Baby Food

So, it's been awhile since we were feeding Big Brother from store bought baby food jars.  How quickly one forgets the MESS of feeding a little tyke!  I didn't really give the food thing much thought with Big Brother (and he obviously survived and thrived) but this time around, in an effort to establish a 'new normal', I'm up for the challenge of making our own baby food more often than not.

Little B had his first 'solid' taste experience on February 1st (just shy of his 5 month anniversary).  We were going to start him sooner because he was expressing great interest in everything we were putting in our mouths and he was also waking up at night more to feed, but around that same time he contracted his first ear infection.  Knowing that Big B has an allergy to amoxicillin, I didn't want to start Little B on brand new foods while also taking a new-to-him medicine.  The amoxicillin went well with no allergic reaction (this time!) and once he was done, we began the adventures of the first foods!

After doing a decent amount of research on-line, we opted to try avocado and banana as Little Brother's first foods.  We just mushed them up and spoon fed him.  Rice cereal also went into the rotation and he seems to enjoy them all.  We added in squash last week and he also gobbled that right down.  Costco was selling pre-cut butternut squash, so all I had to do was boil it and run it through the blender.  Too bad I managed to pour burning hot squash all over my hand in the process ... lesson learned.  I'm thinking we'll be adding sweet potato and peas in the near future, with carrots and apples not too far behind.

Since we do not own a food processor and our blender appears to be inadequate and not working correctly, we did get a baby-food making system and so far I love it.   I spent about a half hour yesterday making batches of banana and avocado, putting them into containers, freezing a bunch, etc. I also am enjoying the price I paid for it (having done a lot of on-line price comparisons) thanks to Kohl's birthday cash and 30% off coupon they recently mailed to us.  We'll see how adventurous we get with this whole 'new normal' but so far it's off to a great start!

Thank you, Fred Rogers

Big Brother has turned a corner!  For the longest time (since before Little Brother's birth, especially when I was largely pregnant) we have been encouraging Big Brother to put on his own shoes.  For whatever reason, he has shown absolutely no desire to do this for himself.  It was becoming a battle this Fall, so I even created a reward chart for him right at eye level where his shoes were located.  We got through the chart and had 'success' with him putting his shoes on, but as soon as the chart was done, he went right back to not caring one iota about doing this for himself.  As I observed several of my friends' children (younger and same age as BB) doing this by themselves quite capably each time were together, Ross and I decided it was time to put our foot down.  We had a couple of 'battles' and some great successes over the past month or so, when all of a sudden he started putting on his shoes AND his coat all by himself.  EVERY TIME.  No questions asked - just 'okay Mama!'  While I was rejoicing in this new development, I was also somewhat baffled until I started listening carefully to his song.

You see, Big Brother sings all of the time.  Made up songs, songs he has learned from CDs, songs he has heard in church - our little man is a jute box.  So, to hear him sing while putting on his shoes wasn't all that 'new' to me.  Then I realized he was singing the closing song of the Mr. Rogers show every. single. time. he would go downstairs.  It began to dawn on me that thanks to Mr. Rogers responsibly taking off his outside shoes, putting on his house shoes, deliberately taking his coat off and trading it for his cardigan, my son - who adores Mr. Rogers and his trolley - now insists on doing that routine all by himself.  I offered to help the other day 'just because' and he said to me, 'No Mom, Mr. Rogers' Mama doesn't help him out.'  WHAT?! :)

I also need to include that Big Brother insists on humming the 'intro' to the song as we approach the house door when coming home from somewhere.  He does not appreciate the door being opened until it gets to the 'right part' (which apparently I am very clueless about).  It's really very precious and funny.