Solids??? Hardly

There are certain things that I will never quite understand about how we use our language. A haircut? Who ever just gets one hair cut? Have you ever noticed that there is no ham in a hamburger, nor are there any apples or pines in a pineapple. And why do they refer to a babies first foods--other than milk--as "solids?" There is nothing solid about what Eleanor has been eating lately.

Yes, we have ventured into the world of "solids" with Eleanor. To date she has taken a liking to banana, apple sauce, pear, papaya, and carrot. She has taken to heart her pediatrician's advice to make meal time a fun exploration as her food-filled fingers explore all parts of her face, ears, and hair, with an occasional stop at the mouth. One or two spoonfuls per setting has quickly turned into decent meals. We try to feed her when we are sitting down for lunch and/or dinner.

We've been reading various books about babies and solids and have even picked up a few recipes for some tasty sounding concoctions. It has also been a fun challenge to figure out ways to grind and mash the food to a consistency which Eleanor will enjoy, as well as to figure out how to get the food from the spoon into her mouth. As you can see, the hard work is paying off. -T