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.