Compassion

You guys are really awesome. The comments have been wonderful; thank you so much.

So many of you said amazing things:

Catherine said:

You were cheated of a lifetime. There are going to be moments when you are keenly aware of that...there are always going to be things that remind you. Having a living child changes the grief somewhat but it does not eliminate it. Now you know what you lost. That is a blessing and a curse all rolled up into one.

So true. That's really the crux of the issue, isn't it? Being cheated of a lifetime.

I haven't begun to process what Aurelia said:

I'm betting the hospital has photos and mementoes anyway. Standard practice for over 20 years in many hospitals is too take photos, nice ones, putting the infants bodies back together and wrapped up in blankets and hats so parents can get photos later.

I will look into that when I'm ready. I think it will be soon.

Maura mentioned a great point:

I'm so grateful that you were in a hospital that had doctors who were trained and willing to treat your preeclampsia in a way that saved your life and preserved your health so that you could go on to have Tori.

Me too, honey. Me too.

Car also said someone dead on:

You know it wasn't your fault, that you had no choice in the matter, that the hospital staff weren't callous towards the boys so much as they were frantic to save you, that sometimes things happen and no one can say why. You were the best mom you could be for them, as long as it was possible.

She's absolutely right. I'm not angry at the doctors, not really. I know they were frantic to save me, and they did the best they could. I'm hoping that I can get more information about what happened to the boys, and also speak with someone to see if there is some way I could be of service to other moms going through this (yes, Elena, I heard you. Heh).

What everyone said touched me so much. I feel much, much better. And I'm thinking that out of more pain comes more growth.

At this rate I'll be ten feet tall in no time.

____________________________________________

On a happier note, ok, AN INCREDIBLY HAPPY NOTE, my venture has proved successful.

Did you hear me, internets? SUCCESS!

Yes, I found a job. Working from home. Full time, or close enough for aces (is that an actual saying? I have no idea). Can you believe it? I'm not going to tell you much about it, except that it's AWESOME and should provide just the thing to get my freelance writing career launched.

Special thanks to those of you who read this and made it happen. Thank you, you two.

I'll be still working where I am through the end of the school year (mid-May). Leaving them now would be cruel. But after that? All Tori, all the time.

___________________________________________

Speaking of Tori, I could use your suggestions.

Finger foods.

Help!

Tori decided that she prefers to feed herself, thank you. So we're exploring finger foods and I'm trying to find a way to get her to eat, oh, ANYTHING.

So far, she eats meatballs, french toast, cheese, and puffs (you know, the dissolving kind for babies--oh, and remind me to tell you all about the time Charlie decided that the puffs needed to be pre-dissolved before he'd feed them to Tori so he was putting them in his mouth first. Ye gods. Ok, I did just tell you about it, you don't have to remind me).

She will sometimes eat bananas and pasta. She has rejected mango, pears (the canned kind), squash, tofu hot dogs (I know, ew), broccoli, blueberries, raspberries, and anything else that's sweet.

She's drinking a ton of breast milk, so I'm not totally worried, but seriously. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Oh, and you'll find new photos here, here, and here. And there are even some of me and some of Charlie and Sarah and Pete. Enjoy.

Comments

[Adrienne]

1.

My daughter was born June 8th, so she's pretty much the same age as Tori. She likes to hold on to bigger chunks of food and gnaw on them. Here are the foods she eats best:

Graham crackers (broken in half)
Zwieback toast
Bananas (we cut the banana in half and she gums it into nothing)
Tiny cut up pieces of pears, grapes, or peaches
Jarred oatmeal & pears with cinnamon (YUM!)
Jarred chicken & apples
Chunks of bread

[Karen]

2.

Cecily, my heart aches for you. I'm glad you have shared so much with your readers, and that so many were able to give back compassion and love to help.

And CONGRATS!!!! on your new venture.

Finger food - Tori is going to need to taste new things a bunch of times before she'll like many of them, so keep offering the healthy fruits.

