By: Tanya Pimental

A few months back, I shared my experience with Starting Solids. Since then, three months have flown by.  We tried to do the baby puree thing, but it was way too messy. Yes, feeding a baby is a ton of work.  To all the excited, new moms out there who are longing to add rice cereal their baby's diet, who can't wait see their little one's face when he or she tries mushy bananas for the first time, I say this: Enjoy those first few feedings, because after that you'll be longing for them to be able to feed themselves.

Six years ago when I had my first, baby food options were very limited. I spent a lot of time making my own food, and I learned that although purees may fill them up, it isn't essential to force those baby foods on your baby when they are still getting most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula.

However, in recent years, food companies have introduced new products, which make life a whole lot easier. One example? Baby food in a squeezable pouch! These things have changed my life. They are easy to toss in your bag and they're available in endless varieties! I used to have to mix two different food purees to create different flavors. Sure, that's not very complicated, but it become more difficult to find the time to create new flavors as our schedules got busier.

These pouches have changed my life. I wish I had not wasted months trying to spoon-feed my little one. Because guess what...she can do it herself!  She just sucks out the food on her own with almost no mess! That definitely makes this mom happy!

In my excitement to share how this has changed my life as a mom, I did a quick internet search and actually found some other great reads. This article from the NY Times definitely reflects my thoughts on these pouches. There is some debate on whether or not these combos are as healthy as they appear.  Although most of the "fruit and veggie" mixes are mostly fruit, I think it's better than no veggies at all.

Now that I have shared my laziness and my dislike for feeding a baby on a spoon, I'll add that I think it's really important introduce kids to finger foods. I think it's key to introduce our kids to a variety of tastes and texture, and I think we do a decent job with this. However, (like most parents) I wish that my kids would eat more vegetables!