Mason loves to EAT :)

We starting giving Mason rice cereal in his night time bottle right around 3 and a half months and he seemed to do really well with the extra calories :)

We waiting until he was 22 weeks old (October 9th) to start the actual "eating from a spoon" experience. We stuck with Rice cereal since we knew he like it and could digest it easily. He seemed to do really well with the whole high chair, spoon, open mouth & swallow deal :) I didn't really have a frame of reference since Mason is our first baby... but others with more experience told me he caught on really quickly :) He didn't really go nuts over the rice cereal... but who can blame him.

The real excitement came on October 22nd when Mason had his first experience with veggies :)

Mason LOVED the peas :)

Mason has tried several other fruits & veggies and seems to really love all of them :)

Peas

Squash
Green Beans

Sweet Potatoes

Apples

Pears

He loves the sweet stuff better of course, but does really well with the greens also :) I have decided to make all of Mason's food. It really isn't difficult AT ALL and it's not that time consuming either. I love knowing exactly what Mason is eating and exactly how it was prepared :) I also like knowing that the food Mason is eating now in pureed form will taste the same as he grows and eats it in whole form. Oh yea... and not to mention it is SOOOOOOO much cheaper to make his food rather than buy baby food!!

Since I am on the subject of food I thought I'd throw in a little something about breastfeeding. I really have not written much about it so far on this blog for several reasons & don't plan on writing about it too much even now. But... Mason is still exclusively on breast milk. I knew I wanted to breastfeed Mason but didn't know for how long. Mason & I had a difficult start but we kept at it & didn't give up :) Things got alot easier & then it was time for me to go back to work and it started to be a little bit more work. That's because the pumping got serious :) haha :) I love that Mason has been able to receive all the health benefits of breast milk & I'd be lying if I didn't admit how much I love the bond it has given me and Mason and the quiet cuddle time it allows us to have each day. I nurse Mason in the early morning and before his last nap of the day when he comes home from Ms. Densier's house. I also pump three times a day... one time in my car on my way to school, one time at school during my planning period and one time at home right before I go to bed. Pumping is my nemesis! I HATE PUMPING!!! I often wonder what I will do with all that extra free time I'll have when I finally stop pumping! I plan to continue to nurse and pump as long as possible...hopefully until I am able to wean him off breast milk straight to cow's milk so we can skip formula all together. I figured if I made it to the 7 month mark... what's 5 more months?!?! On the same note though, I have given myself permission to stop at any time without feeling guilty. I made it past the 6 month mark which I feel like is a real accomplishment!

I want nothing but the most pure and healthy foods for Mason and I am so thankful that I am able to provide him with breast milk and homemade baby food. I am very thankful to Nate and my Mom for all the support and assistance they have given me with breastfeeding and making baby food. There is NO way I would have been able to do either with out their help... and they have given ALOT of help!! So thanks Nate for washing all those bottles, moving my pump up & down stairs, constantly getting me glasses of water, packing and unpacking my pump bag, listening to me talk about how much I hate pumping every single night, and putting up with that super annoying pump sound "reeeehh wruuuuunk reeeeehhh wrrruhhhh" every single night and very early every weekend morning :) And Mom... thanks for all the washing, peeling, steaming, baking, pureeing, freezing, and storing of baby Mason's food :) You guys are the best!!!