Another Solid Food Update

Zack is a big time eater...I can't wait for the teenage years when I will need to get a full time job just to keep my boy fed.  He likes most foods but is starting to show favorites.  He LOVES sweet potato, apples, pears, any kind of squash, pumpkin, mango, peaches, yogurt, oatmeal and rice cereal...He doesn't love, peas and green beans and still needs to get used to chicken.  We have tried several finger foods...actually everything you can buy at the store for a baby...and he won't eat it.  He puts everything in his mouth except finger foods.  I have tried putting food in his mouth and he looks at me like he has no idea what to do. 
He did enjoy graham crackers but I don't know that he actually ate any of it.  Most of it ended up on the "snack towel" or crunched into his clothing.  Here are some photo's from his first (well second) time eating graham crackers.

I don't know what I was thinking with the paper towel

yeah...should have seen that coming..oh well nothing a vacuum couldn't take care of

hmmm which one should I eat?

I LOVE GRAHAM CRACKERS!

Zack LOVES His Banana Paci...and carrots and pears!

Zack hasn't really been a huge fan of banana when I mash it myself so I decided to try it a different way.  We got these food pacifiers that said it's great for banana.  I broke off some banana stuck it in the mesh holder and squeezed it a bit to get it started.  I handed over the paci and watched...

I love that you can see the leftovers from his carrot/green bean dinner...he ate 5 cubes of veggies and still showed signs of hunger so I decided to try the banana.

He really enjoyed his snack

This is what happened when I took the pacifier away...I intended to refill it but that wasn't good enough for Zack.  Good thing I have two.

I alternated between the yellow and blue one until the banana was gone...

yes...he has both in his mouth

I am really enjoying making Zack's food, and with the amount he eats I am really seeing how much money I am saving.  Each jar costs between $.75 and $1.00 and Z eats approximately three jars a day.  I spent under $30 buying fruit and veggies (both in bulk from BJ's and in smaller amounts from the grocery store) that will last us 2 months.  I sometimes taste the puree because I am really curious about how it tastes and I am always supervised that it tastes the same as if I took a bite out of it whole.  I know I shouldn't be surprised but I am...

This week we tried pears and carrots.  I bought these organic from BJ's and they cost me less than $10.  I made 3 ice cube trays full of each (which will come to about 19 meals if Zack keeps eating 5 cubes a meal twice a day).  Another great plus to making Zack fresh baby food is that I set aside several carrots and a couple pears for Adam and I!  Would I buy carrots for Adam and I normally, sure...would they be fresh whole carrots?...probably not because we wouldn't eat them before they went bad.  Would I buy pears...no.  I tend not to buy fruit on a whim because we don't always eat it.  Yes, Adam and I will be eating carrots with every meal until they are gone or I start Zack's next veggie, but I don't think it's a bad thing!  Next is peas and yellow Squash!



Green Beans and Apples

I figured if there was one thing that Zack wouldn't like it would be green beans, but he loved them...I had the camera all ready to take a picture of his cute disgusted face...

not so disgusted

in fact...he finished every drop!

it's a good thing he loved it because I went a little crazy with my new toy...this 11 cup food processor (happy birthday to me)!  Doesn't this green glump look really tasty?  I love the fresh colors in my homemade baby food!
And of coarse he loved apples...what kid wouldn't?

I didn't just go puree crazy with green beans...I am at the beginning of stocking our freezer.  Thank goodness for BJ's and fruit and veggies in bulk!

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash

While I prepare food I put Zachary in the high chair and let him play with spoons, plates and cups.  I like to let him explore and it keeps him busy.



wrong side...right idea

wrong again!

Last week we tried sweet potato.

before

he didn't really feed himself I just gave him a spoon while I feed him with a different spoon.

I put some mush on the tray to see if he would try to feed himself with his hands.

I don't use a bib because he eats the bib and makes a bigger mess.  I figure I have to wash clothes anyway.

after

Today we tried butternut squash.

I bought these because I thought they were really cool.  You put food it it and it squeezes out the mesh.

It didn't take Zack long to figure out how to use it.

I think he loves when I take his picture because he really wants my camera.  BTW the food paci doesn't make less mess...his shirt was very wet.

but he did like the butternut squash

 While he was eating I heard a poo sound and didn't think anything of it until I pulled him out of the chair and his back was soaking wet with poo.  While I cleaned up both messes Zack played...

this is the face that makes cleaning up poop totally worth it.

Solids Update

By the way Zack…how do you feel about rice cereal?

Banana was a no no...lets try avocado!

I was really disappointed that Zachary didn't enjoy the banana, I figured I had read the signs wrong and maybe he wasn't ready.  I decided that I would try avocado, then some rice cereal and if both of those failed I would take a few weeks off and try again. 
I went to the grocery store today and picked up an avocado and a container of rice cereal...ahhh, the grocery store...it took everything in me to not shop..."Lindsay you don't have a kitchen"! 
Zachary slept a long time today...yeah...strange...so I didn't get to try it until 8:00 at night...mistake?  We will see in the morning.  Zack was happy and playful, he had eaten 8 ounces an hour before so the situation was about as perfect as it can get. 
I mashed some avocado with some breast milk

And how did Zack feel about it?

I gave him his own fork because he kept grabbing my spoon, but I had to take it away because he shoved it way back to his throat. 

He couldn't get enough of it!  He would even grab my hand if I wasn't scooping it fast enough...maybe it was the spoon...maybe it was the avocado.  Either way I haven't totally given up on banana. 

Oh and just for a little laugh...

He is getting better at sitting up every day!

sometimes he gets too excited

or distracted and well...

Banana Nana fo Fanna...

When I heard that Zack would tell me when he was ready for solids I was like "yeah right".  I have been proven wrong.  I really wanted to wait until we were in an apartment, but Zack wouldn't have it.  I started with banana since I plan on making my own baby food and I can't cook in the hotel.  I read a lot and banana's seem like a good starting food...it is easy (I just mashed with a fork and mixed with breast milk), and it's a sweet flavor. 
Our hotel always had bananas on the buffet but the day we wanted them they didn't have any, so Adam ran to Wal-mart to pick up a bunch.
We let Zachary play with the banana (mostly because we wanted a cute photo...

 Adam fed Zachary

 ...while I mushed the banana (we havent gotten baby stuff yet)

 I fed him with my finger...I figured it would be ok since it wasn't a real meal...just a taste.

 So Zack how did you feel about the banana?

Isn't that face priceless.