Little Floodies First Foods

Since we talked last, N has mastered the whole Kindergarten thing and absolutely loves it! He is up each morning around 6:30 and ready to head out the door. Now if I could just get him to sleep another half hour we would be doing great! He is well into the swing of school and I keep getting excellent reviews from his teacher. I don't know if I mentioned that his school, despite being 300 miles from Cumberland County, is called Cumberland. Instead of the Pirates, the mascot is the Cougar! He is so proud that his school has the same name as Mom and Dad's old school!

F is knee deep in his semester already. Each year seems to be crazier than the last. He will have his next to last tenure review at the beginning of next month. He is already nervous about it, but I know he will do great! He works so very hard and God has blessed him with the ability to teach a subject he loves. Now if we could just eliminate the politics that go with the job we will be golden!

Little Miss M has been doing well. At her 4 month check-up she was slightly smaller than the doctor would have liked, so we started her on cereal at about 4 1/2 months and she loved it. We went back 2 weeks later for a weight check and the cereal had done the trick. Although she is still in the lower percentiles, the doctor was pleased she had gained 9 ounces in 14 days. He would have expected her to only gain about 7, so we were happy. Despite the success, he recommended that she go ahead and start solids since she had done so well with the cereal. As you will see in one of the pictures, she is so tiny in her high chair, but she eats like a giant! She eats atleast 3 servings at each setting. After doing some reading and being inspired by some Momma friends, I have been making M's food. I have had so much fun and discovered culinary skills I never knew I had. Of course, it doesn't take much skill to bake something and then puree it, but none the less it has turned out well! Her first  meal was avacado which she inhaled from the first bite.

Obviously, they don't take much preparation. I just cut them and mash them with a fork and then puree in the food processor for the right consistency. Here they are before the processor:

Here is Miss M waiting ever so patiently for her first taste! A quick note about her first feeding. I remember N's first feeding, it was F's birthday and we gave him green beans. F and I both were right there watching and photographing each bite. I think there are a few pages worth of pictures in the album. But poor Miss M's was a Friday afternoon when only she and I were home. I was the only one to take pictures and I only took a few. The poor second child, I hope she won't be too badly scarred!

After she mastered the avacados and we waited the necessary 3 days to make sure she didn't have an allergic reaction, it was time to move on to sweet potatoes. These were N's favorite as a baby. M thinks highly of them as well! I baked and prepared these on Labor day because it was a cool and rainy day. The house smelled wonderful all day.

From my reading and other Mom's advice, I have found that the ice cube trays work perfectly for freezing the foods. The portions are approximately an ounce and they travel really well for when we are on the move!

She has since also tried bananas and butternut squash. The squash was by far the best consistency that I had managed yet, but still seems to be M's least favorite. I keep offering it to her and she keeps screaming throughout the feeding. With a side of bananas at the ready I can manage to get atleast one ounce down her. Today I baked an acorn squash and it was a big hit! N even thought it would make a tasty meal! I also repenished her supply of sweet potatoes. Next I will steam and puree apples, if N doesn't eat them all first! Here is the beautiful butterbut squash (that M won't eat!)

I have tons of pictures that we have taken around the house of the kiddos that I will share with you soon and some priceless videos of Miss M! Thank you for checking in on us, talk to you soon!