Monday, November 25, 2013

keeping up with the Little Bean

A quick update on the Little Bean…
We are now almost 6 months (thursday he'll be half a year… what the h*ll??????) We are so excited though that he has been growing like a champ. He has three teeth now, and tries to have conversations with you, which basically consists of him squeaking until you pitch in and start squeaking too, than it just goes on forever.
I signed Luca and myself up for mamma baby class. Basically a place where babies can scream/play/fart/ etc together and the moms vent to each other, of course there is an instructor who answers questions from; "is it okay if my daughter chewed on my shoelace?" to when can I start giving my son 3 month old ice cream?" No judgement.
Marco and I will also start going to the local heated pool with Luca once a week. I am very curious to see how the Bean will react to water (besides his beloved tub), besides being a bean, he is also part piggy and part monkey, neither of which swim. Hmmm. Ill let you all know.
Luca and I have also been having massage class with y neighbor, sometimes it involves having him naked, so of course LB is in seventh heaven and giggles the whole time shoving his toes in his mouth and pulling his little little bean. And then of course peeing. Twice. When I say he's half monkey and half pig, I am not kidding. He also loves peeing in the tub, as soon as you put him in, without fail.
I cant wait to start getting ready for the holidays here, the weather is getting crisp, and I can't wait for the christmas markets. It will be sad, but also nice to celebrate the holidays here this year, I'll miss having christmas back in the States, but will be there right after the new year. I am dreading though the flight, now that Luca is not a newborn, and an actual human, he will realize how much flying actually sucks. Ill have Marco with me so phew. Sort of.
Anyway we are off to a gettaway with our friends this weekend so ill get back next week on another post, to either bore, or excite you;)
Marco and Grandpa are hoping this Bean will be the next Federer? Lets start with a smaller  ball

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Starting on Solids…. Slowly

So here we are at just over 5 months… Too early to start weaning? Well that what I thought. Some parents/people would say you should already start at 4 months (which to me is waaay to early, but again, thats just me) I also heard the longer you wait, the chances are of having food allergies is less… So of course being me, I had it all planned out that when Luca hit the 6month  mark, I would slowly introduce him to solids, by letting him discover the flavors/ textures by himself. Aka baby led weaning…
So why am I starting now. Because Luca is a freak of nature. He got his first tooth just after he turned 4 and a half month, then right after that his second, but on the bottom. Then he discovered sitting. He sits now with full confidence by himself. Again, what do all those signs have to do with him staring on solids? My father. I basically trust him 100% on everything (well ALMOST everything) When it comes to health, and medical things he is the one I go to. He told me that Luca had all the signs of a baby that was ready to start eating. PLUS he literally begged for food. Marco and I always put him in his Tripp Trapp when he eat, and we give him some sort of toy (or one of our cloth napkins, the poor boy) to chew on and keep him happy. Well that didn't last long, he would start reaching for our food and start chewing! I swear. So we decided to buy him this Nuby toy thing that you put chopped fruit or veggies in and he can chew or suck on. Wow that changed his world, he would get so into it that he would growl. Yes growl. (when I say freak, I mean freak). ANYWAY so when he hit 5 month, on the dot I mashed up some carrots and fed it to him. At first he would act like we poisoned him, and make a horrid face and gag dramatically, and than he would get bored and preferred to chew on his plate rather than eat the food. So I am not pushing him, and I am not giving him 3 "meals" per day just a taste here and there of new favors mango, avocado, carrot, peas, rice, pear, broccoli… etc. he favorite is avocado.
When he hits 6 months I will start putting things in front of him, and letting him stuff his face. I don't want to make it so it's an obsession, I don't want to force anything too. If he wants to eat he'll show me… I am also very fortunate that I have milk, so I take 100% advantage of it.
LB is growing rapidly so I am not worried that he is not getting enough to eat, I also plan on nursing him until he is 1, obviously not as his primary food source though. It's an adventure like everything else that come with having a baby and you learn more each day.
my pumpkin with a pumpkin and aunty Giovanna

first time food. Carrots

this is wat I wake up to every morning. (can you see his teeth? He is very protective of them , and doesn't like to show them off)