Good eats

A typical meal time game between the boys: Sawyer tossing everything onto the floor and Ian more than happy to retrieve it. They laugh the whole time as if they've just invented the best game. And it doesn't matter how many times Ian knocks Sawyer in the head with a toy on accident or runs over his fingers with a car, Sawyer is enamored with him. Ian can make him laugh harder than anyone. This is exactly what I'd hoped for when I knew we were having two boys.

It's funny how I ever worried about what a sibling would be like for Ian and how hard it might be for him to have to share us. Now I see how important it is and what a gift they have in each other.

Sawyer is done eating pureed baby food now. He never seemed to like us feeding him with a spoon because, like his typical nature, he wanted to do it himself. So after a couple months we abandoned the baby food and started him on finger foods. Very soft finger foods because he only has one tooth on the bottom which came in just a couple of weeks ago. So we have to be pretty careful but he's got the mashing thing down pretty good now.

We still don't give him any prepared baby foods in jars or boxes. But I've found some simple finger food ideas that seem to work.

For example: I cut up small pieces of carrots and steam them until they are soft. I spread them individually on a cookie sheet to freeze. Then I put them in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer. When I want to give them to Sawyer, I take a handful out and put them in a mug and run very hot water over them several times until they thaw and warm up. It's extremely easy and Sawyer loves them.

Right now he's eating, soft pears and peaches, applesauce, black beans, peas, carrots, bananas, bread, avocados, scottish oatmeal, and his new love, mangos.

Usually if I'm making something for dinner and part of it is appropriate for him to eat, I will just set aside so he can have some too.

The one thing I find invaluable about this is that he's introduced to a lot of different flavors and smells from the beginning. He doesn't always like them right away but I still offer it and eventually he warms up to them.

Jarred baby food tends to be more bland then real fruit and vegetables and I think it can make a harder transition for kids to go from the jarred version to the real thing. I made all of Ian's food and he eats pretty well so I'm hoping we'll have the same experience with Sawyer!

In the meantime...it's fun to think outside the box (or jars) and come up with fun combinations and different flavors and textures for Sawyer to try.

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