Bathtub and High Chair

Molly has been beginning to eat some solid foods. We started out with a little rice cereal about two weeks ago. She does a really good job of opening her mouth when the spoon approaches. She also swallows the food really well. Of course, some of it is pushed out by her tongue, but usually it is a very small amount. After we began giving her the cereal, she began spitting up quite a bit. So, we stopped the cereal. I read online that the grains can be more difficult to digest than fruit which has special enzymes to aid digestion. So, I tried giving her a little mashed avocado. She seems to like the creamy texture.

Molly had a little earache last week and has been on antibiotics. Giving her the medicine is much more difficult than feeding her solids! The dose is one teaspoon which sounds like a small amount, but it is actually equivalent to six times the amount of Tylenol recommended for babies at her age. So, when I give her Tylenol it is one dropperful, and this antibiotic is like six of those droppersful! Well, the antibiotic has made her go from a "two bowel movement a week baby" to a "four BM a DAY baby"! As a result, we've been giving her some banana. Surprisingly, she seems to prefer the unsweet cereal and avocado.

Molly also has had a couple "baby popsicles". My mom made a bunch of cubes of frozen peach puree. Last Thursday when Molly wasn't feeling well, we were at my parents. She was crying, and we couldn't find anything to soothe her. I suggested putting an ice cube in a washcloth. Sometimes she just likes to suck on something cold. Well, mom asked if she could give her a peach cube. We tried it, and immediately she stopped fussing. She sucked and sucked until it was all gone. We were at my parents' again on Sunday, and she got another popsicle. However, I tried to give her one at home, and she wasn't interested! For now we are going to stick to the banana, avocado and peach cubes before we introduce a new food. In a few weeks I'll probably try some type of vegetable.

Molly loves taking a bath. I put a towel under her so that she doesn't slip around. She likes for me to support her in a sitting position so she can grab at a toy in the water or to play with the water coming from the faucet. However, she also likes to try to put the wet towel into her mouth. She does the same thing when she lies on her belly in the tub. We end her bathtime by laying her on her back. She gets really mellow and lies still in the tub. Sometimes she'll splash a little with her legs or arms, but she usually just looks at me and remains still. It is quite amazing because she is usually such an active baby.

This is Molly with my parents on my dad's birthday.

One of the great things about Fort Worth is that while it is a large modern city, it is still surrounded by ranchland. A week ago there was actually a wildfire in the city because there are grassy fields in various parts of Fort Worth. We live in a busy part of the city that is an entertainment and business hub. However, running the Trinity Trail from our home toward downtown, we pass fields of cattle. The picture shows the wide open spaces just 5 miles down the freeway from our exit. So, we have country in the city.