Adventures with Soy Beans

As Jeremy approaches six months, I worry about his limited repertoire of solid foods. "The book says" that he needs to be getting more and more of his nutrients from food, but so far he only eats rice, peas and carrots. There are only so many combinations you can make with three ingredients. So he gets a little bored, I think, and he loves his bottle so much! It's going to take some ingenuity to break his bond with his comfort food.

So, yesterday I decided that he might try edamame -- puréed of course. I set Jeremy up as my sous chef (he sat in his high chair in the middle of the kitchen). And I boiled a package of shelled soy beans, and threw them into the blender. Slowly, I added water, trying to achieve a smooth consistency. I was captivated by how very bright green the purée was! I guess I figured the soy beans would be whitish or less colorful inside. But they are as brilliant as fresh grass in spring time, through and through. As the concoction was approaching a nice creamy texture, I accidentally dropped the spoon into the blender and...kerplow...it shot up faster than a hobby rocket! The spoon bounced off the ceiling and ricocheted noisily back to the floor, clearing the dogs out of the kitchen faster than you can say "get the kitty!" In its wake, the flying spoon left a splatter pattern of bright green creamy soy bean paste so far and wide that the team from CSI would even be impressed. And, through it all, Jeremy sat pleasantly amused, unblemished by the splatter and commotion as if he had his deflector shield up.

After cleaning the floor, the ceiling, the cabinets, the (once) clean dishes in the dish drainer, the toaster and myself of all the evidence, we got down to the real business of eating. Jeremy liked it! So much, that he probably ate more of this new, complex food than he should have. All afternoon, he was gassy and uncomfortable. As Dr. Suess says, he had crummies in his tummy. Poor thing. I felt bad for him.

I guess we'll have to expand his menu with less sophisticated -- and dramatic -- foods.

Hiking is exhausting....zzzzz.....

Jeremy enjoyed his first trek through Stonelakes National Wildlife Refuge, a sanctuary and restoration site for migratory birds and riparian mammals and amphibians. We explored the seasonal and perennial wetlands, saw poofy cattails, strolled through the riparian oak forest, and even saw a 4-foot-long garter snake. What a treat for Jeremy, and for us to see him seem so at home in the natural landscapes that we love. He was so at ease that he just slipped into a convenient nap. He approves of his Kelty!

In addition to training to be a docent for nature hikes, Jeremy is continuing to amaze his Mommies. His latest nickname is Flapjack, given his new found skill of flipping over from front to back. He has mostly preferred flipping counter-clockwise, but this morning he flipped the other way, too! Best of all is the intentionality he is pouring into his flipping and other antics. Even more fun (for him) and tiring (for Moms) is his love of springing up on his feet from a sitting position. He holds onto our hands for leverage, but he does all the pushing himself. The other really fun thing is that he has begun to initiate "peekaboo" by turning his head away and then back again.

Sprinkled all around the daily feats is the mundane stuff of Jeremy's life -- eating, sleeping, giggling, baths, trips to Costco, going to the dogpark with Moms and Dogs, gracing his fan club at Starbucks (the barristas all know him by name), drooling buckets, putting everything in his mouth -- and it is all such a joy and blessing to be a part of.

The Moms are also learning how having such a dang cute baby can be an advantage. Our water heater broke ... on a Sunday of course. When the plumber came to look at the damage, I admit I deliberately waltzed out to greet him with Jeremy in tow. You guessed it. The plumber busted his butt to get the heater replaced that day! He said, "I don't want you to go overnite without hot water." We didn't even have to ask or even intimate! Hmmmm, the possibilities....