Eating, moving and sleeping

Well, I've managed to get behind again. It's very easy to do. We've been really busy lately going to the beach and the zoo. I'll post on those later. Right now I want to update on the eating. As you all know, I've been overly worried about Haley not wanting to eat. I've been reassured by several people that this is just what some babies do and I feel much better about things now. I'm just trying to let her try things so we can test for allergies and if she likes something then it is a bonus. So far, we have tried: oatmeal, avocado, banana, squash, peas, sweet potato, and pears. I have made most of it myself, but did try store bought squash just to see if she would take it better. I have tried thinning things out and thickening things. I have tried to feed her when she was hungry and when she wasn't so hungry. I have tried her in the highchair, in her Bumbo, and holding her. I have tried different spoons. I have tried a mesh pacifier with banana in it (she loved sucking on the pacifier until she realized there was food in it). I have tried rice teething biscuits. I have tried puffs. Now I just need to be patient and keep trying things multiple times to make sure she really hates them.

Well the bright side of all of this is that she has learned to love bananas and pears. She especially loves her puffs because they are hard food but dissolve very quickly so that she can swallow it. She also loves water! She tolerated sweet potatoes and avocado better than the other things. She still doesn't care for her oatmeal unless it is mixed with the banana. We still have lots of things to try, but up next will be carrots then green beans. It's going to come eventually and I'm not as worried because I am seeing improvement.

Trying but not liking the rice teething biscuit. She almost choked on it and it scared me to death. We will hold off on these for a while.

I finally got daddy home early enough to feed her. He got to work on peas. This was how it went.

She thought it looked like a good idea when daddy does it.

This was his idea and not something I regularly do.

Oatmeal is awful!

Here she is trying sweet potatoes. She swallowed some of it.

On a different note, Haley is moving all around using her arms and legs. She can eventually drag herself anywhere she wants to go. Yesterday, she was able to get herself up on her knees for a moment and rock back and forth. She can sit up unassisted for a minute or two before falling to the side, but can sit for a while if I hold one of her legs steady. So, she has the strength, just not the balance.

Here she is today getting up on her knees.



Here she is on the move.



Here she is sitting up today (she has had a big day).

As for sleeping, she has good nights and bad nights. Some nights she will go to bed early and sleep most of the night. Other nights, she will go to bed late and wake up a few times. It's a nightly struggle, but it will get better. We are letting her cry it out some. I was so excited to find the paci in her mouth one day after a nap. I left one in the crib in case she wanted one and she was able to figure it out for herself. I didn't think she liked the paci, but she let me know I was wrong. I'm glad for that because I didn't want her sucking her thumb.

Well, Haley went down to sleep without any problem tonight at 7:30. She has had a huge day with all the sitting up, getting up on her knees and scooting. Not to mention, she has only taken a few short naps. Hopefully she will sleep longer through the night.