Elias at 6 Months

At six months I am introducing Eli to a variety of solid foods.  Watching him taste something for the very first time is a mix of excitement (what will he think?) and anticipation (will he like it?).  The amount of pleasure I get watching him move a bite around in his mouth, make a face like he has just been given sour mash, and then bang the tray for more, is borderline questionable.  Cedric had a palate for sweets.  My boy loved fruit in any form and was less enthusiastic about the savory dishes.  Eli has been the opposite.  He will gobble down the squash, beans, peas, etc and quickly loose interest in sweet things like apple, pear, and banana.   Where my boys' tastes dovetail is with ice cream.  Thanks to the genetic makeup of Zach’s mother and her mother, both boys show a remarkable predisposition for that cold dairy confection.

Behold the video evidence! (Backstory: Cedric had given me the unfinished part of a mini drumstick and when I noticed how intently Eli was watching the cone, I lost my mommy head and let him have a taste for the pure enjoyment of watching him taste ice cream for the first time.)

Personally I would take a bowl of fruit with whipped cream or sorbet any day.

Other than ice cream, Eli has tasted rice cereal, sweet potato, carrot, zucchini, green bean, banana, apple, carrot & parsnips, acorn squash & apple, green beans & potato & kale.

I introduced a Sippy cup.  It was kind of a disaster in terms of successfully drinking water out of it.  But he has been a fan of chewing on the spout.  After reading this post I tried letting him drink out of a shot glass.  It looks very wrong because its obviously a shot glass, but he is really good at it – so long as I actually hold the glass for him.  Its his preferred mode of drinking.

He has two bottom teeth and lots of swollen gums where more are sure to appear.

Wakes up at least two times at night to nurse.  Just like his brother at this age.

He doesn’t roll over but he seems interested in the possibility of rolling over.  What can I say, this baby is content to watch the world around him and vocalize how he feels about it.

What has been difficult is his sensitivity about the environment where he will nurse.  Upstairs, in a quiet, dark room is The Place where nursing happens.  If I try to feed him downstairs, at someone else’s home, or horrors use a nursing cover, Eli does the baby version of wigging out.  This has resulted in nursing strikes that last upwards to eight hours.  During which I am a mental and emotional wreck.  So even though its frowned upon I nurse my baby in a dark, quiet room.

6 Month Stats

Weight: 19lbs 2oz – 90th percentile

Length: 27 1/4 inches – 75th %

Head Circ: 43 cm – 50th %

Eli’s First Foods

Clockwise starting with banana, carrots, golden beets, sweet potatoes

The picture represents what I hope will be a week’s worth of first foods.  Not pictured is your standard rice cereal, parsnips, apples and pears.  I had already put them away and didn’t want to get them out for the picture.  I’m struck by overwhelming laziness sometimes.   There is also a pretty good chance I may eat the golden beets, this recipe is making me second guess giving them to Eli.

Eli’s first official food other than breast milk was mashed banana watered down with breast milk to be near liquid (on his 5 month birthday).  He was very excited to sit in the high chair and wear a bib.  Almost like he knew something different and special was going to happen.  When I showed him the spoon he was still and opened his mouth.  Then his eyes got big and he promptly spit it out.  Then mouth wide open for another bite.  Eli carefully moved the food around in his mouth and spit most of it out but wanted more.  I’m much more aware this time around of him learning.  In this case learning to use his mouth and tongue in a different way.  He also enjoyed the mess on the high chair tray.  It makes me think it might be time to make some sensory toys out of Ziplock bags.  (Like these.)

Overall it was a great first tastes experience.  But wow what a mess!  This mashed bananas “eating?” was followed by a good scrubbing in our deep sink.

Mr. C Turns 4

For Cedric’s fourth birthday we had two small gatherings, rather than one large party.  We celebrated at my parents farm and had a dinner at our house with Zach’s family.  Cedric specifically wanted a few things, a cake with monster trucks on it (see above picture – yes I did this myself), Gordon, Old Hiro, and a rock throwing machine.  When asked for more details about the rock throwing machine, he described it as something with a long arm that would throw rocks into the sea. 

Anybody?

