Feeding Frenzy II

Is every parent obsessed with what there baby is eating? When Isla was eating pureed foods, I went to the baby aisle each time, hoping something new and excited was going to arrive on the shelves, which it didn’t. I tried making my own and freezing it, but after a good sale and coupons, I got a variety pack for 10 cents a jar and realized how easy it was to just pop the lid on a jar. It was so exciting to find bananas with granola! Mmmm…I love granola- I am sure Isla will too! But my granola did not have the sticky, gelatinous consistency that the baby food did. It was like that green slime they pour on people’s head on Nickelodeon in the nineties. Gag.
Now that she has been approved to try anything without nuts and shellfish, it is so exciting! What should we try next? She has had waffles, ravioli, pierogi, couscous, and this weekend we made her a quarter sized cheeseburger using baby waffles as a bun. Although she gnawed on the meat, I don’t believe she actually digested any-most of it was spit out after sucking all the goodness from it. I was worried about her protein intake and that she wouldn’t eat chicken, so I tasted the poached chicken I made-yuck! I wouldn’t eat it either. Last night I made homemade chicken fingers and she liked it. (Of course she did, she takes after Daddy who would eat a sock if were battered, fried and served with a mayonnaise based dipping sauce!) My little girl likes flavor! We tried plain mozzarella, but no, she wants the sharp cheddar!
I guess my biggest concern is: is she eating enough? How much is a baby supposed to eat? Right now she would probably eat an entire one pound bag of peas and a jar of peach puffs at one sitting if I let her, but variety is the spice of life. I read other blogs and am amazed at what kids her age are eating. Aren’t their stomachs only the size of a golf ball? I try not to get too worked up about it knowing she is getting all kinds of nutrients straight from the tap. (aka boobs) Sighhh…I guess worry is part of Mom’s job description.