Soliciting Advice

For months, I've been on the receiving end of advice that I did not want or did not need or both...but now I need help and I am hoping that you, loyal reader, will read, react and respond. Here goes...

Finger foods. They are killing me...or I should say...almost killing Grace. She is now able to get them in her mouth and for the last couple of days she's been doing great. She'd gag a bit when swallowing but most of the time she'd crunch them up with her gums or they would dissolve.

Until today.

She put one of those Gerber puff things in her mouth and choked. As in not breathing. C-H-O-K-E-D. I can't even begin to tell you how quickly I reacted. Vampire-speed-quick! (The Twilight fans will know what I am talking about.) I ripped her out of that high chair, flipped her onto her stomach and pounded on her back to dislodge the food. To give you a visual...

Court was home, sleeping, and I screamed for him and I swear, I didn't even blink, and he was by our sides. Eventually, the puff either dissolved or she swallowed it. Honestly, I don't know how she choked on the damn thing. They literally dissolve in seconds. She was fine. A bit scared (although I couldn't tell what scared her more - choking or me and Court's reaction to her choking). Within minutes, she was "talking" and crawling after the dogs.

I know gagging is a normal reflex for babies when learning to swallow and eat but now I AM SCARED TO DEATH to give her any more finger foods. The books say a kid her age should be eating cut up/mashed pieces of whatever we are eating or things like Cheerios but there is NO WAY I am ready for that. She might be, but I'm totally not! My legs still feel like jello...at a picnic...on a REALLY hot day. (It boggles my mind that Cheerios are a recommended starter food for babies! In my mind, nothing could scream choking hazard more!) I fear, that if left to my own devices, Grace will be 8 years old and still eating pureed sweet potatoes and bananas out of a jar.

That's where you come in...hopefully. Have you...or should I say, has your baby, experienced this? When did you introduce finger foods and how did you do it? Which foods worked for your baby?

Hope you will share your stories and/or advice. I am all ears.