Some of her rejection might be about texture more than taste. See if thinking this way changes your opinion of her likes/dislikes.

We generally gave our 1 year olds anything we were eating at the table. Before that age we introduced foods fairly slowly - there are some food allergies in the family so we tried to be careful. But in general, if the rest of the family ate it, the baby got to try it, or at least play with it.

My girls loved hard cheese, bagels (especially when teething), peas, cut-up grapes, rice, pot roast and fish. I'm sure there were others, but these come to mind as favorites.

Have fun!

[Aurelia]

3.

You aren't the only one who has been processing, so you know. These posts and this whole subject have really really affected me the last few days.

This is why I love blogging, it's not just a solitary diary, it's the amazing things we all do together to support each other.

I'm glad your job initiative is going well, and I hope you find some peace over the boys.

Much love to you XX

[Heather]

4.

Congratulations on the job! That is wonderful and I'm also very happy that you found solace in so many of the comments. I read them and I am always amazed at what a compassionate and articulate readership you have.

As for finger foods, all of my suggestions are somewhat sweet. Watermelon or cantaloupe? My son really loved those Boca burgers and they are very soft. I will think on it and write again if I come up with anything.

[Kathleen]

5.

Cheated of a lifetime. Yes. All these years later, sometimes it still comes as a blow.

I'm not surprised that your work-at-home dream has come true. You are brilliant, who wouldn't want to snatch you right up?

Lastly, thank you so much for the pictures. I just adore your girl... and her folks!

[mamadaisy]

6.

major congrats on the job! you rock!

my kid lives on diced turkey hot dogs and whole wheat ritz crackers. i guess we're not the best example. oh, and don't forget blueberry eggo waffles -- they are way yummy.

best of luck to you.

[Jenn]

7.

My boys will eat anything not nailed down, but for finger foods their favorite is pancakes. I usually get the whole wheat kind but they'll eat anything. Other things they'll eat are waffles, tofu chunks, small diced chicken or beef, pretty much any vegetable I can chop small, cooked apples or other soft fruit, and cheerios. I also got some of those mesh feeders and put frozen peach slices in them for a "popcicle".

[Cyl]

8.

Avocados!

I'm sorry I didn't contribute a comment to your last post. It was one of those times that I was at a complete loss, and was certain my words would ring hollow. My heart was aching for you, and I tried to imagine myself in your place. I couldn't bear to do that for long; I swept up my youngest and cuddled away my panic.

[Maria]

9.

When my son was about that age, he wouldn't eat much finger food (texture issues, I guess, and no teeth at all), so I gave him baby food and let him feed himself with this spoon: http://www.sassybaby.com/category?cattype=category&catid=27&productid=56&product=Less%20Mess%20Toddler%20Spoons

Messy, but worth it when he was eating neatly with a fork later on.

[kathleen999]

10.

Fantastic! So glad your goal is being achieved so quickly!

I decided last week that my goal is to work at home exclusively by the first of the year. I just got a new freelance client today and my boss at work is starting a little freelance company and I will be working for him too! I want to be with my boys most of the day and just work when they are in preschool (3 hours per day starting in summer) or asleep. I am missing their childhood being gone so much.

Congratulations!

[RainbowW]

11.

thing to remember #1: SHE WILL NOT STARVE.

babies are good at not starving. so if she doesn't like what you want her to eat, that's YOUR problem, not hers. because, you know, she won't starve.

[Lara]

12.

Congratulations on the new job!

some finger-food ideas-
smaller sized pasta shapes
tortellini
shells-n-cheese when it's cooled down can be cut into small cubes

-also you can try adding spices
-I thought I'd try my ds on avocado - but he REALLY wanted the guacamole

[Christy]

13.

I think we have the same baby. Our daughters were born on the same exact day, and have accomplished almost every milestone at the same time. Of course, last week my baby started refusing the spoon. She wants to feed herself, or she will not eat at all. The only thing I can get her to eat is macaroni noodles covered in pasta sauce. I am sure this independent stage will pass quickly. But damn, it is frustrating.

