Starting Solids

For a couple of weeks now, we've been giving Stephen some solids to try. Mostly just banana, triscuits, and a pineapple spear. Sean and I love food and we'd like to try to teach Stephen to appreciate and try all different kinds of food, but I didn't know where/how to start. I tried feeding him by spoon and that didn't really work. He really just wants to feed himself. (I wonder where that came from; wanting to do things himself. :) ) He would take the spoon with both hands and lead it to his mouth. Most of the food ended up on his hands anyway. So, while I was browsing the web yesterday, I came across the Baby-led weaning movement, which skips purees and just says give the kid soft sticks of what you are eating, just to get the taste. For example, cut up carrot sticks and then slightly steam them and give them to the kid that way. Breastmilk or formula should be the kid's primary food/source of nutrition for the first year of life and solids before that year is just an introduction to tastes, smells, textures etc. The concept goes pretty well with Sean's and my style of parenting, so we'll give it a try. The good thing is that he can participate in family meals with us, eating by himself in his highchair while we can just eat ourselves while we watch him. One nice thing we have found is this Munchkin pacifier type thing that has mesh on it. You put a piece of fruit in there and Stephen can taste it without fear of choking from it because it basically makes it a puree.