Here is this week’s meal plan:
BLW – Day 2 didn’t really go too well.
I once again offered parboiled carrots to the bear, placing a few sticks on her tray. She hardly showed any interest, and when she did, just picked one up and lost her grip. Said carrot stick ended on her lap.
I don’t get the feeling that she is quite ready for weaning. Perhaps the arriving 3 weeks early is a factor.
When I woke up this morning, I wondered if, at the age of 26 weeks (well, 23 if you consider the fact that she was born 3 weeks early), Sydney Bear was ready for her first taste of solid food.
The BLW book explains that at first, babies are unable to make the association between food and satisfying their hunger. Food in the first few weeks entails discovery of texture and taste and is predominantly play-related.
I decided that today was as good as any to get the ball rolling. I peeled a carrot and cut it up into sticks (about 1.5″ long, 2cm wide) and parboiled them for 7 to 8 minutes. I drained them and left them to cool down.
Once the bear awoke from her nap, she was ready for her milk. She drank it all, and I left it for 30 minutes before whisking her into the dining room and sat her in her highchair. Poncho on, sleeves rolled up, I placed three carrot sticks on her tray and left her to it.
It took the bear around 15 minutes before she paid the carrot sticks any attention and slowly picked one up with her right hand before dropping it onto her lap. She then lost interest and started chewing her hand.
The bear started watching me whilst I tucked into my jacket potato, beans and salad lunch. I broke the BLW rule and offered her a bit of potato by placing it near her mouth. She opened her mouth and took the potato, which was soft and mushy, tasted it and gave me a smile.
A further 10 minutes later, another carrot stick ends up on the floor via her lap. Again, I broke rules and offered her a crushed baked bean which she took with her mouth, but didn’t like it. She didn’t know what to do with it, and ended up gagging, and this is where my heart ended up in my mouth! She worked out what to do, and ended up spitting it out along with her lunch-time milk, putting paid to today’s BLW efforts.
We had to start somewhere. Points to note:
More carrots for tomorrow, baby girl!
We crossed a big milestone yesterday. The bear turned 6 months old.
The one thought which has occupied my mind for the past few weeks is weaning. I first heard about Baby Led Weaning through blogs. None of my friends have gone down this route, purées being the preferred method. I weighed both options and after reading up on BLW, followed by lengthy discussions with Hubby, decided that we’d let the bear lead.
I don’t think the bear is fully ready for solids. She has yet to show real interest in our meals – I do have my breakfast and lunch in her presence daily and I’ve been watching her reaction, or lack thereof.
However, in preparation for weaning, I spent hours researching highchairs suitable for BLW. I am a fan of BabyBjorn products but their highchairs don’t come cheap. I was put off by their low-rimmed tray. BLW is meant to be messy, but without rims, the food has no chance of remaining on the tray for long. The lower end of the cost spectrum was IKEA. Plastic chair that can be hosed down if needs be. The con – static legs. I preferred a fold-able chair. However, Hubby assured me that we did have space in the kitchen/dining room and £16 wasn’t too big a deal if it didn’t work out in the long run. So off we went to IKEA last week and bought the chair-tray set, plus a kiddie placement (as it looked cute), inflatable cushion/padding for the chair (a must for our petite bub) and some washcloths.
I also ordered a poncho-type plastic bib for the bear. She has cotton ones which I will get her to wear underneath her poncho.
BLW tools:
Wish us luck.
Happy half-birthday, baby girl! This time last year, Mama was only 11 weeks pregnant with you. What a difference a year makes. We have watched you grow from a tiny, precious little bundle weighing 2.7 kg to a bouncy 5.5 kg baby. You are still on a low weight percentile, but you are happy, healthy and full of beans, and that’s all that matters.
You have now mastered the art of rolling over. We decided to get you a play-pen so that you could play more securely in our living room. Mama was consumed with guilt in the first few days after purchasing the play-pen as it felt as if you were confined to a prison. However, you’ve taken to it very well, enjoying quiet time exploring your toys and sometimes a place to have a short nap.
We recently started attending a music class for 0-15 months old babies at our local children’s centre. The class lasts for 30 minutes and you(Mama) get(s) to play with tambourines, rattles, ribbon-tassels and also dance and sing along to songs. We’ve made some friends at the class and we both look forward to seeing them on Mondays. Your favourite songs are The Wheels on the Bus, The Grand Old Duke of York and Hokey Pokey.
A few weeks ago, we met up with our friends from the Wholefood Harmony, with their gorgeous baby J in tow. After a lovely afternoon tea followed by a walk in Parliament Hill, we reluctantly bade farewell, but not before having an impromptu sing-song on the pavement close to where our cars were parked!
Last week, we were invited to Mama’s friend J’s home for lunch. Her two year old daughter, C took you under her wings and you in turn took a shine to her. It was lovely to watch you both play. A future play-date is definitely on the cards.
We were blessed with warm sunshine for a few days at the start of the month and made the most of it by spending time in the park. For a few glorious days, you were dressed in light summer clothes – short-sleeved body suits, leggings and we made sure to get a wear or two out of your convict outfit.
Over the May bank holiday weekend, you discovered your feet! Though they don’t seem to fascinate you as much as your hands.
The past week saw you catch your first cold. It was inevitable given how much we’ve been out and about.
We have started thinking about weaning you in the next few weeks. Highchair, poncho, Doidy cup have all been purchased. Watch this space!
These are your notable progress at 6 months:
Sydney Bear, thank you for being a wonderful baby. Life with you for the past 6 months have been simply wonderful. Mama and Papa love you very much. xxx
We’ve a well-stocked fridge this week. Shame the weather is forecast to be a let down. Warm, comforting food is on the cards again. Hand me a jumper.
We went to the local farmers’ market on Sunday. We had a chat with the man who runs the bread/veggie stall and he said that he was a baker and helped sell veggies for his friends who grow them. Happy to support the local farmer, I bought a head of cauliflower and red peppers. Hubby was more cynical, labeling me gullible as the cauliflower could have easily originated from Tesco!
I roasted some cauliflower with cumin and served it with salmon on Monday. I could have easily stretched the cauliflower for the rest of the week, but decided to make a soup for my lunch today (with plenty of leftovers for tomorrow). I wasn’t feeling particularly ambitious, therefore this is really a simple soup with minimal ingredients. Lovely, served with (lightly) buttered toast.
Ingredients:
Method:
