She won't be going to college...

As I am just getting going here with the blog, I thought I'd pass on some advice that was passed on to me when I first became a mother. I was in a mommy & me class filled with first-timers and the instructor assured us that "they won't be going to college in their infant car seat", "they won't be going to college in the swaddle", "they won't be going to college spitting up on your shoes". I have to say, I still fill in the blank when needed. It's true. With parenting, it's only a matter of time before they leave one stage and go onto the next. Each new problem, while challenging, is an opportunity to get more creative and flexible. I am honestly having the time of my life with little, knowing that these moments are short-lived and ever-evolving.

Alright. That being said, here's my challenge of late. I breastfed exclusively for 6 months, I allowed little to watch us eat, I am constantly cooking and eating a wide variety of foods in the house. Both my husband and I LOVE to eat. I guess you can call us "foodies". So why is it that my kid is completely not into solids? I go to a playgroup once a week and watch other babies slurping their squash and gobbling their green beans. Little will (maybe) take a few bites and it's over. Despite her resistance to anything but breastmilk, I remind myself that "she won't be going to college drinking breastmilk". And in that vein, I have immersed myself in the myriad of gadgets and gimmicks out there for solid feeding.

We have resisted the dreaded highchair, opting instead for a booster seat. And are sticking to some small glass bowls at home. However, for feeding on the go, I have noticed that there are so many new things out there. One that I think does hold value are these portable placemats. I have seen them at some of the bigger baby stores, but the idea of tossing countless plastic sheets and looking at those characters every day is not that appealing. Yet I like the idea of covering a grimy table, or protecting a nice one. And I also like that the baby or toddler can have a designated place where they can be messy and not feel too bad about it. Recently, I found something that I love! These Oopsie! baby snack mats on etsy are not only adorable, but reusable, washable and portable!!! Look at these prints! I am partial to the apples and pears, but any one would work.