Got Oatmeal?

She likes it, she really likes it! (Doesn't she look thrilled?) Yes, folks, it's true. Olivia is beginning to dabble in solid foods. Her first meal was a runny bit of rice cereal. Her reaction: indifferent. Next came oatmeal. This time, I think we got a little closer to baby Nirvana. And today? Bananas! Every 4 days it's something new. How exciting! Some days she eats like a champ and others she wants nothing to do with the spoon, preferring to dribble it onto her bib and eat off of that instead... And while Reuben has had success (once) with mess-free feeding, a good bath afterwards pretty much goes with the territory.

The art of feeding an infant solids is a tough one to master! There is much to learn about what size bite will best fit in her mouth, how much will actually be swallowed, getting her to swallow what she's got rather than packing it away in her cheeks to enjoy later... Oh, and lets not forget a strong defense against curious baby hands that want that drippy spoon all to themselves! When I give her a spoon of her own to play with, she is pretty good at getting it to her mouth and seems to understand that is where it is supposed to go. She wouldn't get food in her mouth on her own since she likes to flip the spoon over before it hits its target, but little details like that will get worked out later! Luckily at this age, Olivia gets all the nutrition she needs from her formula. In fact, too much solid food would actually rob her of the nutrients and calories she must have now to ensure proper physical and mental development. So one messy meal per day is fun, and great practice, but not meant to really do more than teach her what is to come. By the time she reaches 6 months old (in a mere 2 weeks?!), she'll have tried lots of new foods and we'll know if she is allergic to any of them, her digestive system will have more of those good bugs in it, and her tummy should be big enough to handle two solid meals per day!

Once we master the Art of Feeding, I get to master the Art of Baby Puree! That is going to be great. Controlling the freshness and amounts of the ingredients, and avoiding preservatives, pesticides, and unnecessary sugar and salt that is often found in commercial baby food will definitely be worth the few hours each Sunday that I spend preparing recipes. And far less expensive to boot! Plus, to top it all off, these purees will be so fresh, yummy, and nutritious that Reuben and I can snack on them and benefit, too!

So bring on the solids - and the Infant CPR training! Now would be a good time to learn what to do if and when a baby chokes, eh?