Today WM presents three videos. I’m calling this triptych “To pea, or not to pea: The birth of an aesthetic sensibility.”
Above is Doot’s introduction to sweet peas. Yes, they’re organic. No, we didn’t grow them; they’re handy single-serving packs from the big baby food conglomerate and, yeah, they’re about $0.70 a serving, pretty danged expensive when you’re on a frayed shoestring budget. However, they are very convenient, and to New Jerseyans, convenience is everything. (Cue the DKs reference “Give me convenience or give me death.” Yes, I understand the irony.) The other justification I have for my laziness is that while we’re trying out solid foods, I’m not going to buy a bunch of stuff and have it rot in the fridge when they only eat a little bit of it. Their parents already have that problem with the produce intended for adult consumption. I have utopian visions that eventually when all four of us eat the same produce we will eat our way through large heads of leafy green lettuce and buckets of succulent cucumbers. It may be on pizza with lotsa mozzarella, but a boy can dream.
Up to this point, the boys have taken to solids like wombats to sedgegrass. Other than an unfortunate episode with prunes (expelled from both ends in force), they eat rice cereal, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and bananas. Based on facial expressions and enthusiasm, sweet potatoes and bananas are the favorites. Hello sweet teeth.
Doot is not into peas. Check out his expression. He had downed a bottle not all that long before when he was introduced to them, so we thought perhaps he just wasn’t that hungry. So I tried them again yesterday. He may be a sweet pea, but Doot is not into them.
The development of facial expressions and nonverbal communication at five months is impressive. You can really tell the difference, when, just a couple of minutes later I offer him some sweet potatoes. Yep, the kid is hungry, all right. Ixnay on the legumes, hello beta carotene.
Next week: escargot
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
love the video clips!
awww! I remember how cute that stage was. My Kieran is the same way about any canned meat. Like tuna or flaked chicken or ham or whatever (can’t say I really blame him on those last two either) but what mom can’t fall back on the old standby of a tuna fish sandwhich lunch on a busy day. me that’s who… one kids can’t eat peanuts, the other won’t eat tuna. there are only so many standard sandwhich options out their before you are forced to get creative and then it doesn’t qualify as quick and easy anymore. At least little Emily will eat anything I give her. it figure the tiniest one would have the biggest appetite.
Oh man, that first clip cracked me up! Maia is forever reaching for my food so once in awhile I let her try things… she really liked my orange freezie pop earlier today
Doot is so cuuuuute <3 <3
As a fellow New Jerseyan, I totally get the “convenience” comment. I actually did start making food this time around though for my now 8 month old. I bought every single jar flavor possible for my 4 year old, but following a girlfriend’s advice I just blended some veggies/fruits and then put it in ice cube trays to freeze – popped them out and store them in ziploc bags in the freezer. Trust me, we are BIG time produce wasters in this house…it’s a shame really – but this has really seemed to work and is pretty convenient. I so still by jar food for when we are out of the house, though.
@Julie B. – Now that is some smart thinking. It rarely occurs to me that the freezer has more uses than as a place to store ice cream and frozen peas. Frozen puree makes good sense. Thanks!