[c]

14.

what about: frozen mixed veggies...thawed of oourse...peas, green beans, diced carrots; fresh apples-peeled and sliced into cubes; sweet potatoes (peeled, cubed and steamed); chicken-pull it off the bone in thin stringy strips; edamame beans; our little guy LOVES baked beans and black beans; haven't tried hard boiled egg yolks, but with easter coming those will be everywhere...
remember it can take up to 10 tried for a kid to "like" something.
Also any of the melons...watermelon, honeydew, etc

[Stacey]

15.

Cut up pieces of veggie burger work great for getting some veggies and protein into the finger food options.

[Tiffany]

16.

I am sooo sorry about theo boys - what a hard time for you. My mom suffered through 3 miscarriages before she finally had my older brother. One miscarriage was twin girls who she was going to name Tiffany (my name now) and Jennifer. At one point in the pregancy she knew something was wrong and the babies had died inside her. She had to suffer through labor and delivery and at them day and age they stuck her at the end of the maternity ward afterwards. She says now that she would have probably felt better if they stuck her with everyone else to get the good feeling vibes from everyone. After she left the hospital she would curl up with their dog, Wieny, and cry so hard. I want to cry thinking about it. You have been through a lot and it is ok to feel each and every emotion and it is ok to take as much time as you need to get over it, My mom lost her twins over 30 years ago and she still is upset over it. I can tell by the way she talks about it, and she will only talk about it if someone else brings it up.

On another note - Congrats with the new job - that is wonderful. Please let us know when you can.

Next finger food - I love my almost two year old but I wish we were back to Tori's age when it comes to food. Mikayla has a wheat allergy and now she is getting so picky I want to pull my hair out! I really want to start eating dinner at the same time with her but hubby cooks and he normally does not cook dinner until much later in the evening. for finger foods I would try anything and everything that is somewhat soft. Mikayla use to eat a ton of tortelline (sorry not a great speller) waffles, panckaes, cheese, yogurt, peas, beans - are a big one, now she loves almost all fruit, try peaches if Tori won't eat the pears, cheerios, any type of small cereal, cottage cheese - just a few ideas.

[Laurel]

17.

I second the recommendation on avocados – they are great, and so easy to “chew.” My son, born July 1, also loves to feed himself rice. I also have a book recommendation, if you don’t know about it already: Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense by Ellyn Satter. I found with my first child (now 3 ½) that feeding him was more confusing that I had expected. And it doesn’t get easier, either, or at least it didn’t for me – food intake changes depending on developmental stage, and our son became a very picky eater at some point. “Child of Mine” really helped me and my husband understand what was going on at each phase, and it also offers some really loving, sensible advice.

[Darla]

18.

AT that age my son loved avacado, cheese (veggie), carrot dices, puff, bananas, ground beef. You can try just about anything that is tender enough for them to mush with their toungue.

[Amy]

19.

Yay for the new job! (But boo that I won't have anyone to commiserate with when I have to go back to work and leave baby #3!)

Finger foods, finger foods...steamed zucchini was always a big hit with my older two.

[Cheryl]

20.

I knew you would be a success at your job venture!! I am usually jealous when people find this opportunity but I am just happy for you. What huge news. Good for you!

Finger food ideas: cheese quesadilla, cut into little triangles. Chopped pears. Frozen peas (well, actually cooked, I mean). My 11 month old can't cram any of these three things into her face fast enough. Also saltines with unsalted tops.

And by the way I don't know if Tori is crawling yet, but there is absolutely no crawling at my house. Whatsoever.

[Dawn]

21.

Cheerios!

Cheese (cut into bite size pieces) - we particularly like the Polly-O mozzarella cheese sticks at our house.

Grapes (cut in pieces)

Peas

Bite size pieces of carrot (cooked, because everybody knows that raw carrots are just for teething!)

If you have one of those mesh thingys, my daughter liked to knaw on pieces of apple, but I think because apples are a bit harder, they are considered a choking hazard (hence the mesh thingy).

