Hi, and Welcome!
I’m Lily, a food blogger, wife, and Mama to my three boys, Myles, Levi, and Kai.
I have a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mathematics and am a former secondary education mathematics teacher. Although teaching math and recipe development may seem like two completely different realms, they share so many similarities!
Something about the mathematics behind determining exact measurements and calculating meal ratios is so satisfying, and I love merging my two passions to create different meals in the kitchen!
Baby-Led What?
We welcomed our first son Myles in November of 2018. Once he was ready for solids, I was so excited to introduce him to different flavors and foods besides milk.
At that time, I knew very little about the concept of baby-led weaning. We went the traditional route by introducing purees and he quickly became bored with purees and was showing clear interest in the foods that we were eating.
One day, I offered him a bite of something my husband and I were having for dinner, and I had never seen him chow down something so quickly! This got me interested in other possible feeding methods, so I started looking into various feeding approaches.
As I researched different feeding approaches, I kept coming across something called “baby-led weaning.” At first, I thought it had to do with babies weaning themselves off of breast milk/formula, but I quickly realized that I was wrong and that it had to do with introducing finger foods early on.
Once I realized this, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to learn more about the proper and safest ways to go about this feeding approach.
Baby-led weaning with baby #2
I continued researching more about baby-led weaning, educating myself on all aspects of this approach to starting solids.
I was so fascinated by the idea of a baby self-feeding early on. The thought of not having to make separate meals for everyone in the family sounded right up my alley, so I definitely wanted to explore this.
In September of 2020, we welcomed our son Levi and I couldn’t wait for him to reach 6 months of age so that we could jump into baby-led weaning.
I felt confident about this feeding approach but I’ll admit, the first few weeks were super scary and nerve-wracking. There were several times that I was worried that he wouldn’t be able to handle certain foods, but boy was I wrong!
His little gums were so strong and he was able to take on so many textures at an early stage.
Fast forward to the present
I continued to educate myself on all aspects of baby-led weaning and followed through the journey with my son, Levi. 2 years later, I had my son Kai and felt much more comfortable with this feeding method. Baby-led weaning is a fun process, but things can definitely get challenging when it comes to figuring out what to make for your little ones. Sometimes, life gets busy and it feels impossible to manage everything around us. Making efforts to get balanced meals on the table is another thing to add to the list of never-ending tasks.
With this in mind, my goal is to create simple recipes that are baby, toddler, and family-friendly. I create recipes with baby in mind, but can easily be adapted for the entire family.
What you’ll find on feeding tiny bellies
- Simple and approachable recipes that can be made with basic pantry staples. I’m all about cooking with simple, everyday ingredients that you’re likely to already have on hand.
- Tips and tricks for navigating the challenges that come with feeding little ones. Appetites fluctuate from baby years into toddlerhood, and I’m here to support you through those changes.
- All of my favorite feeding essentials and kitchen must-haves make whipping up meals and serving them to your little ones easier.
- An email newsletter where I share with you new recipes, feeding tips, and helpful resources weekly.
More about Lily and the blog
When I started sharing recipes, I was sharing recipes for my baby and toddler at the time, so there were always two bellies to feed. My husband and I would always laugh at how small and “tiny” the plates of food were for my boys and how we were making tiny foods for their tiny bellies. It started with just two tiny bellies, but now when recipes go from my blog to your kitchen, I see it as us all feeding our tiny bellies together!
Yes! That is one main goal and mission behind my blog – To make recipes the whole family can eat so that you have to cook just once for you and your baby. Having to cook separate meals for a baby can be overwhelming, so these recipes are designed with the whole family in mind.
I’m a big fan of batch-making recipes that can easily be frozen and stored for another day! Check out this collection of freezer-friendly breakfast foods that you can cook in advance and store to make those hectic weekday mornings a little easier.
If I’m not in the kitchen testing recipes, you can find me either running after my boys in a park or going up and down the aisles of Hobby Lobby or Home Goods for hours upon hours. You can also catch me at a women’s Bible study or in a small corner listening to podcasts with a nice cold cup of iced coffee in my hands.
Maybe you are just beginning your baby-led weaning journey and don’t know where to start. Or maybe you’re well into the feeding journey and are looking for some meal ideas and inspiration.
Regardless of what stage you are in, I’m so happy that you are here!
If you have any questions, ideas, or just need some reassurance, feel free to send me a message!
Let’s stay connected on social media!
While You’re Here
Check out these delicious breakfast recipes!
