I know it's been awhile since I've blogged. Things have been a little crazy lately. More on that later.
Now, I have two questions for all you moms out there. Eli is turning 1 next month (how did that happen?!?) and so I need to start looking for a new car seat for him. I don't know much about the next size. I've heard things about 3-in-1 and booster-convertible or whatever, but I really know nothing. So, rather than researching like I should, I thought I would just ask:
1) What kind of a carseat do you recommend for a 1+ year-old?
I don't really want to spend a fortune, but at the same time, I know it will get used through the years, so I don't mind investing in something that will last.
Next, I need ideas on food. I seem to be a little stumped on what to feed Eli lately. I know there are probably lots of things I'm not thinking of. He LOVES to feed himself and is not so keen on the purees anymore (mostly because I have to feed him), but he only has 4 teeth, and he's not a year old yet, so there are things he can't eat yet, so I need ideas. His favorite things lately (finger foods) are avocados, bananas, crackers, cheerios, and peas. I'm still breastfeeding, so he gets a lot of his nutrition from me, but we are nearing the weaning phase, so I need to find more balanced things to give him. So, the next question:
2) What foods (finger foods mostly) do you recommend for a 10+ month-old?
Okay, I'm ready for the suggestions now. :) I've seen other people do things like this on their blog, and I'm always amazed at the awesome responses, so I'm counting on you! Any and all comments are welcome (even if you don't have children). Thank you! :)
10 comments:
my kids have liked beans & brown rice at that age. also potatoes and steamed veggies (carrots, broccoli, etc.) have worked for me.
anything you eat cut up. don't over-think it. steamed and fresh veggies and fruit cut into tiny pieces.
i was going to recommend our car seat, but I can't remember the name... i'll get back to you.
We have a convertible carseat and I actually started using it when Jonathan was about 6 months old and I didn't want to carry around the infant seat anymore. It's "convertible" because you can use it backward and forward. I don't have much experience with anything else, but Jonathan will be able to use his for a while still. We have 2 because I don't have my own car and people kept leaving with the car seat in their car--our first was a nice-looking, comfy one and our second was a $40 Cosco one. I have seen absolutely no problem with the cheap kind. Just so you know.
As for food, that's something I have a hard time with, too. I just gave up and kept feeding Jonathan even though he could feed himself, and now he won't feed himself very much. The cereal aisle is FULL of things that we eat a lot. Chex, Kix, Life. He usually wants cereal. Also, don't look past pastas--you can cut them up and they're easy to chew, although he'll get kind of messy. But that's part of childhood, right? Good luck! I found it really hard at first to get used to feeding them real food--baby food is just so easy and it's hard to think of things for them to eat.
My sweet sister-in-law Kristy gave me a food grinder/masher thing when Seth was a baby and it is grat. I just put whatever we eat in that and grind it up. In fact, Russ is getting a mouthful of teeth now so I could even bring it to you if you remind me to.
We have used an Evenflo triump covertable car seat, it hods them from 5 to 40 pounds, but my oldest was huge so he went into a booster at 2 and a half. Madyson is 3 and 26 pounds and fits it nicely but car seats have an expiration date too (which sucks) but its usually 6 or so years. My brother has the graco one thats 150 dollard but its way nice. Its not backward facing i don't think. Payton we got a britax on ksl for 30 bucks (normally 200+) and its been good too. Most car seats are good I wanted my kids to be comfy too though for the long trips to Cali.
Also for food we do fruit cocktail in the tropical my kids loved that, string cheese cut into pieces, ham chunks in the packages for omlets and stuff, lunchables makes awesome packages of two at walmart with baby ritz crackers cut up ham or turkey and cheese they are the best Payton loves them. Mac n cheese (messy but they love it), hot dogs, ramen noodles, quesedilla anything soft and cut up they can slober all over and turn into mush.
I hope that helped at all, I don't know if it did, but I tried to think of it all (memory isn't that good anymore).
Julia likes cottage cheese and cut up toast with cream cheese
Cottage cheese is a good one, but I guess you might need to wait until after he's one. As I told you on the phone, I think, it's so much easier when they turn one and can have cow's milk and eggs. Then you can do scrambled eggs, cheese, etc. Bread works well, as long as it's not the kind the will get pasty/stuck to the roof of his mouth when he sucks/slobbers/eats it! Cut up carrots, corn, broccoli if it's soft enough. Vanessa loves canned green beans, probably because they taste so much like the baby food green beans she used to eat. Fruit is great, too. Oranges cut up, and as summer approaches, canteloupe, watermelon, peaches, plums, etc all cut up. I even give her apples sliced extremely thinly, but still in a slice form that she can hold in her hand. Mashed potatoes, even tomatoes cut up really small. Of course, my babies seem to get lots of teeth early on, so that does make it easier (At 14 months Vanessa has had 12 teeth for a while now). Cereal, pasta with some type of spaghetti sauce has always been a big favorite of my babies. Pretty much since she turned one, I just give her what we're eating, and just cut it up. Of course, I don't give her anything that's unsafe, but she can have most everything we eat now. Okay, this is getting really long, so I'll stop now!
Carseat: We went with something like this one...and I mean exactly like this one but gray. :) We used a 20% coupon from Babyrus when we bought it too. (came in the mail) http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3749235
Food: Anything you eat he can eat, I always practiced on mushing something on the roof of my mouth and if it could be done he can do it with 4 teeth. We fed (feed) Tyler, strawberries, grapes cut in quarters, string cheese in quarters, chicken nuggets (softer if microwaved), rice, potstickers (he loves those) I also used those Gerber freeze dried fruit pieces as a travel snack. The masher that people mentioned is great too. I did that with some foods. Just cut it up, mash it up and he will eat anything. :)
I have gotten a Britax Marathon for both of my boys. I LOVE THEM. They are on the pricey side, but VERY safe and they can be front facing in a 5 point harness (which is the safest) up to 65 pounds. Jackson is so tall that he just outgrew his which is very oncommon, so I just bought a Graco Nautilus 3 in 1. This carseat can handle kids in a 5 point harness up to 100 pounds and transforms into a high back booster seat and also just the regular booster seat. This was slightly cheaper, but I have really liked it so far. It should handle him until he is 8 years old and can ride without a booster.
Looks like you've already gotten some great advice. I second your friend who said that even with four teeth, he'll be able to mash it up with his gums if it's not too hard. Exactly what I wanted to add. Also, the cut up ham someone else mentioned is great. It comes in cubes or diced and we just get the diced. No extra chopping for me! And since he's 10 months, you could actually do yogurt and cheese. After nine months those are okay. Becca also loves peas. If it's hot out, I'll just give them to her frozen. Otherwise I'll heat them up just a little. Other than what everyone else has mentioned though, I can't think of anything else. Lots of good suggestions. Some of them are new ideas for me, so I'm excited to have them too!
For car seats, we've always just gotten the cheapest Cosco ones at Walmart and they've been great. But do get a convertible one so that you can do rear or front facing. I think with Esther we were borrowing an infant seat and switched her into a convertible at a few months old, even.
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