Hunks of french or italian bread.

Farfalle (bowtie) pasta is a favorite at our house as well.

Regarding the raspberries and blueberries, they can be a bit tart at times, especially out of season. I recommend trying those again in the summer, when they are at peak sweetness. My daughter loved strawberries in the summer (we took her to pick them a couple times), but acted like we were trying to poison her a couple weeks ago when I bought some at the grocery store.

Also, you might try letting her try to feed herself the Yoplait kids yogurt. It is firmer than the Dannon kids yogurt, so I found that my daughter had more success with the Yoplait, in terms of the spoon arriving at her mouth with food still intact-ish.

Congrats on the job!

[Anna]

22.

My son (also born the same day as Tori) likes whole wheat pitas, waffles, avocado, mashed-up carrot, Cheerios, brown rice, black beans and banana. Of those, his favorites are the pitas, carrots and black beans. Tonight we gave him some quinoa with a little bit of soy sauce, which was a hit.

Congratulations on the new job!

[amy]

23.

WHOOO HOO! Congrats on putting yourself out there and finding employment that works for all of you! SO happy for you :)

[Teenuh]

24.

Oh. My. God. You did it!! And so fast! God I am so so happy for you. :)

You sure did get some kind comments on your last post. I love the internets.

No little ones for me yet, so I sadly have no advice on the food. But good luck finding something that works!

[Camille]

25.

I Googled "finger foods for a 1 year old" and found a number of sites that gave me great ideas for finger foods for Tatum. My granddaughter turns 1 year old today and I am just so grateful for this beautiful child and the blessing she has been in my life. I know you understand that feeling!!

[Whitney]

26.

YAY on the new job!! I am so excited for you!

I second what another poster said--we just gave our girls tiny pieces of whatever we ate. They loved noodles and rice, quartered grapes, tiny pieces of cooked chicken, that kind of thing. There is a kind of "starter" spoon--hard to describe, but it's like a dipper thing, that Tori could use with yogurt, grits (we love them!), potato soup, etc. Makes a huge mess but they learn to feed themselves pretty quickly!

[ann (fchen)]

27.

just wanted to offer a really giant congratulations on your new job. that was quick!!! wishing you all the best. :)

[Jen_nifer]

28.

For Tori: Sweet Potato Fries

They are mushier than regular fries, which make them easy for little ones to eat whether they have teeth or not, but are still in a stick shape, which they seem to love. I make my own, but I've heard some grocery stores carry them in the frozen or frozen/organic section.

Wash, and optionally peel, 1 sweet potato. Slice it thickly. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil, add some spices (I've done cinnamon and brown sugar, or seasoning salt, or just some BBQ flavour). Put it on a baking sheet and cook at 400 for 30 minutes, flipping once. It makes enough for baby to have a good amount and Mommy and Daddy to have a little taste. I've made it with two sweet potatoes and there was just too much.

[car]

29.

Oh my gosh! That's so awesome about the job!!!! Can't wait for you to post more about it!

I'm so glad we could help just a little, and you are so amazing, that one of the first things you're thinking about is how to help other people in the same situation.

I have a little paperback book called "Food for little fingers" by Victoria Jenest that I used a lot during baby/toddlerhood. Some of the recipes are weird and we never tried them (she has a strange fondness for liver), but a few were weekly staples and a couple we still use now as family meals. It's split into foods for babies (and she always says breastmilk can be used for the liquid ingredients), foods for kids with a few teeth, toddlers, then by fruits, veggies, breads, meals-in-one, etc. It's out of print, but can still be found for under $10 most places (abebooks.com, half.com, etc.), or I could send you our copy. Or better, since it has a lot of food stains on it, I could scan the pages and send them as image files (we can't pdf at work yet, unfortunately).

[Catherine]

30.

Congratulations on the job! That is fantastic!

Food...I fed Sam whatever we were eating, just cut up or smashed up or whatever.

