BLW how-to

Baby Led Weaning (BLW) and I had a serendipitous meeting. It came looking for me. Other than disposable diapers and breast feeding, BLW is the best parenting decision I've made so far. A bit of online research, a little light-reading, some mulling-over and I was game. It would be more convenient, more cost efficient, more productive and way more fun for me and my son Waylon than the pureed food we were working with.

It seemed super easy: give the kid bites of big-people food and watch him go. But once I started selling the theory to other mothers, questions arose. Indeed, there are a few lessons-learned to consider before you get started.

You'll need to round up...
a laid-back 6-7 month-old
an adventurous, enthusiastic caretaker
some healthy first foods
a cleaning arsenal
a free hour or so and patience




Aim for variety. This is a typical lunch or dinner plate. Include your basics: a whole grain, two or three vegetables or a fruit, maybe a dairy. Without fail, Waylon falls for hue. Lesson learned: let him taste the rainbow, and I don't mean Skittles.

Interestingly, they (BLW-gurus) say go on and give the kid whatever you want - from raw apple to spaghetti bolognese. Well, I am a healthy skeptic and an obsessive-compulsive clean freak, so Waylon has yet to have something so hard as apple or so messy as spaghetti (though he has had bites of ground beef taken from spaghetti and loved it.)

I made the mistake of giving Waylon gravy. (After all, he is a Bama baby.) Now, he pitches a 'gravy fit' over bland food. Lesson learned: keep it mild. No gravy.




Consider size. A common BLW suggestion is to offer sticks of food, which makes sense (something to grab and something to chew on). But Waylon would grab and lock down, and half the stick would be a loss. Lesson learned: grab-able bites of soft-ish, whole foods in small amounts work best. Too-small bites are not baby-finger friendly. Too much selection is overwhelming.


Brace for mess. These people are just figuring out those chubby little hands, and that food will not be still. I can lay back, but not far enough to watch Waylon smear food from here to Kingdom-come. I wipe while he chews. Bless his heart. Lesson learned: stay away from things like mashed potatoes and oatmeal. These are better fed via spoon.


Take it easy. It's going to be a painful first few weeks, watching your nugget try over and over for one bite. Let him try. And, beware the gag reflex in the first few days. Stay calm...and nearby.

Cheer 'em on. Punctuate the meal with lots of praise and encouragement, as well as a little brainwashing. Keep telling him sprouts are tasty. He'll start to believe you.

fish baby

Waylon went swimming for the first time today. It was BIG f-u-n. I just put him right in the water. All the way (not under, but close). I didn't want to hesitate because I didn't want him to think I was anxious or it was something he should be afraid of. The water was pretty cool and he made a nervous face at first, but my excitement and enthusiasm overrode his apprehension and he let it go.

He was a little fish baby! It was fantastic! I think if I had let him go completely, he would have put in a couple of laps and hopped out for a snack and a rest in the sun. Ahh. Without a doubt, Waylon gets his penchant for the water from his Mama. I was swimming like a...fish when I was only three years old. I have always loved it and never been afraid. Joey still doesn't know how to swim.

Gigi brought a little inner tube for us to play with and Waylon hung his chubby little arms over the sides and kicked out back like a champ. He floated and splashed and kicked and stuck his little face in the water. He's a born swimmer. I am so proud. I want him to grow up swimming... and being a healthy-unafraid. We were so sad Daddy had to miss this day, but so grateful that Gigi invited us over and brought Cooper down to play with us. AND, to top it all off, Amy and Locke came, too. The only thing that would've made this day better is some ice-cold watermelon, a little more sweet tea, and of course Daddy.

We can't wait to go to the beach in a couple of weeks. Now THAT will be a good time.

tiny dancer

I forgot. Waylon went ahead and got teeth 3 and 4 this past weekend. It's been a long time coming. Bless him. AND, he danced to music for the first time on Sunday night, too!

It must have been the dime.

money maker

The craziest thing happened the other night (Sunday). I found a dime in the bottom of Waylon's onesie. (*Not his actual bottom, just the bottom of the onesie.) No kidding. I gave Joey that 'very-funny' look, to which he took offense and adamantly denied any wrong-doing.

I have no idea. Several people held him that afternoon at a baby shower we attended, but none of them would plant a dime in Waylon's bottom...that I know of.

I asked Waylon what in the world he was doing with a dime in his bottom. He smiled and said, 'Saving up.'

I will say that I am glad that dime didn't end up in his throat. Seems like if it could make it to his bottom, it could make it to his throat. And, if this continues, I think it's safe to say our money worries are over. Ramsey Shmamsey.

finger feeder

Waylon is officially a finger feeder. This is a big deal for a couple of reasons.
1) He is growing up. Fast. He can now actually feed himself. This is somewhat of a milestone.
2) My life just got way easier and our grocery bill a little cheaper. Baby food was such a pain. And I never even got around to making my own. It's not cheap. It only lasts three days. You can't put the spoon back in the jar. I know these things seem minimal, but to me they were maximal. And it smells funny.
So, we just said forget it. I discovered Baby-Lead Weaning (BLW) on one of my regular reads (www.babywisemom.blogspot.com). Come to find out, there is an entire BLW community, much like every parenting decision I will ever make, I am finding out. The premise is that the child is never introduced to pureed foods at all. Starting at six months, which is when most babies start eating solids, the baby just skips straight to big-people food. They eat what you eat. Sounds crazy, right? It is. But, it's so easy and fun!

