As my son quickly approaches eight months old, we’ve been working on incorporating more solids into his daily routine. We started introducing solids around six months, and right away, he fell in love with sweet potatoes. Now, as he gets older, our pediatrician has advised that by nine months, she’d like him to be mostly on solids.

We’ve learned a lot in these past couple of months — from discovering his flavor preferences to navigating food sensitivities. And let me tell you… this stage is both exciting and messy!

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Finding His Favorites

It turns out, Matteo doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth. He’s all about savory and salty flavors. Right now, his go-to foods are:

• Sweet potatoes
• Mashed potatoes
• Strawberries
• Avocado
• Beans and rice
• Grits
• Baby oatmeal

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Navigating Dairy Sensitivities

One of our biggest challenges has been a suspected dairy sensitivity. We first noticed it when my breast milk supply dropped and we had to try different formulas. Anything with milk made him colicky and caused skin breakouts.

After trial and error, we found a formula that works — but it’s only available through our insurance and can’t be purchased in stores. Our pediatrician recommended slowly reintroducing dairy now that he’s over six months old, but even small amounts still cause constipation. So for now, we stick to mostly vegan products at home. Since we already drink oat milk, avoiding regular milk hasn’t been a big adjustment.

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Our Current Feeding Schedule

Wake-up: Between 7–8 AM
Breakfast (9:00–10:00 AM): Oatmeal, pancakes, or waffles + 3–4 oz formula
Morning nap: 10:45 AM–12:00 PM
Bottle: Around 12:15 PM
Snacks (1:00–4:00 PM): Another bottle and/or yogurt bites, teething crackers, fruit, Lil Crunchies, etc.
Mini walk + water: Around 4 oz water
Dinner (5:00–6:00 PM): Rice and beans, mashed potatoes, avocado, or whatever soft food we’re eating
Final bottle: Between 7–8 PM
Night waking: Usually 2–3 times for a diaper change and feeding

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Next Foods We Want to Try

• Peas
• Carrots
• Greek yogurt
• Banana & strawberry pancakes
• Corn

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Signs Your Baby May Be Ready for Solids

• Can sit up unassisted
• Shows interest in food by putting things in their mouth
• Has good head control
• Opens mouth when food is offered

For Matteo, we started at six months, introducing one new food at a time to see how his body responded. We follow the 3–5 day rule for new foods to watch for any allergic reactions — especially important for us with his dairy sensitivity.

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Making Baby Food at Home

One of my favorite parts of this stage is making Matteo’s food myself. We use a Baby NutriBullet and a baby food steamer to prep and purée veggies, then store them in labeled jars in the fridge or freezer. It gives me peace of mind knowing exactly what’s in his meals.

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How We Do Mealtime

We use a highchair with straps for safety (he’s reaching for everything now!). Mealtime is definitely messy, but we make it fun — think goofy faces, silly voices, and airplane spoon landings. It keeps him engaged and makes the whole process more enjoyable.

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Common Food Allergens to Watch For

In addition to dairy, here are a few other common allergens to be aware of:

• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Sesame & soy
• Fish & shellfish

Always talk to your pediatrician before introducing high-risk allergens, and remember that every baby is different.

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Watching Matteo discover new foods has been such a special part of parenting. It’s a learning process for both of us — but also such a fun milestone. If you’re starting solids with your little one, take it slow, enjoy the mess, and celebrate every tiny bite.

Be sure to check back next Tuesday at 11 AM CST for more updates.

~ God Bless

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