Table food for a nine months old

[yhtking]

My DS just turned 9 month this past weekend. He's been bad about taking his solids this week. Then DH and I realized that he's got two or three more top teeth coming in. Ugh! Anyway, I was just wondering how you guys introduce table foods to your babies. I introduced him to EB's teething biscuits today. He didn't seem to be interested. He rather gnawls on chips. DS's schedule of feeding is something like this:

1 am - 5 am Wakes up once for 2 - 4 oz bottle
7:30 wakes up (getting ready to go to babysitter's)
8:30/9:00am 6.0-6.5 oz bottle
nap
11:00am 1 bowl of home made rice cereal
nap
1:00pm 6.0-6.5 oz bottle
3:00pm 1 jar of baby food (4 oz, fruit or vegetable)
5:00pm 6.0-6.5 oz bottle
6:30 dinner (1 jar of baby food or 1 4-0z yogurt)
8:00/8:30 8.0 oz bottle before bed time

DS has always been a string bean. He just cannot sit still for two seconds. He crawls everywhere and climbs the stairs every night (with supervision of course). Please give me some ideas of how to introduce him to bread, cheerios, etc. Should I just offer it to him and let him make a mess?

Thanks
Mama to Baby T (6/6/3)

[signsing]

Oh yes a mess is good!
I also have a 9 mos old.

I make some teething cookies and homemade wheat thins (I omit the salt and he seems to like them).

I also have a Fresh Food Feeder that I put lots of stuff in. When teething he really liked an ice cube in there, or frozen baby food.

He hasn't quite liked the cheerios so I haven't been giving them to him lately. Just hommade cookies and such. Cut up foods that you have already introduced are good too, ie, cut up sweet potato, or bananas on the high chair tray.

I usually feed him his dinner and then when I'm eating my meal I let him play with the finger foods to amuse himself. He makes a big mess but he loves it.

Betsey
Buddy's Mamma 6-10-2003

[Jen in Chicago]

We have the child who wants table food right now. He was the youngest at daycare for a long time, and wants what the older kids have. He was not eatting well for a few days, and then I realized he wants to feed himself! He could eat his weight in Cheerios. Recently I have given him the following diced up very well, but big enought to pick up:
White Potatoe
Sweet potatoe (I made food cubes with both of these)
Chicken (yesterday)
Mango
Green beans (I got the french cut no salt added canned b/c they were softer)
Pasta (the smallest noodles on the shelf)
Spaghetti
Saltines
EB and Gerber Teething Buscuits- MESSY and not a hit
Ziewback Toasts
Cheddar cheese (I am going to go buy grated cheese b/c it is not as fine as my grater mades it)

He has never liked fresh bananas, but will eat jarred.

Between him feeding himself I seem to squeeze in about 1/2 a jar of food or applesauce. Sometimes he has yogurt (started with Yo Baby, and now get Stoney Farm Whole Milk plain and add fruit to it.)

It is a big mess. I wheel the highchair right to the bathtub sometimes and in he goes. I have learned how to strip him down in his chair.

We are guilty of not eatting with him during the week. He goes to be too early for us to get him, do his stuff, make dinner,... The weekends we do eat together. If I can better about planning ahead with the crockpot we will eat together more since I could feed him what we are eatting.

I am impressed by those of you that are making so much of your own food! I make the typical potatoes, squashes, zuchinni,... but beyond that jarred food. I wanted to make more, but I learned with working f-t I could not do it all.

[amp]

My DS is an avid eater of table food. We have worked him up to eating a lot of what we eat. He's barely even interested in pureed food anymore. He eats cheerios, sliced then quartered grapes, diced peaches pears apples mangoes, peas, green beans, shredded cheese, shredded chicken, shredded beef, pasta, ground beef, bread, waffles, pancakes, soft tortilla, Gerber Graduates various crackers (we break them up more). You name it, he likes it! He often just eats bits of what we're having for dinner.

I'd say, just try a couple of things. Make sure they are small or soft enough to help prevent choking. Even if he doesn't show interest or has trouble w/ gagging, you can try it again later. Lots of what DS eats he had a bit of difficulty with at first, so we held off and retried.

