Dinnertime chaos swirled around. We brushed aside the kids homework and sheets of stickers. Crayons rolled across the table as Scott set down paper plates topped with a simple meal of oven-baked chicken nuggets and sliced fruit.
The kids have this damn digital piano that Scott bought for his younger brothers and sisters 10 Christmases ago. Somehow we wound up with it… I really can’t imagine why anyone would want to get rid of the wretched thing. It plays such beautiful digital renditions of songs we love and songs we love to hate. And by “beautiful” I mean so annoying I think of throwing that piano away every day.
The piano blared on in the background, belting out Whitney Houston and the Star Wars theme. Scott and I took turns telling Kendall and Leyna to “Sit down, please. You have to at least try one bite. No, don’t spit your water out on your plate. That is disgusting. You still have to eat that. Ignore your brother/sister.”
Lowell sat in the middle of the table in the Bumbo. Best seat in the house. He laughed at Kendall, which was precisely the sort of acknowledgement Kendall did not need for his antics. He followed the path of our hands to our mouths, lifting food, and watched our mouths chew.
He smiled, he opened his mouth, he reached out.
He was ready.
I’ve put off starting solids with him because, honestly, feeding a baby anything other than milk directly from my breasts is a giant pain in the ass that results in more dirty dishes and foul diapers.
With Kendall, and even with Leyna, the first bite of solids was planned out, plotted on a calendar. We made a special trip to the store to purchase the perfectly ripe (and organic!) produce.
This time, I got up from table, grabbed an avocado, peeled and smooshed it a bit, and we gave him a taste.
The kids quieted. They watched and cheered him on. We all laughed at his reaction of excitement and wonder.
And in the background, the digital piano played The Beatles “Let it be.”
Bum bum bummmm, bum bum BUMMM….
Simple, sweet, little moment of unplanned perfection.
14 comments
RT @babyrabies: Let It Be, And Let Him Nom An Avocado http://t.co/BBhQawk8tu #sliceoflife #smallmoment
Avocado is a great first meal, here’s to less planning on more winging it.
@babyrabies Awww!!!
It’s a moment you’ll remember forever. So simple, so easy, so perfect.
Wow food already I can’t believe how quickly it goes!Avocado is a great first food! Perfect!
“I’ve put off starting solids with him because, honestly, feeding a baby anything other that milk directly from… http://t.co/iLYw28Lt1c
A quick reminder to #LetItBe and enjoy the #happychaos of #parenthood and #kids from @babyrabies http://t.co/jbYbdcKIxM
I love this post from Baby Rabies. Can you relate?
“I’ve put off starting solids with him because, honestly,… http://t.co/nAa2zEWqP8
Did you maybe let the whole “starting solids” thing slide a bit because it’s just so much easier to breastfeed?… http://t.co/h2zVNgcjCX
that’s just lovely!!
Awe! Sometimes we just need a small reference to make us smile at the happy chaos. Loved this one!
Thank you for this – it makes me feel so much better that I am not the only one putting off starting solids because it’s just way more work than breastfeeding. The first-time mothers in my daughter’s day care class have been researching best first foods for months, and mashing and pureeing and steaming ad infinitum…so after my mother shamed me into it, I grabbed a piece of frozen banana and let her suck on it. I’ll get fresh fruit at the store this weekend. Or, let’s face it. Maybe jarred baby food. I’ll buy the organic ones to make myself feel better and put it in tupperware to pretend I made it.
That’s super sweet, I was the same as you. My first was so planned out and everything was done “properly”, and my second is the ‘go with the flow and keep your head above water’ child!
I feel EXACTLY the same way, and my son is only my first! I had to turn to bottle feeding because of work but breastfeeding and bottle feeding is SO MUCH EASIER!!!