Of Table Food and Independence

It seems like every day Kaylee finds a new way to express her growing independence. This weekend, it was all about table food.

We've been slowly introducing new foods to her over the last couple months. It started with Gerber baby puffs, continued on to soft fruits and cooked veggies, and now pretty much includes anything that Mike and I eat. While Kaylee still eats her baby food and seems to enjoy it, she is so interested in the food that we make for ourselves.

Saturday evening, Kaylee had her very first meal that was completely table food. She and I shared a grilled cheese sandwich (with Horizon Organic American cheese slices), she had some deli turkey breast (from Herman's Meat Market), and she ate half of an avocado. Whew!

At the beginning of the meal, she would let me help some by putting pieces of food into her wide open, waiting, insistent little mouth. That didn't last very long, though. Once she get rolling, she turn into Little Miss Independent and waved my hand away every time I tried to help. Funny girl. She did a great job, though.

I did have to be careful and just give her one or two pieces of something at a time. Pretty much whatever was within reach would disappear into her mouth. After one little coughing fit, I figured out that I needed to hold things back and make sure she was really chewing and swallowing the food. I guess this is a learning process for both of us.

Like every other milestone and memory, this is just so bittersweet. I love watching her and taking it all in as she slowly becomes the person she's going to be, but I do miss my little baby too. All in all, though, I just feel so lucky to be a mom and get to experience everything as her life unfolds and her personality develops. I can't imagine anything else I am meant to do or be that is more important that being Kaylee's mom.