Baby Led Weaning

A little over a week ago, Noah started sitting up really well (ok, almost really well) on his own so I decided to dive into baby led weaning headfirst and see how he did with it. 

If you remember this post from a while back, I read the Baby Led Weaning book and I'm glad I did, I got a lot of great info from it. While it did seem a bit repetitive, I still took away some awesome stuff. Most of all, it really put my  mind at ease when it comes to gagging and choking. According to the book, babies have a gag reflex much farther forward on their tongue than adults so it's going to happen. They're going to gag, whether you like it or not, but when they do, they also spit out whatever they're gagging on. (Hopefully anyway!) 

I am no expert by any means and can only tell you how my personal experience has gone over the last week but I'm so excited to continue letting Noah feed himself. I'm lazy, so BLW is ideal. ;)

One day after work last week, I cut up and roasted a sweet potato and some squash and once it cooled, I just put it on his tray. I got so excited when he immediately picked up a piece and nommed on it! He made a hilarious face and shuttered a bit but in the span of about 20 minutes, he picked up, tasted and dropped food about 4 or 5 different times. 

No, I'm not following the book to a tee. I'm sure I'm probably cutting his food into chunks that are too large. Or maybe theyr'e too small. Or maybe he's not even supposed to be eating some of the things I'm giving him but ya know what? We're having fun, he's not choked, and dammit, the kid loves his green beans.

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from Jessica T on Vimeo.

It was and still is hard for me not to pressure him into eating. The urge to place the food in his hands is so strong but I just have to be patient. It's called "baby led" for a reason. He'll figure it out on his own... right? RIGHT?!

I keep trying to tell myself the first few weeks are all about exploration. Noah hasn't had anything but breastmilk his entire life so of course he's gonna make a funny face to veggies. I would too! Fingers crossed, after a while, he'll get used to food and realize that this stuff will fill his belly. Then, maybe, just MAYBE we will be weaning off of breastmilk all together in the next 6+ months. The milk jugs would love that. Mommy is tired of pumping. 

Anywho, to sum things up, we've tried a number of different foods and so far green beans and asparagus are Noah's "favorites" - as in, he'll pick them up and chomp on them repeatedly. Funnily enough, the kid won't touch banana for some reason. I thought all babies loved bananas? Nope. Not mine.

WARNING: BLW is not for the faint of heart.
Be prepared for a huge mess!!

Among green beans, asparagus and bananas, Noah has tried avocado, bread, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, broccoli, scrambled eggs and watermelon. Now, don't throw me to the wolves on those last two. I know that allergies are often a worry but neither my husband or I have food allergies (none in either family actually) so I figured I'd give them a shot. As far as peanut butter and strawberries are concerned, I might wait to give those a try. :)

All in all, I'm glad we decided to try this method before starting purees. Not to say we'll NEVER do purees, I'm sure I'll send some to daycare at some point, but if finger foods work out, why not?! 

Have you done BLW? What are some foods Noah should try?!

6 Months.

It's hard to believe that I've been a mom for half of a year. For 26 weeks I've taken care of the sweetest little boy. For 182 days, I've nurtured and loved and given my whole life to my him. While 4,368 hours seems like a long time, it seems like it was just yesterday I was giving birth.

They always say life can change in the blink of an eye and on February 26th, my life changed drastically and for the better. There are days I look at my sons bright blue eyes and wonder what I ever did without him. How did I function without this significant, all consuming love?

In these last few months, he's changed from a squishy little infant that just wanted to sleep and nurse into a baby boy that wants to sit up and stand and talk your ear off.

He's so aware of the world around him. Even when he was just a few days old, it seemed like he would look around and just take everything in. That's definitely one thing that hasn't changed, that look in his eye like he's up to something. 

He's just soaking up every moment. 

Well, I am too little boy. Trust me, I am soaking up every moment too.

My heart grows with every grin, every giggle, and with each sleepy smile. Every time he squeals for more hugs or whines to be put down, I just can't get enough of him.

It feels like I've had him my whole life yet it seems like I just found out I was pregnant. How time flies!

Whether he's laughing or crying because I stole his pacifier...

He completes me. My entire life is wrapped up in this tiny human.


Happy half birthday Noah.

Best Television Shows: Comedy

It's finally Friday my friends! Thank goodness this slow week is over. I'm hoping today flies by so the husband and I can take Noah to the fair so we can enjoy some delicious fried foods.

In the meantime, I'm linking up with one of my fave mommies, Brittany, to share with you my top favorite TV shows. This week, our topic is best comedies!

