Berry Nice to Meet You

It was time for another plateau in our exploration of Food That Doesn't Come From Mommy: texture. That's right, now not only can we enjoy the mashed up guts of various fruits and veggies, we're taking the fruits and veg themselves for a spin, too! Today, as evidenced by the bad pun to which you were subjected in the title, we started with strawberries. Well...apples, too, but I couldn't think of a good apple pun off the top of my head.

The apples, being all hard and raw and whatnot, didn't fare very well, but the strawberries were an unmitigated hit. As a first-time mom, I have to admit, I can see how it'd be scary when feeding your kid solids to hear them start gagging and see that scrunched-up-nose-stuck-out-tongue face that basically says, "Eww, make it stop!". That said, it was just a little gag which was more "I'm learning to swallow real food" than "My life is in your hands; I hope you know the Heimlich!". And anyway, since it didn't stop him coming back to gnaw the life out of some more bits of strawberry, it couldn't have been such an awful experience.

Mmm, fruity goodness

And yes, that's me being a horrible and lazy multitasking mum and feeding E while I have him in his door bouncer. I'm nothing if not efficient. ...Aaaaand, I wanted to eat my own lunch at the same time and this was the best way to achieve that goal. Thankfully, he's a pretty tidy eater, so I don't have to fear for the safety of the carpet...too much.

Are you not entertained?

As we creep ever closer to the reality of E sitting up on his own for more than a 30-second stretch I keep telling myself I'll insist on only feeding him in his highchair. We'll get there. Besides, I'm still pleased when we do things like take a nap in the crib for more than 15 minutes, or play with toys long enough for me to wash some dishes. This whole mothering gig is a learning curve. Eating strawberries without choking is just another point on the curve.

Know what's another point? Being 24 weeks old! Pretty soon 6 months will be here and I have no idea what I'll do with myself. How have I had a kid for nearly half a year?

glamour shot

So what are six things I've learned about my tiny human in that time?

1. He has ticklish thighs. If you squeeze them he giggles.
2. Like his momma, he enjoys tart Granny Smith apples.
3. Despite being a momma's boy, he loves playing with his daddy in the mornings.
4. He is an adrenaline junky: flipping upside-down, bouncing through the air as you catch him...if it's moderately unsafe, E's all over it.
5. Weirdly, the bathroom is probably his favourite room in the house. He's never bored in there.
6. Though he can do it if he tries, 9 times out of 10, he's too lazy to bother with rolling over.

What have I learned about myself? That this whole mothering malarkey is actually pretty intuitive. Aside from things like The Schedule or deciding to get cloth nappies rather than disposables, I don't find myself having to think through too many decisions very deliberately. ...Oh, and I've also realised that I am my mother. This isn't a bad thing, I'm just saying...I'm my mom and it's funny.

It's not over until the fat baby sings ;)