Now, the BLW community (or, at least the blog that I happened upon) suggests giving the baby sticks or larger pieces of food that he can gnaw and gum to death. Waylon was having none of this. The problem was that he would grab a stick in his fist and lose it forever. The little part that stuck out didn't last long and the next thing he knew there was squash and green beans appearing out of nowhere on his bib. No good. Once I started cutting the food into more bite-sized pieces, it was game on.

The first three days, he gagged a lot. Which, surprisingly, bothered Joey way more than it bothered me. It didn't phase Waylon. He'd gag, rearrange and try again. Done. It was and is amazing how quickly he caught on. He knows exactly what needs to be done and how to do it. He can actually grab a bite (the pincher technique) and put it to his mouth, but most of the time can not figure out how to relinquish the bite once he makes it there. This, again, is how we end up with mashed bites appearing out of thin air. He does much better with the shovel technique. Regardless, he is fully aware of what's going on, is developing mad dexterity and hand-eye coordination as well as an appreciation for healthy, colorful foods and a willingness to try anything. (That last part is more of my hope than a proven fact.)Among other things, so far he has had butternut squash, green beans, toast, broccoli, cauliflower, rice, yogurt, cheese, strawberries, peaches, pairs, pineapple, orange, cornbread, oatmeal. The list goes on and on. So far, it seems like his favorites are toast, butternut squash, strawberries and peaches.

Best of all, I guess it's a kind of game to him. He much prefers to feed himself over being fed. Once he's got a bite in his trap, he talks and bounces the entire time he's eating. It's big fun to him. I am constantly reinforcing good responses to the whole experience. 'Oops. Dropped that one. Try again!' 'MMMmm. That's some good squash/yogurt/toast/tilapia.' 'Yummm-mee!' And praising his premature ability to get the food to his little mouth. 'Good job, Waylon! Good grab!' 'Way to go, buddy!' I guess these things make it a little more fun for him. It's a stark contrast to the pureed food days of 'Open up. Come, Waylon. Three more bites. Woops. That one came back out. We'll just put it back in.' Every meal is an adventure.

I will say, it is painful to watch him concentrate and try so hard to get one measly bite into his mouth only to drop it at the last maneuver. Over. And over. And over. And, our meals do take close to forever. But, bless him, he has yet to get frustrated or give up. He just regroups, takes his time and gives it another enthusiastic shot. He gets his patience and perseverance from his Mama. Among other things.

tortise and the hair - or why it took me so long

About three weeks ago, I cut all my hair off. About 10 inches, which needless to say was not all, but it might as well have been. I can not believe I haven't written about this yet. It was agonizing - the decision-making process. And, in actuality it took me about three years to come to the decision to cut. I exaggerate not. I started working at the salon in March of 2007. That's about when I first thought of cutting my 'beautiful hair', as Mom called it when she found a waste-basket full of it one fateful afternoon when I was five. Katie Holmes cut all her hair off I think the following January or something like that. That's when every soccer mom in a 10-mile radius of DL Salon made an appointment to go short. That, frankly, made me change my mind all together. I would NOT have the same haircut as the rest of Birmingham...or Hollywood. Period.

So, I resisted. It was hard. There were some cute cute cuts leaving the salon for months. Courtney, my friend and stylist, encouraged me to stay long. She held out with me, willing her blond Rapunzel hair to grow as long as possible, which is well past mid-back. I loved my long hair. Joey loved my long hair (I think most men do). It was a style - a statement in itself. It said, 'I'm carefree and fun. I ride in my Jeep with the top off and eat big macs and play the guitar and create things. I fall out of bed into awesome outfits, put on mascara and chap stick and don't have to brush my hair.' It said things like, 'I could do flip flops or stilettos. L.B.D. or cargo pants. I don't try to look this way. It just happens.' I felt like most women wanted my long hair (and let us be honest, ladies. We all know we dress for most women. If you can't admit that, you need to do some soul-excavating.)It was who I was.

Reality check.

I was none of those things. I was none of the things I thought my long hair was advertising. I don't even own a Jeep and I know that a big mac has 540 calories. I would never eat one. I would spend 15, 20, 30 minutes, sometimes close to an hour, trying on outfits in the morning. Stilettos kill my too-wide feet. I was faking.

Well, I am some of those things. I HATE putting on makeup. I am a mascara and chap stick girl. Live in flip flops in summer, boots in winter. Have a collection of LBDs and a love the cargo pant. But, rarely do I not try to achieve whatever 'look' I have going for me any given day. Thank goodness, more often than not, I am in pajamas or work-out clothes these days. As a matter of fact, there are days that I stay in PJs til mid-day, take a shower and put on different PJs. This, my friends, is the beauty of staying at home.

