Rice Cereal, Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmmm

Last Monday, Norah Kate was four months and one day old.  My mama suggested starting her on rice cereal in her bottles a lonnnggg time ago, but I wanted to wait until she was at least four months old.  I read online and in my first year Bible, "What To Expect: The First Year" that they should be able to sit up with support before introducing solid foods.  They also suggest other things like: interest in what you are eating (check!), ability to turn away from food (check!), ability to grap and reach for things (check!)... so I thought we might be ready.

I went to Walmart and bought Earth's Best Organic Rice Cereal.  I decided to go with organic because this is my baby, and while it may be a little more expensive to go the organic route, I really want her to get the healthiest food if at all possible.

For the first feeding I mixed about 1 tablespoon of rice cereal with 2 or 3 tablespoons of breast milk, propped Norah Kate up in my chair, and we chowed down... Well... not exactly.  The first few bites were really comical.  She kinda got this look on her face, "Mommy, what is this stuff?"  She kept spitting it out, and I was thinking she wasn't ready.  We got down to the last few bites, and she discovered she LOVED it!  She was "shark attacking" the spoon! We had it everywhere... in my hair, all on her arms and legs, and up her nose!  We cleaned the bowl!

First Bite

After we got the hang of it...

We are still eating the rice cereal once a day, usually around 7pm, then we take a bath (because we desperately need it after our messy meal!), and then she nurses and goes to bed.  Yesterday I gave her 3 tablespoons of cereal and she still cleaned the bowl!  My little piggy...  She loves the stuff and she was definitely ready to start solids!  I have to hold her hands down so that she don't grab the spoon out of my hand!  I might start giving it to her twice a day, or mixing bananas with it, but not until we go to the pediatrician this week and they tell me it's okay. I was thinking about waiting until she is 6 months old to start regular baby food... but she loves the cereal so much, she might be ready!  We will wait and see what they say at the doctor!

Yummy!