Army crawling – the beginning of the end for our peace 🤣
In month 6, Rares started crawling, army-style, belly on the floor. Oh, my… this opened so many doors for him and closed almost all of ours. 🤣
From that moment on, “I’ll leave him here for 2 minutes” was no longer an option. It was over. Game over.
Starting solids – the part that still haunts me today
No one tells you this: babies do NOT see food as food (at least not in the first 2 years!)
Yes, yes… two years!
In the first 2–3 months after introducing solids, food is just a colorful experiment, not a source of nourishment.
So do NOT offer food when they are hungry!
They need to be full to explore food, otherwise they get frustrated.
The ideal first meal is lunch.
They don’t bring food to their mouth to taste it or eat it, but to feel the texture, the exact same way they chew on teething toys. And if you don’t hand them a silicone toy because they’re hungry, don’t do that with food either!
The mistakes I made (and what I wish someone had told me)
Good advice… from the 1970s
I followed a very good pediatrician, but her advice would have been perfect:
50 years ago or in countries where parents stay home 3 months after birth and formula feeding + early weaning are the norm.
Her desire to help didn’t match my desire to breastfeed. :))
The result? A huge amount of frustration and sadness after every failed meal.
* I tried to “stuff” R with food
I tried feeding him solids when he was hungry, refusing milk and offering food instead.
No, no, no! Never.
* I introduced a second meal too early
And I put pressure on him to eat… again, NO.
He quickly associated food with:
pressure + frustration + force,
so of course he said, “no, thanks.”
* The saving break
Around 9 months, mentally exhausted, I started reading books and realized how wrong I had been.
I took a two-week break from all my failed attempts to feed him.
I stopped offering anything — until he asked for food by himself.
Best decision ever.
“Tricking” a baby – the fastest way to make them hate food
What does tricking mean?
He went through a phase where he ate puffs (organic, unsalted).
I, desperate, blended soups and spread them onto the puffs. It worked for a little while…
Until 9 months, when he started refusing anything creamy.
“He’s just a baby, he won’t notice,” I thought…
I would show him a plain puff, then sneak him one with purée (vegetables + meat blend).
He developed a repulsion. Obviously.
Result? Again, he wanted nothing. :))
What I learned (and what I’d do differently)
1. I would start solids later
Around 7 months, when babies truly want your food — when they try to take it out of your hand (as long as they can actually see you eating).
2. I would be SO much more relaxed
I’d let him play, smear food everywhere, throw it, explore it.
I wouldn’t worry AT ALL about quantity until 1 year.
3. I’d introduce foods the same way: allergens isolated, everything else together
I’ve never heard of an allergy to:
carrots
parsnips
potatoes
basic vegetables
I would only introduce separately:
eggs, nuts, berries, shellfish.
Allergens should be introduced early — 6–9 months is ideal.
Only when the baby is healthy.
What no one clearly tells you about starting solids
Milk remains the main food until 1 year
No worries!
Babies do NOT wean because they ate three spoonfuls of purée.
Milk is the base. Solids are “educational snacks.”
Every baby has their own rhythm
Some devour solids at 6 months.
Others barely touch them at 10 months.
Both are normal.
Textures are a journey
If they get only purees for months, of course they won’t accept chunks.
If they eat chunks, they might refuse purees — and that’s okay too.
A baby’s mood matters more than the menu
If they’re tired, overstimulated, teething (sometimes for a whole week!), distracted, or in a developmental leap… they won’t eat.
It’s not about the food — it’s about context.
There is no “picky eater” at 6–12 months
There are only:
inflamed gums
fatigue
overstimulation
curiosity
babies who are still learning how to eat
How R eats now
He still doesn’t eat purees, but he eats:
fruits (banana, orange)
raw vegetables (cucumber, bell pepper)
Volume and complexity grow with the number of teeth — he has 6 now, at 11 months.
At 6 months he had zero teeth; the first two bottom teeth came at 9 months.
Rule no. 1 in the first year
A baby will play with food more than they will eat it.
It’s normal.
Their digestive system barely processes anything anyway.
