Baby Led Weaning

Starting solids is a topic that comes up all the time with moms.  Personally I felt like starting solids was a huge deal.  When I gave Finn his first bite of real food I was practically holding my breath.  Is he going to choke?  Is he going to scream?  Is the world going to end? (We did start at 5 months and 20-something days after all... don't babies come with a timer that will make them explode if you don't wait the recommended 6 months?)  Turns out it was really not that hard.  And when I found out about baby-led weaning, it became stupidly simple.  So here is how we did it...not precisely by the book (this is the book, which I definitely recommend: The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook), but this is what worked for us.  It might not be how you want to do it (yadda yadda babies are different and not robots that come with instructions proceed at your own risk yadda), but I wish I'd known about it sooner and I'll definitely be doing it this way again with any future babies.

Here we are at (almost) 6 months with our first solid food milestone extravaganza, which was videotaped and photographed with at least three different electronic devices.  It was avocado.  Finn ate some.  We were so proud.

(Why avocado and why not rice cereal is a whole different can of worms but this site has some good info on why we made that choice.)

We are serious about our BABYBJÖRN Bibs around here.

We went along our merry pureed way for a couple of weeks after that, and I used a borrowed Beaba Babycook to make sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, butternut squash, apple, and pear purees.  We did one meal a day, trying a new food every few days.  Finn liked them for the most part.  It was okay; we could have kept doing it.  But then one day I was eating a banana and I decided to let him take a bite.  He loved it!  So I handed him a chunk of the banana to feed himself.

Not that actual banana.  One of many many many bananas that came after.

At that point I'd read about Baby Led Weaning, but I didn't really know if it was right for us.  Once I saw how much Finn liked feeding himself though, I decided maybe we'd do a mix of purees and finger foods.  So at that point (maybe 6.5 months) we started offering him things he could feed himself in addition to the purees.  Among the first things we tried were cooked pasta, cooked baby carrots, peas, avocado chunks, banana, and cucumber spears.  Once the option of feeding himself was there, he really lost interest in the purees.  After about a month of this, purees were out and real food was in.  At that point he could eat almost anything we were eating.  We waited until eight months to introduce berries, dairy products and eggs.  Aside from sweets, peanut products, shellfish and strawberries (those last two because I'm allergic/sensitive so we're waiting until one year to introduce), he can have just about anything.  We plan to skip purees altogether with any hypothetical future kiddos.  At six months, babies are developmentally ready to learn how to feed themselves real food.

Pasta, peas, & avocados.

 There were definitely some things that made me nervous for a bit in the beginning:

Worry #1. Was he really getting enough to eat?  His fine motor skills were definitely in the early stages.  For every piece of pasta that made it into his mouth, three ended up on the floor.  (Duncan is a big proponent of BLW.)  But, Finn was still nursing just as much as he ever was during this time, so a huge majority of his calories and nutrients were still coming from me.  Nervous mommas, repeat this mantra with me: food before one is only for fun. BLW is all about letting your baby decide what he wants to eat, and your job is just to provide healthy options.  No making yourself crazy trying to get him to take one more bite.  No here comes the airplane spoon trick.  No coercing, no tears (from you I mean).  This is one of my favorite parts about the philosophy, and it is really refreshing.  It took a little getting used to, but I have really learned to not stress out (most of the time) about how much Finn is eating.  I mean, for the first six months of his life I offered him food (boob) and let him decide how much to eat.  Why wouldn't I keep doing that now?

Pancake breakfast.

Worry #2. Was he going to choke?  Another mantra, say it with me: gagging is NOT choking.  Finn gagged a couple of times (as in, I think twice) when he was learning how to eat.  This is normal.  This is like falling off of your bike a couple of times before you get it right.  Here is what gagging looks like: cough-cough-pukey face-up comes food (Finn only ever spit out the piece he was gagging on but supposedly sometimes more food comes along for the ride which is normal too).  This is NOT choking.  The BLW book was really helpful in getting me to understand this, complete with a description of how baby mouth anatomy is different from adults, and that the gag reflex is stronger and further forward as a natural safeguard against choking.  You should definitely know what to do if your baby chokes and you should supervise them when they're eating (regardless of how you decide to feed them).  You should also know what gagging versus choking looks like so you don't freak yourself out while your baby is learning to eat.

