8 months (including a bit on "baby led weaning")

*no stats this month because no check-up 'till 9 months*

but she's definitely growing

especially the brownish/reddish/blondish fuzz on her head... it's filling in and lengthening... someday we'll call it hair!

 when I left the room she was sitting on top of the mat, when I came back this is how I found her- still not sure how she managed it

still no signs of crawling

finally occasionally rolling from back to belly (if she's really motivated by something)

squeals and clucks

is talkative and goofy and sweet

loves her jumper, anything chewable (especially body parts), and dominos

is finally starting to let me read her a story without crying

she sleeps well most nights

(except not so much on vacation)

transitioning to 2 naps

around 9 am and 1 pm, 1-2 hours each

no more teeth 

(although another bottom one is just about to pop through)

still on Zantac for reflux

breastfeeds 4-5 x a day for 20-30 minutes

and now about eating....

After a few weeks of "solids" (purees) Clara started to lose interest in eating. She would grab the spoon, wanting to feed herself. Or sometimes flat out refuse to eat. She was throwing up any chunky food I'd give her. So I was frustrated and knew I needed to change something.

I came across this new method of "introducing solids" called Baby Led Weaning. Weird name, but essentially all it means is that a baby is allowed to self-feed from the very beginning. So instead of spoon feeding her purees, we provide her pieces of real food (prepared soft enough that she can mash them with her gums) and she controls whether/how much she eats. You can read much better explanations of it here and here. (These sites also address choking, which surprisingly isn't an issue because this way babies learn to chew before they swallow.)

And apparently research indicates that babies weaned this way turn out to be more adventurous eaters with healthier food preferences and less likely to become overweight. Sounds good to me.

It took her a little while to get the hang of real foods. She already loved yogurt and cereals, so I let her spoon feed herself. (She's yet to master the scooping motion so I hand her a loaded spoon and she does the rest.) Within a few weeks she mastered the pincer grasp and can now pick up peas and tiny grains (such as barley) without difficulty. 

Clara turns carnivorous (trying the Christmas turkey)

It's messy and takes her time to eat. And the first few weeks made me nervous. Is she getting enough to eat? (At first she wasn't, but no need to worry- she's still breastfeeding.) How is she not going to choke on that chunk of broccoli? (Amazingly she'd just keep chewing or pop it out of her mouth. Once or twice at the beginning she'd gag and spit up after trying a new texture.)

Her newest foods: hard cheeses (cheddar, monterey Jack, manchego), turkey, kiwi, cauliflower, broccoli, cherries, blueberries, egg yolks, spices (cinnamon, allspice, cumin, ginger), roasted red peppers, cantaloupe, grains (wheat, farro, quinoa), beans (pinto and canellini), and white fish (flounder)!

She's possibly allergic/intolerant to pumpkin. (Massive vomiting several hours after eating on two separate occasions.) Dustin thinks it's awesome (he hates pumpkin) and I'm potentially heartbroken (because I love pumpkin everything). 

Now that's we've got the hang of it, I LOVE feeding her this way! It's less work on our part (no more pureeing!). I love that she's eating foods in their natural form. She shares mealtimes with us, eating simplified versions of what we're having (avoiding added sugars and salt until at least 1 year). She's willing to try and, so far, likes everything I put in front of her. I decide the menu and she's in control of what goes in her mouth. If she's not interested in something I simply remove it and try again another time. No more power struggle over eating.

Lastly, a clip of Clara eating cheese (at Cafe Rio in Virginia over Christmas break)...