Review of "We've All Got Bellybuttons!"Written by Sherri Allen
Review of "We've All Got Bellybuttons!" by David Martin, illustrated by Randy CecilCandlewick Press, February 2005 Hardcover, 32 pages ISBN: 076361775X Recommended Ages: 3 - 6 Review by Sherri Allen: "We've All Got Bellybuttons!," written by David Martin and illustrated by Randy Cecil, is a picturebook that does more than just tell a story. It invites your young child to have fun with characters. There are body parts to be identified, motions to be performed and, best of all, lots and lots of giggles.
| | Weaning A BabyWritten by Tony Luck
The best time to wean your baby onto solid food is at about age 6 months. This is because your baby's mouth will start to change around that time to help her cope with transition. Another guide is to start when baby doubles in weight. Before then your baby's digestive system and kidneys are able to cope only with breastmilk and formula. But don't leave it too late as baby may find it difficult to adapt to swallowing food, and she will need a balanced varied diet. What You Will Need - Bibs - and plenty of them! At first she will spit out more than she swallows and feeding will be very messy.
- Unbreakable bowls and spoons.
- Lidded containers for storing food.
- A food processor. You could manage with a fork and a sieve, but one thing you won't have plenty of is time, so a blender will make life easier.
You don't need a high chair, not at this stage anyway. Baby won't be able to hold her head up until about age 12 months, so feed her while she is in your lap or in a seat that supports her head. Foods To Try And Some To Avoid - Baby rice is usually first solid for babies, it has a low protein content and is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. Mix with milk (expressed breast milk or formula) to make rice easier to swallow. Rice also has advantage that it can be mixed with both vegetables and fruit, so after a few days, mix in a little puréed potato, vegetable or fruit. You may wish to start with vegetables to ensure she establishes a taste for savoury foods as well as sweeter fruits.
- Foods to try include: potato, carrot, swede, parsnip, sweet potato; and apple, banana and pear. Cook where appropriate and purée. If result is too dry or lumpy, add milk (breast milk or formula).
- Avoid cow's milk until she is about 12 months old. Other dairy products like cheese and yoghurt can be introduced after a month or so.
- Avoid soft-boiled eggs; nuts; blue-veined cheese; salt; sugar or sweeteners, including those found in fruit drinks and squashes; bread and pasta; and rusks.
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