Wheezy Fishy

"You are giving your baby salmon?!?" That's what I heard the day after we decided to let Dino share our salmon with us at dinner. Honestly, I didn't even question it when I gave it to him, but after others questioned it, I sort of panicked! So of course I hurried to Google to make sure Dino wasn't going to have a crazy reaction and die! I was quickly reassured he was going to be ok and apparently my search was timely. A new study was just published November 12th in the journal, Pediatrics entitled, "Fish Consumption in Infancy and Asthma-like Symptoms at Preschool Age."

So according to this study, not only was the fish ok for Dino to eat, but we may have decreased his liklihood of asthma! The study was done in the Netherlands with over 7000 children. The results showed that when fish was introduced between the age of 6 and 12 months, there was a significant decrease in asthma-like symptoms compared to prior to 6 months and after 12 months of age. NBC's news report (When Babies Eat Fish) stated, "Between 40 percent and 45 percent of parents of children who did not eat fish until after their first birthdays said their children wheezed, compared to 30 percent of children who first ate fish when they were between six and 12 months old. That, the researchers said, works out to about a 36 percent decreased risk of wheezing for the children who first had fish between the ages of six months and one year."

Of course, this is only one study, so more research should be done to verify these findings. Meanwhile, we will continue to include fish in Dino's diet while I continue trusting my instincts of what he should and shouldn't eat.

Spoons, Spoons Everywhere!



Oops! I must confess that I have been a slacker lately with my blogging! Don't worry, little Dino has been eating- I just haven't been documenting as well. We have tried all sorts of new things lately! Last night he even got to taste some crab legs. His favorite food by far has been mashed cauliflower. I am not sure if its because of the taste of the cauliflower or the garlic or because he gets to use a spoon. A few weeks ago, we went to purchase a few spoons and noticed most were sold in large packs. We were unsure why, but bought them anyway. We now have a theory why you might need more than one spoon at a meal.

 

He lets us know he's ready for another bite by throwing his spoon on the floor.

 

Such a natural with using the spoon!



So, the mashed cauliflower. It is not only Dino's favorite, but his parents are loving it too. It is such a nice substitution (much healthier) to regular mashed potatoes...it just requires a little more clean up than other foods. I would highly recommend anyone trying it! Here's the recipe:



Little Dino's Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (optional)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste (no salt for baby's portion)

 

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of water over high heat.

2. Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done.

3. Drain well; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.

4. In a bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor (I used our Kitchenaid stand mixer), puree the hot cauliflower with the Parmesan, garlic, butter and pepper until almost smooth.



After a dinner of cauliflower, avocado, and crab legs.



CPR and Safey Course "Date Night"

Last week Dino's grandma came and kept him while Dino's daddy and I had an "Infant CPR and Safety Course Date Night". Well, besides the frozen custard we picked up on the way home, I guess it doesn't truly classify as a date night, but it was a rare time alone without Dino. Although we realized that Dino has about a 1% chance of surviving childhood (at least that's how we felt afterwords), this course was well worth our time! We were one of the few couples in the classroom that was not currently pregnant, and I am not quite sure how these ladies coped with the stressful thoughts this class provoked!! We learned what to do if little Dino starts choking as well as how to perform CPR if ever needed. We also learned all about infant safety. Needless to say, our conversation the entire way home (and the rest of the night) revolved around everything we need to do to "baby-proof" our home and keep little Dino alive and well.

Ok, now to the food part! We had a really great eating week. Dino is really progressing with his eating skills and gagging very little now. He absolutely loves food and has not refused anything yet! Our independent little Dino tends to get pretty frustrated when he cannot get the food to his mouth and then again when all the food is gone. He has mastered picking up the food and bringing it to his mouth, but he is still working on opening up his hand to release the food.

Dino tried several new foods this week including salmon, butternut squash, peppers, meatballs, eggs, pickles, lemon, apples, tomato sauce, blueberries, meatloaf, and spinach.

When we went to a sandwich shop this week, we thought we would let him taste the pickle to see his reaction. Surprisingly (well not really), he loved it and did not want us to take it away (I was concerned with too much sodium in it). Then Dino's daddy decided it would also be great to see his reaction to lemon, so we offered him a lemon slice. He definitely made a funny face, but he wanted to keep eating it.

