New year new randoms

[thoseareradishes]

Good morning!  Hope everyone had a happy new year.

I need to figure out a schedule for E's solids.  The "menu" her doctors at CHOP gave me feels overwhelming - 4 solids meals a day, plus her usual 5 bottles.  I feel like I would just feed her all the day, and it seems like a ton of food.  The menu the pedi gave me feels more manageable, it's basically two meals a day, one with cereal and fruit and the other with meat and veg.  What did your solids menu look like with your 6.5 month old?

[mpc]

At 6.5 months I think I was feeding her twice a day. Both were usually just some combination of veggies and occasionally fruit. Now at 8 months were are doing solids 3 times a day. I recently added greek yogurt and a little bit of meat. She only just regained her appetite after not eating for like 2 weeks while sick, so I plan to start expanding her choices more again. I basically feed her whenever we are eating a meal. When she's at school I tell the teachers to give her one container right when she arrives and the other after I nurse her at lunchtime.

[shauni27]

Happy New Year!

So, Sage is only 5 months old but here is what I *try* to do: on weekends and days off I try to do three solid meals with a bottle as well. something small, maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of solids followed by a smaller bottle (maybe 3 or 4 ounces at the most). He doesn't always eat the entire solid portion. Also, if I am out and about doing stuff, it is not a priority for me to do solids as it is much more time consuming (and messier) than a bottle.

During the week while he is at daycare he gets a small amount of solids along with a bottle at lunch and then at dinner we do our normal thing--1/4 to 1/3 cup of solids and his normal bottle (trying to really fill him up for bed time!).

I admittedly need to get better about providing his daycare with solids for him to eat.

[thoseareradishes]

@daylily, her adjusted age. One thing that is throwing me for a loop is that the CHOP doctors don't want her to reduce her formula intake (due to her prematurity), but I feel like adding 4 solid meals to 33-37oz of formula is just a ton of food. Luckily I have an appt with her pedi this week and with the nutritionist in a couple of weeks.

[thoseareradishes]

Jan 2, 2018 12:45:08 GMT -5 @daylily said:

Jan 2, 2018 12:39:45 GMT -5 thoseareradishes said:

@daylily , her adjusted age. One thing that is throwing me for a loop is that the CHOP doctors don't want her to reduce her formula intake (due to her prematurity), but I feel like adding 4 solid meals to 33-37oz of formula is just a ton of food. Luckily I have an appt with her pedi this week and with the nutritionist in a couple of weeks.

It is a lot of food, but that's OK! Developmentally their bodies are very busy right now, both physically growing but also tackling a lot of milestones. If you commit to offering it, she will eat what she wants/needs. I'm sure there are nuances to her being a preemie that your docs will tackle far better than we can, but in general I would offer but not stress over intake. 

I'm definitely overthinking this.  There are just so many rules and opinions and I need to decide what is best for her, but it's so hard because I've never done it before and I'm scared of screwing up.

[oneslybookworm]

Happy New Years!! Hope everyone had a happy holiday!

thoseareradishes, we’re fairly laid back regarding solids and waited until G was almost 6 months before starting them. He still drinks his normal amount of bottles (around 40-45oz a day) and we do solids 2-3 times, basically when we eat.

At daycare, they’ll do solids with him twice a day, when I buy/make stuff to send with him (slacker, right here).


In other news, we are nearly at finalization!! We petition the courts next week, then they’ll give us a month or so window to do our final home visit, then we’ll go back to finalize! I’m so ready!!

[janegold]

Jan 2, 2018 12:39:45 GMT -5 thoseareradishes said:

I feel like adding 4 solid meals to 33-37oz of formula is just a ton of food. Luckily I have an appt with her pedi this week and with the nutritionist in a couple of weeks.

Yes, it's a ton of food but their little bodies are doing so much work.  I felt that way too, when he started solids.  They will slow down their milk intake on their own as they get older and begin to rely more on solid food for nutrition.  B went up on the weight percentiles when he started eating solid foods, but from underweight to normal weight, so it was a good thing.

[janegold]

B is really getting the walking thing down! He was slow to ramp up, and I think some of it had to do with all of his ear infections throwing off his balance. It's been about 2 months since he first started taking isolated steps, but a few weeks ago he started to be able to walk longer distances (days after his first birthday and within a day or so of starting a new antibiotic for his ears). Within the past day or two, he seems to be choosing walking as his primary mode of transportation. So proud of my little guy!

Also I'm just in awe of how much babies learn and grow in their first year. It's blowing my mind that he knows and understands things - that he can point to a pig in a book, or show me which one is the red toy, or correct me when I start singing Itsy Bitsy but he wants to play patty cake. It's all so cool!

He is also cracking me up with his animal sounds. Whenever you ask him what a given animal says, he growls. "B, what does a lion say?" "GRRRRRR." "What does a pig say?" "GRRRRRRR." "What does a chicken say?" "GRRRRR." And then yesterday, he was playing in the dog dishes for the tenth time after I told him not to, and I said sharply, "B, what did mommy say about playing in Ellie's dishes?" And he immediately replied, "GRRRRR."  Not too far off, kid. 

