Getting Started... Again

  At 6 months old, we started M (now 19 months) on rice cereal, because that is the only thing I read to do.  Plus the side of the cereal box said something like "Cereal is an important part of your child's diet until age 2."  He took to it really well, but all I gave him was cereal for several weeks.  This was mostly due to the fact that I had planned to make my own baby food, but we found out we were pregnant with J right about this time, and I was sick, and just generally lazy.  I read a few mom's discussing BLW in a forum I belong to, and when I finally figured out what BLW stood for, I got the book.  I purchased The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook, not because I was excited about new recipes (I'm not much of a cook) but because that is what I found at the bookstore.  It gives the basics of the program, and, of course, some recipes to try.  Although, because I am not much of a cook, most of the recipes, even as simple as they might be, are just too complex for me to try.

  So, we gave M toast.  Occasionally we gave him some fruit as well.  At the beginning, he just wasn't that into it.  He would play with some of the strips, sometimes try to eat it, but usually not.  So after his cereal, he had dry toast.  No wonder he didn't eat it!  *This is not BLW.   The purpose is to give your baby a variety of foods.  However, remember that I was lazy and sick, and he didn't care about it any way!

  Around 8 months old or so, M suddenly one morning started biting pieces off the toast and eating them.  I was so excited!  From then on, I started putting things on the toast, like a bit of butter, cinnamon, cream cheese, etc, and giving him more fruits and veggies.  He now has a very healthy appetite at times, and doesn't eat much at others.  But he has always been in charge of how much he eats, and he never goes hungry.  This no-pressure style of family eating suits us very well.  

  J is now 25 weeks old, and she has been showing signs of readiness for a while.  She can sit on her own for a bit, and she is fine if she has support.  If she is awake during meals, she sits in the high chair with us.  She has been gnawing her lips, watching us take food into our mouths, and trying to grab anything she can.  I planned to wait until next week to get her started, but yesterday she seemed so ready, so I gave her - you guessed it! - a piece of toast.  She just about ravaged that thing!  Every piece made it into her mouth.  Some several times.  If a piece was out of her reach, she banged on the tray until she either got it, or moved on to another piece.  It is clear to me that she will really enjoy BLW, and so will we.  But we'd better move on from toast quickly!