Mac 'n' cheese and pears

Once I got past those two concerns, BLW has really been nothing but awesome for us.  Let me count the ways...

Pumpernickel bread with cream cheese

Awesome #1: It's lazy.  Now that Finn can eat almost anything we can eat, there is no more pureeing separate food for him. Whether he eats exactly what we eat, or a "deconstructed" version (I call it that so Finn feels extra fancy) where certain ingredients are left out (I might take his chicken and veggies out before I add sauce to a stir fry, for example), it's much easier than making something else.

Chicken and fresh peach.

Awesome #2: It boosts fine motor development.  Finn could pick up a pea with a pincer grasp at seven months.  It was so fun to see him figure it all out, and it happened so fast.  The skills practically show up overnight when there is such a big motivator.  Plus, at this age, there is no other way for babies to practice these kinds of fine motor skills, because anything that small that wasn't food would be dangerous.

Pasta primavera and grapes.

 Awesome #3. No more taking food with you for travel or eating out.  We went on a cruise with our families after Christmas this year, and Finn ate from the menu the whole time.  It was super easy for us, super entertaining for others ("my baby will have the salmon please"), and so much simpler than lugging jars or pouches of baby food with us.

Room service breakfast in bed

Awesome #4. No spoon feeding.  I always watch Finn when he eats, but not having to give him every last bite myself frees me up a bit.  I can eat my own dinner at the same time, pick up the kitchen a little, or cook while he feeds himself.  (Or take his picture, which apparently I do a lot.)

Peppers and hamburger...cheese has been eaten.  (Burrito night for us)

 Awesome #5. There's some good science behind it.  A recent article published in the British Medical Journal came to this conclusion: "Weaning style impacts on food preferences and health in early childhood. Our results suggest that infants weaned through the baby-led approach learn to regulate their food intake in a manner, which leads to a lower BMI and a preference for healthy foods like carbohydrates. This has implications for combating the well-documented rise of obesity in contemporary societies."

Banana bread

You might be thinking to yourself, this doesn't exactly sound like rocket science.  And it's not!  I think a lot of parents just start doing this and think nothing of it.  I'm kind of a neurotic first time parent, and so it helped me to have a little bit of guidance.  Calling it something, reading a book about it, and hearing about other people's experiences was really helpful for me.  (It also helped me feel like I knew what I was doing when people questioned me about handing huge pieces of food over to my eight month-old.)

Imitating a squirrel.

Finn is eleven months old now, and tonight we ate Indian food together as a family.  He chowed down on spinach and paneer cheese with a side of naan.  On Saturday morning we all ate crepes together for breakfast (don't tell Finn his was missing Nutella).  As he gets older there are fewer times when he can't eat the exact same meal as us.  It's really great.

Meatballs and cheese.

So that's our take on the (complicated-sounding yet stupidly-easy once you jump in) idea of baby led weaning.  Bon appetit :)

Catchup: Ten Months

January 23:

Dear Finn,

We had so much fun with you this month.  Celebrating Christmas for the first time as a family of three was something we had been looking forward to ever since we found out you'd be joining our family, and it didn't disappoint.  We loved introducing you to all of our traditions, and starting some new ones too.  You were wide-eyed on Christmas morning as we showed what Santa had brought, you loved to stare at the lights on the tree and touch the prickly branches, and you even sat still for most of the Christmas Eve service we attended at the Naval Academy Chapel.  We know these things will be even more magical (well, maybe not the sitting still during church part!) as you get older and can understand more.

This month marked the first time we took a real vacation with you.  The day after Christmas you flew on your first plane and you were a champ!  You then got to show off your shiny new passport and saw your first (second, third, and fourth) foreign countries while we cruised around with our families.  You were so much fun to travel with, taking all disruptions to your schedule in stride.  Other than a few nights of not-so-great sleep, taking you on vacation was wonderful.  You ate at the table with us for every meal, impressing everyone with your willingness to try just about anything we put in front of you.  You're already a more adventurous eater than your mom, enjoying salmon and mahi mahi.  Fruit is still your favorite though, and you had more than your share of papaya, pineapple, and cantaloupe.  Your first taste of pancakes was also a big hit.