[konapoppy]

I am so excited for you oneslybookworm! I almost paged you yesterday since I was thinking of you and wondering how things were going ❤️❤️❤️

[oneslybookworm]

Jan 2, 2018 20:24:42 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

I am so excited for you oneslybookworm ! I almost paged you yesterday since I was thinking of you and wondering how things were going ❤️❤️❤️

Aww, thanks!! Things are going really well! He’s chubbing out so much and growing / changing every day! It’s absolutely amazing how much I love him more and more with each day. Any fear I had that maybe I wouldn’t feel the same as I would with a biological tie to my child has been completely squashed, I can’t imagine loving a child any more than I do.

[mpc]

my latest amazon order being delivered today contains both condoms and pregnancy tests.   Really I was trying to use up the rest of my FSA so I ordered a bunch of random stuff - bandaids, boogie wipes, nasal strips, sunscreen, more that I'm not thinking of.

Low tonight is supposed to be 32.    We'll have to cover the mango and avocado trees. People in north florida are freaking out about snow, schools and businesses are closed. We are not prepared for this LOL. 

[shauni27]

mpc, that is crazy for florida! Meanwhile, yesterday when I woke up it was -27. It did warm up to 1 degree. Saturday it is supposed to be a HIGH of -7. FML.

oneslybookworm, I AM SO HAPPY!!!! YAY!!!!

janegold, B sounds like he is at a really fun and funny age I too feel so amazed at how much they learn and grow in just one year. It is amazing.

[mpc]

Jan 2, 2018 13:54:43 GMT -5 oneslybookworm said:

In other news, we are nearly at finalization!! We petition the courts next week, then they’ll give us a month or so window to do our final home visit, then we’ll go back to finalize! I’m so ready!!

so exciting! some good friends of ours just finalized their adoption right before christmas and had a party to celebrate. It was so happy. 

in other adoption stories - my brother was adopted back when open adoptions were not as common. He has done some searching but not found anything. For christmas he got one of those DNA tests so he's pretty excited to get an idea of his heritage, since he's never known anything. I guess those things will also tell you if you are a familial match to someone else who is in their database, which would be pretty wild. 

[janegold]

Jan 3, 2018 11:27:14 GMT -5 mpc said:

Jan 2, 2018 13:54:43 GMT -5 oneslybookworm said:

in other adoption stories - my brother was adopted back when open adoptions were not as common. He has done some searching but not found anything. For christmas he got one of those DNA tests so he's pretty excited to get an idea of his heritage, since he's never known anything. I guess those things will also tell you if you are a familial match to someone else who is in their database, which would be pretty wild. 

FIL is adopted and in the past year has figured out who his parents were, as well as tracked down and met 3 half siblings!  It's really wild.

[oneslybookworm]

Yep, it’s crazy! I’m adopted as well, and I am SO glad open adoptions are more common now. It’s really the best for everyone.

[awick14]

OMG oneslybookworm I am so happy for you. I can't wait until this is finalized.

[knx9211]

P will be seven months this weekend. His first tooth popped through partially! He is miserable. Ha.

For food, he nurses 4x a day (2 bottles, 2 nurse on the days I work) and eats solids twice a day. He’ll eat anything. In the morning we usually do bananas and oatmeal. Sometimes eggs and cheese. He’ll randomly eat puffs because he’s obsessed with them. If he eats all of his oatmeal he has some yogurt.

Second meal is usually veggies such as sweet potatoes, peas, squash, carrots, etc. the other day my mom blended up the soup she was eating and gave him a few bites. He was super into it. Now I’ve taken to giving him some chicken and a veg or some avocado. He ate DH’s salmon last week and really dug it.

[mpc]

knx9211, we had her first 2 teeth pop through this week too. I few months ago I predicted it would be in january so I am feeling pretty smug.

Last night I was feeding her purees (carrots and peas I think) and she ate about half and then was DONE. I let her sit on my lap while I finished eating and she kept trying to grab my food so we cut up some tiny pieces of my chicken and she loved it. It's so funny the similarities and differences between her and my son. She got her first teeth within days of when he got his first teeth. But he didn't want anything to do with finger foods until he was over a year old and she seems to be totally into it.

[knx9211]

Jan 5, 2018 8:30:04 GMT -5 mpc said:

knx9211, we had her first 2 teeth pop through this week too. I few months ago I predicted it would be in january so I am feeling pretty smug.

Last night I was feeding her purees (carrots and peas I think) and she ate about half and then was DONE. I let her sit on my lap while I finished eating and she kept trying to grab my food so we cut up some tiny pieces of my chicken and she loved it. It's so funny the similarities and differences between her and my son. She got her first teeth within days of when he got his first teeth. But he didn't want anything to do with finger foods until he was over a year old and she seems to be totally into it.

P will sometimes refuse his purees too. He also really wants to feed himself. On a related note, my house is covered in puffs and shredded cheese.

