Week of firsts

(Morgan and Gracie kneeling on the floor against a couch cushion.)

The past week and a half has been filled with some major accomplishments for Gracie. It is so fun to watch her begin to start hitting some major milestones and have her little personality begin to show even more.

Last Thursday night, Jason and I were getting ready to go out, we left the room where Gracie was laying on her back on the floor just as happy as can be. All of a sudden she started screaming, Jason checked on her and called me to come--I came in running, worried something had happened, Grace was now on her tummy!!! We were so thrilled that we didn't roll her back soon enough for her liking and she proceeded to scream bloody murder.

Gracie has gained great trunk control, she will roll over to her side and stay there to watch Morgan play and then roll back to her back. But if she gets too upset, she starts screaming and as she rolls to her side she has so much frustration she rolls all the way to her tummy and then since she hates her tummy she screams so loud. It is quite funny and kind of pitiful at the same time.

Another major milestone is that Gracie has started eating solids. We started her on super thin rice cereal made with apple juice, the first few tastes she did great but she quickly learned that she wasn't a fan of the spoon. Her response was that she would gag on it, even though she really wasn't having a hard time swallowing and then she locked her lips shut and would turn her head every time we tried to give her a bite. So I tried putting the cereal in a bottle with the nipple cut and she loves it!! Gracie chugs it down and now knows that first thing in the morning she gets a bottle with apple juice and cereal and she really enjoys it. This morning I tried thickening it to a milkshake consistency and she did pretty well--Grace didn't drink it too fast and was a little confused but she did great.

Yesterday we tried bananas and she liked them. I know you should start veggies before fruit but I figured she would like bananas better than beans or squash and I didn't want her first experience be associated with a taste she didn't like. Grace didn't gag but she still locked her lips, but would allow me to sneak in some small bites anyway, so since she wasn't fighting and/or crying I continued forcing the spoon in her mouth and only a little would come back out. This is such a big accomplishment and though I know we still have a long way to go, but the very fact she is letting food touch her lips and go into her mouth is a big step.

Since I last posted about Grace's tubes in her ears, she has improved even more. She now smiles and loves having us talk to her. Gracie especially loves when I say mama over and over again--I must make a funny face or something.

Grace has become very much a mama's girl, if I have been out for awhile when I come home and she sees me she cries until I hold her. She knows when a stranger is holding her and turns to me and whines until I take her in my arms. Gracie loves to be held and one of her favorite past times is sitting on daddy's lap and watching football or basketball.

I can't wait to witness so many more firsts in my sweet girl's life!!!