[bluej]

Like Andrea, I feed Ryden whatever we or the kids are having usually. He still eats pureed fruits mixed w/ his oatmeal (which I feed him). I also feed him his yogurt, but that's about it, everything else he feeds himself. His current favorite is chicken broth w/ tiny sea shell pasta, diced carrots, peas, green beans and diced chicken. I make a large batch of that, freeze it in individual portions and then when I give it to him I strain off the broth. Pancakes and anything pasta are big hits with him right now.

[houseof3boys]

I feel like we are behind the eight ball here with finger foods. Ryan likes to grab but doesn't like to feed himself. We have tried cracker pieces, organic o's cut in half, bread, puffed rice and tofu. Everything else you guys mentioned he gags on despite attempts everyday for some new introductions. I guess I just keep on trying? You guys gave great suggestions that I am going to follow though. :)

Ryan is a string bean so I would like to fatten him up in the next 3 months so I don't have to hear grief from the ped re: his 10th percentile weight. He looks perfect to us but he is crawling all over the place so he is getting quite a workout!

[signsing]

Have you tried teething cookies or biscuits? I make my own and my son loves them!

Avacodos are pretty good if you are looking to fatten him up. My SIL is going through that with her toddler. She is currently giving her Carnation instant breakfast with her meals. I also think though that as long as he keeps progressing he is fine. You are more at risk for things like anemia but maybe he is destined to be a "string bean"


Betsey
Buddy's Mamma 6-10-2003

[missliss55]

My dd is 10 1/2 months old and loves table food. Some of the foods we eat regularly are: chicken, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peaches, pears, apricots, bananas, apples, applesauce, rice cakes, pasta, bread, cheerios, kixx, crackers, rice, and tortillas. We have had to be careful with dairy and soy b/c of a potential allergy. Hoping to try soy yogurt this week. We transitioned from baby food to table food really easily a month or so ago. Also it is important to remember that making a mess is all part of the learning process. My little one loves to run her fingers through her hair especially after she has eaten a ton of fruit. It looks pretty cute when it is all crusty and standing straight up! :)

Melissa and Emma (4/16/03)

[houseof3boys]

He doesn't seem to get into teething biscuits. He is on an anti avocado kick right now. He doesn't seem to like cheddar so I am going to get some milder cheese and see how he does with that.

I did try some saltines with butter after I initially posted and those were a hit! A mess....but a hit.

[yhtking]

I just want to thank everyone for their suggestions. My DS is almost the same age (6/6/3) as your Ryan. I can't seem to fatten him up. He is definitely a "string bean" from the start. He has always been the 10th percentile. He is crawling everyone and climbing the stairs, etc. He burns his energy and cannot keep any fat on. I need to try cheese and avocado next. I'm late in the table food area. He has his nine month check up on Thursday. Ugh.....just hope he stays at his 10th percentile and not drop down any.

[sntm]

Mess is pretty much the only way. Some finger foods that are less messy:

tofu - crumbles, but doesn't smear
shredded cheese (Jack likes cheddar, mozzarella, and Monterrey Jack)
peas - good for practicing pincer grasp
baby carrots - Jack just has bottom teeth right now so all he can do is scrape at it. Shredded carrot also works or lightly steam them.
hard-boiled egg yolk - this can get messy
cooked green beans - particularly french-style.
diced fruit
cubed potato
chicken cut very fine (too dry for Jack)
Cheerios or wheat-free equivalent, Rice Krispies or similar
canned asparagus? we are trying this soon.

I like the Baby Safe Feeder but Jack mostly sucks on it rather than eating, so good for juicy frozen fruit, etc.

If you are up for lots of mess (on bath night, etc.) then use thicker pureed stuff like canned pumpkin, which I just dump on the tray and let him scrap it up and lick it off his fingers.

And how funny -- Jack (also 6/6) is also getting two upper teeth in right now! He has no interest in eating during the day (solids or bottles) but nurses all night to make up for it, when his teeth are bugging him. And he is also on the go 24-7.
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shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03