Baby Included: October 2008

Now that Baby's six months old, we have to ask ourselves, "What do we do now?" But first we have to know "What do we feed him now?" It's right around this time that babies should be introduced to the concept of food that isn't milk. Asides from how many months old Baby is, one can tell when a baby is ready for food by how they watch you eat as if you were watching the television remakes of 90210 and Knight Rider - it seems familiar, but different, but you have to try it just once to see if it's any good. So before I start up the grill for some baby-portioned Steak-Ums, I figure I'd better do a little research for what Baby can and can't eat.

The most common type of first-time food is cereal. And none of that count chocolatey, magically delicious, greeeeeat cereal, but organically grown soy or rice based cereal. No novelty shapes, marshmallows, or sugar in this cereal. You'll want to buy a little bit to sample at first, because it's very possible baby's tummy can't handle rice or soy just yet, which will lead to a gassy, cranky, and probably very smelly baby. So a 5 pound vat of cereal from Costco is not the way to go for the first time. (But the place is great for pickng up pounds of dry formula.) We opted for a small box of "Healthy Times' Brown Rice Creal for Baby" from Whole Foods. I chose this brand because it had the highest nutritinal content, and has animals wearing hats on the front label.

Picking the cereal was probably the hardest part. Next come the supplies. Baby cereal is more like oatmeal, so techncally you can just swipe some on your finger and stick it in Baby's mouth. But one of the major points of feeding is to get Baby used to eating from untensils. And grown-up cereal isn't really easy to eat with your hands anyway. You'll probably need:

Bowls: Keep it simple with a set of these, or get fancier with the latest concave food storage: built-in spill catchers, customizable configurations, or advanced function and design (available in pink).
Spoons: It's helpful when the spoon bowl is made out of silicone, like these must-haves. You can go ergonomic or forgot the bowl altogether, and get a spoon that dispenses food. Whatever you decide on, just make sure you get the round part into Baby's mouth.

~~High/Booster Chair~~: Actually, you want to save this for later feedings, when Baby can sit on their own and handle utensils. The transition to spoon feeding shouldnt be too different from a normal feeding, so keep them on your lap, like you would a bottle feeding, at least for the first few times.

Remember that innocent looking baby cereal has a long way to go before it gets into Baby's mouth, so you need to be prepared for where it may wind up. Keep Baby and the floor clean with:

Bibs: traditional cotton bibs are the most breathable, but vinyl bibs are waterproof and have convenient catch cups built in. Or you can wear the bowl, and go all the way with a scoop bib (but baby can gt hot because of the heavy material.) Bibs with side closures are also another nice feature, since they're easier to put on and remove.

Spill mat: Sure, you can put a bib or a poncho over Baby to keep him clean, but what about your carpeted floor? Try a floor spill mat, in clear so you can see the mess, or "Safari" if you don't.

Wile you're prepping for Baby's first meal, I'm going to go make a sandwich. All this talk about eating is making me hungry.

Remember way back when, when Baby was born, and he had a wee tuft of air atop his little head?

OK, maybe his head wasn't so little.

Six months and ten pounds later, Baby's hair is long enough to advertise shampoo. It'll be time for a haircut soon, and since he can't decide for himself whether he wants a Mohawk or a mullet, Daddy will have to decide for him.

Oh, the possibilities...