Day 8:

I feel all at sea. Being six months old is really, really hard! So many new things to learn and remember: I don’t think Mummy and Papa realise how confusing it can be. Having turned my world upside down last week with this new “food” stuff Mummy decides to give me even more food this week – twice a day! And the food stuff keeps changing. Just as I get used to the sweet potato stuff, she gives me something else.

Today Mummy gives me something she calls “papaya”. She says it’s a lovely fruit from the Carica tropical fruit tree.  I wonder if that’s one of the trees in our garden that Papa likes to show me with the birds on it that say “tweet, tweet”?? I’m not so sure about eating things from trees though….

I try the papaya.  Uhmm….no, I’m not liking this.  Mummy says it’s bath time next. I love bath time. I kick my legs a lot and water splashes everywhere, sometimes even in my brother’s face, which is funny…hehe.  I really want to have a bath so I eat another few spoonfuls of papaya.

Day 9:

Mummy sometimes calls me a little princess and once, at bedtime, told me a story about a princess and a pea.  At lunchtime today Mummy tries to feed me peas.  I don’t recall the princess in the story having to eat the pea and I’m not sure about this: the peas are very green.  Mummy mixes the peas with some potato.  It’s white, not like the orange “sweet potato” I like. It doesn’t taste too bad though and I my tummy feels a bit empty so I eat one whole portion of the peas AND a portion of potato.  Mummy is very pleased.

Day 10:

I don’t think this eating business is going to stop.  Mummy just keeps giving me more food and now I have to eat everyday as well as drink milk and sleep.  So many things to do and remember!

Today Papa gives me some food.  It looks like that “apple” stuff, but with something else yellow on top.  Papa calls the yellow stuff “mango”.  The apple still makes me blink a lot and the apple and mango are a bit cold (not like the warm pea and potato).  I spit some out and try to tell him I prefer warm food, but he doesn’t seem to understand and puts more apple and mango into my mouth. Why are these parent people so silly sometimes?

Day 12:

Maybe Papa did understand me when I said I prefer warm food as yesterday he gave me some warm sweet potato for lunch – yummy! I ate two portions so he would know I really like it.  He was very happy.  I really wish he would tell mummy I like sweet potato.  Today before bath time Mummy tries to give me some more carrot stuff mixed with PEAS!  Yuck! The pea with the white potato was OK, but this is disgusting.  What is Mummy thinking?  I spit out the first few spoonfuls, but Mummy tries to give me more so I stuff my whole fist in my mouth so she can’t put in anymore.

Day 13:

Oh no, is that more carrot Mummy has in the bowl?  It’s orange like carrot, but Mummy says it’s “butternut squash”.  That’s a really long name, I don’t think I can remember that.  I’ll try a little but if it tastes anything like carrot, I’m stuffing my fist back in my mouth!

Ooh, it’s quite nice.  I think I like it more than that other orange sweet potato stuff.  It’s nice and sweet tasting.  I think I’ll eat all of this…quickly before bath time.

Mummy’s edit 

Following a shaky start last week, little Coco seems to have taken to her food a bit better this week.  Having started with one meal a day, for weeks 2-4, I am giving her two meals: one at lunchtime and the other at tea time, both followed by milk.

Coco is doing quite well with the vegetables, particularly the root vegetables, but is not yet a fan of fruit.  One would expect the opposite! It’s just a case of persevering, discovering what foods and tastes she likes and what she doesn’t like.  I have started to introduce a couple of tastes together in one meal such as the potato and pea and apple and mango. Over the next few weeks I’ll introduce more new foods and continue to give her those she likes, such as butternut squash, sweet potato and potato and pea.

I might dispense with the carrot for a while….she really seems to dislike it, which makes the clean up operation a nightmare!  Coco may come to like it or it maybe her one food hate, like celery is to me!

What mummy made:

Papaya purée – makes 3 portions

Peal a papaya, slice in half and remove all the seeds. Chop up and blend using a hand-held blender.  Papayas are quite juicy so add 2 tbsp of baby rice to the purée to thicken it up.

Pea purée – makes 3 portions

Add 200g frozen peas to boiling water and bring back to the boil. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Drain the peas and add 1-2 tbsp of your baby’s milk. Blend using a hand-held blender, adding more of your baby’s milk, if needed, to achieve the right consistency for your baby.

Potato purée – makes 8 portions

Peal and half 3 medium-sized potatoes.  Add to a pot of boiling water, bring back to the boil and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes until a knife cuts easily into the potatoes.  Add a knob of unsalted butter and 4 tbsp of your baby’s milk.  Mix together well and pass through a potato ricer, to give a really smooth mash.  If you don’t have a potato ricer, you can mash with a standard masher instead – it’s just takes a little muscle to achieve a smooth purée!

Mango purée – makes 3 portions

Cut a mango on either side of the central stone and discard the stone leaving you with two halves.  Cut through the flesh (but not the skin) of each half vertically and then horizontally.  Then invert each mango half into a hedgehog so you can easily cut out the cubed flesh.  Blend with a hand-held blender.  If needed, you can use a pestle to grind any remaining lumps.

Butternut squash purée – 1/2 half makes 5 portions

Pre-heat the oven to 200 (180 fan). Slice a butternut squash in half and remove the seeds.  Place the butternut squash flesh side up on a baking tray.  Melt a knob of unsalted butter in a pan or in a microwaveable dish in the microwave and brush over the fleshy side of the butternut squash, including the cavity.  Cook in the oven for 35-40 minutes until soft. Remove from the oven and scoop out the flesh.  Blend with a hand-held blender, adding some of your baby’s milk, if needed, to achieve a smooth purée. If you only use half the butternut squash for the purée, why not use the other half to make some of my “Wise Owl Risotto” http://bit.ly/1AdFBgi

Tip: You can freeze the purées in ice-cube trays and cover with a freezer bag. Just pop a cube out as and when you need it. As your little ones get used to solids, you can increase the number of cubes you give them. Alternatively you can use little freezer-proof pots and label each with the date and contents.

Happy weaning!!