This category is one that I really had to narrow down and rack my brain about because Brittany had several of my favorites already on her list. So without being a COMPLETE copycat, my faves are :

1) The Office - My all time favorite show of the history of all the universe. For obvious reasons. It's hilarious and I want to marry Jim Halpert. 

2) New Girl - Everyone has a little bit of Jess in them and of course, I can relate to the character 100%. Dorky yet lovable, hilarious and awkward - all rolled into one. 

3) How I Met Your Mother - Yet another obvious one, this show kills me and I want to be BFF's with Barney. 

4) Parks and Recreation - I discovered this show last year and have never looked back. My bff Kristin is actually a manager at the Parks and Rec department in our town so I like to think it's an inside look to her life. Well, if her job is anything like this show - it must be hilarious. 

5) Friends - Always a classic and even though I've seen every single episode twice, it never gets old. 

6) Raising Hope - This show is a new one that I've fallen in love with and (I think it still does?) it comes on after Glee so you MUST stay up and watch it. 

7) 2 Broke Girls - I had to warm up to this one but it's actually pretty funny! Their first season wasn't a long one and I really hope I can catch some new episodes soon.

So my friends, what are your favorite comedies right now?! 

TGIF! Have a  good weekend!  :)

Noah's Favorite Toys

Since Noah is at kind of an awkward age developmentally, not crawling and almost sitting up on his own, it's been tough finding toys to keep his attention for more than 5 minutes but alas, Amazon comes to the rescue again! With one click shopping, it's become my best friend as well as my worst enemy.

So without further ado, here are just a few of Noah's favorite toys right now.

1)Nuby Look At Me Mirror Toy  -  My most recent purchase and Noah's number 1 favorite toy right now. I think he likes the small rings on the sides so he can grip it and the different textures of the toys.

2)Fisher-Price Soothe and Glow Seahorse - I've said it before and I'll say it again - Noah LOVES this thing. He has 2, one for home and one for daycare and he absolutely adores it. He cuddles with it during naps and at bedtime which does wonders for self soothing!

3) Manhatten Toy Winkel - It might look crazy but trust me, this toy is excellent for your baby that loves to put things in their mouth. It's easy to grasp and large enough for them to find on their own while playing. 

4)Teething Books - Any book with colors and any kind of texture will keep my kids attention. 

5)Bright Starts Links - Aka: sassy links. These are awesome for Noah since he prefers toys with smaller handles, they're easy for him to grip and well, shove into his pie hole. 

6)Razbaby RaZberry Teether - The second I saw my kid take his pacifier out of his mouth and turn it around to chew on the plastic piece, I stole this raspberry teether from my mom. She had two or three lying around her house for the grandbabies so I snatched one and Noah loves to chew on it. 

7)Luv U Zoo Jumperoo - It took me a while to get Noah used to the jumper but now that he's steady on his feet, I can hardly take him out of this thing to eat. He will bounce bounce BOUNCE until it's time for bed. And the squeals? You'd think the kid was on a roller coaster. 

8)Summer Infant SuperSeat - Basically, the poor mans Bumbo seat. I've used both the Bumbo and this and to me, it is absolutely comparable. The play tray is great as it slides on and off and has several toys for baby to play with. So far, I'm pretty impressed with it and don't miss having a Bumbo. (which were recently recalled fyi!) 

9)Baby Einstein Bendy Ball - Or if you can find them, an O-Ball. Again, these toys are small enough for Noah to grip and he plays with them while he's on his tummy or while he's sitting in his SuperSeat. I prefer the rattle ones because he likes noisy toys, much to my dismay. 

So there you have it! Just a couple of Noah's favorite toys. At this point, he's drooling like a maniac and shoveling everything he can find into his mouth so teething toys are where it's at right now. Plus, since he's not quite sitting up on his own, most of these are great for him to enjoy while sitting with assistance or laying on his play mat, which we still get a lot of use out of. Well, until he scoots or barrel rolls halfway across the floor. 

Once he can sit up, I'm sure I'll be purchasing lots of stacking toys and push toys to encourage the little dude to start crawling. Until then, I'll just savor the last months of my non-mobile child! Baby proofing is something I'm NOT looking forward to. Someone come do it for me?

Moms- what are your babies fave toys right now? 

Marvelous Monday

Monday mornings are usually drab and consist of multiple cups of coffee but this morning has gone quite well considering that we had a free breakfast at work and - oh yeah - I won tickets to see the fab five in Washington DC. No big deal.

