Food, Glorious Food!

Shawn here. On Sunday the 18th we were at Nessa's cousin Jacob's baptism and brunch, and when Nessa got a little fussy, Tami gave her an apple with some bites taken out of it. Nessa glommed onto that apple like a koala onto a eucalyptus tree, and we didn't hear a peep out of her for quite a while as she sucked and sucked and gummed and sucked some more. The "solid" food era had officially begun.

Tami's sister Ellen loaned us the chair in the above picture, which clamps right onto our table. Works in theory, but it makes our small pedestal table lean some, and when Nessa kicks (which is most of the time) the table rocks back and forth. Eating in those circumstances is a bit like trying to eat on a ship in heavy swells, so after one attempt I went and got the high chair we had been eyeing, some plastic spoons with loopy handles, and a bib--everything the gourmand-in-training needs to be successful.


As you can see, Nessa likes her high chair. She likes being with everybody during meals, instead of being exiled to the living room to watch a Baby Einstein DVD. We like the fact that we don't have to hold her on a lap while eating to keep her happy.


We got some great plastic bowls with suction cups on the bottom as part of our shower gifts from my co-workers, and of course we have a variety of sippy cups. We're putting everything to use. Feeding (I use the term loosely) Nessa usually involves two loopy spoons, one for her to play with and one to use to actually attempt to get some food into her mouth. Nessa has already demonstrated the wisdom of having a vinyl cover on her chair cushion, as she regularly drops the spoon she is playing with to grab something else. So far she has feasted on partially peeled apples, applesauce, rice, rice pasta, rice cereal, a bit of baked potato, diluted apple juice, and maybe a few other things that Tami has given her when I'm at work. It's fun to watch her discover new textures and temperatures and try to decide if she likes them or not. So far nothing's been rejected outright, but we've seen some strange looks on her face. It will be interesting to see if she takes after her father (a notoriously picky eater as a child), or if she'll eat most anything she's served. :-)