First Food..

Yesterday we gave Abby her first taste of rice cereal. She has more than doubled her weight since birth, holding her head up, and staring at us intently when we are eating as if she was wanting some real food. I was going to wait until i took her to the doctor this Friday just to make sure but my instincts took over and I made the decision. Of course I was a little scared to give her too much and made sure to dilute it into a soupy cereal just to make sure she would not have trouble swallowing. Her first spoonful was really funny. She made this face and looked at me like she was saying, mama, what in the world is this stuff. The second bite she looked as if her face turned upside down. It was like she wasn't sure about the taste of it. The third bite was a gag- and if you read one of my previous posts this is classic Abby behavior. After that she seemed to decide that it was okay. She couldn't quite get the hang of it too well at first, she just wanted that spoon to rub her gums, which by the way I think she is already teething. We bought her a teething ring and she loves putting it in her mouth or letting you rub her gums with it. If you put your knuckle in her mouth she just bites down hard. I know it can take months for those little teeth to emerge but she is on her way. So the cereal went okay last night. I gave her just a little bit tonight and she was just too tired to even try and enjoy. She is going to bed so early now. Some nights it 6, tonight she made it to 6:30 and its like she was about to fall asleep in the high chair. Monday night she fell asleep at 5:30 and was out for the night. I read a book on healthy sleep habits and naps and have tried to be consistent about her sleep schedule and it seems to hold true that she is a happy baby when she gets her rest. We're going to work on the napping this summer when I'm at home again to get her schedule a little more regular. I can't wait to be home with her soon. Only 4 more weeks of work left. I was holding her this afternoon while she napped and just thought about how thankful I am for her and all the joy she brings to our life now. Her latest thing is loving when her daddy plays - near and far with her. Remember Grover from Sesame Street playing this- Heth has come up with his version and Abby thinks it is funny. She smiles and laughs. She loves her daddy!