Baby's first bite!!!

Preparing for solid foods!

Yep, I will admit it and be proud of it: I'm THAT kind of mom. Over the past few days I have cleaned, straightened, organized, and planned out our son's homemade and organic solid food. If you already know me, I have Brentlee on a fairly strict schedule. He nurses, sleeps, and even poops on the same routine just about every single day. My husband has always given me a hard time for being "that" mom, but I caught him once saying that I'm a genius and for me that's all I need. :)

Now don't confuse me as "Germ Patrol: Mom of the Year." I don't boil our bottles everyday, Brentlee is touched and hugged by everyone, I let him pet the cat, drool on toys off the floor, and go outside! I welcome exposure to most germs and unhealthy parts of life. He's a baby...and babies get dirty. My version of "that" mom is the mom who takes extra time and care to make sure that her baby has a solid foundation in order to live a happy healthy life. I'm setting him up for a very healthy life style, even though it means reading dozens (okay hundreds) of nutrition articles and blogs....I feel good about it. Anyway! Here's my documentation of preparing Brentlee to eat solid foods!

Just about every single mom browsing the internet has asked,"When do I start solids and what do I start with?" I've already said my two cents on when to start. What to start with is something that I sort of want to share with everyone. Historically doctors and moms both have always said to start with rice cereal thinned with formula or breast milk. After learning about why do delay solids, I questioned this tradition and starting researching for an answer. Rice cereal is made up of what? Fortified white long grain rice or something? Any health nut will tell you that white is not right!!! So why are we giving our babies processed food that tastes of cardboard as their first food? If you wait until your baby's system is mature and also if you are breastfeeding....then starting with a super food just makes more sense to me. A food rich in good fats, nutrients, and known for low allergic reactions seems like the perfect foundation food for a baby!!!! My definition of baby's first super food: AVOCADO!!!!! An organic California avocado costs maybe $1.50 and makes enough baby food for dozens of first feedings. I haven't even priced a jar of stage 1 baby food so I can't really compare any money saving tips. I'm sure the convenient food is sensible, but just not fresh and free of fillers. Therefore I have never shopped for a jar of baby food. 

I chose avocado as a first food because of it's nutrient content. It's packed with vitamins, minerals (including iron), and also composed of those "good" fats. Those unsaturated fat molecules that are proven to be important for every baby's developing body. All of these nutrients are coming from a fresh, organic fruit instead of a supplement processed in a box. In my opinion it sounds a lot better than white rice paste...but that's just my opinion. In the photo above, I used a very small avocado and made enough food for maybe four weeks of avocado "meals". They say as first, your baby should eat 1-3 tablespoons during a meal and most babies will eat only 1/2 of a tablespoon at first. (After this experience I've learned that the baby food that I have prepared for Brentlee will probably last him well over a month. Of course by then we will have introduced other foods so he will not suffer from too much green and not enough variety. :) Once he is familiar with this new food, I will offer him other types of organic food. Fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, sweet potatoes, squash, and green beans will make wonderful mixed "meals". In a few weeks I even plan to add mild seasonings for him to enjoy!!!

Here is a photo of 3 days of homemade avocado puree. Now I say 3 days, because that's about how long I think it will stay fresh in the fridge. Brentlee can only eat about 1/4 of what's in one bowl...so this is probably about 12 days of homemade baby food for him right now (next time I will know to freeze more so there isn't as much waste). The ounce of breastmilk to the left is for thinning the fruit and masking the taste so that it's somewhat familiar to him.

Now I recommend using your finger as baby's first spoon, but I had been somewhat "training" Brentlee to use a spoon. I did this by offering him a spoon full of water whenever I was eating my breakfast or lunch. He is now very accustomed to opening his mouth when he notices the spoon coming towards him. (Note: babies around six months of age should not have more than 2oz of water per day....their milk has lots of water in it as it is).

Here we go.....B's FIRST bite!!!!! He's really excited to see that spoon once again and he's thinking there will be a lovely drop of warm water for him to drink. Little does he know that this soupy puree is not quite as sweet as he expects.....

Poor kid didn't know what hit him. We were only minutes away from nap time and after a shocking taste from his favorite spoon...he was ready to rest. We'll try 1/2 a teaspoon once a day for the rest of the week. I'm grounding up organic whole rolled oats for a yummy breakfast meal and reading up of the safest ways to bake and steam other foods. Every 3-5 days we'll try a new food after Brentlee gets used to the idea of trying the texture of purees. I'm very proud of him for his few bites today. He swallowed everything that I fed him and went down for his nap with a smile!!!!

Here's to a happy, healthy, and organic baby boy!!! Don't be afraid to be "that" kind of mom...it's good for them.