Baby’s First Foods, the Second Time Around

“Mom, at what age did I sleep in a big bed? Walk? Do this, or that?” I’ve been asking my mom these questions my whole life, and more often than not I get the same response:

“You know, I don’t remember.”

And my whole life, I’ve always lamented: “What do you mean you don’t remember?! How do you not remember?!”

I’ve been a mom now for almost three years, and ladies and gentleman: I can’t remember anything. I especially cannot remember the details of Penelope’s first foods, which was just 2 1/2 short years ago. I can’t even remember what I ate for breakfast today!

That’s parenthood, I guess.

So naturally, with Ciro’s first bites came a much-needed refresher course on baby’s first foods. I cannot believe how much I’ve forgotten this second time around, but again, par for the course!

Baby’s First Foods, the Second Time Around

Here’s what we are dealing with, what surprised me, and a few other things worth noting:

Quantity. I think in my mind I expected Ciro to chow down from the start and go to town, but he had other plans. Plans which involved grabbing the spoon with a vice grip. Plans which involved wrecking 2 bibs in one sitting. Plans which involved not that much food actually making it into his mouth (maybe 1/2 teaspoon?), and LOTS of curiosity. I had to remind myself that this is normal, there’s no need to stress over quantity, and that all kids go at their own pace!

What (in the heck) to actually feed him. I should know what I’m doing by now: this isn’t our first rodeo, and we’ve literally written a book about this. So I should be confident, right? WRONG! I can’t even tell you how many times someone has asked me when our book will be ready, and I tell them (April), but I follow it up with: “Not soon enough!! Because I NEED IT on my counter, NOW.” The ins and outs of parenthood take up so many areas of my brain, as I know they do yours, that I can’t seem to remember things like what are the best first foods, how much should I try feeding him, and what’s OK to introduce at what age.

The logistics. Such as: do I have to peel the skin off of fruit? Do I need to cook a pear before pureeing? Lots of quick reference questions like these are answered in our book. (And in short, in the case of pear, the answer is no – you don’t have to peel or cook a pear before pureeing. The docs we’ve interviewed agree that there are many beneficial nutrients in the peel, and that so long as the fruit is ripe and soft, you don’t need to boil it. Bonus points for negating extra steps! Purchase organic, clean it well, and stop stressing.)

The Troubles. Mainly, the constipation, which Penelope dealt with, too. Their little systems are still so new to all of this! If you’re dealing with this too, check out our last post for ways to help your little one get through this uncomfortable (yet very common) stage.

And last but not least…

The MESS. My husband is a neat freak. He held it together with Penelope, but I think she helped the situation because she was also so dainty and calm. But Ciro? Not so much. Ciro is an animal. But letting them get messy is part of the process! So, we let it happen.

In closing: Mom, here is my very public way of saying, I’M SORRY. Because I was the sixth child, and Ciro is only my second, and I can’t remember any of it. It’s not my fault. I have deMOMtia. Please forgive me.

If you enjoyed this post, sign up to receive our newsletter for other great ideas on feeding your baby, toddler, and family. Look out for our upcoming cookbook What a Good Eater! for baby & toddler recipes with healthy herbs and spices to add flavor and broaden your baby’s palette, expected April 2016.

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About Alessandra Macaluso

Alessandra Macaluso is author of What a Good Eater! and The Real-Deal Bridal Bible, host of the Real-Deal Brides Podcast, and blogger at AlessandraMacaluso.com. Alessandra’s work is featured in several anthologies, most recently But Did You Die? which is the fifth installment in a New York Times bestselling series. She has contributed to The Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, and many other online publications. Her original screenplay “Polar Suburbia” placed as a semi-finalist in the Moondance Film Festival. Alessandra is mom to two toddlers and a twenty-five pound Maine coon cat who believes he is a dog. She spends her time driving her OCD husband completely nuts with her constant rearrangement of scenery in their home. Learn more at AlessandraMacaluso.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.