The time of year where I sit at my desk with a space heater right next to me has officially arrived. I just wrapped up an interview with Gina from The Fitnessista for her new podcast, Healthy in Real Life. It will go live tomorrow so I’ll share the link once it’s up! It was SO wonderful chatting with her.
One more thing before I dive into today’s post…a discount on my upcoming yoga + fitness retreat in Jamaica!
We are offering 10% off the total cost of the retreat if you book by December 1! All that is required to secure your spot is a $250 deposit! Get all the details about the retreat here.
Now to catch you up on our time in Florida. Finn and I arrived back in Charlotte last night from our Thanksgiving week with my family. Here are a few photos that I took on my iPhone to show you what our days were like. Low-key and perfect!
The weather was all over the place. We had cold days, warm days, rainy days, sunny days…but it was all beautiful!
Soaking up a warm day on the balcony with my grandmother.
Rainy day Scrabble game with my mom and grandmother. Playing Scrabble while also entertaining a baby adds a whole new dimension to the game.
I got my grandmother’s Christmas tree out for her and decorated it. Finn liked looking at the lights!
Worked on solids while we were in Florida. So far, Finn is NOT impressed. He’s also not super impressed with sitting in his seat. The only thing he semi-tolerated was sweet potatoes that I added a little breastmilk to.
He started teething pretty seriously while we were there…we had some rough moments. I’m thinking that is probably not helping our intro to solids project.
We also had some very sweet moments. I love it when he falls asleep on me. And look how big he’s getting!
We flew out on Monday night and before we left for the airport, we had the most amazing sunset of our whole trip.
We were blessed with a half-full flight so we got our own row, which is always so helpful for Finn wrangling and breastfeeding. (And no, Finn did not sit in a seat by himself!). This was his sixth round-trip flight in his six months of life. If you’re traveling with a baby during the holidays, check out this post where I share some tips.
Any teething tips? Solids tips?
Finn has already flown more times than my sons, who are almost 7 years old! 🙂
Hi Jen!
I have a 7 month old little girl named Charlotte! We’ve found that she doesn’t like purées and refuses to let us feed her (she turns away, grabs the spoon). So we’ve done baby led weaning instead which has been amazing! I love watching her discover foods, use her hand-eye coordination, and improve everyday. She loves food when she can feed herself! As for teething, when it’s really bad I will give her Motrin or Tylenol to help with the pain and I comfort breastfeed her more often. As well as the usual, frozen teething toys and lots of snuggles!
Finn is super cute! ☺️
I second BLW! I have an almost 8 month old and she refuses to let me feed her, she loves to feed herself. I’m enjoying baby led weaning so much also. I wonder if Finn would like it? I’m also following for teething tips, I think we’re approaching them soon!
Yes! I am reading about BLW and integrating that into our approach to solids for sure!
Thank you Kerri! We are going to try this! I’m excited. What are her favorite foods!?
I second what Kerri said above. Purées haven’t worked for us either so we are doing BLW. She is loving feeding herself.
For teething – putting chew toys in the freezer always helped with my older two and then Tylenol on the nights where it got unbearable. Was always such a relief to my babies (and momma!) when those stubborn teeth popped through.
Glad you had a great Thanksgiving!?
Thank you so much for the tips! 🙂 We are definitely going to try BLW.
All I can recommend for solids is to be patient and don’t rush or force it. Babies will eat when they are ready. His main source of nutrition is still you and solids now are ‘just for fun’.
Teething – yeah, it pretty much sucks. If it got bad enough we used Tylenol and teething tablets (but I think those have been recalled since then).
Finn looks so big in the that picture on you. Love baby naps on the chest.
Gosh, I really needed to read this comment. Thank you! I know I need to just relax and let him go at his own pace. We will get there when it’s time and he’s ready.
I used to freeze mini whole wheat bagels and give that to my son to sort of chew on. the whole wheat bagels are good because they just sort of flake off into tiny crumbs when frozen/being chewed on so they can’t choke (although you gotta watch anyway just to be safe). Maybe in another month try that ( I think I did it right at 7 or maybe 8 months).
Ha! What a great and creative idea!
yes BLW is waaayyyy better for kids and parents. Obviously do what works for you but that is what worked great with both my kids. it’s just so much easier so you don’t have to sit and spoon feed your kid. Instead you can eat with them!
