Hello, hello. Another 2 weeks gone by. I can’t believe my girl is going to be half a year old next week. Crazy talk! We are celebrating by giving Adriana her first solid food sometime in the next couple weeks. Par-tee time. From what I’ve heard from many of you, I’m not expecting much to happen in the actual eating department – it’s more about exploration right now – but I’m excited anyway! We’re going to set up the video camera and tape her first bites. I might pee my pants.
Once we start solids my plan is to always nurse her before feeding solids, so she still gets most of her calories/nutrients from breast milk. I read this will also prevent my milk supply from taking a nose dive. It’s funny though, Adriana has really taken notice of our food in the past week. Some days she downright gawks at us with her mouth agape, watching the fork go to our mouth. Do you think she’s trying to tell us something?! Anyway, I’ll let you know how it goes!
The big topic in the last update was that Adriana figured out how to roll in the crib in her Merlin sleep suit. We always said that when she started to roll in the Merlin we would stop using it because we were worried about her getting stuck on her belly (the suit is quite stiff). So we purchased a sleep sack to keep her warm, but with more peace of mind that her hands are completely free and her legs have lots of room to move too. At first I thought that she hated the sleep sack, but in retrospect I don’t think it was the Halo at all; I think it was simply her frustration with rolling in the crib – a totally new experience for her. She wasn’t used to waking up on her tummy and wasn’t sure what to do. I always read that when babies learn a new skill they can be quite fussy while they are mastering it. Everytime she’d wake up she would scream until one of us came in to flip her. That got old fast, haha. There was one week where we were waking up 8 times a night…exhausting! I knew that if we stuck with it and gently helped her along she would pick it up and become comfortable with it in no time. And that’s exactly what happened. Now it’s no big deal! And she seems to enjoy the Halo too. But man oh man, this girl loves her tummy sleep. As soon as I put her down in the crib the legs go up and she rolls to her tummy. I’m much more comfortable with it now and I’m not staring at the monitor all night long, so my sleep has improved too! We’ll chalk that one up to a “mommy leap”.
One unexpected bonus of tummy sleep has been her skin. She had scaly patches on her cheeks for the longest time (nothing helped much) and sleeping on her tummy made it go away completely. I think it’s due to the moisture from her drool and the damp sheet under her face! Weird, right? Eric says we’ve unlocked the cure for winter dry skin – just drool a bit more!
One new thing that she’s been doing for a week or two now is that when she wakes up in the middle of the night she’s often super hyper and ready to play. I like to call it her “middle of the night squeak-a-thon” – it tends to only happen if she’s had a long 4-5 hour stretch of sleep. We try our best to calm her down, but it’s the nursing that really does it.
Wake-ups: Lately, she goes down for bed by 7pm (depending on her last nap wake up), and wakes for a feed around 12:30-1am and then another at 5-5:30am. She wakes up at other points in the night, but will soothe herself back to sleep. Everyone says solids will help with her overnight sleep, so I’m sure we will see gradual improvements with time…
Recent milestones: Adriana is still rolling lots and rotating her body while on the floor, push-ups (fully extending arms underneath her), sucking her thumb (we saw her suck her thumb for the first time ever this weekend…late bloomer!), flailing arms and legs trying to crawl but getting nowhere (thank goodness). Still lots of squeaking, laughing, and babbling going on. She also responds to her name and will turn her head to look at the person. (We actually had to stop calling her “Monkey” for a while because we realized she’d never learn her actual name! haha). We have also been practicing sitting, but she isn’t sitting on her own unassisted yet. Her new nickname is “Bam, Bam” – Eric gave her this name after she started hitting the crib mattress with her right fist (it’s her new thing). It’s random, but super cute!
