My Mama Told Me, "Play with your food!"

Ok, so I started giving Chana baby food before she was 6 months...in fact, I started slowly giving her little bites just after 4 months...something I NEVER would've done with my first...I was too scared to do anything other than what the books said I was supposed to do! (-; She was making us all feel bad...everytime we'd eat the poor girl would just smack her lips and stare us down like she was starving...so I figured what the heck. When she started rice cereal she was not too keen on it...so I added a little baby food applesauce and she chowed down! The rest is history. She likes and eats all of the baby foods now...except the ones with meat...I'm not starting those until I talk to her doctor at her 6 month checkup next week (which is happening almost 2 weeks late because of scheduling problems). Anyway, her favorite veggies are squash, carrots, and sweet peas. Her favorite fruits are apples, pears, and blueberries. But, she eats anything I give her! Today for lunch she had squash and green beans and tonight she had Pears with Wild Blueberries. I always mix cereal in with all of her baby food. She likes the Oatmeal Cereal better than the Rice Cereal. I think we'll try Barley soon. It's so cute to see them enjoy a new taste...or gross out, which she only does if I get too much cereal and make it too thick. Anyhow, the pictures were taken a couple of mornings ago and she just grabbed the spoon from me and wanted to play with it...I tried giving her her own spoon, but she wasn't having it...she wanted mine, so I said whatever, have fun! She loved it...it's not the first time, she just made the biggest mess this time...but that's how they learn. See the bowl she's using? I always use those bowls for her (at least for now...until she starts throwing it off the tray!) They were my grandma's...I guess I'm sentimental...nostalgic...whatever you want to call it...it makes me feel like a little piece of her is here with Chana. I know she would've just loved her to pieces!

I have to laugh at myself about starting food early with Chana because with Evan I was ultra concerned with following rules and keeping him spotless...we had fun, but I worried more...with Chana I started the food early, it has been just fine, and I know that if she gets dirty, she can be washed up and it'll be fine! I am just making sure that I have complete and total fun and I'm not worrying about the rest...I think it makes for a happier baby. I wish I could've gotten that through my thick head when I was staying up late reading baby books and thinking that was the only way...mother's instinct is really all you need! (-: