Making your own baby food

I could certainly write a whole lot more than I am writing here, but I get asked a lot about how I did solids, so I'm just going to post what I did with no commentary. It worked well for both of my older ones and I am doing it now with my youngest. I know some say to wait as long as possible, but I find this really helps me stick with breast-feeding longer – meaning past one year.

This is not advice! Simply sharing what I did personally because I get asked by friends and I thought it would be easier to write it down one time.

I start with avocado. I purée half of an avocado with some purified water in the food processor. Using a spoon and a glass bowl that has a plastic lid( so I can save it for later if need be) I start with that and see how much they are interested in eating.

I repeat that for the next three nights to make sure there is no reaction.

To begin, I only do it once a day. When I just had my first baby, I did it at lunch time. Now I do it during dinner so we can all eat together because baby notices us eating and is interested.

The next food I do is organic butternut squash. Pick one up at the grocery store, cut off the stem and slice it lengthwise down the middle. Scoop out the seeds, and place it face down on a cookie sheet – I use stoneware. Roast it at 400° for 45 minutes.  Allow it to cool, and scoop out the inside. You can either just mash it really really well, or you can purée it with a small amount of purified water-or breastmilk.

Repeat for the next three nights to make sure there is no reaction.

I like to do the same food for four days in a row so I can be sure there's no reaction. The first time you try it, you might want to do it during the day in case you need to go to the pediatrician. I have never had a problem, though.

Making and storing:

I use silicone ice trays that I got at bed bath and beyond. There are 12 cubes per tray and each cube is 1 ounce. For instance, when I make butternut squash there is a lot especially if it's a big squash, so I spoon it into the cubes and pack it down. Once it is frozen, I pop the cubes out and put them in Ziploc freezer bags. Each freezer bag holds about eight cubes. I've then label the bag with what it is. This also makes an easy way when you want to start mixing solids, like one cube of butternut squash mixed with one cube peas, etc. I never mix until they have tried both separately.

When starting, I offer 2 to 3 ounces- 2-3 cubes.

With my first baby I started with: prunes, avocado, banana, sweet potato, butternut squash, broccoli, applesauce, green beans, pumpkin. I tried to roast most things. Applesauce is the only thing I buy – and I buy the whole foods organic brand.  With her, at seven months I introduced peas, spinach, grapes, carrots,… And I was giving 1 ounce at breakfast, 3 ounces at lunch, and 4 ounces at dinner.

My middle baby was a voracious eater and by about nine months old, she was eating 3/4 cup at lunch and another 3/4 cup at dinner and still nursing 4-5 times in 24 hours. With her, sometimes I put cinnamon in her food to help with digestion.

At nine months, a few combinations I was giving her looked like this:
-orzo pasta, mixed with sweet potatoes and cinnamon

-Black beans and avocado

-blueberries, rice milk, banana, apple sauce, Cheerios on the side

-orzo, bananas, and cinnamon

My kids took to the solids easily, so by seven months I was able to give them organic puffs, which I got at whole foods.

Now, I have just started solids with my littlest baby, and I haven't been as consistent as I was because we're so busy, I'm just nursing more. But I do give solids at dinner and he really seems to love the butternut squash.

Good luck!

Edit:  I will try to post some pictures of my ice cube trays and cubes, etc.

Ice cube trays- http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-Perfect-Cube-Tray-Dark/dp/B000QIU7X6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380498430&sr=8-1&keywords=silicone+ice+cube+trays

Birthday calendar

I'll admit I like apps as much as the next gal, but I like doing the birthday reminders this way better .

Also, it gives a chance for my kids to read it and decide to make birthday cards. 

I do the full name and the birth year so we always know how old someone will be. I also don't do anyone that I don't really plan on sending a card to or calling, I don't just do every single person I know.

Printed on card stock, cut, punch a hole, hang.

I keep the file so I can always add someone and reprint that month. We also decided to honor special people who have passed away and include the year they died. Grandparents etc.

In an effort to protect people, I can't really show full pictures of it, but you get the idea.

Some fun 'extras' you may want to include-
Cousins Day- July 24
Siblings Day- April 10

Rosh Hashanah tradition

I had this idea, so we started a new tradition this year and I really love it!

On Rosh Hashanah, each person in the family gets 4 apples and a dipper of honey.

We go around the table and hold one apple high in the air declaring something we will do to be a better person in the new year.  Once declared, dip the apple in honey... Once you take a bite you have made The Rosh Hashanah Promise, you must stick to it!  (The honey helps with the sticking.) ;)

We all go around til we have each made 4 promises for the New Year.

It was a big hit!

Each person got this plate of yumminess...

Yum!

She loves her local honey!

Even the baby got in on the tradition... But don't worry, we made the girls rid themselves of all traces of honey before touching him!  There should be a Rosh Hashanah PSA for babies and honey!

I am loving this tradition!

L'shana tova u'metuka!

* Honey should NOT be consumed by children under 1 year old.   Infant botulism can occur when a child ingests spores of Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which are found in dirt and dust and can contaminate honey. This illness typically affects babies who are between 3 weeks and 6 months old, but they're susceptible to it until their first birthdays.

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