Yum Yum Yummy!!!!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am excited to start Baby Led Weaning.  I love the concept of baby feeding themselves, and of course skipping purees.  I am aware that once he starts eating food it could take a month or two before he actually rips a piece off and swallows it.  I look forward to him learning that food will fill his belly.  He seems to have lost his tongue thrust reflex and is sitting up well, not in his own, but upright enough.  Once he able to sit up we will start whole and large food.

We weren't going to do cereal, as there aren't all that many benefits to it.  The iron theory isn't as accurate as many health professionals say it is.  We are told that babies have lost the iron they are born with when they turn 6 months.  Studies have disproved this theory stating that the only begin to loose it at around 6 months.  I also have a few friends who have tried the commercially produced rice cereal and have had negative reactions to it such as hives and constipation.
Alan wanted to try to oatmeal cereal for babies, so we did. What a joy this has been.  He was a little hesitant at first however, now he lunges in for it.  It is so cute.
Tonight he sat in his highchair at the table and couldn't get enough.  We also gave him a little bit of water with apple juice for flavour.  Funny funny reactions.  I of course want to limit his water intake as I still want breast milk to be his main source of nutrition.  I don't want him to fill up on water, as there is no nourishment or fat in it.  I do want him to enjoy eating, and to help him to be a happy and good eater when he is bigger.

As for Baby Led Weaning, I will be doing a modified version if it.  I am not wanting to wean Sutton from the breast just yet, but I am wanting to introduce him to REAL food, in the form in which adults eat it.  I have been reading Baby Led Weaning by Gill Rapley, and it is fantastic.  So logical.  I look forward to not pureeing foods and spoon feeding.

To contradict myself though, we did do baby cereal where we spoon fed Sutton and let him feed himself as well.

Here are some pictures, which I will cherish forever!!!


                              Alan helping Sutton eat, he was leaning forward to get to it faster!

                         He loved the spoon and trying to get the food off!  Ahhh, such a big boy!

                                            Yum!  He was licking it off his hands!

Water with a smidge of apple juice, it must have been sour!!!  (I found a sippy cup which Sutton will actually drink out of, and he does it by holding it himself.  It is the Tilty Cup.  Hopefully he will drink breastmilk from it, as he is refusing the bottle still and the other sippy cup we have.)

Playing is so much fun!!!!

In the last couple weeks Sutton has been loving his Exersaucer.  I do not like to keep him in for too long as he cannot yet stand on his own, but he LOVES it.  He grabs at everything and pulls the toys, presses the ones to make songs and just flails around.  It is so exciting to see him get so overwhelmed at all the toys and the songs.  After about 10 minutes though he has had enough!  I am using the excersaucer as a tool to help him play on his own.  I love to always play with him, but I feel it is important that he also be able to entertain himself alone or with toys for short periods of time.  His hand eye coordination is also delveloping as is his abilty to reach out and touch things.  This will help when he is ready to start eating solids by baby led weaning.  He is learning cause and effect.  He knows that certain things make certain noise, sometimes it takes him a while to remember or figure it out, but once he does, he doesn't stop! 

My perfect sweet little baby is growing so fast!!!!!

Here is a video of him playing.  I couldn't do it with the camcorder as I do not know how to upload, so I had to use my cell, the quality isn't that great, but of course his cuteness shines through regardless!  He mostly stared at me, but when I am "not looking" he really plays and explores!

I connected at "Mommy Connections"

One of my many fears while being pregnant included being at home alone with a baby all the time.  I am such a social person, how could I possible handle the adjustment to not working and not being with other adults?  Wouldn't I go crazy?  After mentioning this to some other mommies, they suggested I join a post natal moms group, which sounded like a lot of fun, and a nice weekly getaway!  I was excited to get out of my pj's, do my hair, make up and choose a cute outfit for both me and baby. 

I decided to start looking for one.  This did not come without many challenges.  There were so many, some far, some close, some free, some had a fee, some in houses, some in cafes, some for babies, some for kids, some with structure, some without.  I ended up not choosing one, as I basically wasn't able to choose or bother with contacting people.  For a couple they had you fill out forms and almost be accepted. 

I was in a restaurant one day, when I was talking to another mom there.  She mentioned she went to Mommy Connections.  As quickly as she mentioned it, I inhaled my burrito, grabbed my baby and went home to google this group.  Well, was I suprised! I could apply online, and the application was just my contact information.  There were several locations in the city that had the same program, so naturally I chose the one closest to me!  Now, to wait for the following Monday.

I loved that every session, we started out talking about our babies and anything that had happened in the last week.  Babies learn so much everyday, so there was always something for all of us to share. Actually it was one Monday morning at MC that my baby fully learned to roll over, maybe watching the other babes insipried him.  I also liked that the days were structured.  I didnt want a moms group at a coffee house because what if I didn't click with the other moms there, I would have to sit in silence and just wait. Well, knowing me, there would never be silence, but I wanted structure.  I wanted to learn while socilaizing.  Mommy Connections offered this.

The days were all the same in structure.  We had 2 presenters each Monday for 8 weeks.  Some of the topics included Itnellidance Babies, First Aid, a lacatation consultant, Kindermusik, introducing solids, Discovery Toys, and infant massage, sleep, just to name a few. One of my favourite sessions was when the North Edmonton Mommy Connections Director, and Tiny Gems consultant Lyndal spoke about cloth diapering and baby wearing.  Those are 2 things I am passionate about so it was great to learn lots and chat with other moms about it.  She also did a demonstration on different baby carriers.  Oh, and we had a professional photographer from Island in the Mist Photograhy come in and take "Mom and Baby" Photos.  She did a wonderful job, the photos are amazing!

The location was great, especially if you had other children, they could play at Gymboree and have fun for the full 90 minutes, while the moms and babies all sat together.

I have made several friends through Mommy Connections, who I will keep in touch with. They were down-to-earth women who were all there for the same reason.  One thing that stuck out the most in my mind was that for the most part we all breastfed.  Even though breastfeeding is so natural and best for baby, some people do not like to see you do this in public.  It was great to sit and breastfeed with sometimes 10 women....AT ONCE!!!

I enjoyed this program so much that I joined again.  I decided to try a different location so that I could meet new women and hear some different presenters.  It is great to get out once a week and see the same people, get to know them and their babies.  We have a common bond in the fact that we are raising our little babes.  I have great friends outside of Mommy Connections, but those without children, or with older children simply cannot relate to me right now, and sometimes it is just nice to talk to someone who is going through the same changes in life as yourself. When we were learning about sleep, we got to ask questions to the presenter, and one mom turned to me and said "I'm glad it's not just me!"  Sometimes it is reassuring to know you aren't the only one who is having challenges or joys, and sharing it can mean so much.  It is also exciting that my 5 month old baby has friends!!!!  Today at Mommy Connections, he even held hands with a little girl....uh oh, now I am in trouble!!!