Adventures in FOOD!

At the boys' 6-month doctor's appointment in early December, we were given the green light to begin solid foods. (All of Jaden's diaper tests came back blood-free. Hooray!) For several weeks before this, both twins had shown an increased interest in watching us eat: following our forks, reaching out for our food, and even putting their hands into our plates. All this combined with their newly-acquired ability to sit up independently assured us that we were good to go! The food adventures were about to begin...

STEP ONE: Get the boys used to their high chairs.

As you can see, these high chairs give the boys a bit of growing room! :) Neither twin was quite sure what to think of the new, large chairs. 

Cody (on the left) enjoyed chowing down on his tray. Of course, who could blame him when the tray was right at the level of his mouth?

Jaden, on the other hand, looks a bit bored already with the high chair.

STEP TWO: Put on baby bibs and remove any extraneous clothing.
In Cody's case, this step also translated to the removal of his extra-large tray. This looks a bit more natural, wouldn't you say?

Someone must've already sent Jaden a memo on the open-mouthed eating position. Can we say," ready," anyone?

STEP THREE: Mix up the rice cereal and begin feeding.
Ahh... if it only were this easy. What you don't see in these pictures is a bit of behind-the-scenes chaos. Amy took a long time trying to figure out just the right cereal consistency, so the boys started to get a bit impatient. Then, as we sat down to begin, Jason got an important international phone call. As you can guess, the boys' impatience grew. Now, FINALLY ready to go, we started to snap a picture of the boys' first bite, and our camera battery went out. Of course, new batteries were nowhere to be found, so we went on a frantic search throughout random electronics in our home to find new ones.

By this point, both boys were pretty much screaming, and Mommy and Daddy were a bit frazzled. Hmmm... sounds like an ideal scenario for a memorable 1st time feeding, doesn't it? Thankfully, both Jaden and Cody calmed down when offered the spoon and anxiously gave the new cereal a try.

STEP FOUR: Eat!
We love their expressions below (Cody first, then Jaden) following their 1st tastes. Overall, Cody seemed to be a bit more comfortable with swallowing, while Jaden playfully moved his tongue around his mouth.

STEP FIVE: Know your stopping point.
After a few bites, we were teetering dangerously close to naptime, due to our numerous pre-meal delays. The boys seemed less interested in eating and more interested in sleeping, so we decided to call it a day. If nothing else, Day 1 gave the boys a good experience sitting in their high chairs and feeling a spoon in their mouths. Not too bad, I guess!

We did capture videos of each boy as they took their first bite. The background fussiness of the other twin is quite enjoyable as well. :)

Our second day of rice cereal went much more smoothly than Day 1. The prep work was efficient, the boys were well-rested, and the camera's batteries were charged. Both Jaden and Cody ate over half the cereal we had prepared for them. Success!

Jaden

Cody

Our next food to try was pumpkin: a tasty winner! Both boys eagerly finished their entire bowls. Mommy & Daddy sure loved the orange spit-up that came later!

Jaden

Cody

In the next few months, by our dr.'s orders, we'll continue to introduce new foods very slowly. We want to be careful to watch how Jaden's little body reacts. Thankfully, so far, so good! Please keep our little guy in your prayers as we continue our adventures in food!