We will continue to try several new colorful foods this week! Here's a few of our dinners for the week:

 Baked chicken with sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts

Salmon with spaghetti squash, Italian spinach, and cornbread

Pesto chicken pasta with green beans and mixed veggies

Tuna patties with cauliflower mashed potatoes and black eyed peas

A few snacks/lunches include:

Blueberries

Bananas

Pear

Spinach, cheddar and dill quiche muffins

Baked apples

Color Your Plate

Meal planning. Sometimes I enjoy it and sometimes its just another chore to be completed for the week. After a few years of going to the grocery store and wondering around the aisles trying to figure out what we should eat that week, spending too much money, and throwing away food that went bad before it could be eaten, my husband and I came to the realization of just how beneficial meal planning can be! It saves money and time, discourages eating out, decreases food waste, and encourages a healthier diet.

Our priorities when meal planning for our family include:
1. Making use of what we already have on hand
2. Making the most cost effective choices
3. Limiting processed foods (especially high fructose corn syrup and artificial coloring/flavors and choosing mostly whole foods- sometimes organic (more on that later)
4. Trying out new foods and recipes
5. Buying produce that is in season (and local if available)

Now that we have Dino, I will add another priority to the list. #6. Including foods of all colors to ensure a variety of nutrients are offered throughout the week.

To do this, I have made a list of common fruits and veggies in each "color group." We will choose at least one food out of each color to include on our weekly menu. This will be an easy system to include Dino in as he gets a little older. Since we all eat meals together, this will require my husband and I to try some new foods as well! Our menu this week includes:

Red: Tomato sauce, red apple, red pepper
Green: Spinach, green pepper, green apple
White: Banana, onion
Yellow/Orange: Butternut squash, sweet potato
Blue/Purple: Blueberries

Below is the list I created for us to use.

Color Your Plate!
Reds		Greens	White	Yellow/Orange	Blue/Purple
Lycopene, anthocyanins		Lutein, Folate, Indoles	Allicin, potassium	Carotenoids, vitamin A and C, folate	Anthocyanins
Red apples		Spinach	Banana	Tangerines	Blackberries
Red peppers		Green peppers	Onion	Apricots	Blueberries
Strawberries		Asparagus	Cauliflower	Butternut squash	Eggplant
Beets		Green beans	Garlic	Cantaloupe	Figs
Red potatoes		Zucchini	Potatoes	Carrots	Plums
Cherries		Peas	Turnips	Grapefruit	Prunes
Radishes		Green onions	Mushrooms	Lemons	Purple grapes
Raspberry		Limes		Mangoes	Raisins
Tomato		Lettuce		Nectarines
Watermelon		Kiwi		Oranges
Pink Grapefruit		Cucumbers		Papayas
Red Grapes		Brussel Sprouts		Peaches
Cranberries		Avocado		Pears
		Artichokes		Yellow peppers
		Green apples		Pineapple
		Broccoli		Pumpkin
				Yellow squash
				Sweet potatoes
Lycopene	Reduces risk of several types of cancer (especially prostate).
Anthocyanins	Antioxidant- protects cells from damage as well as keeping our heart healthy. Reduces risk of stroke, cancer, and heart disease.
Lutein	Helps to keep eyes healthy- reduces risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.
Folate	Reduces risk of birth defects.
Indoles	Helps to protect against cancer.
Allicin	Can lower cholesterol and blood pressure and may help reduce risk of stomach cancer and heart disease.
Potassium	Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol as well as reducing risk of stroke.
Carotenoids	Reduces risk of cancer, heart disease, and can improve immune system function.  Can decrease risk of macular degeneration (which can lead to blindness). Also, good for your heart- may reduce chance of heart attack and death.
Vitamin A	Helps form and maintain healthy skin, teeth, tissues, membranes and skin. It also promotes good vision- especially in low light.
Vitamin C	Protection against immune system deficiencies, heart disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling.

Mama Called the Doctor and the Doctor Said...

As I began my research on baby led weaning (BLW), I read several moms talking about their babies gagging a lot in the first few weeks of learning how to eat solid foods. I had already accepted the idea that Dino would gag and make terrible noises, but this was normal and how he would learn to eat. I watched videos of other babies gagging so I would know what to expect. We signed up for infant CPR and safety class so we would know what to do if he started choking. I was prepared. I thought.

