Solids

Jimi sits on my lap during meals and shows interest in what we are doing. He even leans forward, or reaches for my fork from time to time. All the while he has been at the table, wondering where his is. His Dr. says no food until 4 mos., so I have been waiting about two weeks to do the infamous first bites.

Well he turned 16 weeks on Friday, and although he won't be "4 mos" until the 13th of Nov., IMO 16 weeks is four, four-week spans, in other words, 4 mos.

So, we outfitted him with my favorite bib of his which reads, "If you think I'm handsome you should see my Daddy!"; put him on Daddy's lap; made a small amount of rice cereal; and began the festivities. If you have a guest pass (you most likely do if you are a friend/family), you can view pix of the occassion on Flickr.

I didn't know what he would make of it, so I only made one small scoop of cereal, and mixed it with his formula. The first bite was more of an introduction. Jimi, this is cereal. Cereal, this is Jimi. THEN what happened surprised us all....Jimi LIKED his new friend, cereal. I knew he was ready, I just didn't realize how ready he was. He looked at us as if to say, "where has this been all of my life?"

His first bites consisted of figuring out how to use his tongue. Once he got that down, how does he open his mouth? By the end of the feeding we were both pros, with my wiping-the-cereal-running-down-the-face-with-the-spoon move well practiced!

He ate the entrire scoop's worth of cereal, and only stopped because there was no more to have. He then topped off his meal with the remainder of his 6 oz of formula and fell FAST asleep.

I was so proud of my baby! Daddy was proud, too. The gift of life continually amazes me, as I never could have anticipated experiencing such joy watching a person eat.

Jimi

Well, it has been more than three months since I last touched the blog. A lot has transpired. I had trouble nursing with breastmilk, I never could make enough. After 6 weeks of pumping, herbal supplementing, water logging, and lactation consulting his pediatrician suggested I give it up. It was an emotional crash, but in the end it was best for all of us. At his last weight check, Oct 1, he weighed 13lbs 7oz. I am sure he is close to 16 lbs by now. I sent my mom a pic of him in the bath last night (water toy appropriately placed). She replied, "no more food till Christmas, he is getting so big!" I know what she means by that. I feel like his most precious moments are sliding away, too. But it is so fun watching him learn and grow. What an amazing gift he is!

Jimi started growing like a weed on formula, and went from 4 oz bottles at a time to 6 oz bottles now. During growth spurts I have seen him take as much as 8 oz. He is 16 weeks, and I am ready to start feeding him solids. I really want to wait until 4 mos, as doctors recommend any sooner could create a food allergy. He sits on my lap with us at meals and does very well at holding up his head. He leans in towards the food, and motions his hands at my fork, as if to say, "give me some, Mom". All signs point to solids!

Being a mom is the most awesome, joyous occurance. It continues to amaze me projectile diarreah, vomit, fountains of urine, drool, mucous and the likes are not repulsive to me...when they're Jimi's (not accepting new applicants). A mother's love goes further than acceptance of all things bodily fluids...there's such compassion for the little cries that would otherwise irritate an outsider. There's a drive to teach them to be more and do more than you ever knew. And, there is a monster called protection that if anyone EVER thought of hurting him would be unleashed.

I had an epiphany one day as I was holding my son, "Mom," I said, "is this how much you love me?" "Yes, it is" she replied. I was overwhelmed. I knew she loved me, but now I understood how much. I realize that she deserved much better Mother's Day gifts through the years!