My daughter has been replaced by a gannet! Her appetite has well and truly returned and she's opening her mouth wide and leaning forward for the spoon/fork if you aren't quick enough for her. And that's something new in itself, she is so much more receptive to being fed at the moment. I know, I know, its not BLW. But then we didn't start out to do BLW and being able to feed her, when required, means she can eat more of the things that we habitually eat. Which IS, in my opinion, the whole point of BLW anyway. We still stop feeding her the minute she pushes us away and lots of the meal, wherever possible, is still put on her tray so she can do it herself. That way she is definitely in control of how much she is eating rather than us, which is very very important. But its been much more of a halfway house these last couple of days which is definitely less stressful all round.
Tonight ds decided he wanted chicken fingers so together with daddy he egged, breadcrumbed and then baked some strips of chicken, to go with vegetable chilli & rice. Naomi could have had the fingers as they were home-made but DH wanted to have a go at making her an omelette as only I have so far. He chose the newest of our frying pans which I had thought to be a bit on the large side, except it isn't really. And he produced an omelette that Jamie Oliver would have been proud of, rather than my rather more 'unstructured' looking offerings. Stuffed with chicken, tomato, red pepper, cheese, courgette and spinach it was a lovely meal for Naomi and she was duly appreciative! I was very pleased with the spinach going in because its so full of iron. Although, as someone told me the other day, broccoli is very iron rich and the fact that she loves potatoes, which are full of Vitamin C, will really help, since Vitamin C aids iron absorption.
For pudding we had baked apples stuffed with mincemeat. Another first! Naomi ate more of an apple tonight than I have ever seen. Will have to do those again since we all like them too ;-) She's back on full strength milk as well so hopefully no repetition of last night when she had 3/4 strength 5oz of milk at 12am and 3am as well as yelling for more milk not long after 7. I should think she's having a growth spurt as well as a return to form.
Sunday 18 February 2007
Saturday 17 February 2007
self feeding.... something she's done at an earlier age than her big brother
Although Naomi is not behind 'the average' in terms of hitting milestones, she does seem to be behind her big brother who was very early at many many things. But, today, Naomi has well and truly beaten him. As you can see from the photo she used a fork to feed herself!Luke ate anything and everything from 4 months when we weaned him but always off a spoon. You couldn't get him to do finger food for love nor money until he cut his first tooth at the age of 11 months. Nary a breadstick, a raisin or a piece of toast. If you tried to guide a piece of something he was holding to his mouth he would have a hissy fit. So he was 1 year and 3 days when he first used a spoon. Naomi is 8 months and 19 days! Yeah!
Ok, so half the time she picked the food off with the other hand and put it in that way but she's definitely already got the hang of what to do and how to make it work. I'm so so chuffed!!!!!
back to normal thank goodness!
Haven't posted for a few days because Naomi's cold has put her right off her food. But during the last two days we really seem to have turned a corner. No more vomit for a start! She had gone really downhill after my last post, I was running out of clean clothes again :-(
I've really seen the benefits of BLW this week as we've been out twice over lunch time and I've been able to order a sandwich for Luke & Naomi to share. Wednesday it was ham and today it was cheese. Makes life so much more simple. She's still wary of any fruit that isn't a banana but will happily eat a fruit pot off a spoon, contrary madam, and they are very easy to carry around.
This evening she had salmon for the first time. We're not sure she totally liked it, its stronger than the cod she has been having. But it went it and stayed in, mostly. Although she has developed a habit of putting something in her mouth, or allowing you to put it in, and then immediately taking it straight out to have a look at it before having another go. Its priceless if annoying! At least less is going on the floor lately which is another bonus.
I've really seen the benefits of BLW this week as we've been out twice over lunch time and I've been able to order a sandwich for Luke & Naomi to share. Wednesday it was ham and today it was cheese. Makes life so much more simple. She's still wary of any fruit that isn't a banana but will happily eat a fruit pot off a spoon, contrary madam, and they are very easy to carry around.
