it was quite a momentous occasion here in the heintz household. olive’s first time eating solids!

when we went in for olive’s four month appointment, her sweet pediatrician, dr. perlman okay’d us to start feeding olive solids. so, i inquired other moms about the subject. most people started out their babies with cereal. i was wary of the idea because baby cereal was not very nutritious and they were all fortified with vitamins, which made me skeptical.

i am also into reading olive’s cues on when something feels right. i love, love breastfeeding her. it’s time so fabulously spent together and such a wonderful bond you build with your baby. i felt that she was always full after each feeding; she was growing and gaining weight, so i did not want to start her with solids until she was closer to her six month mark.

i looked into what foods you can first give your baby and how to make it. i loved the idea and option of creating your own baby food with whole, fresh, organic products. why not serve your child simple, whole foods that give her all the nutrients she needs than a bland product such as white cereal that is not naturally nutritious?

i noticed right around her five month mark, she started to get very curious when i was eating or drinking anything. she would watch and stare as i picked up food and put it into my mouth. she stared intently as i chewed my food. she would follow my hand as i pulled my drink towards my mouth and watch in awe as i sipped my beverage. that’s when i knew it was about that time to introduce some solid foods into her diet.

[daddy affixing the chair cover to our tripp trapp with a smiley olive]

[first foods – a whole avocado]

***

so, at 5 1/2 months, i fed olive her first solid food!

i looked at several books on baby food. i debated on whether i should just google simple recipes on the web versus buying a book. i decided to buy this book called top 100 baby purees. i love it, it has awesome recipes that are so easy to make. i then went to the grocery store and purchased a bunch of organic ingredients to make olive’s baby food.

[here we go…ready to nosh on some solids!]

making baby food is absolutely easy! the recipes are very simple, some require just one or a few ingredients, some mashing, or just throwing it in the food processor. i love using oxo freezer trays and their square containers. they are bpa free and perfect for freezing and storing all the food you pre-make.

olive’s first food were bananas. i just sliced off two inches of a banana, warmed up a small amount of breast milk and mixed it all together. the consistency is on the soupy side but still like a thick paste. i also used a silicone covered spoon from oxo to protect her sensitive gums. i love the spoons, they are ergonomically made and they also come in travel cases for when you are on the go!

[organic bananas + breast milk]

[nom, slurp, nom, slurp, nom…she likes it!]

[yummy!]

[she loved it so much, she was ready to feed herself!]

the verdict? feeding olive her first solid food was a hit! she absolutely loved her bananas and milk! the first time she ate, she consumed maybe a few teaspoons but her second time eating her banana milkshake…she ate the whole thing! that was probably at least two tablespoons or more. what an eater!

what an exciting time! i can’t wait to explore new foods with her and broaden her palate. oh, i love my baby olive!

xoxo