Some cereal. S’posed to be good for you.

Baby Girl is now on day three of cereal. You’d think she’d gone to the prom or graduated from medical school with all the hoopla surrounding the event. It is a big deal, of course. A milestone and all that. I was so excited to buy the cereal (as well as organic fruits and veggies, but we won’t start those for a couple more weeks). I felt like I felt the first time I bought diapers and formula, like “Hey, look at me! I have a baby!”

With Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa looking on, and the video camera rolling, she took right to it (after I fed her some of her bottle first to take the edge off her hunger). She seemed to understand the concept of the spoon right away and knew to open her mouth for it and swallow this foreign substance. My mom said some babies even cry the first time they have cereal because they’re so freaked out by the taste or the spoon or both, but not my girl (which only goes to prove that she’s in the right family—we have no problem with food, except in excess, but that’s a different story).

I hear people say that they’re sad when their kid reaches a milestone (sleeps through the night, learns to walk, starts school) because it means she’s growing up and no longer needs her parents in the same way. I have had a twinge of that once or twice, but for the most part I’m really excited that The Girl is growing up, learning new things, becoming more of who she really is (as opposed to being pretty much a meatloaf for the first several weeks). I’m fascinated by the thought of watching her personality unfold and develop.

I think one of my most important roles as her mother is to help her become who she’s meant to be, to expose her to different things and see what she gravitates toward, where her talents lie, what her strengths and weaknesses are, what she’s passionate about. (Right now she’s pretty passionate about having her pants off—let’s hope that doesn’t continue. Seriously, if she’s in a bad mood, all you have to do is put her on the changing table and take her pants and diaper off, and 95% of the time she’ll start smiling, cooing, or just calm down and chew on her fingers. The kid loves to air out her business.)

Anyway. I don’t always do a good job of appreciating the moment, of enjoying the stage she’s in right now, instead of looking forward to the next one. Everyone says it all goes so fast and in a way it has, but in another way, it seems like it’s been a long time since I slept through the night. I am reeeeaaaallly looking forward to that. I hear the cereal might help. Let’s hope.