Another big first that happened the day after Christmas was your much-anticipated first word.  Drumroll please... mama!  Although you'd been babbling the syllables for a while, it was on vacation that you started associating the word with your mom in earnest, and you made her the proudest mom in the world.  You rewarded your dad with the same treatment on New Year's Day, clearly saying dada while reaching for him.  We were both beaming ear to ear.  A couple of weeks later, just to include all members of our little family, you introduced "dit dit" as your third (and to be honest, most often used) "word", the name you've given to your brother Duncan.  Once in awhile you throw out an enthusiastic "hiiiii!", rounding out your four word vocabulary at nine months.

You sprouted two new teeth this month, #7 and #8 on the top and bottom right.  You're still cruising along furniture like a mad man, and experimenting with a little standing without holding on, although you're not attempting any steps alone yet.  While in Maine after Christmas (you and your mom took that trip solo which was an adventure!) your Mimi taught you how to climb stairs, and it's become a fun new pastime of yours.  Other fun new skills include high fives (to the sheer delight of your dad) and clapping.

This month you are definitely much more into playing with your toys, with your little cars and trucks among your favorites.  Instead of just banging them together or on the floor, you actually scoot them around on their wheels or skate along with them while crawling.  You're really content to play by yourself as long as you have a bucket of toys to dump out, and we watch with amazement as you are starting to really figure out how things work.

Ten Month Stats: 21.5 lbs, no official height measurement this month.

Size: 12 month clothes.  A size 3 diaper when you wear disposables, the setting on your BumGenius diapers is three snaps open in the center on the highest rise.

Nicknames: Finno, Finny, Dude, Doo, Finner

Must-haves: Super Puffs, Fisher-Price Stacking Vehicle Fire Truck, maracas in Melissa & Doug Band in a Box

Milestones:

December 25: first Christmas!

December 26: first plane ride and first word: Mama

December 27-Jan 2: first vacation out of the country, visited the Bahamas, Honduras, Mexico, Grand Cayman

Dec 28: tooth #7

Jan 1: second word: Dada

Jan 8: climbed stairs

Jan 12: tooth #8

Jan 13: calling Duncan dit dit

Jan 22: clapping

 

Unfortunately both you and your mom picked up colds on vacation, and the second half of the month
has been spent battling them, in a bit of a haze of snotty noses and little fevers.  It's made you extra snuggly, which we don't mind at all, but we hate to see you feeling sick!  You're back to waking up at least once overnight again but we don't blame you.  Even when you are sick, your happy little personality shines through and we've loved getting to see more of it this month.  We can't believe how fast you're approaching your first birthday... slow down little man!

Love you so much I can't stand it,
Momma

How is it possible...

That I'm mailing out invitations for Finn's first birthday party today?

That I only have four pictures left to take for this weekly photo project I never thought I'd finish?

That my baby looks so grown up?

That I'm a few short weeks away from saying goodbye to pumping at work?  (But hopefully not to nursing completely.)

That one year ago today I looked like this:

Finn's birthday is still a month away, but for some reason this is all really hitting me now!  Where the heck is the pause button on my baby?

My baby is a musical genius!

or at least he was for twenty seconds until he decided trying to eat his foot was a better use of his time.

Happy Heart Day!

I hope yours is full of love and high fructose corn syrup too!

 (I may or may not have eaten this for breakfast.)

As promised, here is 2012's Valentine's mix CD song list...

Past versions can be found here:
2011
2010
2009
(Heck yes I break out the candy heart font every year.)

Weekend

What a fabulous weekend.  I recently changed up my work schedule so that I (almost) never work on the weekends, and it's like a whole new world over here.  On Saturday Hubs gave me the gift of getting up with Finn at 6 am which is pretty much the best gift there is.  After I nursed the little guy I went back to sleep for a couple of hours and woke to sounds of the two of them eating breakfast downstairs.  Finn's latest trick is attempting the spoon:



We had friends over for dinner on Saturday night which was wonderful.  I made this for dessert and highly recommend it if you're looking for a last minute and super easy Valentine's treat.  I may or may not have eaten a slice for breakfast on Sunday morning.

