He did pretty well, though we admit we had been practicing. For the past month or so we've been including him at the table at mealtimes in his highchair and even pretending to feed him with an empty spoon. We were actually quite shocked the first time we "pretend fed" him because he just instinctively knew to open his mouth as we zoomed the spoon toward him, and he even closed his mouth around it. And smiled. He liked the game. Maybe he just picked it up from us, since he's been joining us at mealtimes since he was a newborn, either being held by someone at the table, or hanging out in his stroller next to his Daddy's chair.
On his birthday, he sampled sweet potatoes, the very first meal we cooked especially for him. They were far less runny than the oatmeal, so we were actually able to get it all into his stomach, and he LOVED it! Finished every bite...
We've decided to make all of James' food, using organic fruits and veggies. My mom got us an awesome little baby food maker called the BabyCook by Beaba. It steams, chops/purees, measures, and reheats, all in the same machine. And it has a self-timer, so even I can't screw it up! Then we picked up these little lidded trays (like ice cube trays) to freeze the baby food in, which make the perfect sized portions until he starts eating more than a couple tablespoons at a time (at which point we'll switch to yogurt jars to store the baby food, as suggested by my friend Karyn). So far we've made sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, green beans, broccoli, lima beans, and russet potatoes:
Next James tried the carrots (my favorite veggie as a kid). The new flavor threw him at first (it was the same color as the sweet potatoes after all, so he didn't know it would be different), but he quickly decided they were yummy and he wanted to feed himself:
Then, tonight he tried the yellow squash. Again, the flavor threw him at first (he puckered his face and pulled back from the spoon), but by the second bite he was sold. We were prepared for a fight on this veggie, since Jay dislikes it and we thus almost never make it at home (though I like it and eat it when we go out), but James ended up finishing it all and he wanted more!
Overall, I think it's been a good experience for all of us. We sure like having the little guy at the table with us at mealtimes, James likes the taste of the foods so far, and we're certainly enjoying the game of trying to get the food to stay in his mouth! We'll be doing veggies all this month, then moving on to fruits next month, as recommended by our pediatrician. Apparently, some babies will refuse veggies after having fruits, since fruits are so much sweeter, so it's better to get them accustomed to the veggies first. And we're doing all the yellow/orange veggies first, then the greens (again, as recommended by our pediatrician). We can't wait to see what the green beans and broccoli look like smeared all over James' face! We hear that broccoli is not a well-favored baby food, but we're hoping James will like it since Jay and I both love it, and he's been tasting it in my breastmilk all along. We bought some pumpkin to try first though, since my mom says that was one of my favorites as a baby. We figure once he's tried all the veggies that normally make an appearance on our table, we'll move on to the sweet stuff! We've also decided to start letting him chew/suck on the mesh feeder, which will be perfect for fruits next month. For his first try though, we just gave him a cube of frozen breastmilk:
With the introduction of solids, I've also decided to stop nursing James at daycare on my lunch break. It will mean more pumping, but I think it's time to take this step. I'm really going to miss seeing James halfway through the day, but we both need to learn how to be apart for longer than 4-5 hours. I'll have to travel for work again eventually. My boss has been very accommodating of my decision to breastfeed up to this point, and he continues to support me, but conferences and field-work can't be avoided forever. So, on Friday we gave it a trial run. We sent James to daycare with 3 bottles instead of 2, and I was distracted at lunch with a going-away party for a coworker. I was sad that afternoon, anxiously awaiting the end of the work day, but at least it was just one day, then I had James all weekend long (and a long weekend it was, what with it being a holiday and all).
This week has been a little difficult, as I adjust to our new schedule, but I know it will get easier as time passes. These types of "milestones" always do, just like when he started daycare. It really helps that James is such a good baby and enjoys his time at daycare. We haven't had a day yet where his report card didn't say "James was wonderful today" or "James had a great day" or "James is such a cutie". They really do love him there. On Friday, the daycare ladies reported that James did great (I only called once mid-afternoon to check on him, so I did pretty well too). He finished all 3 bottles at his normal feeding times (his choice - we decided to throw the feeding schedule out the window and let him decide when to eat now that I don't "need" him to be hungry at noon) and was his usual happy self. Of course he was. Because he's awesome. And yesterday and today were just as successful. Hopefully he's missed me at least a little bit though... I know I certainly look forward to this at the end of the work day now more than ever before:
I'm very thankful that I have been able to breastfeed James - physically, mentally, and logistically. I know it doesn't work out for every mom and I feel very fortunate to have had this experience. Other than having to deal with a VERY sleepy eater, I have been lucky not to have any difficulties or complications while nursing. We really thought James would grow out of it, but he is still SUCH a sleepy eater! Breast or bottle, makes no difference. The moment the milk hits his lips, his eyes roll back in his head. It's absolutely ridiculous. And pretty darn cute. We joke that my milk must have tryptophan...
I'm also really proud of us for making it to the 6-month mark exclusively breastfeeding. It has not been easy! And I say "us", rather than "me", because it really was a team effort. Yes, I did the actual nursing and pumping, and James, of course, played his role well (switching every other feeding between breast and bottle like a champ), but Jay was also a key player in this adventure. He made sure that I ate well and kept my fluid intake up by cooking nutritious meals (often handling breakfast, lunch, and dinner all in the same day) and constantly refilling my water glasses. He reminded me to take my vitamins (which I needed, since I'm still recovering from "pregnancy brain"). He took care of James and the household duties whenever I was tied to the pump (or just the household duties if I was tied to James). And above all, he REALLY supported and encouraged me, and I couldn't have done it without him!
Exclusively breastfeeding is like a 3rd job for a working mom. First and foremost, you are a wife and mother. Then you have your career. And then, you have to find/make time to pump. And for many moms (me included), it takes far longer to pump a feeding than to nurse a feeding (since no pump is as efficient as your little babe). Sometimes it takes extra sessions... even setting an alarm for midnight to be sure you have enough milk pumped for the next days' bottles. It is often exhausting, but it has absolutely been worth it! Although 6 months was my original goal, I now understand why so many moms who have managed to make it work this long continue on. After the learning curve and physical initiation of the first 2 weeks, it became enjoyable for me, especially once James started to put on weight and I learned to trust that he was eating what he needed. After the first month or so, once James could manage more on his own (and I didn't have to position his head AND myself anymore), it became easy and relaxing. And it's a fool-proof way to get him all to myself! Besides, the AAP recommends continuing on through the first year while introducing solids anyway, since solids won't be a major part of his diet for another 3-6 months. So, this is my new goal, and we'll see how it goes... one day at a time. Wish us luck!
James has started eating solid food! He had his 6-month well baby exam last Tuesday and his pediatrician was happy with his progress, so we made plans to introduce solids. We started out that night with the standard first food for babies: cereal. We chose oatmeal over rice because it's less constipating (we already have enough trouble with BMs) and has more nutritional value. And yes, not only did we set my camera on a tripod to video the entire first meal (don't worry, we edited for length), I walked around with Jay's camera and took about 50 photos (you'll see James getting distracted and smiling at me).
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