18 Months Already - Where Did The Time Go?

I can't believe it has been nearly a week since JG reached the one and a half year mark on Friday May 1st. I had intended to start this blog on Friday and due to a painful accident of falling from a ladder and then battling a flu bug plus, my own procrastination; it is now Tuesday and I am just getting started.

On April 30th we took JG in for his 18 month pediatrics appointment and I am happy to state that he received glowing reviews. Now at 2 foot 10 inches tall and 35 pounds it is difficult to believe that JG was once underweight! I have to admit that I was slightly concerned that he was "growing" too well! I really try not to pay attention to society's preconceived ideas about physical appearances and child development however, it has sometimes been difficult to ignore the surprised looks from otherwise well-intentioned folks who make comments like "Wow, is he ever big!" and "What have you been feeding him?" I also worry about unrealistic assumptions that people can have regarding JG's skills and milestones. Yes, JG does have the physical height and weight of many 2-year olds but, his gross and fine motor skills and his language development are typical of children his own age. On a more positive note; we are very fortunate that we have a toddler who is more then happy to eat a variety of different foods including fruits, vegetables and proteins. Mealtime is generally relaxed and enjoyable. Unlike many of our friends who have struggled with getting healthy foods into their children; we don't seem to have these particular issues. We know that JG is getting a good variety of foods on most days so we don't panic when he decides he's not hungry. To quote one of our several toddler reads "one missed meal does not a starving child make!"

One of the reasons I feel that we have been successful at introducing JG to a variety of foods is because we never used canned baby food. We did start with infant cereals (rice, barley, oats) but, when introducing vegetables, fruits and proteins we made our own. The "Kidco" Electric Food Mill and "Blender Baby Foods" a fantastic book by Nicole Young are two of the best purchases we have ever made! The food mill is a little noisy but, it is a great size for travel and it makes a small to medium size quantity of food plus, it's fairly easy to clean. We've blended up small pork chop or chicken pieces in seconds and pureed or chopped steamed carrots, peas, broccoli and cauliflower in no time. The electric food mill can be purchased separately or as part of a complete feeding kit but, even if you're considering home-made baby food on a part time basis the Electric Food Mill is a must! The book, "Blender Baby Foods" is great for 1st time parents because even if you don't know where or how to start; the directions are simple and easy to follow. From mashing a banana with a fork at 6 months to vegetable frittata and multigrain pancakes at 9 and 12 months even the most reluctant cook will be a pro by the end of there child's first year. The only thing that has changed from when this book was published (2005) is that many pediatricians now recommend that parents introduce protein (meat, poultry, eggs, fish, beans and lentils) even earlier then 8 months. Which is okay because it just means you can use some of the future recipes and suggestions sooner.