This evening she had salmon for the first time. We're not sure she totally liked it, its stronger than the cod she has been having. But it went it and stayed in, mostly. Although she has developed a habit of putting something in her mouth, or allowing you to put it in, and then immediately taking it straight out to have a look at it before having another go. Its priceless if annoying! At least less is going on the floor lately which is another bonus.
Saturday 10 February 2007
who ate all the pies.........?
I'll give you one guess ha ha! Thanks to a recipe from another May 06 Mummy also doing BLW, I made some puff pastry pies and filled them with left overs that I had. So there was roast chicken, sweet & ordinary potato, cauliflower and red leicester cheese for moistness. About the size of a mince pie they cook in 20 minutes, are great cold in the fridge and also freeze & reheat really well.
Naomi simply devours them and I can see that they will be great for out and about days.
I also got a good book from the library on finger food. I had it when ds was little 3 years ago but we never had these challenges with him so I never did much from it. But given the success with the pies, I can see that the spring rolls, pancakes, samosas and mini quiches should be a great hit with the little madam. Can't wait to get started!
She's as full of cold as ever but she is still eating, drinking her milk and sleeping well without the Medised that we had been using. Long may it continue!
Naomi simply devours them and I can see that they will be great for out and about days.
I also got a good book from the library on finger food. I had it when ds was little 3 years ago but we never had these challenges with him so I never did much from it. But given the success with the pies, I can see that the spring rolls, pancakes, samosas and mini quiches should be a great hit with the little madam. Can't wait to get started!
She's as full of cold as ever but she is still eating, drinking her milk and sleeping well without the Medised that we had been using. Long may it continue!
Wednesday 7 February 2007
you can do yogurt the BLW way
A good couple of days in the H household. Yesterday we had a roast chicken which is NEVER refused by the little lady and it gives us lots of meat for using in subsequent days. I really like cooking them too so winners all round!
Today we had chilli from the freezer because Naomi failed to nap properly and I needed something quick. Because she hates a spoon this is a real problem for us to give to her so I made her another omelette. I fully expected it to be rejected - 'I only ate it last time to fool you ha ha' - but no, she demolished a whole 2-egg one with chicken, mushroom, tomato & cheese and Daddy was here to see it.
She also ate a ham sandwich at lunchtime which was another first and something else in the repetoire now. And, as the title suggests, I took an amusing photo....
Monday 5 February 2007
i will never not ever eat fruit
With apologies to Charlie & Lola !!!!
Yes, we had another fruit refusal today. I stewed Naomi some apple so that it would be soft for her to gum but it still wasn't enough. So that's apple, apricot, raspberry and mango she has refused to eat in the original state. I'm running out of ideas! She can't JUST eat bananas! To be fair she did have pureed apricot mixed into her porridge and she ate stewed apple in her porridge for Daddy yesterday. So we'll continue the subterfuge and hope she'll get the idea of proper fruit soon. Maybe it will come with teeth, I don't know.
Another good dinner; her cold doesn't seem to be giving her appetite any problems at the moment. She had baked potato, baked sweet potato and then steamed broccoli, carrot and cauliflower. We were having jackets & sausages so she had an organic sausage and the remaining Port Salut cheese for her protein. DH picked up a chicken today so we will roast that for dinner tomorrow and then I'll have plenty of meat for the rest of the week. Roast meat seems to go down the best, even in reheated form.
She's not off her milk, despite being poorly, and neither is she throwing it back up, so we are happy bunnies at the moment.
Yes, we had another fruit refusal today. I stewed Naomi some apple so that it would be soft for her to gum but it still wasn't enough. So that's apple, apricot, raspberry and mango she has refused to eat in the original state. I'm running out of ideas! She can't JUST eat bananas! To be fair she did have pureed apricot mixed into her porridge and she ate stewed apple in her porridge for Daddy yesterday. So we'll continue the subterfuge and hope she'll get the idea of proper fruit soon. Maybe it will come with teeth, I don't know.
