Lily had a very big day today. We finally decided to take the plunge into the world of solids. Lily sat in her highchair for the first time, had her first taste of rice cereal, and as you can see below, took her first sip of water from a sippy cup. We went back and forth about when to start solids, but ultimately we just watched for signs that she was ready. She definitely showed an interest in food when we ate, she is sitting up with some assistance, she has about doubled her birthweight, and she was eating for longer and longer periods (often 40-45 minutes per feeding). So, we figured why not try it out.
I'm not sure what I expected for the first feeding, but I didn't expect it to be so easy. Lily took to it immediately. For the first feeding, the box of cereal recommended mixing 1 tablespoon of cereal with 3-4 tablespoons of breastmilk. I figured that she would take a couple of bites, maybe show no interest, maybe reject it altogether - who knows? But, she ate it ALL. I was amazed. I guess she really was ready for this next step. We are going to follow the 4-day wait rule for introducing new foods in case she has any food allergies. In the next couple of weeks, we will delve into new territory with avocados, bananas, and sweet potatoes. Let the adventure begin!
