What Madeline Ate - the First Week

Madeline has officially entered the world of solid foods, and we’re now ten days into this exciting (and very messy) adventure! Watching her explore different tastes and textures has been fascinating. Some foods have been an instant hit, while others… not so much. But that’s all part of the journey! Here’s a recap of what she’s tried so far and how she’s reacted to each new food.

Day 1: Strawberries & Avocado

We kicked things off with a strawberry and a couple of avocado slices. Right away, she grabbed the strawberry, stuck it in her mouth, and started sucking on it like it was the greatest thing she had ever tasted. Definitely a win!

The avocado was a different story. She played with it, squished it between her fingers, and smeared it all over the tray—basically treating it like an edible sensory activity. But when she actually got some in her mouth, she wasn’t thrilled. Maybe the texture was a little too mushy for her, or maybe she just wasn’t in the mood. Either way, she had fun making a mess, and that’s a win in itself!

Day 2: Waffles 

For breakfast, we gave Madeline a waffle. It turns out wheat is a common allergen, and we probably should have introduced it more cautiously, but we didn’t. Luckily, no allergic reaction! She grabbed the waffle right away, took a bite, and happily munched on it. It’s always fun to see her immediately understand how to eat certain foods. She seemed to enjoy this one, and we learned a valuable lesson about being a little more mindful with allergens.

Day 3: Black Beans & Broccoli

Today was all about texture. We gave her black beans—cooked and lightly smashed—along with a preloaded spoon. She loves spoons, and she immediately caught on to the concept. Sure, it was messy, but I was genuinely impressed by how much she was able to get into her mouth.

We also gave her a piece of broccoli, and she was into it. She picked it up, stuck it straight in her mouth, and sucked on it like she’d been eating broccoli her whole life. Maybe we’ve got a future veggie lover on our hands?

Day 4: Bananas 

For dinner, we introduced a banana. Let’s just say this one wasn’t her favorite. The moment it hit her tongue, it stuck to the roof of her mouth, making her gag, which was not a fun experience for anyone involved. We’ll probably revisit bananas in the future, but for now, they’re not making the list of favorites.

Day 5: Orange

Since it was Mardi Gras, we decided to give Madeline an orange, and WOW—this might be her new favorite food. She munched on it for what felt like forever and actually ate a surprising amount. Up until now, most of her meals have been more about exploration than actual eating, but with the orange, she really seemed to enjoy the taste and wanted more. Definitely a highlight of the week!

Day 6: Chicken Drumstick

I gave Madeline a chicken drumstick today, and let’s just say Alison wasn’t entirely on board with this choice. But she went along with it (begrudgingly), and to my delight, Madeline was fascinated by it. She held onto it with both hands, gnawed on it, and got a little bit of chicken down. It wasn’t a huge hit in terms of eating, but she seemed to enjoy the experience.

Day 7: Apple with Cinnamon 

We boiled an apple, sprinkled a little cinnamon on top, and served it up. She seemed to like it, but what really made us laugh was her eating technique—sometimes instead of bringing food to her mouth, she just leans forward and eats straight off the tray. Today was one of those days. The result? A cinnamon-covered baby.

Alison wasn’t a huge fan of this one, mostly because there was quite a bit of gagging when she spit out some larger chunks of soft apple. But that’s all part of the learning process as she figures out how to chew and swallow different textures.

Day 8: More Orange

Madeline had her six-month shots today, so we knew she might not be feeling her best. Instead of trying something new, we gave her more of her favorite food—orange slices. And, as expected, she loved them. Even though she wasn’t at 100%, she still managed to eat quite a bit.

Day 9: A Sick Day

She was feeling pretty crummy from her shots, so we skipped introducing a new food today. No pressure, no stress—just extra snuggles and a day of rest.

Day 10: Green Beans & Orange

Today we introduced cooked green beans, and it was so fun to watch her work on picking them up and getting them into her mouth. She would grab a bean, open her mouth super wide, and then take a couple of tries before successfully getting it in. It’s amazing to see her coordination develop.

She didn’t get a ton of actual green beans in her stomach, but she did manage to eat a few little bites and seemed to enjoy chewing on them. We also gave her an orange again, but surprisingly, she wasn’t interested in it today. I guess she just wasn’t feeling it this time.

So far, this journey into solid foods has been so much fun. Every meal is an adventure, filled with excitement, messes, and lots of trial and error. Madeline is learning, exploring, and developing her own little food preferences along the way.

We’re in no rush for her to eat big quantities—it’s all about the experience right now. But watching her face light up when she tries something new (or dramatically grimace when she doesn’t like something) is such a joy. Can’t wait to see what she’ll try next!