby continues to have milk (breast milk or formula) whenever he wants them and he decides when he is ready to begin reducing them.
What are the benefits of BLW (as taken from Rabpley's book)?
It's enjoyable! Baby-led weaning babies look forward to eating; they enjoy learning about different foods and doing things for themselves. Early experiences of happy, stress-free mealtimes are more likely to give a child a healthy attitude toward food for life.
It's natural. Babies can explore food at their own pace and follow their instincts to eat when they are ready- just like any other baby animal.
Learning about food. Babies who are allowed to feed themselves learn about the look, smell, taste, and texture of different foods, and how different flavors work together; with spoon-feeding all the tastes are pureed into one.
Learning to eat safely. Being allowed to explore food before it goes into their mout teaches babies important lessons about what's chewable and what isn't. Feeling a piece of food in his hand and then putting it in his mouth helps a baby to judge how easy different sized pieces of food are to chew and to move around with is tongue. This may be an important safety feature, preventing him later from putting pieces which are too big to be chewed in his mouth.
Learning about their world. Babies never just play; they are always learning. Pretty much everything babies can learn from the best educational toy can be learned by handling food. Because all their senses (sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste) are involved, they discover how to relate all these things together for a better understanding of the world around them.
Reaching potential. Feeding themselves allows babies to practice important aspects of teir development at every mealtime. Using their fingers to get food to their mouths means BLW babies practice hand0eye coordination; gripping foods of different sizes and textures several times a day improves their dexterity. This may help with writing and drawing skills later. And chewing food develoops the facial muscles that will be needed as they learn to talk.
Gaining confidence. Allowing babies to do things for themselves not only enables them to learn but also give them confidence in their own abilities and judgment. When a baby pick something up and gets it to his mouth he receives an almost instant reward in teh form of an interesting taste or texture. This teaches him that he is capable of making good things happen, which in turn helps to build his confidence and self-esteem. Confident babies grow into confident toddlers, who aren't afraid to try new things and who bounce back when things don't go their way. Seeing their child feed himself helps his parent to trust his abilities and instincts. This often allows them to be more relaxed about his need to explore the world, which in turn means that the baby will have more freedom to learn.
Trusting food. Because BLW babies are allowed to use their instincts to decide what to eat and what to leave, they rarely show any suspicion of food- as is sometimes seen in other babies and toddlers.
Being part of family mealtimes. BLW babies are included in family mealtimes from the start, eating the same food and joining in the social time. This is fun for the baby and allows her to copy mealtime behavior, so that she will naturally move on to using utensils and adopt the table manners expected in her family.
Appetite control. Eating habits developed duiring childhood can last a lifetime. It seems likely that babies who are allowed to choose what to eat from a range of nutritious foods, at their own pace, and to decide when they've had enough, continue to eat according to their appetite and are less likely to overeat when they are older. This may be an important part of preventing obesity.
Long-term health. Because their milk feedings are reduced very gradually, BLW babies who are breast-fed are more likely to continue getting a good intake of breast milk for longer. Breast-feeding provides not only a perfect balance of nutrients but also protection, for both children and their mothers, against many serious illnesses.
Dealing with textures and learning to chew.
The chance to experience real food.
A positive attitude toward food.
Easier, less complicated meals. Pureeing food is time-consuming and can be tedious. With BLW, it just isn't necessary. Provided the parents' diet is healthy, they can easily adapt their meals for their baby. And rather than spoon0feeding your baby separately or while your own dinner goes cold (and then having to amuse him while you eat), with BLW you and your baby get to eat together.
Less pickiness as a toddler.
No need for games or tricks. Many parents who spoon-feed their baby find that she isn't keen to eat, and they have to come up with ways of persuading her toa accept different foods. Because BLW respects babies' decisions about what to eat and when to stop eating, the need to persuade just doesn't arise.
Eating out is easier.
It's cheaper.
Won't He Choke? I'll let Gill Rapley answer:
Many parents (and grandparents and others) are worried that babies who feed themselves will choke, but, provided the baby is in control of any food that goes into his mouth and he is sitting upright, BLW doesn't make choking any more likely than spoon-feeding--and may even make it less likely. In an adult, the gag response is triggered near the back of the tongue--you have to put your finger right back toward your throat to make it happen. However, this reflex is triggered much farther forward on the tongue of a six-month-old baby, so not only is it activated more easily in a baby than it is in an adult, it also operates when the piece of food that has caused it is much farther away from the airway. So when babies of six or seven months gag on food it doesn't mean the food is too close to their airway and it very rarely means they are in danger of choking.
