(118) Solids

When I started Owyn on solid foods at 5 months old, she was immediately a solid food-eating maniac! She had no problems at all moving the food from the front of her mouth to the back and she liked pretty much everything I gave her.

Lily, on the other hand, has been completely different. First of all, I waited until she was about 6 1/2 months. I wanted to make sure she was ready. I held that first spoonful of squished bananas up to her mouth and she started sucking on her tongue. I had to coax her mouth open a little bit so I could shove the food into her mouth, after which she made some funny faces, moved the food forward out of her mouth instead of backwards into her throat, and then sucked her tongue some more. She showed definite interest in the food, but didn't seem too excited by it once it was in her mouth. I don't really know why. Maybe it is the texture. Maybe it is the fact she can't get there by herself. I kind of think it is mostly that she doesn't know what to do with a spoonful of food. And, she wouldn't open her little, tiny mouth.

So, we have been working on that. I have been giving her the little biter biscuits to chew on and the little cereal and yogurt puffs so that she can learn to swallow. And, of course, I've been persistent/consistent in feeding her the baby mush. I wasn't sure if any of that was helping, though.

But then, today at lunch I sat her down and offered her a spoonful of carrots. She looked at the spoon and opened her mouth wide open! I (gently) shoved the spoon into her mouth as quickly as I could and she then swallowed most of the food! Wow! I was pretty excited. So was she! She finished off the bowl! Woohoo! We did it!

Of course, there is still some learning to do (she didn't seem to like the applesauce still...clamped her mouth shut again for that), but I'm so glad we are figuring it out together!

And that is my happy though today. No matter what my girls face, I will always be with them to fight with them, cheer for them, learn with them, support, and encourage. I'm so happy to be their mom.