Finally food!

Dear Pea,
Finally, in the past week, you are eating solid food.  Two, sometimes three meals a day. Carrots, yogurt, broccoli (still a favorite), avocado, dried mango (big favorite!), cheese...In India, many people are vegetarians.  Some have little choice in the matter, at least at first as that's how their families eat, but some children, though born to meat-eating parents, refuse meat right away and are considered innate veggies and respected as such.  As one of the principles of API states, we strive to feed you with love and respect. And though I strongly believe that a vegetarian diet isn't the optimal one, if you had innately been an herbivore, I would have respected that.  No need to worry.  You love meat.  Chicken especially, but beef is good, too.  Salmon? Yum.  You really aren't into eggs so much, but everything else is full speed ahead.  A few nights ago, I shredded a bunch of leftover chicken for chicken salad for me. I added mayo and spicy dijon mustard and figured I'd give you a taste.  You must have eaten a least a tablespoon, one fingertip full from me at a time.  Delicious.

 oatmeal

In conjunction with your new found affinity for solid food, you have started standing up by yourself.  Usually you pull yourself up using a table, chair, wall or your parents legs and then let go, standing wide legged and grinning for a few seconds before plopping down on your tush.  A few times you've stood up from a squat position in the middle of the floor.  Most of the time you applaud for yourself while standing untethered; it's ridiculously cute. Clapping has become another favorite activity and you tend to do it at correct moments.  When you've accomplished some feat of strength or cleverness or when someone else has.  Or, lately on weekends, when someone on the TV scores a touchdown.

clapping while talking to Bobob

And, finally, extreme validation for your parents: you have been a champion of independence. When I take you to any open play space, you immediately crawl away from me towards the middle of the room. You will happily chew on a ball and watch the other kids and adults without so much as a second glance in my direction.  In music class, while all the other babies stay close to their parents, you cross the room to the good stuff: the lovely singer and her guitar.