Our adventure into cereal

So, Maggie has started staring at me and Tyler when we eat, and I mean REALLY staring. I swear she is pretending to chew when she watches us eat now. And she likes to suck on a finger dipped in salad dressing (Italian, not Ranch), enchilada sauce, spaghetti sauce, you name it (except pickle juice - that was a funny face!). So after much debate we decided she could try some cereal. She can't sit up on her own yet, so I can't use the booster seat I have, so we put her in her car seat on the coffee table for her first adventure into rice cereal. Tacky, I know, the kitchen table would've been a more civilized choice.

I think she enjoyed the cereal, at least the part where Mama put it in her mouth, but I'm not sure how much actually made it into her little belly. Her tongue-thrust reflex is still working, so a lot of the cereal made it's way back out onto her face and bib. But you could tell she was entertained by the whole scenario. She is Ms. Grabby-Hands too, so I have to hold down both her hands with one of mine and feed her with my other hand, which is quite a coordination challenge for me!

At this point the cereal is just a novelty not a needed nutritional supplement, so we are going to take things slow. For the next several weeks we'll just practice with the cereal until she gets the hang of eating, and once she actually starts eating it in quantity (both Monday and Tuesday evenings I think she ate the equivalent of 2 teaspoons, maybe) we'll move on to new foods. It's fun to try new things with Maggie, like eating solids, but sad too, because she is already growing up so very fast.

You know when your Mom or Dad got teary-eyed when you did something for the first time like ride a bike, write your name, lose a tooth? Well, know I know why. Watching your baby grow up is SO bittersweet! Every new thing is exciting and makes all kinds of parental pride bubble up inside, and at the same time I wish Maggie would stay the same and not grow so I can have just one more day of her just like she is. Wow, I am TOO sentimental, I'm going to have to toughen up before she starts school!