Another good dinner; her cold doesn't seem to be giving her appetite any problems at the moment. She had baked potato, baked sweet potato and then steamed broccoli, carrot and cauliflower. We were having jackets & sausages so she had an organic sausage and the remaining Port Salut cheese for her protein. DH picked up a chicken today so we will roast that for dinner tomorrow and then I'll have plenty of meat for the rest of the week. Roast meat seems to go down the best, even in reheated form.
She's not off her milk, despite being poorly, and neither is she throwing it back up, so we are happy bunnies at the moment.
Sunday 4 February 2007
roly poly ever soooooooooooooooo slowly!
Naomi's appetite has dwindled the last couple of days; she has ANOTHER cold! And what she does eat takes FOREVER.
I'm still worried at the balance of what she eats. We had chicken pesto last night which she regarded as totally evil so we washed the sauce off and she ate it! Well the broccoli & carrot at least. Didn't seem to want the chicken.
Today was a bit more successful. We were at friends and they had cooked roast lamb, yum yum! So plenty of potato & carrot and I think some parsnip & celeriac also went down along with the meat. At one point she had a long strip of lamb that she sucked and sucked all the goodness out of and then waved around in her fist like a floppy flag!!! She tried the pear & mincemeat crumble offered for pudding but much preferred the standard banana!
Tea was soft cheese sandwiches with tomato pressed into the cheese. Naomi still has trouble with tomato in wedges or pieces so I'm resorting to this method. Daddy didn't cut the tomato fine enough but she managed a lot of it without too much trouble.
Our friends had another friend staying, a child psychologist, and she was very interested in Naomi wanting to feed herself at this age and managing her grip really quite successfully. She was also very pro baby signing so I scored lots of points there. And she said Luke (not quite 4) definitely had the language ability of a 5 year old. One chuffed mummy! The best bit was that she had some interesting input on grommets. She works with children whose language is delayed for all sorts of reasons, glue ear being one of them. Luke's development is obviously NOT an issue and makes me more inclined to see if I can find an alternative to the surgery that is bound to be proposed later this month. I've been reading how cranial osteopathy can really help so will explore that further.
I had a complete flip at DH last night about Naomi's eating. I think I'm under stress from it, her not sleeping through (although she did last night woohoo!) and the fact that she is coming off her medication soon. But he did, FINALLY, take me seriously and has made some notes about how we can begin to extend her range a little. He's always behind my decisions but I think he's realised how I'd like him to be in front of one or two of them.
I'm still worried at the balance of what she eats. We had chicken pesto last night which she regarded as totally evil so we washed the sauce off and she ate it! Well the broccoli & carrot at least. Didn't seem to want the chicken.
Today was a bit more successful. We were at friends and they had cooked roast lamb, yum yum! So plenty of potato & carrot and I think some parsnip & celeriac also went down along with the meat. At one point she had a long strip of lamb that she sucked and sucked all the goodness out of and then waved around in her fist like a floppy flag!!! She tried the pear & mincemeat crumble offered for pudding but much preferred the standard banana!
Tea was soft cheese sandwiches with tomato pressed into the cheese. Naomi still has trouble with tomato in wedges or pieces so I'm resorting to this method. Daddy didn't cut the tomato fine enough but she managed a lot of it without too much trouble.
Our friends had another friend staying, a child psychologist, and she was very interested in Naomi wanting to feed herself at this age and managing her grip really quite successfully. She was also very pro baby signing so I scored lots of points there. And she said Luke (not quite 4) definitely had the language ability of a 5 year old. One chuffed mummy! The best bit was that she had some interesting input on grommets. She works with children whose language is delayed for all sorts of reasons, glue ear being one of them. Luke's development is obviously NOT an issue and makes me more inclined to see if I can find an alternative to the surgery that is bound to be proposed later this month. I've been reading how cranial osteopathy can really help so will explore that further.
I had a complete flip at DH last night about Naomi's eating. I think I'm under stress from it, her not sleeping through (although she did last night woohoo!) and the fact that she is coming off her medication soon. But he did, FINALLY, take me seriously and has made some notes about how we can begin to extend her range a little. He's always behind my decisions but I think he's realised how I'd like him to be in front of one or two of them.
