The gorgeous clear weather continued in the Bay Area and we decided to take advantage of it by grabbing brunch with my parents at Nick's Restaurant in Pacifica.
On Saturday, we introduced Gates to scrambled eggs. At first we didn't think she liked them, preferring the potatoes instead. Then, we discovered that Gates does not like children sized silverware. (She also prefers to eat while seated in your lap over a high chair.) Once we switched to a regular fork, Gates was happily chowing down on both the eggs and the potatoes. Unsurprisingly, Gates also likes bacon; another item she got to try for the first time.
With Gates, we've been following a strategy of baby-led weaning. Basically that means Gates takes the initiative. We knew she was interested in our foods when we could no longer casually eat in her room while she played. We had briefly turned our attention to the cat and she raced across the floor to the charcuterie platter. Of course I proceeded to try to catch her antics on video (and failed).
Why are we taking this approach? "The research suggests that baby-led weaning has a positive impact on the liking of foods that form the building blocks of healthy nutrition, such as carbohydrates. Baby-led weaning promotes healthy food preferences in early childhood which may protect against obesity (Source: Science Daily, February 2012)."
The research is a good reason, but the reality is it's less work. Instead of having to create two meals -- one for Gates and one for us -- we make sure we make or order food that Gates can eat. As Gates has a mature palette, she loves pickled cauliflower, carrots, and beets, we've found that our options aren't that limited.
With all of the family together, I handed the camera to cubes and to my mom to get some shots of us as a family. Family photos are hard as Gates rarely sits still. And Saturday was not an exception; when she wasn't eating, she was traveling back and forth on the bench staring out the window and the waves.
What did you do this past weekend?
Ciao Bella!
Eden!