The gag reflex may well be a key part of baby's learning how to manage food safely. When a baby has triggered this reflex a few times, by putting too much food into his mouth or pushing it too far back, he learns not to do it. As he gets older, whether or not he has been allowed to experiment with self-feeding, the place where this reflex is triggered moves back along his tongue, so that gagging doesn't happen until food is nearer the back of his mouth. So he simply "outgrows" the tendency to gag.
However, as the gag reflex moves back toward its adult position it becomes less and less effective as an early-warning sign. So babies who haven't been allowed to explore food from the beginning may miss the opportunity to use it to help them learn how to keep food away from their airway. Anecdotal evidence suggest that babies who have been spoon-fed have more problems with gagging and "choking" when they start to handle food (often around eight months) than those who have been allowed to experiment much earlier
So that's a little bit about Baby-led weaning. In choosing this feeding method, I am not saying that I think BLW is necessarily superior to other feeding methods, it just is the method that feels right to our family. I read through another book titled "Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense" by Ellyn Satter that suggest starting babies on the traditional cereal then moving onto purees and then to finger foods. Her book is well researched, but it just didn't feel right to me. And what I've learned so far from being a parent is to trust your gut, and that every baby (or family) is different. I know that both Robbie and I were raised in the traditional manner of starting with cereal and being spoon-fed and we both turned out great, if I can say so myself. When I pictured myself starting solid foods with Meo, admittedly I imagined airplaning a spoon full of gooey delight into his mouth. I even went out and bought some organic brown rice cereal for him as well as spoons and bowls. But when it came down to it, spoon feeding didn't feel right to us and baby-led weaning did. If you decided to spoon-feed your baby, that's great! Maybe that is the best way. Who knows? Not me. What I do know is that baby-led weaning is fun so far, and Meo is totally loving it!
Now onto the fun stuff: Meo's first solid foods!
"Give me my food, I'm totally ready Mama! I'm drooling here!"
We are starting him with just three foods this week: broccoli (for iron, which is the first nutrient to become depleted in breast-fed babies), sweet potatoes (a delicious super-food) and apples (yummy and great for teething).
His first food was broccoli. We prepared it by leaving the stalks about two inches long so it would be easy for Meo to hold onto, then steamed them. I put them in the freezer for a few minutes to cool them down a bit so they were okay for him to handle.
Meo's first meal of solid foods
And then we dumped the broccoli onto his highchair tray and let him have at it.
He made such funny faces when he stuffed the broccoli into his mouth! We had so much fun watching him grab hold of the florets and stick the stalk in his mouth, or grab the stalk and try to chew off pieces of the the florets. He would lick and chew, scoop and toss, munch and drool. In the end, we don't know if he actually consumed any of it, but he certainly enjoyed himself. And I must say, it was so nice to be able to eat my own meal without him being fussy about trying to get my food! For once I didn't feel guilty about eating in front of him, he was having fun and we were having fun watching him.
Mattimeo's first taste of solid foods! (nearly 6 months old)
Tossed
Family mealtime
Fallen soldiers
With Mommy and Daddy
With Grandma and Grandpa
Next, we had sweet potatoes for dinner. To prepare that, we simply cut the sweet potato into wedges and baked them on a cookie sheet (no oil or salt) at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Sweet potatoes were much easier for him to chew, and he actually managed to get a few chunks in his mouth. He would then chew and chew, then either let it drool out of his mouth or actually swallow it. Again, so much fun to witness! You could just see him exploring and learning; he loved it (though I'm not sure how much he loved the taste hehe)!
Tasting sweet potato for the first time
Today at lunch time he tried apples. I gave him a mixture of fuji apples and granny smith apples cut up into finger sized slices. These seem to be his favorite so far. He loved licking them and gnawing on them. They were slippery though and quite the challenge to scoop up!
"Ooo, the cats are eating too!"
Tasting apples for the first time
Yay Meo! We are having so much fun exploring food with him, and we are looking forward to all the fun mealtimes in our future.