Naps: I’m happy to say that her naps have increased in duration lately! Where she was once napping just 30 minutes at a time for most naps, now she is regularly cranking out 75 minute naps, sometimes less sometimes a bit more. This has resulted in much more productive parents and a much happier baby. We tried a few things to help with her naps: 1) We have quiet time before a nap and try not to overstimulate her within 20-30 minutes of napping, 2) We follow her sleep signs and put her down after we see a few yawns, tired eyes. Previously we tried to keep her awake for 2 hours before the first morning nap, but I found that was a bit too long for her most mornings. She goes down easier if she isn’t super tired and seems to sleep longer. So we’re just following her lead basically. 3) Instead of rushing into her room when she first wakes up, I leave her for a bit to play on her own. Often she is content to just talk to herself and stare at the mobile. Sometimes she will fall back to sleep, sometimes not. I think in the past we might have rushed in to get her too soon. It’s all trial and error! Other times, I can tell that there’s no way she’s going to go back to sleep. One issue we’ve had is that since her teething is ramping up, she has been SOAKING her crib sheet in drool. Poor girl! So we sometimes have to change her position in the crib if it’s taking her a while to fall asleep or if it’s really bad swap the sheet out for a new one.
Nursing: Possible growth spurt last week – one day she napped 4 hours which is a record lately. She seemed to be extra rough one day and I was super sore for over a week on one side. It brought me back to the early days of breastfeeding! Luckily, it has healed up now and I’m no longer cringing my entire body when she latches. Her favourite thing to do while nursing lately is touch my face. She will look up at me and touch my face or she will just randomly touch my face as she feeds. It melts my heart. We still have best success nursing in a dark room which is free from a lot of distractions. If we’re in a brightly lit room I can usually guarantee she won’t nurse more than 5 minutes.
Hair: I haven’t updated our hair falling out in a while. I’m happy to say that her hair is growing like a weed lately and my own hair loss has almost returned to normal. My bald patches near my temples are filling in with wispy hairs so it doesn’t look as noticeable as it did a couple months ago. Progress! I still have quite a few awkward small hairs popping out, but oh well what can ya do.
Recently, I cut a few inches off my hair and got extra layers, but I’ve been thinking about chopping my hair off at my collarbone (or just below) for summer (which would be another 4-5 or so inches off). It’s something I’ve been thinking of doing for a long time and I’ve found some gorgeous cuts on Pinterest for inspiration. I’ve had short hair in the past a couple times and didn’t love it, so that’s what is holding me back. I just think it might have been the wrong cut though…
Exercise: Feel like I’m getting into a great routine with exercise again .We had a few days of nice weather (5-8C) so I got out on a few stroller walks. It was soooo nice! I’ve been getting back into weights (still loving/hating Madonna arms and Pilates butt workout videos), and introduced side planks again too. I always find my motivation ramps up in the spring! Buh bye winter blahs.
Baby proofing: Currently looking into baby proofing the house. Eek! We want to be ready before she starts crawling, so I want to look into it sooner rather than later. I think I might have a baby proofing company come to the house for a consultation since I’m pretty clueless. Any tips parents?
Ok, this was another huge update. I always have more to say than I think! Let me know how you are doing this month! Any stories about introducing your baby to solids you’d like to share? How did it go? By the way, thanks for all your stories in my last post…so much fun to read!
Stay tuned for a post on designing a playroom. I will show you guys a blank slate and ask for opinions! Can’t wait. :)
Watch out for some foods that makes kids gassy… that will not help at all..I started with the solids only in the morning, to avoid any stomach issues messing with sleep time.. :) and yes solids = more sleep time is a myth..
I started with rice cereals and then added veggies to it and yes, i didn’t start with fruits.. veggies, so she didn’t get used to the sweet taste of food, else kid can refuse all kinds of veggies for lack of sweetness..Hope it helps!
Just something to consider about baby proofing: tethering heavy furniture (dressers, bookcases, etc.) to the wall. You can also use L brackets. I’ve seen some PSAs recently about children climbing furniture, knocking it over, and their tracheae are crushed. That is so horrific to even type, but I feel like in such cases, better safe than sorry. My nephew did climb a solid wood dresser like a ladder and knock it over, but thankfully he went off the top, and it did not fall in top of him.
Also, teach her how to use the stairs! My 15 month old knows when he approaches stairs to go down feet-first and on his belly. We worked so much on it around Christmas, b/c we were spending a lot of time at my inlaws’ (who have stairs and we do not). He didn’t seem to be getting it, but the next week I put him down in our yard, and as he approached a small hill, he got down on his hands and knees, turned around, and started to slide down on his belly. It was so cute! He also understands to climb off furniture the same way.
Good luck with solids! We started with avocado and sweet potato as well. And i started mixing herbs and spices (cinnamon, fresh basil, cumin) into my LO’s food pretty early. He’s a much more adventurous eater than some adult members of my family!
