You spend your days laughing and wiggling around the floor, trying to eat your big sister's toes as she reads you books.
This world is a little less sullen now that you are here with us. Smiling, squishy, babbling at me from across the room, don't take yourself too seriously, mom.
Our nights are getting better, although I still see you every morning at 1am. I come in and there you are bunny-eyed awake and laughing when you see me.
You are sunshine and lemonade and raspberry tarts. You are cheesy christmas jingles and big red balloons. You are everything happy and good.
You are 7 months today, and we feast on mashed potatoes in celebration.
I had forgotten how fun it is to have a baby who is just starting to explore the world of solid foods. Eloise has been exploring this exciting new gastronomic world for over a month now, and it's been such a jolly adventure. (I realize I use the word "jolly" quite often in relation to this tiny person; it's who she is, in and out-- there is no better word to describe my Eloise and her little doings).
This may sound strange, but I find that there is something extremely satisfying about making baby food. I genuinely enjoy picking out the best organic fruits and veggies I can find, cooking them up, freezing them in little ice-cube trays and then eventually watching my little one taste, often for the first time ever, the purity of a sweet potato or plum. It's also an endlessly entertaining show to see the expressions she makes as her whole being reacts to a spoon of tart yogurt, or the soft pleasant sweetness of a banana.
Anyway, here's what we've tried so far:
The top of our list:
Pears-- absolute favorite
Sweet Potatoes-- mix 'em with rice cereal and she's in heaven
Squash-- yum yum-- but looks the same going out as it does going in.
Banana-- yes please!
carrots-- certainly! but this is another one that looks just the same going in as coming out.
Second tier foods:
Peas (and pea soup)-- some days we're into it, some days....not so much.
chicken-- pulverized and mixed with boob milk-- not bad.
No thanks:
avocado-- this is one that Violet loved. Eloise, not so much. Her first rebellion? Possibly!
I was talking with our pediatrician a little while back about starting solid foods. She mentioned that it's a good idea to expose babies to as many flavors and textures as possible before 9 months because at that age they begin to get a little more discriminating with their tastes. I had never heard that before, but thinking back to our days with baby Violet, it makes sense. We started Violet on solids super early because she wasn't gaining any weight. By the time she was 9 months, I was just blending up whatever we had for dinner and spooning it into her mouth. She has always been a great eater-- loves to try new foods and will eat almost anything-- possibly this is because we exposed her to so many different foods so early on..? I don't know. But anyway... I've been trying a few new "exciting" foods with Eloise this week. Greek yogurt mixed with various fruits seems to be a winner. Quinoa is exciting because she can pick it up and play with it. The texture is different and sometimes surprising. And cheerios, always always always fun.
I've also started adding a little more flavor into her foods here and there. Pea soup with thyme, butternut squash blended with chicken broth and olives. Today: carrots with cardamon and ginger.
I'd be curious to know what other parents have tried with their babies as first foods. It's quite a ride!
You spend your days laughing and wiggling around the floor, trying to eat your big sister's toes as she reads you books. 
