Let's talk about food, shall we?

So, Lydia's is tube fed.  We all remember that.  Right?

Up until a couple of months ago, all she ate was formula.  At first it was Enfamil Gentlease, then it was Compleat Pediatric, a special whole food based formula made for tubies.

A couple of months ago we started to use less Compleat Pediatric and add baby food.  Lydia was eating a mix of Compleat Pediatric, baby fruits and vegetables, baby meat & gravy, baby oatmeal or cereal, and avocado oil and a dash of salt.

We are slowly transitioning to real food, all of it, no formula.

Here is where we are at:

Compleat Pediatric

REAL BLENDED FRUIT

REAL BLENDED VEGGIES

Avocado Oil

Salt

Baby Meat and Gravy

Baby Oatmeal or Cereal

I went a little crazy with the blending!  I have one month of prepared blended packets frozen for Lydia's daily tube feedings.  One packet includes everything but the Compleat Pediatric and oatmeal/cereal.  Next month when I do blends we'll cut the baby oatmeal/cereal and add REAL BIG PEOPLE FOOD - like pasta, rice, quinoa, bread, oatmeal, etc. 

Here are pictures of our daughter's fruit and veggie blending process.  I used kale, cauliflower, and carrots, bananas, mango and pears.  I'm learning what works best as far as fresh, frozen and canned, what needs to be cooked and blended, or cooked and frozen for later.  I've flash frozen fresh veggies that I can use later, like summer squash and zucchini.  I'm tossing ripe bananas in the freezer, now for Lydia instead of banana bread.  Grandma is freezing apples picked from Papa's apple trees this fall.  

It may seem silly, but it's all so exciting to me...she's eating real food!  I cannot wait until the formula is gone, but I have to pace myself and her.  October is a nutty month for us and I have all her food made.  In November we'll add the grains.  Maybe December will be the meat!