Proud Mommy

I can't help but beam with pride as I see how quickly baby K picks up on things. We first introduced the sippy cup to her about two months ago, but she never quite got the hang of it, playing with the cup rather than using it for its intended purpose. Week after week, we were always "too busy" doing something else, so we never really gave it to her to practice as much as we'd like. We decided to try again today, only instead of putting water in the sippy cup, I mixed in some apple juice in hopes that the sweetness would entice her to suck from the sprout. Low and behold -- it worked! Our little girl can now draw liquid from the sippy cup! Granted, she still thinks it's a toy and enjoys playing with it as such more than anything else, but I am so proud of her!

Another breakthrough on the baby food front: Graduate puffs... those little pea-size snacks made by Gerber that taste like cardboard (yes, I've tried them -- they smell better than they taste) but is good for babies because it melts right in their mouth. The first time I gave it to baby K, I put it directly into her mouth (probably a month or two ago). She hadn't quite mastered the art of chewing yet, so I think it just melted in her mouth. She also didn't seem to care much for them, so I waited a few weeks before trying again. When I did, I put a few puffs on her tray table and watched her pick them up with her fingers. She just played with them until they melted in her hand (except for the few that ended up on the floor and eventually in the trash can). As much as I coaxed her and demonstrated by example, she wouldn't bring the puff into her mouth. We tried again today. M placed a few on her tray table and she proceeded to pick them up with her fingers again. She played with them, but this time, she also put the puffs in her mouth - all by herself!

I understand that what my baby has achieved today is no different than what other babies her age (or even younger) can do. It doesn't mean baby K is more advanced or smarter than others, but that doesn't make me any less proud. I am just grinning from ear to ear! =) If M and I had been more diligent in teaching her, baby K could've probably picked things up sooner. But I'm in no rush for my little girl to grow up. She works according to her own pace, and as long as she's happy, healthy, and safe by our side, I can't ask for anything more.

Baby K nearly has the crawling thing nailed down. Now my next feat is to get her to call me "mama!"