Source: bettycrocker.com via Emily on Pinterest

I'm excited for Valentine's Day even though we don't have any super exciting plans. We do have a date night planned for Friday, which is long overdue! Tomorrow I'll post this year's Valentine's Day Mix CD list. A big thanks to my husband for downloading music all year round that I can steal for my yearly mix. That way I can pretend I know what's going on musically, and when everyone's talking about Bon Iver after the Grammy Awards I already have them on my Valentine's CD Mix. The same thing happened a few years ago with Vampire Weekend. Thanks for making me look good, husband :)

One last thing... Charlie Banana cloth diapers are on Zulily today again. Not all of them are the one sized diapers (the ones we like best), but there are a few on there!

Have a great week, everyone!

Catchup: Nine Months

December 23:

Dear Finn,

This is yet another late letter, because life with you is just so busy lately!  It has been so fun celebrating our first holiday season as a family of three.  We had Thanksgiving at your Coco and GrandO's house, and you sat right at the table with everyone and ate alongside us.  These days you're pretty much eating whatever we eat, and on Thanksgiving that meant sweet potatoes, carrots, bread, and a little bit of turkey (which you weren't a big fan of).  It is so much fun to watch you explore new tastes.  You're having three small solid food meals a day now and still nursing like a champ in between.

You're babbling so much more these days, experimenting with different sounds and of course, volumes!  You discovered how to make a whooping noise by patting your hand against your mouth while you babble, and it cracks both you and us up.  You've also figured out how to make a phhhhhhttt noise with your tongue.  We love hearing you talk to yourself in your crib... bababababa, dadadadada, and mamamamama are sung out at the top of your lungs!  Your mom even thinks you're starting to associate that last one with her, but nobody's letting her count it as your first word just yet.  It seems like you pick a sound of the day and stick with practicing one all day long.

This month was the month of glorious sleep, setting new records of 11, 12, and once even 13 hours of sleep overnight!  You're sleeping in until around 8 am which is wonderful.  Your naps are still on the shorter side, but we can count on two of them and you go down to sleep pretty easily.  You're waking up happy more often than not, and you're content to play in your crib in the mornings while mom showers.  Towards the end of the month though, we started to notice some separation anxiety.  You're much happier when mom is in your sight, which makes for a funny morning routine of popping in and out of your room or singing to you from around the corner to assure you that we're nearby.

You've become a speed crawler, and you can get almost anywhere you'd like to go- and fast!  You're happiest when you are toting around a toy in one hand while crawling.  Anything with a handle will do, but your yellow hammer and blue bath cup are favorites.  You're much more into your toys this month, and you love to dump out the bins that contain them in the living room or your bedroom.  You love playing pattycake ("rolllllllllllll it" gets a big laugh), crack up at peekaboo, and are super giggly in general this month.  We're having so much fun :)

As far as milestones go, in addition to your official sleeping through the (twelve hour) night status, you acquired your sixth tooth this month, another top left one.  You've developed object permanence, so there's no more distracting you and hiding a toy (or non-toy) that we like for you not to have without you noticing.  You put on quite a show when we take something away from you, complete with a pouty bottom lip and fat tears.  Speaking of toys you're not supposed to have, your obsession with our phones has reached a new high (low!).  We let you watch a few minutes of Baby Einstein on YouTube in the mornings, and we get your favorite song stuck in our heads all day long ("I said, hey, little turtle...").

Nine Month Stats: 20 pounds, an even 30". 
Size: Some 9 month and some 12. 
Nicknames: Finno, Finny, Dude, Duder, Do, Finner
Must-haves: Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Baby Sleeping Bag, Sassy Soft Touch Rinse Cup (yes this is really one of your favorite toys), Boogie Wipes

Milestones:

November 25: figured out how to make a whooping noise
December 16: 11 hours of sleep overnight!
December 18: Tooth #6 (top second left)
December 19: 12 hours of sleep overnight!

Walking through the door after a long day of work, you greet us with a huge dimply grin and crawl across the living room at top speed to welcome us.  There is just nothing like it.  I'll sing the chorus of this song now: "Finn, you are more fun every month!".  It's true though, that the more we get to know you the more we enjoy spending time with you.  You can put a smile on our faces even in the most trying times.  We are just so glad that you're a part of our family, little man.  

Love you so much I can't stand it,
Momma