Mommy Mondays: Solid Man

Our biggest six month milestone was the introduction of solids.

I'm a "stick with what you know" kind of gal, so we returned to BLW (baby led weaning).  Especially because it worked so well with Thatkid.  I can't think of an easier method of introducing solids since it doesn't take any additional effort on my part.

So far, it has been a complete success in that Thatbaby LOVES food.  I mean, seriously loves food.  I nurse right before we eat, and he still grabs at the objects on his tray as though he had been lost in the desert for weeks.

Clear favorites so far include meatloaf, latkes, and blueberries. He also does really well with vegetables. 

In a way he's a very similar eater to Thatkid in that he is open to trying everything and really enjoys solids.  In a way he is very different in that his motor skills far surpass his brother's at this age, and he hardly gags at all.  He started ingesting the food much earlier than Thatkid did.  He also has a much higher spice tolerance.

I do modify some of his meals.  For instance, we had creme brulee French toast for breakfast Christmas morning.  I don't really think he needed to have toast in caramelized brown sugar at 6 months, so I made him regular french toast.  And when we had honeyed carrots, he got the pre-cooked carrots.

Being a second time mom has its perks when it comes to introducing solids.  Because I already know the best way to cut and serve the foods.  Like tonight when we had grilled corn and I cut it into rounds instead of just handing him an ear like I had done with Thatbaby.  I also have my tricks on how to handle things like soup - either sopped up with bread, or the good stuff scooped out sans liquid.

We've also modified our way of eating -  not that I was a heavy salter before, but now everyone is in charge of salting their own food, so that I don't have to worry about adding extra sodium to Thatbaby's diet.

BLW has also come in very handy at restaurants.  Although this guy, whose nickname is "the claw" gets very upset when he can't shovel handful after handful of food into his mouth.  He seems to do better when it's immediate family only, maybe he gets overstimulated in a group?  In any event, he's a little more high maintenance at restaurants than his brother was.

And, just like last time, here's the "full-length" (edited) video of Thatbaby's first experience with solid foods.