Hi! I would suggest cabinet locks for cabinets holding chemicals, outlet covers, crawl around the house to see what it looks like from her point of view and what kind of trouble she might get into, and then follow up by gently training her/removing her from dangerous situation.
She is so beautiful!! Looks just like a porcelain doll! I was pretty diligent about baby proofing, but it’s been 15 years ago now! I see the previous commenter mentioned securing the heavy furniture (TV’s, bookcases, dressers, etc. – anything she might climb that could fall over on her). Keep curtain & blind cords out of reach. Install baby “locks” on cabinet doors, drawers, the toilet, etc. Insert outlet covers, buy padding for sharp furniture corners & edges. Baby gates in front of stairways. Be mindful of folding doors that can pinch little fingers. As others have mentioned & I’m sure you know, you just really do need to watch her like a hawk. I remember going into friends’ & relatives’ homes & surveying all the potential hazards as I mentally swept each room. :P Good luck!
My daughter had her first solids at 6 months and it was roasted sweet potato sticks (in coconutnoil)and avocado (mashed).
She was exclusively breastfed, so maybe that’s why, but she wasn’t uninterested in food until closer to 12-13 months.
I stressed A LOt about her not eating, but now at 20 months old, she’s a great eater! We did a version of babyled weaning. No purees- cause she woukdt take them and always ate what we ate, which is true even now.
P.S. on teething- my daughter started at 6 months and finally saw teeth at 7 months. Two Top front teeth! We used organic cloth frozen teethers and frozen celery.
Good luck!
*was uninterested in food
My little boy was born Sept. 19 so I’ve really enjoyed following your baby updates! Sometimes I think we have the exact same child. :) He hasn’t quite mastered rolling in the Merlin sleep suit yet but I have a feeling it’ll be coming in the next few weeks. We are also planning on starting solids very soon and getting excited about it! We also haven’t baby-proofed and really should start getting prepared. I feel like if I delay long enough maybe he won’t become mobile yet. :) I do enjoy being able to lay him on his activity mat and go to the bathroom in peace, knowing he won’t go anywhere! Thanks for your posts and looking forward to continuing the journey right along with you!
I have two boys (3 and 1) and want to offer my baby-proofing advice! Honestly, as long as you put caps in your outlets, gates at stairs and keep any chemicals up out of reach (we put dishwasher packs on top of the fridge, for instance), there’s usually no need to to go much farther than that. Kids are relentless explorers, and that’s a good thing for them (though tiring for parents). If you want to lock a few of your cupboards/cabinets to keep the mess to a minimum I totally sympathize, though ;)
Oh, and kids are drawn to litter boxes. Beware haha
As for introducing solids: YAY! It was such a fun experience for all of us both times around. Read everyone’s advice/tricks/tips, but do what feels best for you guys! I do recommend waiting a few days between each new food to watch out for allergies/sensitivities, but please don’t be afraid to use herbs and spices early on, too. Both of my boys have adventurous palates and I definitely attribute at least some of that to having them try new things all of the time (and they both eat food with some heat to it!).
Best of luck, I can’t WAIT to see messy baby face pictures!
A good tip for baby safety is to put away your coffee table! (If you have one, that is!)
My mother refused to have one while my brother and I were growing up, due to all the accidents she had heard of because of them. Bruises, cuts, bumps on the head, stitches, etc.
Besides, it makes more room for play, and opens up your living room! When I met my future husband I noticed he had a scar on his upper lip. Guess where he got it? Yep, a coffee table when he was a little kid!
She is so adorable. My second is a month behind so it’s fun to follow along. To help with changing the sheets so often due to drooling I’d recommend sheet savers. If you search for them on amazon you should find them, but they are awesome! They tie to your crib rails and lay flat over the mattress, but by providing an extra layer you aren’t constantly taking the whole crib apart to wash the sheets. I love them.
She is so cute! I love reading your updates but unfortunately they don’t automatically appear on my Feedly (Blog Reader) like the rest of your posts do. Is there a way to change that?
