by: Emma Aguirre
I’m a confident mom and I’m happy with the decisions we’ve made about our daughter’s upbringing. Sure, I’ve messed up and I have regular bad days – I’m human – but for the most part I think I do a great job. My husband tells me, my mom tells me, even my mother-in-law tells me, but there’s nothing like a pat on the back from the pediatrician every few months that makes you feel like you’re REALLY getting somewhere!
My daughter weighs a healthy 17.5lbs and is 25.5 inches long. She’s a little on the short side, but is still considered normal in both height and weight, which I’m glad about. She now eats breakfast, lunch and dinner, and as a result only takes about 24oz of formula over three bottle feedings per day so I was concerned she wasn’t getting enough. We can start the meat blends now and can even do soft table foods such as breads, rice and well cooked chicken from our plate. She also said we could get some puffs so on our way home I loaded up on the chicken blends and the Plum brand puffs. I chose those because I liked the color. I know that sounds lame…but they are green star shaped made from organic apple and spinach. They have orange colored as well, which is mango and sweet potato, purple which is blueberry and purple potato and so on. I think it’s a neat idea and is natural and healthy. I had seen these puffs but I wasn’t sure where they would fit into her diet. The point behind these according to the pediatrician is so she can learn to pick them up and feed herself, which I hadn’t thought of. I thought it was just a “snack” and didn’t see the point. I can put some on her tray at meal times and it should keep her busy. We can also try juice, but it offers no nutritional value so we can choose to give it to her or not. I choose not. I think she needs to get used to drinking water first. Which brought us to the sippy cup debate. I really haven’t been able to find a good one, but I’ve only tried a few. I try to give her water with meals but so far no luck. The Tupperware cups work great (God Bless Tupperware!), but others have valves and require too much effort on my daughter’s part. She doesn’t get it quite yet! So, the pediatrician recommended just removing the valve – genius – and sure enough, the water flows so much better. So much better, we had a put a towel underneath the high chair tonight. I think maybe a drop made it in her mouth.
We have no teeth yet and very little sign that they’re coming anytime soon. Her gums are a little swollen and the pediatrician could tell they were on their way. While she wouldn’t put money on it, she estimated we’d see our first tooth around nine months which I’m A-OK with! Tonight in the tub as I was wiping her gums I may have pressed a little hard as she squealed out and she has been a bit more “moany” than usual the last couple of days. So, we’ll keep watching and waiting.
On a completely different note, I’m heading out of town BY MYSELF for the first time in over a year Wednesday night. I have to help a friend down in McAllen Wednesday night, and I’m leaving midday but will be back Thursday afternoon. I keep telling myself it’s really only about 24 hours. Twenty-four hours without my partner in crime sounds like a lifetime right now. BUT, I set this up and I have to follow through. I’m also going out of town later in the month for three days and two nights. How will I survive?