[shauni27]

Jan 5, 2018 8:35:49 GMT -5 knx9211 said:

Jan 5, 2018 8:30:04 GMT -5 mpc said:

knx9211 , we had her first 2 teeth pop through this week too. I few months ago I predicted it would be in january so I am feeling pretty smug.

Last night I was feeding her purees (carrots and peas I think) and she ate about half and then was DONE. I let her sit on my lap while I finished eating and she kept trying to grab my food so we cut up some tiny pieces of my chicken and she loved it. It's so funny the similarities and differences between her and my son. She got her first teeth within days of when he got his first teeth. But he didn't want anything to do with finger foods until he was over a year old and she seems to be totally into it.

P will sometimes refuse his purees too. He also really wants to feed himself. On a related note, my house is covered in puffs and shredded cheese.

Sage wants to feed himself too. Sometimes we let him, and there are purees EVERYWHERE. I mean, he eventually gets the spoon into his mouth, but first it gets his eyes, ears, forehead...

We tried mum mums last night with Sage and he LOVED it, but was so confused at first. Like, he puts something in his mouth and then it dissolves. Sorcery! He was making really funny, confused faces. He ate two in less than 5 minutes.

We are taking him swimming for the first time this weekend! I am really excited for that (and also terrified because I hate the idea of him freaking out.)

[thoseareradishes]

I talked to the pedi and he gave us the green light to feed E anything - said to mince up whatever we're eating and give it to her, and to give her peanut butter and eggs soon. We gave her a little taste of banana yesterday (her first non-puree) and she made horrible faces, but kept eating it!

I load the spoon and hand it to her, and she puts it in her mouth. Sometimes I kind of guide it for her. Then she gives the spoon back (90% of the time, heh) and I reload. She practiced a lot before I started actually giving her food - she would sit in her booster and play with the spoon and a cup.

[shauni27]

ok, can you guys give me some suggestions? Sage started eating solids at 4 months. He is now just over 5 months and really loves it. He loves oatmeal, avocado, bananas, pears, squash, prunes, carrots and sweet potatoes. I am going to try peas this week and also have some turkey/gravy premade stuff.

Questions now:
Did you guys just continue with pureed foods like this a bit? Did you combine them? IF so, how did you decide to combine them? Did you just keep trying more and more pureed foods? What else did you try? When did you introduce more "solid" less pureed foods? And how did you make that transition?

Thanks!

[shauni27]

@daylily, you mean, whatever you guys were eating you would puree up for DS? Like, say you are eating lasagna, would you puree that up for him? Or if you were having chicken and rice, would you puree those as well? Together or separate?

[shauni27]

Jan 5, 2018 12:08:32 GMT -5 @daylily said:

Jan 5, 2018 11:45:19 GMT -5 shauni27 said:

@daylily , you mean, whatever you guys were eating you would puree up for DS? Like, say you are eating lasagna, would you puree that up for him? Or if you were having chicken and rice, would you puree those as well? Together or separate?

Yeah. It all went into the baby bullet, lol! It depends how you cook though. Our dinners are pretty simple and don't rely on pre-prepared sauces, mixes, that sort of thing that could add a lot of sodium. I remember our doc saying that it wasn't necessary to completely avoid salt, and that the light hand I used to season my meals was fine. 

Yeah, I am a salt aholic, so that likely wont work, lol.

[loira]

shauni27, probably not very common, but I did purees for quite a long time. A just never put anything in her mouth, including food. She also had a very strong gag reflex. I think we did tastes of solid food, but purees to cover the main calories until she was about a year old. Then it was like a light flipped on and she started feeding herself and stopped gagging so much. It was never a taste thing with her, mainly a texture thing.

[shauni27]

thanks for sharing that, loira! Every now and then (less and less by the day) S will gag a bit. But he keeps wanting to eat. He does it with the bottle too.

[mpc]

Like I mentioned earlier, my DS never wanted anything more than purees until he was a year old. Actually, the first week he was in the toddler room at daycare he started picking up finger foods and eating them and I think it was a peer pressure thing, haha. When I say purees we also gave him stuff like cottage cheese, hummus, anything with that kind of consistency.

DD is almost 9 months and still doesn't like her purees very chunky, but she is showing a lot of interest in gumming bits of food. I stuck with smooth stuff when she was younger though.

shauni27

[awick14]

mpc- my daughter didn't rag much purees either and we just thought she didn't care for the food, but when we cut up our food for her she ate everything we gave her. (Will eat an entire chicken breast and some noodles in one sitting if you let her.)

knx9211- if we didn't have a dog our place would have cheese and puffs everywhere as well.

[knx9211]

Jan 5, 2018 16:12:23 GMT -5 awick14 said:

mpc- my daughter didn't rag much purees either and we just thought she didn't care for the food, but when we cut up our food for her she ate everything we gave her. (Will eat an entire chicken breast and some noodles in one sitting if you let her.)

knx9211- if we didn't have a dog our place would have cheese and puffs everywhere as well.

Ha! Our cat takes care of the cheese.

[awick14]

shauni27- we still gave rice cereal as we wanted her to have the iron but we stopped almost all purée once we saw that she liked our food. Meals were also so much easier.