Super Six

This past Thursday was Greyson's six month birthday. We took him to the doctor for his 6 month wellness checkup. He was such a trooper. He sat patiently on the counter, naked and gnawing on a tongue depressor, while the doctor walked us through the basics of solid foods. He is such a different baby compared to his 4-month check up when he was still lying on this back and just kind of looking at the ceiling. This time, he was squirmy and grabbing things, at one point even pulling at the doctor's beard.

We have been investigating solids for a week now. It's been a smooth ride so far. We have explored rice cereal, sweet potatoes and today, avocado. No negative reactions so far, other than the revolting transformation of his poops, which was to be expected. The doctor says that during the first year, eating solids is more developmental than it is nutritional. Babies are able to survive perfectly well on breast milk alone for the first year. Hearing that, I admit that there was a part of me that wanted to forget solids altogether. As a mother, it's hard to trade the familiar cuddles and predictability of nursing for the autonomy and uncontrollability of solids. It's tempting to want to keep my baby––my baby.

Today I read that babies inherently want to grow up; it's an unstoppable drive built into each child to move forward and progress. I guess this is a test of the kind of parent I am. Will I let my child do what he naturally desires and was created to do, or will I try and adjust his development to my comfort level? How I execute this little milestone of starting solids is indicative of how I will respond to other things I have to help Greyson learn. There will be other milestones that move me from behind him to beside him. That might be the hardest thing of all, going from the rear end where I can always catch him if he falls, to the sidelines where, with my hands open and clapping, I watch him fall but cheer him on.