Chocolate Oreo Drumstick

Last night after dinner Jake was holding Abigail while I ate a chocolate Oreo drumstick.  This was really a silly thing to be doing, considering the fact that I am quite ill and also haven't exercised in almost a week.  Nonetheless, that's what was happening.  Abigail was fascinated with my food item and kept opening and closing her mouth in her funny way as I ate, while beating her arms as though she could fly.  Fast forward to this afternoon when my little princess was refusing to eat her rice cereal and peaches.  We normally do our food routine at 10 am, but we had a house showing, so we spent the morning at the park.

Enjoying the Cove, where her parents got married

Always expressive

Climbing trees at a young age

Watching passing people

I couldn't get her to look at me...here she's contemplating eating my pants.

Our set up

This outing led to Abigail having her very first lunch, which wasn't going well.  I had already consumed my customary homemade chicken quesadilla with hummos and a glass of orange juice, which I thought might entice her appetite.  Then I performed every trick I knew: a variety of songs, dance moves, flying utensils, distraction techniques, and the charade of additional baby spoons.  It occurred to me that I could eat an ice cream, for the baby's sake, of course.  She was sitting in her chair happily, maybe she would then decide that food was interesting again.  So for the sole purpose of feeding my infant daughter, I martyred my waistline and began eating my drumstick.  The upper dome of ice cream was already gone with no effect when I began losing hope, though in a very pleasant way, really, because I love chocolate.  Then all of the sudden her little mouth opened up wide.  I got through all the rice cereal (knowing she was not really a fan of the peaches) and put my dessert down to scrape the plate.  She looked at it on the counter until I picked it up again and started slowly eating it while feeding her peaches.  She ate every bite, plus half a jar of peas.  Hilarious baby--knows a good thing when she sees it, even if it doesn't taste quite like rice cereal with breast milk, peaches, and peas!  

And extra pictures, for fun!

Just waking up from a nap with one red cheek from laying in my arms

So, so sweet

Messy eating later that day

Our tiny chemist

Loving the toy from her Grandma Barbara

Let them eat cake....or rice cereal.

A few months ago our pediatrician told us that we were at our first cross road of parenthood.  We could either be in the co-sleeping or the cry-it-out camp and 2 months of age was the time to make this decision.  Harsh.  Today we exist somewhere in between those camp grounds in the do-whatever-you-need-to-in-order-to-survive camp.  I actually think this is more crowded than the other two.  At Abigail's 4 month appointment we were instructed by our well-respected pediatrician to start solid foods.  He recognized that this decision is somewhat controversial and that many doctors recommend waiting until 6 months to delay the risk of allergy development.  His reason for beginning feeding at 4 months was based on the development of sweet and sour taste buds after 6 months, rendering the 4-6 month time frame crucial to the introduction of many tastes and textures before the baby is likely to favor sweets (aka fruits, if you're an infant, though I prefer ice cream and cookies, myself).  Considering the fact that neither of her parents have any food allergies, we took the plunge.  It's been interesting, hilarious, fun, sometimes frustrating, and mostly adorable.

First bites

Hmmm

Wondering if she can fit her whole hand in there

Curious

I don't know about this, Dad!

She might love the food, but mostly I think she loves her auntie

 We started out with Abigail in her Bumbo chair (which Jake thinks is a rip off of Dumbo, since there is an elephant design--this seems unlikely to me, but he can't stop calling the seat a fraud), then added the tray.  Once Abigail starting trying to eat the Bumbo chair every time we put her in it by leaning over to her own hip level and gnawing at the synthetic material, we decided it was time for a real high chair.  She looks so small in the chair and we had to use a towel on either side since it's far too wide.  So far she has eaten the following delectable foods: rice cereal, bananas, carrots, pears, peas, apples, sweet potatoes, and avocado.  You should see the charades I have done in order to accomplish some of that!

First time in the high chair

Looking small in her huge chair with towels propping her up.

Success

With her own spoon

I really can't believe my baby girl is 5 months old today.  She's growing so fast.  She loves to talk--she imitates sounds and has actually said the word "hi" twice, clear as day.  She moans and screams instead of crying, for the most part, which can be very hilarious at times (but is not so funny at 2:45 am when I just put her back down at 2:15 am).  Our book collection is growing and she enjoys listening to stories.  She plays on her back and tummy for long stretches and has rolled over a few times, but does not do so regularly, just onto her side with her cute little feet in the air.  She loves to hear us sing and sometimes even sings along, especially at bath time.  She's such a joy, truly.  I'm extremely grateful.  Enjoy the pictures!

She's getting so big.

I LOVE this face.

Happy with her daddy

The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish.

My sweet baby loves the changing table.

Always happy in the morning

My happy girl