Update on Super Baby Food!

I wanted to give an update on how I'm doing with making the baby food for Ethan, and how he's doing taking it. It's gone pretty well and I'm glad I made the decision to make his food. I can feel rest assured that I am feeding him the healthiest thing I possibly can! I'm not so sure about the amount of money I'm saving, but at this point, I just enjoy making it. That's nuts isn't it?

So far the veggies I've made have been:

• sweet potatoes (three times) - HE LOVES THEM!
  
• butternut squash (twice)
  
• yellow squash
• carrots - HE HATES THEM!
  
• avocados - HE HATES THEM!
  

The fruits I've made are:

• peaches (twice) - HE LOVES THEM!
• apples or applesauce (twice)
• bananas
  

I've bought organic baby food in jars for peas and prunes because the book does say they don't puree very well and those are foods maybe to introduce when he's eating finger foods, but I wanted him to get used to the taste and texture first. He really likes the prunes and the peas, especially when I mix them with the carrots. I think I've tricked him into eating the carrots when I mix them with the peas! Sneaky huh?

By far, the easiest to make are the sweet potatoes and peaches. You just steam them with teh skins on for the most nutrients, then the skin just falls off! Of course bananas are easy because I just take off the peel and mash them, but they don't last long.

If any of you moms have any tips for getting baby to self-feed, HELP! I offer those little Gerber puffs, Cheerios and little even little pieces of banana and he just picks it up and plays with it, while he's talking to it! It's cute, but really it's driving me crazy! If I offer it to him by me feeding him, he opens up wide like a little baby bird and gets very impatient when I don't give it to him fast enough! He obviously knows its food, he just won't self-feed himself! I know he'll come around soon, but I'm impatient and I just want him to do it already! :) ANY TIPS?