On the menu for the evening was steamed carrots along with the Southern traditional dish of chicken and dumplings. He was loving the taste of the carrots, and then it happend! Gagging noises- eyes watering- Dino crying-Mommy crying (almost). He then worked the carrot out and all was great again. This happend a few more times, but it did not stop him from eating. Later on that night, he started making this crazy noise like something was caught in his windpipe. He would do it every few minutes and started getting his mom and dad a little (ok... a lot) concerned, so we called the doctor. We described what was happening and she said it sounded ok and not to worry about it but just keep an eye on him...which means no sleep for mom and dad! He did fine through the night, but in the morning he started making the terrible noise again. We made the executive decision to take him to the doctor to get everything checked out.

Dino's dad took him on in to see the doc. While waiting to hear the doctor's verdict, crazy thoughts were running around in my head. "I should have never fed him this way. I am going to have to take my blog down. I will just breastfeed him forever and never give him real food. Will I go to jail if something happens to him since I chose to feed him a not "normal" way? Why do I do weird things like this??" Finally the phone rang. Dino's dad was calling with the news from the doc. Apparently we have a "super healthy little boy" that is learning to play with his voice. What?? Seriously?? The doctor said he probably got a reaction when he made the crazy noise (hmmm...how would she know that?) and kept on doing it. So now what?

Back to plan. He had broccoli and sweet potatoes last night and all was well. My sanity is slowing returning.

Out on the Town



Enjoying his "KayKay Toast"



Pretty sure this kid is going to be a lover of food (like his mom and dad)! We were out of town all weekend, so he had mostly Mama Milk. Friday night we went to dinner with his KayKay and Pappaw at the oh-so-fancy Cracker Barrel. After searching through the menu, I had decided to order Dino the steamed baby carrots. I made sure to ask the waitress if anything was added to the carrots. She told me that they add butter and sugar to "give them a really good taste". I would be ok with the added butter, but didn't want the sugar...so back to the menu! I remembered hearing others say how much their babies loved "toast fingers", so we thought we would give that a try and ordered plain toast. When it came to the table, I cut it into strips (thus the "finger" part) and offered it to Dino. He really seemed to like it. It was very easy for him to hold while he sucked and nibbled on it a little bit. Plus, there was very little mess compared to the avocado! I had ordered a sweet potato with my meal and wanted to let him try a bit. After a failed attempt of handing him a bite in a preloaded spoon, my mother-in-law suggested a wonderful idea! Spread the sweet potato on the toast. Perfect! He really enjoyed the toast topping (aka "KayKay toast") and was not happy when it was all gone. It was a great first eating experience at a restaurant!

Oh and notice his make-do cloth diaper bib! Mommy forgot a bib, but thankfully the toast was not very messy!

So, what have your little ones eaten at restaurants? This worked out great, but I would love more ideas!

An Avocado Mess!

 

"I'm ready to eat, Mom!"

Little Dino decided it was time for him to eat! He has been joining us at the dinner table for several months now, but the past few weeks he has become VERY interested in our food. He tries to reach our food and gets very upset when we hand him a toy instead. Last night he was not going to take it anymore! We were having guacamole with our dinner and since I was planning on avocado being his first food, we decided to go ahead and let him taste. We put his bib on, wiped down the table where his food would go, and sliced a few pieces of avocado for him.

    

Yay! He made it to his mouth!

              
He LOVED it....well the times he actually got it to his mouth before it slid out of his hands! He did get frustrated that he could not hold onto it. Within seconds there was a green mess on the floor, in his bib pocket, on his seat, and all over him. We have decided to try something less slippery for his next food. Maybe broccoli?

P.S. My plan for the floor-cleaning-pups didn't work out last night.  On the way home yesterday I heard on the radio foods that can make dogs sick and of course avocado was one of them! I didn't have a chance to look this up last night before it was time to clean the floor, but after investigating this morning- I realize it would have been fine. Apparently they can be poisonous to rodents, horses, and birds but the only harm towards dogs is the pit (which was removed) causing them to choke.