What a cutie and a sweetheart! 6 months? That time flew by!
we have a 9 month old daughter, and are daily keeping track and adjusting to a baby friendly environment. she hass become a daringly fast crawler. and true as many say, each baby is different. we are big into finger foods and Florentina LOVES being able to choose and feed herself , and of course explore the substances of each item:) (no salt or sugars though. i think “baby led weaning” is a great guideline), we generally try to just incorporate her into our meals and take out the veggies or whatever before we season it, so she can eat along (and we cut it into pieces for her to grab on her own, and i don’t need to cook separately for her). we bought a meter of “wipe-off” tablecloth to put under her highchair- since much lands other places than her mouth;), and we have old wooden floors- so makes it easy to clean up . fun times. what daily exciting wonders with a little darling we have** thanks for your fabulous recipes!!
No experience with introducing solids to a baby, but I did read something about a year ago regarding the “french” method of introducing food to babies–there’s always a label for these things, right?! :-) It talked about how there may be some cultural differences in how foods are introduced to children, where some cultures may focus on the sweet which develops a child’s palette differently than other cultures who don’t necessarily focus on being “kid” friendly when introducing solids to kids. For example, starting off with endive and Brussels sprouts. I thought it was interesting as I had read the book called Salt Sugar Fat and the book also discusses how are palettes and preferences are developed so early and how children physiologically prefer sweets and giving them commercial food which is already overly sweet only reinforces their preference for sweet. Anywho, thought I’d share. For anyone out there who has read about the French method and who has read Salt Sugar Fat, I hope my interpretation is in line with yours. I find the topic are fascinating. Enjoy the journey, and love your blog posts…keep at it!!! :-)
hi fabulous person and mama!
i’ve spent hours looking for good young toddler recipes and can’t find anything that compares to your blog. wondering if you’ve spotted any good sites you’d recommend until you get yours all up and full of baby recipes.
you daughter is so bright and full of life (as are you) – “you are your child’s first teacher” by R Badlwin is a beautiful book to keep things simple and sacred for our dear children :)
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Can’t believe our girls are turning 6 months!!!! Crazy!! Madison is starting to take longer naps too yippie :) we are getting ready to introduce solids too thinking avocado first and in slices and let her play with it! I am looking more into baby led and not so much purees we shall see ;) she is in charge so I will let her guide the way but she has been very interested in food for about 2 weeks – always reaching for what I eat! I am excited and a little nervous for solids but I know at first it’s more about exploring not so much eating. She is beautiful just like her mom!! Hugs Lori
My husband and I love your cookbook and have been following your blog since we turned vegan a couple years ago. Now we are pregnant with our first baby due this fall (eek!!!) and I have a whole new love of your website following life with a baby! Thanks for all of your posts!
Adriana is so precious! I am currently pregnant with my third (13 weeks) so I can’t wait to get out of the first trimester and feeling better, and I can’t wait for another little one, they grow so fast! My boys are 3 and 7 :) I started my boys with whole foods. After doing a lot of research I found that starting with whole foods, like soft easy to digest veggies/fruits, offers better nutrition than enriched cereal products. Later on I did add a little organic brown rice cereal to help bulk up meals. Avocado is a perfect starting point, my boys loved it and it’s still one of their favorite foods. Squash (winter varieties), pears, and bananas are also good too (and breast milk is great to add in to help the consistency) :)
Thank you for making public your decision to delay introducing solids to your daughter until 6 months of age. I believe most pediatricians and nutritionists agree that this is the best choice for baby. I know a lot of parents think that this is old-fashioned thinking. I have of heard of
parents feeding their children table food when baby is as young as 4 months! ( “She just
gobbles up broccoli!” or “She slept through the night when I stuffed some rice cereal into her”). These practices are scientifically unsound and dangerous to your child’s health. And parents please remember, your baby’s first solid should be iron-rich.
I really enjoy reading your baby blog updates. My little one is 5 months and our pediatrician recommended rice cereal and then meats as babies have used up their iron stores from birth at around six months. This seems to be a fairly new idea and I’ve been reading up about it and indeed iron rich foods seem to be a really important addition to babies diet early on. PuréeIng meat was at first not so successful, we tried chicken thighs mixed with a bit of breast milk but couldn’t get a nice purée. I then tried cooking stewing beef with carrots and potato in a crockpot then Pureeing and that works really well. New thinking and something you may want to check with your paediatrician about. Thanks again for the great blog!