Baby Led Weaning Take II

Eating spaghetti, with a piece of broccoli, a slice of roast pumpkin and a piece of lamb
somewhere under there at the dinner table with the family.

Hi Baby,

Since picking up the two books, Baby Led Weaning and Baby Led Weaning Cookbook by Gill Rapley & Tracey Murkett, when we were on holiday, mommy feels much more confident putting food in front of you to attack now that I know the guidelines, and after flipping through the BLW cookbook to give mommy an idea what foods to feed you, you can eat just about anything.

What makes sense about BLW is that you learn how to chew, learn what safe sizes of food to have in your mouth before you swollow, learning how to move your jaw, practice the dexterity of your hands and fingers and eventually learn how to use forks and spoons.

You can have anything, with a couple of rules. Like no salt in the cooking, that way you get to eat the food we're having, and if the non babies want salt they can add it themselves while at the table. babies are only allowed a maximum of 1 gram of salt, anything over is bad for the kidneys and some babies die from eating salted food, scary...

Mommy is rereading the book again, see if there is anything I missed...

What you have eaten so far:

Avocado
Watermelon
Rock Melon
Honeydew
Mango
Apple
Pear
Papaya
Banana
Starfruit
Kiwi
Broccoli, steamed
Cauliflower, steamed
Pumpkin, roast and soup
Carrot, roast, boiled and soup
Cucumber
Roasted Red Bell Peppers & Zucchini tossed with minced garlic, red onion and unsalted butter
Baked potatoes
Roast leg of lamb
Grilled Salmon
Salmon cakes
Spaghetti bolognese
Fetuccine carbonara
Chicken soup
Mushroom soup
Home made Fishballs
Eggplant and Olives dip

That's all I can think of so far...

Now that mommy had a look at the list, you've eaten quite a variety already, yet I feel not varied enough yet in terms of taste and flavours. There are some food items which you haven't been introduced to like eggs, daddy is sort of allergic to it. But you have had egg products, like the salmon cakes mommy made with just the egg yolk since it says allergies come from egg whites.

Mommy planning on making mini burgers for you this weekend, as long as I remember to take the mince out from the freezer.

Eating out is somewhat easy, fail safe is to just bring your broccoli florets which you'll happily munch on. it'll be great for you to eat what we eat, but mommy is worried about the amount of MSG there are in foods at some restaurants. MSG affect the mental developments in children.

Trying to establish healthy eating now so it will benefit you when you get older. You'll learn what food is good to eat and what to avoid, or not eat as much, as you won't develop the taste for the not so beneficial foods for you because there is no way mommy is going to introduce you those foods.

Drink wise it's just breast milk and water, juices is just sugared water no matter what they say.

Also you got to learn how to brush your teeth first too, got to keep those milk teeth healthy as possible, seen too many kids below five with bad teeth, so not good...

Love,
Mommy

8 Months Old!

Hi Baby,

Today is your 8th month birthday, in the morning we went out for dim sum with daddy's family, nini noi kept on wanting to hold you, auntie lin kept on trying to get that cute baby picture of you, auntie maricel entertained you as always, you drank water from a chinese tea cup, everybody else had 'ye sang' to bring forth the good luck for the year, you slept in daddy's arms in the sling as he shopped around a bit afterwards.

In the afternoon, we went to one of daddy's colleague's chinese new year open house and you tried to make friends with a little boy who was twice your age but the same size, but the little boy was too shy and hung on to his family amah for dear life.

In the evening you napped twice and rest of the time hung out with mommy when not in the studio or with daddy when he's not sorting out the comic books, and before bed all three of us was in bed playing when daddy eventually fell asleep and mommy nursed you until you did too.

Sweet dreams baby...

Love,

Mommy

The Second Emergence!

Hi Baby,

Today mommy confirmed the appearance of your upper teeth, well, I felt the sharpness of one upper tooth the second one isn't far behind.

A couple of days ago mommy noticed how white your gum were at the site and I had my suspicion and today mommy managed to slip in a finger to feel, and yup, there it is, a day shy from being 8 months old.

And you are crawling properly now, on your hands and knees, unless it is something you are interested in then you'd crawl some distance, apart from that, you're happy to just take two steps forward, and one step back to sit down.

Mommy and daddy caved in and bought you this big flouncy hair piece yesterday, everybody said you looked like a present waiting to be opened... go figure...

Love,

Mommy

Whistling Baby

Dear Baby,

I don't know where you learned or how you learned to whistle but you're doing it anyway. It's not the loud shrill whistling but it's still whistling, you were able to purse your lips in such a way that when you blow through your mouth you make that whistling sound. So cool!

The first time it happened was when mommy was talking to nenek and you were crawling on the floor. Whistling sound was heard, nenek looked at mommy, looked down at you, and asked, "Is that coming from her?" with a puzzled expression, yup, the sound came from you. Mommy wasn't surprised, I don't know why, maybe I have already heard it coming from you, don't recall when though...

So far your grandparents on both sides have heard you whistle, daddy heard you whistle and I can't remember who else. Mommy is going to google up whistling baby to see if it is a common thing or you're one of the rare few. Either way, it's cool! Heheh...

Love,
Mommy