To add to my comment on the previous post...I refer to it as the ghost child syndrome...the feeling that hits you at the oddest moments that someone is missing from the picture of your life. Sometimes it makes you smile to remember and sometimes it makes you weep to feel that emptiness. You just ride the wave, so to speak. There is healing in recognizing the truth (even the harsh parts) of your own story...but I think you already know that from your other struggles in your life. :o)

[dish]

31.

I hope I'm not repeating...no time to read the comments. The first thing I would suggest is to keep trying even those things she has rejected. What is the rule, something like 14 presentations of a food until they like it (for some foods)? Anyway, wait a while and try them again. Gabe's tastes changed.

For finger foods try tofu (I know, ew, but kids like bland), graham crackers, cheerios (moistened at first, then dry), soft cooked carrots, various fruits (try cutting the blueberries in half- the outside can be bitter), and goldfish crackers (when she's ok with hard crackers). I'm sure I am forgetting something...

[Ellen]

32.

1) Hurray!!!!! Good for you! That was fast, girl. I can't believe it - sounds like you got good help putting your name in the right place which, hurray, mystery helpers! I'm so pleased for you.

2) I'm glad all the comments help. I got side tracked by the film festival, and ended up crying to hard and having to log off; I had wanted to say that I agree with Elena. You could be a great resource to people in through a hospital. You're already a great resource now; heck, if the hospital gave out your blog to patients I bet it would a help. You should talk to doctormama.

3) My kids both liked pickles. I know, weird, but if Tori doesn't like sweet, you might as well try sour. They mostly sucked on them at first, but man, I was shocked at how much they loved them. Then of course there are the other things people have mentioned - cheerios, biter biscuits, arrowroot cookies, etc... Oh, and pancakes. They loved holding pancakes. My daughter even ate veggies like raw onions and peppers (shocked the heck out me, since I won't even eat them raw), though she was probably older than Tori is now when she started that. Grapes only if you peel them.

With pasta you may want to try different shapes - that seems to matter enormously to my kids. They're all about shells and corkscrews. And if the tofu dogs don't work, you could try turkey dogs. More healthy than regular hot dogs at least.

Congratulations again!

[Slim]

33.

Congratulations on the job!

Finger foods: Blobs of congealed adult oatmeal with ground flaxseed (omega-3s, plus she will never be constipated), rice Chex, peas, very soft cantaloupe, mushy lima beans, and soft cauliflower.

And I realize the above list shows that babies like a lot of things that skeeve grownups out.

[Janna]

34.

Congrats on the success of your new venture! Is there anything the internets can't do?

[Leggy]

35.

Very exciting about the new job. Can't wait to hear more about it.

[Libby]

36.

Congratulations on the new job!! I am so happy for you!

I have dreams about working freelance (as a translator and interpreter)full time but I have been afraid about the unknowns of working freelance. I think you have inspired me to just go for it now. If I don't gamble I won't win, right? If you did it, so can I.

Thanks Cec, I wish you all the best.

[cursingmama]

37.

Congrats on the job -

back in the old days (ha ha ha) I often gave the kids diced deli meat and warmed frozen veggies (the carrot, corn, pea mix was a favorite self feeder). Also the kids LOVED scrambeled eggs - they were messy but they loved it if I threw in a little cheese & diced ham.

[porter]

38.

My kids ate almost everything we ate at 7-8 months of age. I just cooked it longer or used less spice type thing (depending on what it was).

Some suggestions (and sorry I didn't read all of your other readers comments...too rushed today!):

-lentils
-waffles
-pancakes
-french toast (if she can't have egg white yet then I used to make it with just the yolk...some cream and vanilla, cinnamon)
-my youngest used to love whole boiled carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or parsnips. I would boil the entire thing (after peeling) until it was very soft and she would enjoy biting and eating it. Sounds odd but she enjoyed.

I can't think of any other food right now...basically anything that is diced up or over cooked works!

