HankandLucy

We started Cheech on solids at 4 1/2 months. For many people, this is quite early, but as a parent of a formula-fed baby, I have somewhat of a different take on this subject. After doing TONS of research on organic formulas, we found the formula we felt was right for our baby. Unfortunately, our baby wasn't on board with the formula we chose. She was having trouble digesting a variety of formulas, and I was feeling pretty defeated. It would never have occurred to me that not every formula is right for every baby. After lots of trial and error, we finally found a formula that, when combined with a probiotic, was gentle enough for her little system. It wasn't my top pick, but I was happy that we were at least able to keep her diet organic. So for me, starting her on solids felt like I was able to regain control of her diet; I was able to feed her wholesome and nutritious foods that I felt were right for her.

I feel that she was already starting to show interest at 3 1/2 months. At her 4 month check-up, she was in the 90th percentile for height and 97th for weight. Due to her size, our pediatrician gave us the green light. I started her on rice cereal (as recommended), but moved onto *actual* food after just a couple of days. I've made every effort to keep her food local, organic and seasonal, because that's exactly how Joe and I eat. It's been a ton of fun trying new things and seeing how she reacts to unfamiliar foods. I can't get her to eat banana or avocado to save my life, but have had an extremely positive result with pears, peaches, yams, carrots, and persimmons.

At six months, we started incorporating some BLW. Although I really love the idea of feeding her the foods she gravitates towards, I still want to stick with the purees because she likes them, and I find it's the best way to offer her an extremely expansive selection of foods. I really want to do whatever I can to prevent her from being a picky eater, and I feel getting her accustomed to a variety of flavors might aid in that. So, we do a combination of both.

So far, feeding her solids has worked really great for us and for her. BUT (there's always a "but"), I do have one issue. She seems to have this innate distaste for all green foods. It's almost as if some older kid already told her they suck. Now that I'm blending flavors, I've had some luck. She loved her apple, yam and kale mixture, and also did pretty well when I caramelized some cabbage and blended it with a steamed carrot and asian pear. But other than that, it's been a bit of a challenge. Are there any green vegetables that your babies absolutely love? Or, do you have a blend that just so happens to be your secret green weapon? I'd love to know.