Adventures in Eating

Now that Nixon has passed the six-month mark, we've started incorporating some solids into his diet.  It's been so much fun watching him discover new tastes and textures and experience food, although sometimes that experience is consuming the food and other times it's squishing it and watching it fall on the floor.  He's slowly getting the hang of chewing (although he has no teeth yet, so it's more like sucking) and swallowing.

As with most things pertaining to parenting, I went into this with a pretty clear idea of how I wanted to do it, only to have that dissolve within a few days as we figured out what works best for Nixon as an individual.  I've planned all along to follow baby-led weaning, which basically means we skip the traditional baby food and offer him pieces of soft foods that he can easily hold, and he'll eat at his own pace.  He's still getting all the nutrition he needs from nursing, so right now food is simply a learning experience.  I like this method for multiple reasons, mostly that we're not spending extra money on baby food or taking the time to make our own.  And while we've been able to follow this plan pretty well, we've also been feeding him some foods with a spoon instead of strictly letting him feed himself.  For one, some foods are just easier to eat with a spoon, such as applesauce, and I'm not thrilled about wiping the applesauce off the wall if he were to attempt to feed it to himself.  Secondly, there are times when he just really wants to eat, and he gets frustrated at his inability to get the food in his mouth fast enough.  So, it turns out that a hybrid of baby-led weaning and traditional baby food is what works best for our little guy.

So far, some of his favorites include bananas, sweet potato, avocado, and peaches.  The other day, we gave him a puree consisting of blueberries, plums, and spinach, which he gobbled up surprisingly fast.  One thing he's tried that he doesn't seem to be a fan of is carrots.  Baby cereal wasn't a huge hit either, even with applesauce mixed in, but I can't say I blame him.  Other than those two things, everything we've offered him has been a hit.  Mealtimes are definitely a lot more fun (and a lot more messy) now that he can join in!

Nixon: Seven Months

I feel like I just wrote Nixon's six month update yesterday, and here we are at seven months already.  The past several weeks have been a whirlwind of adjusting to our new home, unpacking, and settling in.  Thankfully, I think the worst is over, and we've found our new normal.  I mentioned last month that Nixon had been having a rough time sleeping, and while he's gotten a lot better, he's still waking up pretty frequently at night.  I think it's just a growth spurt plus being on the verge of a developmental milestone (crawling!!), so I know his sleep will get better before too long.

Speaking of developmental milestones, he is so close to crawling.  As soon as I put him on the floor, he flips over onto his tummy and gets up on his hands and knees.  He'll hold that position for a few seconds, or even rock a bit, so once he figures out how to go forward there'll be no stopping him.  He's also quite the pro at sitting up on his own, although we usually still prop him with the boppy pillow just in case he topples.

Thinks Nixon's been loving this month:

• Eating solid food - I have a post coming soon on Nixon's adventures in eating, but I will say that he loves to eat (and play with) actual food.
• Vacuuming - we never had a vacuum in Italy, so the last month has been his first experience with one.  I put him in his walker, and he follows me around completely transfixed while I vacuum.  Let's hope he's still as fascinated by it in ten years or so.
• Standing practice - obviously, he can't stand on his own without help balancing, but the kid loves standing up.

Nixon finally got to meet Uncle Tommy, his godfather.  They had a blast playing together.

Six Month Stats

Due to all the moving business and getting settled and taking our time scheduling Nixon's six month check up, he had his appointment a little late.  I'm sure he didn't mind putting off the shots a few more days, although he handled them like the brave, strong little guy he is, with only a few moments of screaming and tears.  I was curious to see what his stats are this month, since he's definitely been growing.  6-month clothes are starting to get tight, and he's moving on to 9-month and 6-12 month sizes.  As it turns out, his head is unstoppable, clocking in at the 94th percentile.  Obviously, we have an extremely smart baby.  Weight is up to 18 lb, 13 oz (67%) and he's getting taller at 27.5 inches (75%).

This child's going to be crawling before we know it!