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but a) things that look like teething might not be–they could be developmental and b) teething issues last for like the next 18 months. It’s brutal. Buckle up mama!
I am totally on board with not having to spoon feed Finn and having him eat with me! And ahhh…I know that teething is a long road.
Ditto all the above but Amazon also sells food teethers. I dont know the exact name but they’re mesh or plastic giant pacifier looking things with a loop for baby to hold and holes. You put food into them and babe can chew on it and basically puree his own food (avocado, sweet potato, banana later on, pears, etc work really well!) Freezing them first helped double on teething help. Start with veggies then fruit then protein (idea is if they taste sweet fruit they’re less likely to want the veggies). Massaging his gums might help too. And I’d recommend avoiding teething meds and sticking to motrin or tylenol as most work by numbing the gum which can also numb further back in their mouth and increase risk of choking.
YES! I’ve seen those. I need to get some. That such a great idea. I’ve also heard that you can make breastmilk “popsicles” too for teething, which sounds awesome.
I had my heart set on doing BLW but our son had no interest in feeding himself. We have tried and tried and he just s
Whoops! Accidentally pushed send before I was done commenting! Anyways our son has no interest in feeding himself and he is super duper picky. It’s been hard and stressful for me because I do not want a picky child. I’m learning it’s all out of your control, though. So we have only had success with purées and they have to be really thin. I tried making my own and he just pushes them out with his tongue so I buy organic jars and pouches. He’s almost 9 months and I thought he would be eating way more by now. I am going to talk about it with his doctor at our 9 month appt though as I wonder if we need a referral to an OT or feeding clinic or something. I know he’s supposed to get most of his calories from me but it’s hard to envision him eating enough by 1 to be fully on solids. Our son has had major ear infection problems and got tubes today so I am hoping that maybe makes a difference. Who knows!
But Finn is so young so things could change drastically for you guys! As far as teething we haven’t found anything to he super helpful unfortunately. We have given him Tylenol a few times but I don’t know how much it helps. He does like to chew on things when he’s teething. The biggest hit has been baby dill pickles!
Thank you so much for sharing so openly Lisa. I am so sorry that it’s been stressful for you. Gosh, don’t kids teach you so much about not being “in control?” I hope that things get easier for you guys and that Finn gets over the initial hump and learns to love solids. 🙂
Hi! This might sound completely random, but I noticed the gold bar necklace that you’ve been wearing in a lot of your pictures lately, and I love it so I wanted to ask you about it. I think a while back you said in a post that it was made by Erin McDermott, and I was just curious how it has held up over time since it is kind of on the pricier side. I am thinking of buying one for my mom for Christmas and I just wanted to make sure it was something she’d be able to wear for a long time.
I haven’t taken it off since she made it for me and it looks as nice as the day that I put it on! So yes, it will hold up! I love Erin’s jewelry and have been working with her/wearing it for years.
Hi Jen! My son loved trying solids by chewing on food in a feeder (I used a rubber one rather than mesh because it’s easier to clean). I would put in a small piece of frozen fruit when he was teething and he loved it. And the frozen fruit didn’t dissolve a single quickly so it kept him entertained for a while! Introducing solids can be so stressful, but it’ll all work out! Good luck 🙂
I need to get one of those ASAP! I’m going to check out amazon tonight!
I have an almost 9 mint old baby girl at home, and we’ve done a combo of purées and finger foods. A few things I found that helped a lot were to have her sitting with us for most meals (especially dinner when her Dad is home from work), and we actually have her up with us. We use a Guzzie & Guss Perch chair and it is the BEST thing ever. We frequently use it out at restaurants too – it allows our little one to really feel ‘part of the action’, and it’s nice for me too as she is safely strapped in and I can go hands free. And with the solids – just be persistent and consistent. Our public health nurses in Alberta where we live really stress that parents decide the ‘when’, and babies decide the ‘what’ and ‘how much’ when it comes to food. I also read it can take a baby trying something 7 to 10 times before they ‘like’ it! You’ll get there! Ps. Rice husks – while no nutritional value – are GREAT for teething and to teach Finn how to feed himself. I credit these with the fact our little one now happily eats ‘normal’ food, on her own, at most meals.
Thank you so much for sharing these tips!