How did four months pass by so quickly? I’ve been growing by leaps and bounds; it’s hard to fathom that four months ago today I was a teeny-tiny newborn with two clueless parents who were seemingly incapable of feeding me.
And look at me now! This has been another week marked by gigantic accomplishments on my part.
First off, I had my first taste of real food on Saturday And a taste was about all it was, because once Mom and Dad stuck those spoonfuls of rice (mixed with formula) in my mouth, I spat it right back out onto my bib.
Still, it was a first step on the road to my eating solid foods and bidding farewell to my bottle (though I can’t imagine ever doing that!).
Unfortunately, the solid foods had to be tabled for a bit, because I got a little under the weather for the first time last Friday. Ever since then, I’ve been a bit stuffed. Strangely, it hasn’t gotten better or worse since then (no fever, thankfully!), so it looks like we’ll just have to ride this thing out until it goes away. Every so often, Mom, Dad, Babcia or Dido tries to stick this horrible thing up my nose to help unclog me and suck out whatever is getting me all stuffed. That device is pure evil!
Even though I have to wait a little longer to start eating, I did find something new to munch on in the interim: my feet. It’s been a long time coming, but after a couple weeks of locating my feet and grasping them, I finally got the idea to try and stick them in my mouth. Not too bad at all! They aren’t quite as good as my fingers and fists, but they’ll do in a pinch. People always talk about how putting your foot in your mouth is a bad thing, but so far it’s been heaven!
I also have been thoroughly enjoying the new plaything that Dad put together: my Exersaucer (the one pictured here is actually the one that will be kept at Babcia and Dido’s; the one Dad assembled for me is even bigger!). It’s a little like sitting in the command center of the Starship Enterprise, with just as many flashing lights and sounds. Every direction I turn (and I can go in a complete 360 degree circle), there’s something new to play with. And I know that everyone else appreciates having my attention occupied for a bit so they can get other things done.
I should also mention that it’s been almost a week that I’ve been spending all day with my two nannies—Babcia and Dido—and I couldn’t be happier. They always take me on walks and play with me. I know that Mom and Dad find it excruciating to be away from me all day long, but honestly, I’m loving my nannies!
This past weekend, we went back out to the country to visit a work friend of Dad’s. It was supposed to be sunny all day; instead, it was rainy so we were stuck indoors. It’s too bad, because I had my heart set on dipping my feet in the lake behind the nice lady’s house. Maybe next time.
It hasn’t been all smiles, though. My meltdowns are becoming more frequent. Usually they happen because I’m tired and need a nap (sometimes I’m too stubborn to succumb), or I suddenly decide to veer wildly off my every-three-hour feeding schedule and demand a bottle an hour early. I figure that Mom and Dad have had a pretty easy ride these past couple months, with my sleeping through the night and being pretty much the happiest baby alive. It was time to throw them a few curveballs.
I’ll end with an Ask Julia question from 18-month-old Audrey, who has written before (she’s the daughter of Mom’s friend Kirsten):
So Julia, did you play it cool and ignore your mom when she came home from work the first few times since her maternity leave ended, or, did you make her feel special and give her a big smile and some happy noises? I know I prefer to do the former over the latter. I figure, even though I don’t mind that she’s at work and I like spending time with my Grandma, my mom doesn’t have to know this. Let her feel unnecessarily guilty and try to make up for it by giving me goodies she never even let my brother have until he was at least 3 years old! I have it figured out. Stick with me.
Wow, and I thought that I was manipulative! So far, I’ve been greeting my Mom with my customary huge smiles, unless I’m preoccupied with a bottle (which always takes precedence). As I said, I’m having so much fun with Babcia and Dido that I don’t resent Mom and Dad for leaving me with them all day. So I’m genuinely happy to see them when they come home. Still, that’s some good advice ... I’ll keep that in mind down the line.
I should go enjoy the rest of my birthday, but my mailbox is always open and eagerly awaiting your questions. Talk to you soon!