Friday 2 February 2007
fishy fishy fishy on a little dishy
but not exactly when the boat came in ! (rather more out of a box....)
We were out test driving cars this afternoon and needed something quick and easy on return. So we gave the kids fish fingers, home made baked chips & veg. We really don't use processed food very often, you can tell this by looking at how close the use by dates are on the stuff we DO have! but these are a good standby and a great way of seeing whether it is worth making our own.
Thankfully Naomi loved her dinner. She ate the chips with gusto but then she adores potato. The fish finger got licked for a while, almost as if she was assessing the texture. Between licks she passed it from hand to hand! So I make a note that if I do them myself they need enough coating to stand a bit of mauling. And then it disappeared as quickly as the chips. The last bit of batter was a problem but she just coughed a bit and back up it came.
Naomi has slept through the last two nights, yay, for the first time in ages, so something is going right at last. Bet I've jinxed it now ha ha.
We were out test driving cars this afternoon and needed something quick and easy on return. So we gave the kids fish fingers, home made baked chips & veg. We really don't use processed food very often, you can tell this by looking at how close the use by dates are on the stuff we DO have! but these are a good standby and a great way of seeing whether it is worth making our own.
Thankfully Naomi loved her dinner. She ate the chips with gusto but then she adores potato. The fish finger got licked for a while, almost as if she was assessing the texture. Between licks she passed it from hand to hand! So I make a note that if I do them myself they need enough coating to stand a bit of mauling. And then it disappeared as quickly as the chips. The last bit of batter was a problem but she just coughed a bit and back up it came.
Naomi has slept through the last two nights, yay, for the first time in ages, so something is going right at last. Bet I've jinxed it now ha ha.
Thursday 1 February 2007
daddy's turn
DH should have been on a half day today but his meeting over-ran, BIG BOOS!, and he was home only quarter of an hour early. So I made him do dinner ha ha.
We had sausage pasta. I have some organic quick cook sausages that I keep in for emergencies. They are mostly cooked before going into the packaging and are sold in the supermarket chiller. I then freeze them and they take 4-5 mins max under the grill. So he did Naomi one of those and we had ordinary sausages. I'm not against these for her but the organic ones are much better.
Pasta spirals were still a bit of a challenge unfortunately. Lots of other BLW babies without teeth seem to manage them but not Naomi. So she had more gnocchi and the usual carrot, broccoli and cauliflower. We're in for another smelly morning tomorrow yuck! Cauliflower just makes her stink. But its so good for her and she loves it.
DH is now off until Monday so I am determined to try and make ravioli and see if that works any better. Can only wait and see. And MUST get the raspberries out to defrost, forgot them again today.
We went to Toddler Group today and she wasn't happy that I was eating custard creams. But I really don't like biscuits or rusks for babies, not even the Organix ones. I've just got this mental block about them. When Luke was 1 or so I used to give him the Organix animal biscuits that are sweetened with apple juice but Naomi still seems a bit too young for all of that.
We had sausage pasta. I have some organic quick cook sausages that I keep in for emergencies. They are mostly cooked before going into the packaging and are sold in the supermarket chiller. I then freeze them and they take 4-5 mins max under the grill. So he did Naomi one of those and we had ordinary sausages. I'm not against these for her but the organic ones are much better.
Pasta spirals were still a bit of a challenge unfortunately. Lots of other BLW babies without teeth seem to manage them but not Naomi. So she had more gnocchi and the usual carrot, broccoli and cauliflower. We're in for another smelly morning tomorrow yuck! Cauliflower just makes her stink. But its so good for her and she loves it.
DH is now off until Monday so I am determined to try and make ravioli and see if that works any better. Can only wait and see. And MUST get the raspberries out to defrost, forgot them again today.
We went to Toddler Group today and she wasn't happy that I was eating custard creams. But I really don't like biscuits or rusks for babies, not even the Organix ones. I've just got this mental block about them. When Luke was 1 or so I used to give him the Organix animal biscuits that are sweetened with apple juice but Naomi still seems a bit too young for all of that.
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