A Christmas Cookie

On Christmas Eve, Henry had two new food experiences. He sipped on his first cup of milk and tasted his first cookie. Next week I will have more information about our plan for transitioning from formula to milk, but today’s topic is the cookie.

Henry tastes his first Christmas cookie.

Both Daddy and I have a sweet tooth. We do not plan to be a sugar-free household; it just is not realistic for us. Daddy eats chocolate chip cookies nearly every evening for dessert. I am not a chocoholic, but I love to bake. I especially like making (and eating) fruit desserts, such as lemon bars and apple crisp.

So far we have been very strict about giving sugar to Henry. He has had a few tastes of sugar in homemade jam, barbecue and teriyaki sauce, but overall we have severely limited his exposure. I do not want Henry to eat products made with high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. In addition, I have been considering ways to modify our favorite recipes by substituting white sugar with natural alternatives such as maple syrup, agave and honey. For now, we are punting the topic of sweets down the road a bit until we figure out the rules for Henry.

Henry entertains his grandpas on Christmas Eve.

For Christmas, Daddy and I agreed that Henry should enjoy one special treat. Baking and sharing goodies is a big part of our family holiday traditions and we wanted to include Henry. We settled on letting him choose one item from an assortment of Grandma’s homemade cookies. Henry selected a thumbprint cookie for dessert. He seemed to really enjoy it but about half ended up in crumbs on his lap. It was a lovely way to let Henry participate in the full family meal without overindulging.

Henry picks up a cookie crumb.

But Henry will have to wait until his birthday next month before he has another dessert; learning to enjoy sweet treats in moderation is a skill we can all use.