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You say you don't know who the Fab Five are? Well, let me introduce you to my new bff's - Jordyn Wieber, Gabrielle Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Alexandra Raisman, and Kyla Ross. They're only this years gymnastic Olympic gold medal champions. 

I might have been the loser with my headphones in at all times trying to win these tickets but, damn it, my hard work paid off! Not only will I get to see the women's gymnastics team perform this November but um... the dudes are gonna be there too. 

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Why do I care about the men's gymnastic team? Well, I'm married but I'm not dead...

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And all I can say about that is God Bless America. 

Now, if I could only get the Spice Girls to perform when I go to see the gymnastics teams perform, that would be a win win.

To solidify my dorkiness, yes, in fact, I did sing every word to their performance. 

Are you a fan of the Olympics? Of gymnastics? Of the Spice Girls? 

Favorite TV Shows

This morning, I saw that my good friend Brittany posted her favorite drama television show and so I thought I'd link up with her and join in on the fun!

Like, Brittany, I too watch a lot of TV but can be kinda picky when it comes to dramas since I tend to stick with sitcoms. So, with that said, I give to you my top favorite drama shows, in no particular order. 

1) Justified - This show has only been on a few seasons and Kevin has gotten me hooked on it. I wasn't a huge fan of it at first but it sucked me in. I'm afraid to say but I am sort of in love with Raylan Givens. 

2) True Blood - Need I say more? If you don't know True Blood then I'm not sure we can be friends. (Kidding. Sort of.) It's the only show I stay up later than 9 o'clock for. I need my weekly Lafayette fix. This season hasn't been my favorite but it's slowly picking up although the whole "Lillith" concept freaks me out a little. 

3) Dexter - Brittany and I are clearly soul mates, as she has this show on her list. Also, I must have gotten to the point where I like strange, gory shows. Well, when it comes to gory and strange - Dexter has both. Let's get real, the entire show is about a serial killer. What'd you expect? ;)

4) Grey's Anatomy - Who doesn't watch Grey's? And after this last seasons plane crash season finale, I cannot WAIT for next year. Not to mention that rumor has it that McSteamy isn't coming back. Well, if that's true, a boycott from me might be in store.

5) Smash - Finally, a musical show that's not Glee! Don't get me wrong, I'm a Gleek to my core but this show is just a bit more... grown up. Although I still don't feel like an adult, I can pretend I am one. And while I'm at it - I can pretend I'm on Broadway and live in a huge NYC apartment with my british boyfriend. 

So there you have it - my top 5 fave dramas on TV right now. What are yours? :)

Noah's Weigh In and Starting Solids

Yesterday after work, I slipped over to Noah's daycare and picked him up and we headed straight to the doctor for his weight check. If you remember from my last post, I was worried that my milk supply issue had something to do with his lack of weight gain but after yesterday's doctor's appointment, my worries were all put at ease.

Noah weighed 13 pounds, 5 ounces at the end of June and yesterday he weighed in at 14 pounds, 14 ounces! The doctor was thrilled with this improvement and we even chatted a little bit about Noah starting solids. I know that traditionally, babies start with purees and rice cereal as early as 3 or 4 months but I really would like to try baby led weaning (BLW) which basically skips purees altogether. With this concept, you don't begin until the baby is 6 months old, when he can sit up on his own and shows interest in food. Once he does, you just give him sticks of soft foods to nom on and explore. Letting him squish it and spit it out is part of the process but eventually, he'll understand that - oh, if I put this stuff in my mouth, I get full and I'm not hungry!

Well, after discussing BLW with my doctor, I'm afraid he's a bit old school and still suggested starting Noah on cereals and such first, then moving into thicker substances and then soft foods. Now, don't get me wrong! There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, I know that BLW may not even work for us, and that's cool. If he doesn't take to it or has a bad gag reflex, we'll do purees. However, after reading the BLW book, I just can't get the idea out of my head. I figure, if he's capable of feeding himself, why not give him the opportunity to do so? Which is, essentially, the concept of BLW.

A few twitter and blog friends have done baby led weaning and have had great success with it so I can't wait to start next month and see how my little man does! If you're interested in learning more about baby led weaning, I suggest getting the book Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods, which gives some great, real life stories about parent's experiences with the process as well as an introduction to BLW. However, if I'm being honest? I found the book a bit repetitive. It seemed like I could have gotten the same information in half the time! That's something I have heard other moms say even though they still recommend the cookbook. I need to purchase it and am anxious to see what foods I can make in this new adventure in food for Noah!


How did you start introducing food to your little one? Traditional purees or did you try baby led weaning? I love hearing other parent's stories!