Bottom line, though? I was obsessed with my hair. And the hair, obviously, was just part of a whole. I was obsessed with my appearance. I cared so much about the way that I looked, I would only wear things, outfits, that I thought would get me compliments. I needed them. They fueled me. And, for one reason or another, I strived, worked, to be the most attractive person at the salon. Or wherever. I was addicted. I was addicted to looking a certain way and I was addicted to my long hair because it was the icing on my cake.

So, it had to go.

I am changed. Not since cutting my hair, but since being at home. Since having Waylon. One of the luxuries of staying home (besides the PJ thing) is the amount of time I get to spend in scripture - reading it, singing it, meditating on it. I spend more time with my LORD now than I ever have. Ever. And I am changed because of it.

I can tell you, without hesitation or pride, that I am not obsessed with the way that I look anymore. I will say, it's sort of like AA, I guess. Appearances Anonymous. I still struggle. There are people and places that I come across for one reason or another that I want to look a certain way for. There are people whose compliments mean more to me than others and I still want them. Worst of all, I sometimes care too much about how Waylon looks. My seven-month-old son. And have you seen him? He'd be stunningly adorable in a paper sack. No kidding. But, I want desperately for him to know that the way he looks is unimportant. And, the best way for me to teach him that is to show him that the way Mama looks is unimportant. And to compliment him on the other great things about him, like his genius and hilarity and cool disposition.

Good things: 1) Joey still thinks I'm beautiful. I seriously thought his opinion of the physical me would diminish without long hair. He was very supportive and encouraging and thinks my hair looks beautiful now. 2) I donated my cut hair to Beautiful Lengths. So, hopefully, someone who doesn't have their own hair can use mine instead. 3) Short hair is unspeakably easier than long hair, with or without a child. So e-a-s-y. 4) Cutting my hair was the biggest step in quitting my addiction so far. Things can only get better from here. 5) Before the cut, I could get ready, shower-to-door, in about 25-30 minutes. Now, it's at least 15-20. These are all good things.

I miss it, though. I miss the way it made me feel. I always felt like my hair was the best thing I had going for me. It was sexy. But, in the end, it felt like a wig. I had come to the point where standing in front of a mirror, I felt like I was wearing someone else's hair. The day I got it cut was nauseating and liberating. It felt like I got extensions removed and I could finally be me again. I was supposed to have short hair right now. I may grow it out again one day. But it's me for now.

I've actually thought about going shorter.

back with a seven month round-up

I mean, has it been a while or has it been a while? I have been oblivious to the world around me for the last week or so. I decided to spring clean this year. I have never done this before, and have since decided that it is, in fact, for the birds. No. Really, I am glad to do it. It's the hardest physical work I've done since labor and delivery, but I suppose the end product is almost as good. Just kidding. All that to say that every minute of my spare time has been spent purging and scrubbing. You can ask anyone who's tried to call me last week or so far this week. I haven't answered...or called back. Been busy. Thus the lull in blog posts.

But, I'm back. I have finished the brunt of the work and have found a moment to my blog, albeit a brief one as Waylon is currently preaching to his Ugly dolls, awaiting his triumphant rescue from his prison-crib. That boy. Something else.

By the way, he is seven months old this very day. I know he is significantly bigger than he was this time a month ago, but I feel like a whole lot hasn't changed. Let me list and we'll see. At seven months, Waylon...

got two teeth in two weeks
is currently awaiting the arrival of tooth #3
loves to suck on my nose and my cheek (we call them kisses)
thinks big people food is exactly what it's cracked up to be
is learning to finger-feed himself
might be done with blow-outs (we're keeping our fingers crossed)
jumps. all the time. in the Jumperoo, in my arms, on my lap, on the changing table.
rolls over with ease
sleeps well on his tummy, but gets stuck there. needs help.
sleeps an average of 11 hours at night with little to no interruption
is way easier and more fun to take care of than our two dogs
still hasn't said 'ma-ma'. he's close. very very close.
might have figured out what we're doing with the camera. poses.
sits up. until he forgets or gets distracted, then he falls over. this happens often.
sings. along with the music in the car, at church, or when I sing.
stayed with someone other than me (Grandpa) for the first time. 3 hours.
still wishes he didn't ever have to sleep during the day. and still tries sometimes.
loves being outside even more than last month
is starting to throw things on purpose (food, spoon, pacifier, toy)
loves to play peek-a-boo. laughs hysterically when he reveals himself.
has a LOT to say about EVERYTHING
thinks his Mama and Daddy hung the moon.

He is growing and changing so fast. He's becoming an actual little person. I thought about this yesterday when he was playing peek-a-boo with me. He covers his own face. Then, I make a big deal about not being able to find him. I call his name and ask where he went and on and on. Then, when he's ready, he rips the cover from his face with the biggest grin. I exclaim, 'Oh, there you are!!' And he dies laughing. Every time this cracks him up. And me, too. It's so crazy to me that he is putting all this together already and playing this game intentionally. He might as well be writing his name.

It has already been almost summer-ish outside and we have gone for a walk every day, which Waylon loves. We have been outside as much as possible, cause Lord knows as soon as the real Alabama summer heat kicks in, this Mama's gonna be sitting under a fan sipping sweet tea. Sorry kid. Daddy will be home soon.