About 10 months ago, I gave birth to a bouncing baby boy.  He’s grown so much now and I’m excited about every new thing he learns – it’s an amazing thing to see just how much he’s changed. From the first day, one of the things my husband and I agreed on was breastfeeding*.  We exclusively breastfed (well, I did) until he was six months old and his doctor cleared him to start solids, which we did – and boy howdy, can this kid eat! While I’m still breastfeeding, his appetite for solids is growing almost as quickly as he is.  We started with basic rice cereal and quickly moved into other grain cereals – all fortified with breastmilk.  Then came the veggies, then the meat and finally, the other things that make exploring new flavours so exciting. We’re careful to avoid nuts, egg whites and honey. Nuts and egg whites can create serious allergies before at least one year and honey can contain bacteria that older children and adults can process, but can create a risk of botulism in infants. We’ve also made the choice not to feed any jarred foods and to make almost all the food for His Highness at home. I was sure that this would mean that I’d be in the kitchen all the time, but I was surprised at how quick and easy it can be to provide the baby with food that I make myself. To be honest, too, I estimate that by breastfeeding and making our own food, we’ve saved hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars so far. So, every week, I spend a little time getting the baby’s foods for the week ready. This way, I know what’s in his food, how’s it’s been prepared and what nutrients he’s getting. It’s not that big a time commitment, and in fact, sometimes my little guy keeps me company while I work, so it’s kind of fun! It’s really proven to be the right solution for us. Over the next little while, I’ll be writing to let you know how I did it. We’d be glad to get your feedback too! * Not using formula was our choice and certainly not a judgment of other choices that parents may make