'Solid' foods, here we come...

Last week, during Brigid’s four month check-up, the pediatrician suggested we start her on solid foods, because the kid can put some formula away, and it might be time to kick things up a notch. Those weren’t the doctor’s exact words, but when she said ‘Brigid takes 9oz at a time?’ and laughed at us, I assumed that’s what she meant. So, for the last couple of days we’ve been trying to introduce solids into her diet. And by solids, I mean liquid, with a couple of flakes of some kind of rice powder stuff, that she eats with a spoon instead of a bottle, while in her bumbo seat instead of on my lap.* And Brigid seems to be eating it well, if you consider swallowing about a quarter of what we give her while dribbling the rest of it down the front of her to be eating. And when she’s tired of eating altogether? She just lets it all run down. At least there’s no confusing her signals…when she’s done, she’s done.

The best part of the whole process is that sometimes, when she’s not really sure if she’s ready to be done, she just holds the food in her mouth for a second before deciding whether to swallow it or not. It’s kind of scary, actually. I think it’s like playing baby food roulette. One of us is going to get a face full of rice cereal one of these days when she starts to laugh with food in her mouth. I came very close to losing that game a couple of days ago. I know it’s going to happen, I just hope it happens to Steve.

Anyway, enjoy the video evidence of Brigid’s first attempts at baby cereal. And take special note of my psychotic dog** in the background, tearing around the room, tossing a toy for herself to chase. Also? Steve yelling at that same dog at the end of the video? These are the reasons I’m 99% sure Brigid’s first words will be RILEY!, followed by either NO! or DOWN!




*I know a lot of people say the first bit of cereal is supposed to go in a bottle, but the internet said a baby won’t learn how to use a spoon if you feed her cereal in a bottle, and we always listen to the internet. So, spoon it is…
**Actually, she’s Steve’s psychotic dog…my dog is the fat one who you can’t see on camera, but is sitting under the table hoping one of us is going to drop something tasty on the floor. I have a feeling she’s going to become Brigid’s shadow when we move on to real food.