Yum Yum

Today was a great day.

Wesley had his first solid foods and his first playdate with his friend Louie.

I was wondering if I'd know when Wesley was ready for solid foods. Choosing to start at exactly six months seemed haphazard given that every baby is different. As usual, however, Wes let us know when he was ready. A week ago I was eating dinner in front of him, per usual. He is always very attentive to what we are eating, and often amused by our chewing. One day, as I was eating, every time I chewed he would start chewing, too. When I stopped, he stopped. The next day when I was eating he started loudly complaining and reaching toward my food in his "that is mine, give it to me" voice. Then I knew he was ready.

This morning we pureed a banana using our handy dandy hand-held blender (known as the "WhipperDipper"). It was very easy to prepare. He loved it. No complaints, no difficulty swallowing--only smiles. We let him eat off of my finger because he is familiar with it. Then we were curious if he'd like a spoon, but when we reached toward him with one, he grabbed it and tried to shove it down his throat. So a finger, or self-feeding will work for now.

excited for more

Then we went to our friend Staci and Louie's house for a playdate. We've had a few walking dates with them, but this was the first playdate. Wesley and Louie were born on the same day! Both lovely, blue-eyed boys. Wes was nervous about Louie at first, but calmed down after Staci won him over by dancing to some tunes (pictured below).

Louie is a very friendly, smiley baby who lights up the moment he sees us. I enjoyed watching another baby, seeing how he acts, and hearing what he likes. Louie was very interested in and interactive with Wesley, who is much more reticent. Watching the boys together deepened my appreciation for the uniqueness of each child. Watching Louie, I see how incredible he is, how special and different from my own baby. It gave me a new perspective on how babies share so much in common, but each do things in their own way, with different personalities. Though I knew this was true, I had never seen babies enough to appreciate them in this way.

It feels great to spend time with Staci, too. I wasn't sure what it would be like to make Mom friends--if I would like them as friends or just as Wesley's friend's parent--if we'd have anything in common. I like Staci. I relate to the way she mothers--it is reassuring to feel that someone else is pondering similar questions. But beyond that, I like her in general. It is nourishing to have fun with another female, to have discussions, to connect. She is from the Midwest, so as an added bonus she has that special MidWestern "je ne sais quoi".

I was suprised by how wonderful, how fitting it felt to watch Wesley engage with another baby. I could see the gears in his mind turning, it was so clearly good for his development. I look forward to more playdates.