Callen and Crew

Adventures in Eating

After Callen's 6 month visit to the pediatrician, we began feeding him solid foods. We started by cutting large pieces of foods (think frozen french fry size) and allowing him to eat them as he pleased. Well, this didn't go over so well, and most of the food ended up on the floor or in the high chair. I want for Callen to experience a variety of textures and learn to like all foods (wishful thinking!). When Callen wasn't eating the foods on his own and turned his nose up and tightened his mouth every time I put a piece of food in front of him, I became worried. We originally thought Callen was going to dive into food and be so excited to finally eat solids. Not so much; he wouldn't even try anything. So, I started mushing regular food down into manageable bites for him for spoon feeding, allowing him to grasp the texture of the food but in a way that was more palatable for him. Since starting this, he has been much better about eating. Cal is eating a variety of foods, making me a very happy person! So far we have tried carrots, bananas, avocados, sweet potato, peas, butternut squash, and rice cereal. I had to steam the carrots and peas and then took an immersion blender to the peas. They became easier for him to swallow but still maintained most of the texture with the skins present. I roasted the sweet potato and butternut squash and slightly pureed the squash to get rid of the fibrous flesh. I also ground down brown rice to make my own rice cereal for him.
He has done really well and LOVES avocados the most. He literally eats so much that he throws them up from being so full! (gross, but it's what he does!) I am most thankful that he is experiencing a variety of textures and flavors. When he first puts the food in his mouth, there is that expression of 'what is in my mouth??' but he quickly swallows and is ready for the next bite.

He is only getting about a teaspoon of food at a time, and as soon as he acts like he doesn't want anymore (he stops opening his mouth!), I quit trying. Right now we just want him to experience food since he is still getting all of his nutrients from me. We are less worried with how much he eats vs. what he eats.
Callen is eating 'real food' about 2-3x/day right now. These times are quickly becoming some of my favorite moments of the day. Watching him eat and explore something new is so much fun and so cute. We have had a ~~few~~ lots of messes and extra baths to clean up from all the fun!