First Food

So, we're not going to mention ever again the animal cracker incident. It didn't happen. Strike it from your memory. So, this is now the first you've heard about baby E starting solid foods! Isn't that exciting??!!! I thought so.

Here's a pic of the FIRST time baby E had food. If you can't see, and I can't imagine why you wouldn't be able to what with the awesome quality of this picture, it was asparagus. What? Your kid won't eat asparagus, you won't even eat asparagus?! Well, baby E loved it. He sucked and sucked on that piece of green. He sucked and gummed it so much, he even managed to get a few fibers off, not that he really noticed much. The kid, btw, also loves asparagus.

Then, baby E had some of these sweet potatoes, which he also loved! But, really, if you'd have tasted how sweet they were, you would have, too. I mean, the kid actually called them dessert, they were so sugary. and, no, I didn't, in traditional BLW style, let him just go at it on his own. We were at a restaurant, and about to take family pics. So, yes, I fed them to him with a spoon. Sue me.

Then he had a lemon and a couple of green beans at the Cracker Barrel (also a fan of these).

Since we've gotten home from vacation, he's had a couple pieces of orange (which was really funny because with the first one I just thought he'd suck on it a little, but I turned around and he had a death grip on it, looking at the kid like "dude, you even come close and I'll take you out", and when I looked back at him, the thing was gone. I mean he didn't eat the peel, but the meat of that thing was completely absent), a carrot stick (plain, even though my friend J kept trying to give him ranch dip with it - we're not quite ready for that), some avocado, some apple sticks (just sucked on them, and got really made at them for some reason), some banana, and...well, maybe that's it?

This is the apple - see how sad he looks about it?! He really wanted it though and I have no idea why he got so upset about it. It was kinda funny though.

Oh yeah, he had some pasta, too, which was this, not that you can really see the pasta in his hand all that well. He did really well with this, though.

This was post-orange. And, all that was left of the orange...

He seems to love food and really be ready for it now. He knows just what do with it and we've had no choking incidents (for those of you who said you were concerned about this with your kiddos). I was eating a cookie today and man did he get mad that I wouldn't give him a bite! He actually worked up some tears, poor little neglected creature. Maybe next week, buddy...yeah, probably not.

Today's lesson - I tend to sometimes have a hard time trusting my instincts, especially when they're questioned time after time by other (often well-intentioned people). For instance, people have been asking for MONTHS about whether baby E has had food. Now, I knew he wasn't ready, but I started to doubt that, what with so many people asking. Well, this past week or so, since we've started giving it to him has reminded me to trust those momma instincts. My baby is now ready for food. He's sitting well, his thrust reflux is gone, he can grab the food and put it in his own mouth. He is now ready. Before he wasn't. My instincts came through for me again. Thanks, momma-gut. I am reminded, once again, to listen to you.