Since we live in a land locked state, that was one wish unfulfilled.

Here is the birthday boy sporting his headphones.  These have greatly increased his quality of life!  Normally he would be stuck inside whenever the lawnmower or tractor are running (not to mention chainsaw and wood splitter) because of the noise.  But with the headphones he now has in his words, “Big, Strong Ears!”

We had a lovely little party at our home the following weekend.  Cousin Eden gladly helped Cedric open presents.  And since the monster truck cake had been made, I whipped up a batch of these cupcakes.  They may be the best cupcakes I’ve ever made.

Cedric and Eden love books.  Here they are reading at Cedric’s party.  When books were opened they both just stopped and looked.

Here they are at Eden’s 3rd birthday party.  Same thing happening.  Present opening stops to look at books.  Hilarious.  And awesome too.

Here are Cedric’s stats from his 4 year well-baby visit, where he did call our pediatrician (Dr. Molitor) Sir Topham Hatt.  Our pediatrician looks NOTHING like Sir Topham Hatt.  It was hilarious.

Height: 42.5 inches (90th percentile), Weight: 40 lbs (75th percentile)

Smoothies

Cedric's favorite thing to eat is a frozen fruit smoothie. I must make smoothies at least 3 times a week. They are great too because he can help make them and with my mini-food processor, I can make the perfect amount, enough for both of us (or just one Cedric if he is really hungry).

The other day he woke up from his nap and asked to make smoothies, so I grabbed my camera...

First we add the frozen fruit.

Today we are featuring frozen peaches and mango!

Next we add a whole banana.

Then I pour over some french vanilla flavored yogurt.

Add a splash of orange juice and we're ready to mash the buttons! Cedric really enjoys pushing the buttons and I find a good combination of "chop" and "grind" create a nice smooth texture.

Taste test to see if its "ready." In other words, no more large chunks of frozen fruit to impede consumption with a straw.

All ready! But where is Cedric?

Cedric is having a complete melt down in communication. Does anyone else have this problem? It can get bad in our household after nap time. Eventually though, I figure out that he is trying to tell me that he needs my help to move the stool that he standing on, so that he can use it as a chair to drink his smoothie.

Here we are, stool is moved, Cedric using it as a chair, and is happily enjoying his smoothie.

Two Firsts

Today marks two milestones in Cedric's life, the first time he successfully fed himself and his first earache. Not all firsts are fun.

I have been giving Cedric puffs for almost a week now as a new food texture to explore. He is pretty good about chewing them and not swallowing them whole, but he is also quite skilled at dissolving teething tablets in him mouth so I suspected that the puffs would be no big deal. He has been trying to feed himself puffs for a few days and this morning, sweet success! Here is a video of his new found skill.

Sadly, I've had suspicions that he might be ill for a few days. A little cough in his sleep, runny nose and moodiness but all these things are symptoms of teething for him as well. Thirty minutes after he went down for an afternoon nap he woke up crying and was basically inconsolable. Plus he was starting to pull at his ear. So off to the Children's Clinic we went. Let me tell you it is no easy feat to try to keep a grumpy, crying baby still so that the doctor can look in his ears. It took three hands to hold him still. I had a classic *mom moment* too. While leaning over Cedric towards the doctor, I noticed that I was sweating probably from a combination of exerted effort, worry and a warm examining room and the thought went through my mind "Do I stink? Did I put on deodorant? Umm not since early this morning so I probably stink. I wish I had at least put on a clean shirt." I compromised by leaning slightly away from the doctor. Anyway, Cedric has a double ear infection and is on a 10 day dose of amoxicillin.

The Joy of Cooking …

…is getting to watch the people you love enjoy eating the food you make. Just some pictures of Cedric eating. I've introduced a cup and he enjoys chewing on the spout. He also really likes eating teething biscuits with the aide of the baby safe feeder. A truly brilliant invention. Cedric's interest in food in general has increased dramatically as well. Last night I made rosemary potatoes (recipe to follow) and when they came of the oven, Zach and I couldn't help but start munching on them. I had Cedric in my arms and after watching me eat a couple, he made a grab for one. I let him have a taste and lets just say he was shocked that it didn't taste like bananas!