We've passed the four month mark and that six month starting line for trying real food is fast approaching. For a while now I've been holding whatever I'm eating or handling (ginger root, lemon peel, etc.) up to Mateo's nose for him to smell - and so far he's never shown one hint of thinking, "Hey, this could go in my mouth" (probably because it's ginger root and lemon peel). Everything else goes in the mouth, but not food.
Until yesterday. I noticed over the weekend that he was much more interested in watching me eat, watching food go from plate to fork to my mouth, than he'd ever been before. I've always said that we would wait until he showed interest to introduce him to food, no matter if that was before or after six months....but I reallllyyy hoped it wouldn't be until at least six months (when they say exclusively breastfed babies can be introduced to solids). I'm not looking forward to those poopy diapers. Last night, while Justin and I were eating a GIANT pummelo from the farmer's market, Justin held out a few...beads (? Globules? What are the little juicy pieces that make up citrus fruits called?) ...of pummelo on his fingers for Mateo to smell. I don't know if Mateo was actually going for the fruit, or just Justin's fingers (those he DOES recognize as food and want in his mouth - hello, teething!), but all of a sudden he had four pummelo beads in his mouth and I was yelling, "No! No fruit! He'll only want the sugar! And I've NEVER heard of citrus being a first food!" (Hahaha. Everything I've heard says to give them veggies first, fruits later, otherwise they'll only want the sweet fruit. I don't know how true this is, but it makes sense.)
Needless to say I dug the globules out of his mouth.
He may be ready to try some solids...I just don't know if I am.
January 30, 2012
4 Months!
Babies changes so quckly. I feel like a week ago I just had a "baby," a little person who ate, slept, pooped, maybe smiled, cried, repeat. Sure he would look at us and "talk" and smile, but who knows what is going on in that little head?
Today I feel like I have a Mateo. He has opinions, likes and dislikes, and a full blown personality (he's a sensitive soul). The cats are his favorite entertainment, it's wonderful to see the joy they bring him just by walking into the room. His love for Silas has made me like Silas more, so I can say with honesty that our household has been much peaceful lately - not that Silas is better behaved, just that I've given up on disciplining him. Making Mateo laugh is generally the business of my days, and keeping him from being bored. I see his eyebrows arch and I know I'm doing something right. His lids lower and I know he is bored, verging on tired. I'm realizing how much he wants my full attention, wants me to play with him and talk to him and not just carry him around or bounce him on my leg as I fool around on the computer. While playing with a baby all day can be great, it can also be totally boring, I'm not gonna lie. I think being really intentional about our playtime and devoting my full attention to him for an hour at a time goes a long a way in his world and allows him to be more content in the carrier, bouncy seat, whatever for those other times I need to get adult stuff done. Surrendering to his needs instead of trying to fit him into my plan has made us both much happier this week...who would have thought.
Mateo can ALMOST roll over from back to belly (he's been rolling from belly to back for about a month and half)! He tries so hard, puts so much effort into it...it's like watching Justin do the P90X core workout. He gets the leg and arm over and just needs to pull the other arm out from under him to do it....so cute, and so tempting to help him. Instead I just watch him struggle, haha.
I spend a lot of time gazing at my baby and thinking, "He is the most beautiful thing in the world." I know every mom does this and the fact that it's true for every mom is amazing to me.
As I type this Mateo is sleeping on my lap, making nursing motions with his lips. I look at his beautiful eyelashes and remember how they weren't there when he was born, how I eagerly watched them grow those first couple of months, blonde little hairs creeping out over his beautiful eyes. Now they have darkened and are long and full. I'd been telling myself that all the hair he had was what he was born with, wondering when he would grow more...and a friend pointed out to me that he already is. How I could spend nearly 24 hours a day with this little person attached to me and not notice, I don't know. But there they are, short blond hairs all over his head, sprouting up amid the longer, darker hair he came into the world with.
Time goes by shockingly fast.
Today I feel like I have a Mateo. He has opinions, likes and dislikes, and a full blown personality (he's a sensitive soul). The cats are his favorite entertainment, it's wonderful to see the joy they bring him just by walking into the room. His love for Silas has made me like Silas more, so I can say with honesty that our household has been much peaceful lately - not that Silas is better behaved, just that I've given up on disciplining him. Making Mateo laugh is generally the business of my days, and keeping him from being bored. I see his eyebrows arch and I know I'm doing something right. His lids lower and I know he is bored, verging on tired. I'm realizing how much he wants my full attention, wants me to play with him and talk to him and not just carry him around or bounce him on my leg as I fool around on the computer. While playing with a baby all day can be great, it can also be totally boring, I'm not gonna lie. I think being really intentional about our playtime and devoting my full attention to him for an hour at a time goes a long a way in his world and allows him to be more content in the carrier, bouncy seat, whatever for those other times I need to get adult stuff done. Surrendering to his needs instead of trying to fit him into my plan has made us both much happier this week...who would have thought.
Mateo can ALMOST roll over from back to belly (he's been rolling from belly to back for about a month and half)! He tries so hard, puts so much effort into it...it's like watching Justin do the P90X core workout. He gets the leg and arm over and just needs to pull the other arm out from under him to do it....so cute, and so tempting to help him. Instead I just watch him struggle, haha.
I spend a lot of time gazing at my baby and thinking, "He is the most beautiful thing in the world." I know every mom does this and the fact that it's true for every mom is amazing to me.
As I type this Mateo is sleeping on my lap, making nursing motions with his lips. I look at his beautiful eyelashes and remember how they weren't there when he was born, how I eagerly watched them grow those first couple of months, blonde little hairs creeping out over his beautiful eyes. Now they have darkened and are long and full. I'd been telling myself that all the hair he had was what he was born with, wondering when he would grow more...and a friend pointed out to me that he already is. How I could spend nearly 24 hours a day with this little person attached to me and not notice, I don't know. But there they are, short blond hairs all over his head, sprouting up amid the longer, darker hair he came into the world with.
Time goes by shockingly fast.
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