Oh, and the best advice I got from our pediatrician was to give a child a utensil to hold from the very beginning even if all they do is hold it (or make a mess with it) because they learn how to use one alot sooner. Both of my kids used utensils at 12-14 months of age. Kids love to feed themselves.

[Shelley]

39.

To echo a previous commenter -- sometimes kids are a lot more willing to be fed with a spoon if you give them a spoon to hold and wave around while you do so. Have no idea why this works for some, but it does. Worth a shot anyway.

As far as finger food ideas -- cubed, cooked sweet potatoes were always a hit around here.

[cait]

40.

Natalie loves beans (black and kidney). Open can, rinse, put on her tray. She devours them. Also peas and frozen mixed veggies, and lately she eats them still frozen--they're good on the teething gums. Chunks of sweet potato or squash have also been a hit. We also hand her the spoon if we're giving her something like yogurt, and let her put it into her mouth. Messy, yes, but she likes to control the utensils sometimes. Sometimes we'll also just drop blobs of not-really-finger-food stuff on her tray (hummus, cottage cheese) and she actually does get a fair amount of it into her mouth. We assist with a spoon as necessary, but maybe if Tori has some to work with she might resist the spoon less? Noodles of any form are also popular. Plain, with spaghetti sauce, or the mac and cheese variety. Good luck!

[Lys]

41.

I don't have kids so I can't help you there but I wanted to congratulate you on your new job!!!

[Dea]

42.

When my neice was Tori's age she wouldn't let anyone feed her so her parents resorted to what ever they ate, cut up small and appropriate for a baby. Oh and tofu, she loves tofu!

[babylossdirectory]

43.

Your previous post (and this one) deal with such profound emotions and thoughts. I don't have anything more helpful to add than what the previous commentors have written.

However, I wanted to invite you to submit your blog for listing on the Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss Blog Directory (www.babylossdirectory.blogspot.com). This is a blog that we are establishing to help the newly (or not so newly) bereaved connect with other bloggers and find helpful resources. The more people who submit their blogs, the better the resource will be.

I hope you will consider submitting your blog.

~ delphi at eightmillionpieces.blogspot.com

[Lara]

44.

Please, PLEASE tell me more about the job you got. I would love, LOVE to work from home and do freelance writing with my two small children. I need hints. Anything!

[Amy Damewood]

45.

Congratulations!!!!!! I hope it turns out to be everything you want from a job!

[Rachel]

46.

OMG! Yuor dreams were answered with a great new work at home job, well you did put your resume out there. Also, it is so nice to see all of these comments-the love is amazing.

[baseballmom]

47.

My boys really liked the pasta that Gerber Graduates has, they were ravioli and tortellini without sauce, and they loved them warmed up.

[Tiffany]

48.

oh wow CONGRATULATIONS on the new job! what an awesome opportunity and my god you are simply the most deserving person alive. i am sorry i couldn't comment on your last post. my heart was literally crushed for you. it ached so much the tears just kept falling and words just simply failed me. you are such an amazingly brave person. i really can't say that enough.

ok getting to the finger foods...ok: i know tori rejected tofu but did you put anything on it like pasta sauce? how about really well cooked tips of asparagus? or twice baked potatoes (sweet or idaho - it doesn't matter). a friend of mine feeds her daughter sweet potato baked wedges and she goes crazy for them! another great thing is brown rice pudding.

let us know what works!!! my mikaela will be at that stage before i know it! right now she is still on the pureed stuff. lucky me! :)

[car]

49.

Ok, that "my entire life is being blogged" t-shirt is the most awesome thing ever.

[Donna]

50.

Edwin LOVES soy ice cream and rice ice cream. (I guess they're not supposed to get diary until 12 months...) And speaking of finger foods, have you noticed some of the the "Goldfish" crackers now have FACES?

Cecily, Thank you again and always for such a wonderful blog. I'm sure you will always hold your sons deeply in your heart. You were and still are a wonderful mother to them.

[jackie]

51.

Wow...everyone has such great ideas for finger foods! Do you think my teenagers would mind if we went back to that?

