Hi All

My trio are a year old now (never thought I'd make it) and I have no idea what, when, how or where to feed them. The littlest still digs milk and stage one foods, the "oldest" is keen to be eating finger foods. If I search on the net for sample meal plans, it looks like between prepping, serving, and cleaning up after 6 minimeals, I will never leave the kichen. Right now we do meals when at home and everyone is awake, two or three a day, and milk at all other times. I feel like giving them finger foods in the car or as they are playing just opens up the world of bad eating habits.

Any working meal times for me to try? We wake up at six and go to bed at eight, and get out of the house every day for big or small outings. I make their meats and fish but buy veggies and fruit. And I'm anxious for my littlest to eat more then he does... his brother is four pounds heavier!

Eliza

Mom to Antonio, Amedeo and Marcello, born at 35.5 weeks and 4+ pounds, on June 23 2009, in Italy

Eliza

6am - wake & bottle (6-8oz)
6-7:30 - play
7:30 nap
9am - breakfast (3 eggs or waffles - frozen)
10:30- bottle (3oz)
10:30-12 - play
12 - lunch (mac & cheese and green beans and sometimes some fruit)
1- nap
3-5 - play
3pm - bottle (usually 3-4oz bottle)
4/4:30 - dinner (turkey, ham, cheese, and we try to introduce a thing or two if we are eating something they can, mostly veggies: corn, spinach, potatoes)
5-6 - play
6pm - bath time, bottle (6oz), book & bed
7:00 all babies are in bed

We get up between 7-8 and go to bed at 8; here's our schedule (my girls are 14 months adjusted, 16 1/2 actual).

7-8: Wake up, play, dress
8:30: Breakfast - 4 oz bottle, dry cereal/oatmeal/pancakes, or yogurt (I mix a little fruit, usually applesauce or pureed peaches, into the oatmeal or yogurt)
10:30: nap
12:30: Lunch - 5-6 oz half juice/half water, veggie, fruit and protein (this is hard, they don't always eat the meat, a lot of times it's very veggie/fruit heavy). If they do eat meat it's usually leftovers from what hubby and I ate the previous night, or I can sneak them in some tofu
1-3:30: play (this is also when we go out)
3:30: Nap
5-5:30: Dinner - 4 oz milk, usually bananas and peanut butter since this is what they will eat now; if they didn't eat yogurt for breakfast, I will give them some. For some reason, dinner has turned out to be more of our lighter meal, more lunch like
5:30-7:30: Play, bathtime (if given), change & dress for bed
7:30: 6 oz bottle
8: Bed

Amy

Mom to Julia, ^Caitlin^ & Gabrielle



http://onealaskanmom.wordpress.com

We're 12 months (10 months adjusted) and here was our schedule for today. All the food is total for the three, not each.

6:30 wake up
7:00 7-8 ounce bottle
8:00 breakfast: 1 banana and 1 Eggo waffle OR 1 egg and 2 pieces of toast
8:30-10:00 nap
10:00 play
11:00 lunch: 2 hot dogs, 2 ounces of cheese, 1/2 cup of peas or green beans, few fish crackers or animal crackers, ~2-4 ounces of milk or water
12:30-2:00 nap
2:00 play
3:00 2nd lunch/dinner: 4 chicken nuggets, 1/2 can diced fruit, ~3/4 cup pasta with butter and parmesean cheese, 1-2 ounces of cheese, few fish crackers or animal crackers, ~2-4 ounces of milk
4:30-5:30 nap (sometimes) or walk
5:30 play
6:15 snack (DH & I eat dinner and the girls sit in high chairs and watch/snack)
7:00 7-8 ounce bottle
7:30 bed

btw, my littlest is 3 pounds lighter than her sister. At the 12 month visit they were A:17lb,7oz, B:19lb,3oz, C:16lb,3oz. The difference isn't important, but watch how they're growing compared to their own growth curve and watch how well they eat (like the variety). Mine all eat like champs and will eat anything they can feed themselves. They won't eat much from a spoon anymore.


Brenda
mom to GGGs born at 32w4d

13 1/2 months actual (11 1/2 months adjusted)
This is what we do:

6:15-6:30 AM wake: shortly thereafter formula in a bottle then yogurt, apple sauce, chunks of banana, and Cheerios (they pick up from tray themselves) in their high chairs

10:30 AM: offer bottle of formula then meal in their high chairs. They eat steamed peas, refried beans with rice, baked sweet potatoes, quinoa, chunks of cheese, steamed & pureed green beans, lentils, noodles with veggie tomato sauce, etc. Sippy cup of water. Graham cracker or animal cookie.

2:30 PM: same as 10:30 AM

5:45 PM: food (no formula offered)

7:00 PM: bottle of formula then asleep by 7:15 PM

I try to keep the foods limited to these times, when they are in their high chairs. Consistency is key.

If someone seems to be getting hungry a few minutes early, I offer the formula early or a Graham cracker to hold and gnaw on for the last few minutes before the meal.

That said, there isn't much time for outings between all of these meals and naps (8 AM, 12 noon, 4 PM). We flex the schedule occasionally to get out and do things - eat at restaurants, go to friends' houses - but we usually try to keep the meal times the same even if they eat somewhere else.

Anyway, that's what we do! Good luck with whatever you choose!

*Christina*

PS - my smaller boy wasn't interested in food for about a month after his bigger brother started gobbling down food. I didn't push it and just let him go at his own pace. Since your boys are discordant in feeding ability and weight, you might try having finger foods available for everyone but also spoon feeding them so the littler guy keeps growing well.

Thanks for all your ideas and schedules!

Lately we've fallen into:

5:30 - 7:30 wakeup and bottle (whole milk)
8:30 breakfast with oatmeal, bananas, etc.
9-11 bottle then nap
12:00 lunch with meat, veggies, fruit
15:00 milk and/or yogurt, teething cookie
17:00 dinner like lunch
19:00 bath, bottle, bedtime

Eliza