Andromeda Update

Andromeda is almost seven months old now. She weighs sixteen pounds and is 25 1/2 inches long. Here she is just now:

She can roll over both ways, though she tends not to; she likes to be on her belly to play, and only flips on her back so she can see us better and demand attention. She scoots all around, mainly backwards, but she can turn 360 degrees, so she can get anywhere she wants. She can sit, but usually will go over on her belly before too long. She's trying to get up on her knees; very soon I think she will crawl.

She tastes just about everything I eat. I mix up baby oatmeal with a little diluted apple juice and I can't get the spoon from her mouth to the bowl before she demands more. She likes orange, nectarine, chicken, pancakes with butter, toast with jam, just about everything we put in her gob. We gave her a lemon and she didn't make a sour face. She still nurses several times a day.

We've been teaching her certain signs. Milk is the first one, and sometimes Andromeda will hold up her fist when she wants milk, but she doesn't do the motion. We sign to her: more, food, drink, done, mom, dad; but we focus on just the first few.

As for sleep, well, she does, but she much prefers to sleep on my lap or in my arms. She will sleep in her crib, and usually does when I first put her down for the night. Then the first time she wakes, she'll either go back to crib peacefully, or wake back up and I'll bring her to bed with me. Then she'll either wake up a second time and the same thing ensues, or she'll sleep through til morning. She naps in my lap. Occasionally I can put her down during the day, but with our current living arrangement, days are usually too noisy/busy for her to sleep on her own.

That's my Babby!

Andromeda Eats More

We've been trying something new with Andromeda, with some success. Ollin or I will give her a little bit of what we're eating: something soft enough for her to chew, such as bread or pancake. We put it right in the front of her mouth so her tongue can push it out if that's what needs to happen. This seems to be working. She sort of sucks it into her mouth, chews it with her gums and swallows it. I like it much better because we can give her food in safe sizes and not worry as much about her choking. She still gags sometimes, but manages to get the food back into her mouth for more chewing.

Then, when she's done with a bite, she opens her mouth wide and demands more in a loud voice. If more is not provided immediately, she makes her demand even louder. Too long and she gets upset. Her binky can comfort her, but she still will try to take stuff from my plate if she wants to eat.

When she doesn't want any more, she'll try to grab the bite of food from my hand, and if I let her get it she'll mash it up, try to tear it apart or simply throw it. I gave her a breadstick she couldn't get a bite of, and the tossed that clear across the room. "I have no use for this!"

She still nurses well, so I don't think it's too much food for her. She seems to really enjoy eating, and I know Ollin likes to feed her. We love food, and of course we want to share this with our children.