Baby doesn't like bits!

We started the weaning phase (i.e. introduction to 'real foods') at 6 months.  Much research on the topic yielded multiple and varying opinions, pieces of advice and....recipes.  We combined everything along with a pinch of common sense and a word or two from the pediatrician and got down to the feeding business.

First on the list, which highchair?!?  It's almost like rewinding BACK to the stroller purchase and suddenly we are back in Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us every weekend and I'm spending every free minute online reading reviews.  A few of my friends love the Svan (I think it looks ugly but then I'm in the minority on that!), a couple of folks have the Tripp Trapp made by Stokke which comes in a gorgeous array of colors and then there is everything in between and sideways.  We narrowed down our choice to the Anka by Svan which is thankfully cheaper than the Svan but still a good design and made from wood.  Comes in three wood colors and tonal seat covers.  I was almost sold until my husband pointed out that the Anka has a low back (similar to the Tripp Trapp in fact) and he felt that we would need something that the baby could rest up against.  Good point!

So we then looked at the Bloom (egg like structures!) which we liked apart from the amount of space it takes up before finally settling on the Inglesina mHome which checked off all of our requirements:

- vaguely stylish (has to be out in the main area of the house for years perhaps!!!)

- high back

- adjustable height so it fits different table heights

- adjustable leg rest, kids do grow!

- washable seat cover

- wheels

- folds "flat" -ish

Highchair.  Done!

Which brings us back to the food itself.  We started out with the classic baby rice despite a lot of people telling me that babies hate it and its pointless as it does not have any nutrients.  Well, I tried it and it tasted fine.  Bland, but fine!  Mixed with breastmilk I cannot understand how there is no nutrition in it and the baby liked it.  Its basically tester food for them!!!

We quickly progressed onto the veggies and fruits pureed very smooth.  I'm doing a mix of making my own and purchasing tubs when necessary (or when I don't want to make a huge batch of something but I want her to taste it, e.g. prunes.....).  

Some favorites:

- avacado

- banana and plain yoghurt

- zucchini cooked with tomatoes

- lentils cooked with carrots and tomatoes

She definitely prefers the fruit things to the veggie things and so far has not 'enjoyed' the chicken things...so thats why I introduced the lentils to start incorporating some proteins.  I'm going to try some beef (ground and made into a veg and beef casserole then pureed) soon.  

I got some great pots for freezing extra portions in which I ordered from the uk called Max Brothers - they snap together and they come in two sizes.  The smaller size was great at first as it holds about 2 tablespoons but now its too small so I freeze veggies in them so I can 'mix and match' two pots together.  The big size is a little TOO big at present so clearly I cannot be pleased.  They are pretty good pots though and worth the relatively high cost.  I also like that you can microwave and dishwash the pots so they are pretty versatile!

Being Organized and Nanny Tales

Now I am back at work I find that I am constantly 'on the go': the hours in the evening and the early morning are now almost entirely devoted to packing and unpacking work bags sterilizing pumping kit, pouring milk and cooking small pans-full of baby food.

The working mommy guilt has surfaced in my inability to let anyone else do her 'food prep' or pick her outfits for the day (hey, it could be worse!!!).  

The good news is that baby likes the nanny and so do we.  Its still taking a bit of getting used to though as we never had somebody work for us before and when it comes to child care it can be a bit of a minefield.  I've also realized that you have to pick your battles (and no care-giver is ever going to do things exactly as you might want!).   You also have to be prepared to be clear and direct in a polite way if you disagree with something (our nanny wanted to do the old thermometer up the bum trick to break a bout of constipation.... we didn't necessarily agree with this old wives tale!!! despite the good intentions.... ;)).  

Talking of old wives tales one thing that I have noticed is that I should not assume that my nanny, despite having older children of her own, knows all of the latest safety and best 'baby' practices.  I therefore made it my mission to specifically communicate on the following things pretty early on:

> always put baby to sleep on her back - ALWAYS ALWAYS!

> baby's (breast) milk must be thrown away after one hour if not finished (because of the bacteria in the saliva getting into the bottle)

> breast milk must NEVER be microwaved (destroys the nutrients)

> any water the baby drinks must be boiled first and then cooled

> NO HONEY!  (certain cultures believe that honey in the water can help the baby drink it....but honey can sometimes cause botulism in babies from what I understand and that sounds bad!)

> no salt

> no sugar

We also paid for our nanny to take an infant cpr course.  For a relatively small outlay (the one we did cost $75) you can have some peace of mind knowing that your care-giver has at least been trained on the basics.  These courses also tend to share up to date baby safety information and tips on babyproofing so you also get these added benefits.  Even if the care-giver says they have done infant cpr before I would send them on the course so that you can be sure (and hey, a refresher does nobody any harm).

Final tip on the subject of the nanny... we started leaving our digital camera with her during the day so that she can take pictures of the baby out and about.  We've really enjoyed the funny little shots that the nanny has taken of them doing their things!