Food comes out almost the same way it goes in. :))
Recipe ideas – R’s favorite soups
mushroom cream soup (original recipe, less salt)
cabbage + potato + bone marrow cream soup
broccoli + spinach + potato cream soup
All made with:
a little butter
a little olive oil
meat boiled separately and blended in
Mess = progress
If food doesn’t end up in their hair, ears, and on the floor… it’s not real solid feeding.
That’s how they learn.
And the moment we sat and ate the same meal next to him, everything changed.
🧠 What else happens in month 6 (pure development)
1. Mobility explosion – the “age of exploration” begins
He started:
flipping belly-to-back and back-to-belly (sometimes he even moved around like that — he looked like a cartoon character)
spinning in circles like a compass needle (at first I thought he was teaching our dog how to chase his tail :))
pushing up on his arms, almost in hands-and-knees position (more wobble than accuracy, but my husband was VERY proud)
I no longer put him down… I teleported him. I placed him somewhere and found him in a completely different spot.
2. A big cognitive leap (Leap 5/6)
Everything changes:
he understands cause–effect → throws things, bangs objects
explores textures and shapes in detail
becomes obsessed with real objects (spoons, remotes)
The throwing part… I’m still waiting for it to end, and he’s almost one.
We became his little puppies. Ari, our dog, probably laughs watching us steal his job.
3. Separation anxiety starts creeping in
Not intense yet, but:
he followed us with his eyes like a little undercover detective
became vocal when we entered or left
wanted more cuddles (some days the floor was “lava”)
sought visual reassurance while exploring
This was the first tiny version of:
“Mommy, where are you?”
4. Hands become real tools
He developed:
a primitive pincer grasp (entire fist, zero force control)
transferring objects hand-to-hand (early for him, but normal at 6 months)
This explains why he crushes food or can’t lift thin strips yet.
5. New vocalizations – little stories without words
He started:
“baa”, “gaa”, “daa”
screaming to test his voice (he screamed until he got hoarse — yes, I had to give him syrup)
deep belly laughs
He began “telling stories” loudly, like three characters at once.
He imitated facial expressions, looked for our reactions, understood routines.
If I laughed, he laughed. If I opened my mouth, he opened his.
A tiny human parrot.
And yes… I accidentally taught him to stick out his tongue and spit.
Two weeks of spraying everyone with drool. :))
Favorite games at 6 months
peek-a-boo
spoons, cups, bowls
toys he bangs
textures (sponge, silicone, wood)
soft books with sounds
The expensive toy? Ignored.
The wooden spoon? Pure joy.
🧸 DEVELOPMENTAL GAMES (6 months)
Peek-a-boo (classic)
– develops object permanence (very important at this age).
Rolling on the tummy (active tummy time)
– place toys in a circle so baby rotates to reach them.
Games with spoons, bowls, cups
– banging objects together → cause–effect.
Pulling games (towel, light scarf)
– strengthens arms and coordination.
“Boop the nose” — touch the nose / eyes / mouth
– helps with face recognition.
Toys with different textures (silicone, wood, sponge)
– develops tactile sense.
Mirror play
– babies love seeing themselves and imitating.
Tipping over small boxes with objects inside
– manipulation → prepares for the pincer grasp.
Strengthening for sitting
I did NOT sit him before he did it himself — no “Mendeleev spine” for us.
He wanted to sit from 4–5 months, but I gently blocked it.
I kept him on me a lot, waiting for the ratio between his big head and tiny body to improve. :))
Sleep changes COMPLETELY (again and again)
Many babies switch to 2 naps around 6–7 months.
We stayed at 3 naps until 7 months, then moved to 2.
He had a short regression — mostly at night.
As a breastfed baby… if I slept, he didn’t.
So I held him at the breast so he could sleep and grow properly, even if that meant becoming a tiny zombie.
And because he was now more active, on the days he burned all his energy, he slept better. The first 3–4 hours were always the longest stretch.
🌙 Ending
Month 6 was the month I realized R is no longer a newborn, but a tiny explorer with a will of his own. It was also the month when I felt the most lost and the most found at the same time. I made many mistakes, but each one taught me something.
And if there is one lesson I’m taking with me, it’s this:
babies learn perfectly in their own rhythm, if we manage to relax and follow them.
I can’t wait to tell you about Month 7 — the month where everything becomes even more delicious, more fun, and… more intense. 😅
