Dear Reese,
Your teacher, affectionately, calls you a little crazy when we’re chatting at pickup. She might mean the way you apparently scooted yourself over the high chairs so you could try to grab the food scraps as they fell from the messy eaters above. Never mind that you don’t seem to want to actually swallow any food. Last night I saw you hold a piece of omelette in your mouth for minutes. I didn’t even know it was there until I tried to offer you something else. Eggs do not melt on the tongue, sweetheart.
Or maybe she means your physical energy. She says the other babies your age are stuck sitting but you mastered the sitting-to-tummy transition a month ago and are cruising to all corners of the room. These days when I change your diaper, you’ve turned into a little gymnast, tumbling every which way butt-naked.
Or maybe she’s talking about how you don’t hold your bottle on your own unless you're laying on the floor and kind of batting at it. Yesterday you did that at the cottage and milk splashed all over the playmat. She and I agree you have the strength, but when the bottle goes up and your arms go down. I think one day you’ll just decide you got it now, and take it from there.
Good news though. Your teacher asks if I want them to start giving you some of the daycare meals/snacks. Emphatically, yes. Apparently, it’s included in your tuition and thank god because I was spirally about feeding you hours earlier. As I googled meal ideas for you I saw a recommendation that by 8 months you should have 2 to 3 meals and 1 to 2 snacks every day. What?? We are closer to 1 meal and 1 snack and you are not swallowing a tenth of anything.
I go the Piggly Wiggly before I pick you up and fill the basket with things you can try, easy things I can make you, foods that only half make me feel like I’m going to ruin your diet. Pop tarts and french toast sticks, but also whole milk yogurt and a pea puree. I even buy a kiwi. I have no idea what to do with a kiwi. I will probably have to google how to cut it. You will have to go to your MorMor to learn to cook.
Then both your teachers talk about what other babies are having — purees, single foods, not much either really — and I calm down. But tonight I still offer you some of my skillet gnocchi, a couple of raspberries, and a few spoonfuls of yogurt. You are changing my diet. I’m supposed to feed you what I eat but you can’t eat frozen Taquistos from Costco.
After you’re done rubbing the yogurt around on your face, I remember to have you try your swimsuit on before your bath. We’re going to a waterpark next weekend and you can splash around the chlorine for the first time. It fits perfectly. I can’t wait to take you to the beach this summer when you’ll be able to really enjoy it, but next weekend will hopefully be a fun water adventure. And now, when I do find you some swim lessons later this spring, you’ll be ready to go.
Love,
Mama
I cannot believe how adorable her little face is!! 💕