In the previous entry titled “Yassy’s note: Liam in NICU;day 8- day 14“, I wrote Liam came to our family about 3 weeks early (36 weeks and 2 days) and he has spent next 3 weeks in NICU.
He was tiny little baby; 18″ tall, weighing 5 lb 6 oz…
Day 249..
Made 2 food ingredients for Liam this morning.One of them was bread;cut up bread without crust cooked in breast milk (since I cannot use cow milk) in the pan.It was smoothly mashed before but now he is getting big boy so,rough mash now:-) Pan gayu,which we call it is Liam’s fav solid food:-)
My mother told me once that I used to love pan gayu very very much as a baby. Palette came to visit the kitchen while little price is snoozing and got bit of bread to snack. Another one is tomorrow’s new food for Liam. Hope he likes it.
Day 251..
Liam is now getting good at pivoting and 360 spin at least once a day now. Last night, after bathing him and putting him cream on his back by letting him on his belly, he put his head over his hands,looking toward sideways as if enjoying the cream time;massaging time like an old man,lol. Then, he decided he wants to look at me. So, while I was still working on his back of arms etc.. he started pivoting and 180 degree spin. Then, he decided it is tasty to nom on my PJ pants.
Other new stuff happening with him.. he says “hm-ma” a lot and sometimes, I feel like I am hearing him says “da da da” but it could be “ba-ba-ba”. I am not sure but he repeat the same sound a lot anyway. Then, his boom right now is to clap his hands,mimicking me clapping saying ; pa-chi-pa-chi (Japanese, the word is to be used to explain the sound of clapping). He smiles, squeak loud and clap a lot.
When I did skype with my mother and my grandmother the other day, he was mimicking my mother clapping her hands and he started shouting loud,squeaking,smiling and so active,energetic even though it was a couple of hours away from his bed time. My mother and Liam was doing the screaming match;when Liam squeaked, my mother mimicked him and squeaked,which was quite fun for me to watch her being silly:-)
She said “I am not going to loose,Liam” and squeaked. My grandmother was enjoying Liam’s endless clapping. It was very fun skype time. He kept clapping hands non stop whole day and he looks at me as if to say “it is your turn”, and then he claps his hands, and he looks at my husband and claps his hands saying “it is now your turn”.So fun!
Udon noodle with sea bass, spinach soup with tomato.
Day 254…
Little prince Liam tried solid food #21 ” Cauliflower “. Cauliflower got very distinctive texture, and thought I would try. I first cooked to soft and chopped to fine;2-3mm and I let him taste test just to give me info as to size of the bits and how he would take it but the bits of cauliflower 2-3mm on its own was hard for him to take. Therefore, I mashed it roughly, not smooth mash and that is how he is getting.
My husband did feeding of Liam’s second feeding and it was Liam’s first time to taste the cauliflower. Well, he said “He is making face and not eating the cauliflower. He might be not liking the cauliflower. Also, he stopped eating Apple even” I told him “Don’t quick to judge for like/dislike. Right now, he is exploring different kinds of texture and taste/flavor and also learning how to eat food (jaw/tongue motion) he might spit out the food or make face when he gets anything new to him.Cauliflower issue is probably size of bits; texture or something.”
Then, switched; I started feeding him. Well, he did not make face, he opened his mouth wide and ate everything clean. He was even squeaking,talking,energetic even….I do not know what the problem was. He had cauliflower this evening but he was fine,opening mouth wide and ate it without making face. Of course, I made sure the food was rough mashed. I would let him be rough mashed for cauliflower for a bit and then gradually switch to bigger bits.
In the previous entry titled “Yassy’s note: Liam in NICU;day 8- day 14“, I wrote Liam came to our family about 3 weeks early (36 weeks and 2 days) and he has spent next 3 weeks in NICU.
He was tiny little baby; 18″ tall, weighing 5 lb 6 oz…
Day 244..
Liam tried one level up big boy solid food meal;meal ingredients are now graduating from smooth paste to fine chop in size of 2 mm – 3 mm
Some of his food are still from frozen stock so those are still in paste state but, once stock are out, he would be eating fine chop size one. I made one level up size; fine chop. Today was with rough mashed porridge with less liquid called 7 bai gayu (porridge is made with 1 rice vs 7 water ratio and rough mashed) and finely chopped cooked sweet onion in 2 of his solid food meal. He did ok with both.
He will be on this size for next 2 months:-)
Day 245..
Liam’s breakfast today.
Menu; Pangayu (mashed breast milk soaked and cooked bread) with strawberry, and strawberry-acorn squash-cod side dish.
He liked both but he really really loved the pan gayu. My husband saw me plating his meal and said “Liam is not a dog”,lol.
Well, dog bone shape is not for doggies, but cute for everyone’s meal,don’t you think?Lol.
Pangayu with strawberry, and strawberry-acorn squash-cod side dish
Day 246.. We have introduced Liam’s solid food #19.
Shanghai Bok choy
Day 248.
Little prince Liam had quite active morning today;watched me cook his food;stage 2 broccoli and 7 bau gayu (porridge) besides washing dishes and my husband’s lunch box etc.. After that, he pivoted on the floor playing with toy (he started pivoting more and smoothly) and then,I read him a couple of books (the books were written in English but I translated those into Japanese for him to read). After that, some more play time together.
At this point, he did not get tired or sleepy at all even if his usual nap time came. So, I pretended I was closing my eyes laying next to him and what he did? He played with my face and when I made face to him, he was giggling and no sign of nappy nap. So… I decided to have lunch and fed him and do my things in the kitchen. After that, I put him in his bed and he wanted to be hold so he cried. But then, as soon as I pick him up, he smiled and no tears. Well, in the end.. he decided mom is the best bed to sleep on. He decided to snore on my laps..
Our little prince Liam had today;Day 248….. AM: 7 bai gayu (porridge made with 1 rice 7 water ratio, rough mashed), shanghai bok choy, and carrot soup with onion before breakfast milk to finish his meal up.Liam loved his solid food.
PM; Somen noodle and cod with Konbu dashi, Acorn squash soup with corn Liam ate everything (somen noodle and cod with konbu dashi served with corn soup with acorn squash) with so much excitement and went to food coma;snoozing before bath time:-) He eats well.
We believe that taste buds are created while baby being introduced to solid food, most parents in Japan do not start with cereal or fruits juice or banana or avocado etc.. but rather, start with bland food like mashed porridge and then start adding vitamin mineral group food;fruits and veg without any seasoning so the babies can explore pure taste of food (fruits yes but not the one with bold strong taste fruits like banana right from the start), then start adding protein source ;white meat fish and then tofu, then white meat poultry like tender and then last is red meat.
We try aiming at letting babies to explore variety of tastes in early age and each meals are nutrition based. Our son now just turned 8 months can eat rice, bread,somen noodle, udon,sweet potato, cod,sea bass, flounder,onion,apple,carrot,shanghai bok choy,broccoli,acorn squash, cabbage, strawberries, corn, spinach,tomato, and more. He eats lots of veg and fruits. I hope he stays being a good eater.
Our pediatrician loved my solid food plan and encouraging me to keep doing what I am doing for our son:-)
