Snapshot: On your mark, get set, go!

 

Happy Birthday to a Fabulous Husband and Dad!

15 months: Henry's new words (and letters)

"Oh wow"

"h, i, j, k . . . . lmno"

"up, down"

I am having a really hard time admitting that Henry is more toddler than baby every day.  Sniff, sniff.  He's still my baby!

Playtime in Two Acts

Mama Cooks: Gluten-free, vegan pasta primavera

Yesterday, I realized that I was out of both coconut milk and red chili paste (there is a sentence I never imagined I would write) but I had already diced peppers and zucchini and rinsed my tofu.  Since a curry was out and a plain old stir-fry didn't sound appealing, I decided to get a bit creative.  Henry helped "explore our options," picking boxes and bags out of the cabinet and tossing them onto the floor.  He found some flat rice noodles-- the kind typically used in pad thai or stir-fry noodle dishes.  Perfect!  Since his next big "find" was a huge, open bag of beans, I put him in his high chair and offered some snacks.  He wasn't thrilled with this idea and was sure to let me (and maybe our neighbors) know about it.  Still, I needed to cook dinner.  So, I hurried to make something up that would be tasty!

Here is what I came up with:

Gluten-free Vegan Pasta Primavera

three zucchinis, diced
three green chili peppers, chopped
five small green tomatoes, diced
one clove garlic, minced
one block extra firm tofu, sliced into cubes or rectangles
mixed veggies from freezer, one cup
coconut oil, roughly half cup
pesto,three tablespoons
garlic powder, some healthy shakes (I didn't measure this)
basil (fresh would be best, but I didn't have any on hand), 2 tsp
salt and pepper, a few healthy shakes as I stirred
olive oil, 2 tsp
one cup rice noodles, cooked

I wasn't sure how the coconut oil would work out as a buttery replacement, but I was very pleased!

Order isn't too important here, as long as the noodles make it in toward the end, so that you can just toss all of the ingredients together and serve!  Enjoy!

Starting Solids

 I've wanted to write about introducing solid food to babies for quite some time.  It is exciting for parents to offer a first taste of solid food to their babies.  The adorable expressions that undoubtedly ensue are priceless.  What this?  Carrots!  Oh my!  Still, I don't advocate rushing into solids.  I knew that my babies were getting all of the nutrition that they needed from breast milk.  Of course there are instances in which a particular mother may be advised to begin solids early due to a baby's low vitamin or nutrient levels and, as I am not a medical professional, I'm not arguing with that.

Here, I am speaking to the practice of shoveling rice cereal or sweet potato into the mouth of baby who isn't yet sitting alone or picking up pieces of food with his fingers-- these are key signs that a baby is ready to eat solid food. There are old myths that babies will sleep better if given solid food and they've been debunked.  In fact, babies that wake at night are at lower risk for SIDS.  (Part of what makes sleep sharing safe is that babies spend less time in a state of deep sleep than babies who sleep alone-- but, I digress. . . .)  One reason a baby who has been given solids such as cereal at an early age (a few months, for instance) might seem to sleep longer is that the baby's body needs to work much harder to digest the food.  A baby's digestive system was designed for breast milk.

Have you recently asked yourself: "When should my baby start solids?"  Well, here you go!  Some *solid* advice, courtesy of La Leche League International (see link above):

Breastfed babies do not need to have complementary food introduced until about the middle of the first year. Before that time, you will notice some signs that your baby is changing developmentally, in preparation for beginning solids in a few months. You will notice that:

• he becomes more sociable, playing and holding "conversations" with you during a nursing session
• he has a growth spurt and nurses more frequently for a while
• he imitates the chewing motions you make whilst eating -- he is practicing!

You will know that he is really ready to start solids when:

• he is about six months old
• he can sit up without any support
• he continues to be hungry despite more frequent nursing which is unrelated to illness or teething
• he has lost the tongue-thrusting reflex and does not push solids out of his mouth
• he can pick up things with his finger and thumb (pincer grasp)

Babies who are ready for solids can usually feed themselves. Mothers often report that they knew their babies were ready when they picked up food from a plate, chewed it, swallowed it, and wanted more.
Listen to your baby! Babies with a tendency to allergies may refuse solids until later in their first year. As long as they are growing well and are happy and healthy, there is no need for concern.

Other resources I like:

Developmental Readiness


Waiting is worth it
 

6 Reasons to delay introducing solid food

Progression of a Yawn