Congrats on the new venture! I am so glad you found something to suit your needs!

Jackie

[CathyY]

52.

Congrats on getting the job so fast!

I second/third/whatever the reminder to keep offering foods she initially refuses. She will end up accepting more than half of them, I'm sure. My daughter ate tofu bites every night from 8 months - 11 months old. That was the only finger food she'd eat. Then she went on to love kiwi, homemade pancakes that I'd freeze and thaw as needed, ripe pears, all fruit and food, really. She didn't get picky again until she neared 2, and even then (and now) she eats better than most toddlers I know. Keep at it! You're forming her taste buds for life!

[Stephanie]

53.

Congratulations on the new job! I'm jealous!!!!

[Cera]

54.

No mangos! No mangos! Just from personal experiance, I wouldn't offer mangos just yet as they can be HIGHLY allergic foods.

Robby's favorite was chicken nuggets cut up tiny, pasta, yogurt ( i got reaally thick yogurt for himt o feed to himself ), bread cubes, cheese, french toast, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal ( again, really thick ), cereal bars cut up , and mac n cheese.

[niobe]

55.

On finger foods: nothing to contribute

On grief and compassion: nothing to contribute (for an entirely different reason)

On your job success: congratulations and (very quietly) I told you so.

[Sheri]

56.

Congratulations on your success with your new venture! I can not wait to hear more about it when you're ready.

hmmm. finger foods..... we didn't buy special foods for Hannah - she just ate whatever we did cut up tiny. We always gave her a spoon and she tried too feed herself from an early age. The cats and dog loved this stage of her life becuase they hovered and cleaned up all the mess she dropped on the floor or flung across the room. lol Cooked carrots and potato chunks were her favorite. Scrambled lean burger, eggs & cheese was another. Macaroni of any shape and banana pieces.

[Tara]

57.

That is so funny about Charlie and the puffs. :)
And CONGRATS on the new job!!

[Dan]

58.

A HUGE congrats on the new job!

[Chas]

59.

Oh my...what Aurelia said...that can't be true can it??

As for the finger foods. I don't know exactly how old Tori is, but my Lila just turned 1 and I feed her bits of torn up turkey and chicken (very small pieces), grilled cheese (also torn very small), cooked peas, carrots, lima beans, cheerios (she LOVES those), baby goldfish crackers, pimento cheese sandwich, pancakes & waffles (no syrup)...I could go on forever.

[Becky]

60.

boiled egg yolks -- Sam loves them.

[Julie]

61.

Play w/avocado - try little pieces w/just a smidge of garlic added - if she likes a kick - add a smidge of mild salsa and make her baby guac - Dylan has a blast w/guac.

[lb]

62.

My just-turned-10-month-old also only will feed himself. I give him bits of tinily chopped meat, basically whatever we're having. He loooooves all fruit chopped up into tiny cubes - grapes, canteloupe, pear, even apple in thin little slivers. For veggies, he likes peas, cut up beans, cucumber in tiny cubes, sweet potato in cubes, squash in cubes. He loves crackers and rice cakes. Puffed rice and puffed wheat (available in the cereal aisle) are easily dissolved like puffs, but much much cheaper. If I am feeling brave, I give him yogurt but it is a horrible horrible mess.

[Kellie]

63.

Congrats on the new job! I hope it works out great for you :) It sounds wonderful, being able to work at home :)!!

[Shannon O.]

64.

Lorelei really likes those meat sticks in the todder foods... and their crackers... she likes canned carrots over baby food carrots... and she loves ham... so if you cut it up into little pieces that might be cool too... ohh and she loves sweet potato french fries... found them at the store... hehehe...

but my MIL lost a baby kind of in the same way as you... her health was a priority... so they wanted some place to mourn... so bought a little empty plot... just an idea...

[JL]

65.

Oh man - so happy for you! You asked and it happened. Scary, but exciting! I'm needing to build up the courage to do the same thing myself. Thanks for being a great example for the rest of us!

Cooked (really soft) baby carrots.