7 months old today

Saoirse is 7 months old today! 

I found this picture last night of Saoirse at about 2.5 months old. 

I know back then I thought she was chunky. She was so tiny in comparison to now!

So much more cheek! And tummy. And you can't tell as well in this pic, but the thunder thighs!

You can see the thunder thighs here. This was yesterday. 

She's really getting in to this whole solid food thing. I'm sure the nasal congestion isn't hurting that any. It's easier to eat baby food with a stopped up nose than to nurse. And this is one child who hates having her nose suctioned. Not that any child likes it, even with the sudden ability to breathe. 

Her favorite food (that isn't breastmilk) is bananas, followed by sweet potatoes and peaches. I'm not sure which comes in 2nd and which is 3rd. I just know bananas are a definite 1st. She LOVES bananas. We're also working on standing. She's pretty good at it with some support. She'll get there. Her sitting skills have come such a long way in the last month. 

And of course, I had to share this bunny ear picture. 

Foods

We've expanded our food repertoire some, and so far, Saoirse's tummy seems to be more or less tolerating it. We had to stop and take a break after about a week and a half of solids because her booty didn't agree with the new food texture, and as such, how said food was exiting. Avocado and sweet potato apparently result in poop distinctly different from breastfed poop. 

So we went back to the boob for a week to reset her system and let her booty clear up. 

Since we got back to solids, we've added green beans in (this past Sunday), and bananas (yesterday). Her first "real" fruit. She enjoyed it. Here's some photographic proof from tonight. 

Let me also say Beechnut Chiquita Bananas are very liquidy. 

It amazes me on a daily basis how far she's come from that adorable little newborn she was. Who scarcely wiggled and her hands had trouble locating her mouth. Her sense of taste has now become a primary way of exploring her world. Her hands are now right on target, if not quite as fast as she might like some days. She can sit up for extended periods quite stably, although she still has enough of a tendency to tump over that we don't put her straight on the hardwood or concrete floors without support and/cushion. Her feet are a constant play thing. While she's not rolling from back to tummy yet, she can spin around with her head as an axis. Se isn't a particularly large fan of tummy time, so her not rolling just yet doesn't particularly surprise me. She stands with minimal support for a couple seconds and for longer with a bit more. 

She's quite honestly the most amazing little being. Her personality is beginning to show. She enjoys shrieking and trying out the new sound combinations she's found. 

I can't wait to see who she'll become. 

Saoirse's First St Patrick's Day Parade

As a family involved in Irish dance (I'm semi-retired, my husband did dance- and qualified to go to Worlds- both of my younger sisters dance, and the plan is for Saoirse to dance), St Patrick's Day is a big deal. The Little Rock St Patrick's Day Parade was today (it's always the Saturday closest to SPD- usually before the day proper), and it was Saoirse's first. And Ana-Cherie's first. 

Saoirse rode in her stroller for a little bit. But less than a quarter mile into the parade she was no longer happy with the stroller. So I ended up carrying her most of the way to North Little Rock before I managed to catch up to the truck and pass her off to my mom. 

[insert pic here of that when I get it from my mom's phone]

Bad selfie of Saoirse and me

Before the parade

Touch

I found this post on my Facebook feed: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/20/living/give-grandma-hug-child/index.html?c&page=1

It was titled "I don't own my child's body". The basic gist of the article can be summed up in this quote:

"When we force children to submit to unwanted affection in order not to offend a relative or hurt a friend's feelings, we teach them that their bodies do not really belong to them because they have to push aside their own feelings about what feels right to them," said Irene van der Zande, co-founder and executive director of Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International, a nonprofit specializing in teaching personal safety and violence prevention. "This leads to children getting sexually abused, teen girls submitting to sexual behavior so 'he'll like me' and kids enduring bullying because everyone is 'having fun.' "

I had to hug and kiss and take hugs and kisses from family members I didn't want to hug and kiss. Now, I'm not saying my parents did something wrong. I'm just saying I didn't like it, which in my touchy-feely family was somewhat inconvenient. But given the discomfort it caused me, I will not make my daughter (and any other children who follow her) hug, kiss, or receive such forms of affection if she doesn't want it. If she wants to be hugged or kissed, or do so (and the other person doesn't mind), I won't stop her. But if she doesn't, I'll teach her to give a handshake, high five, or Vulcan handsalute. Something to acknowledge the person's presence and their relationship and be respectful. As opposed to ignoring them, which is not respectful. But any physical touch will be on her terms. I won't teach her that she has to let anyone touch her to make them happy. That can lead to applying that tactic to non-family, non-benign situations. Which I obviously do not want. 

So if, in the future, this little girl gives you a hug and/or a kiss, know it's because she wanted to. Not because I whispered in her ear that she needed to give granny a kiss or that I'd get her ice cream afterwards if she cooperated. Because she feels safe with you. And trusts you with that touch. 

Gluten-Free Restaurants in Little Rock

I do not certify any of these places except for Dempsey Bakery as free of cross-contamination. 

Dempsey Bakery (http://www.dempseybakery.com)

Everything here is GF. They also offer egg-free, sugar-free, and dairy-free. 

The Sifted Flour Bakery (http://thesiftedflourbakery.com)

Offers GF and sugar free options as well as standard options

P.F. Chang's (http://www.pfchangs.com)

Offers a GF menu including GF soy sauce. 

Mimi's Cafe (http://www.mimiscafe.com)

Has a menu that says what items on its menu are GF. Not GF, but if you tell them it's your first time there, they'll send you home with 2 free muffins. 

The Main Cheese (http://www.themaincheese.com)

Offers gluten free bread as an alternative

Big Orange Midtown & West (http://bigorangeburger.com)

Offers buns that are GF from Dempsey Bakery

Larry's Pizza (http://larryspizzaofarkansas.com)

May vary by location but the Bryant and Cantrell locations offer a gluten-free crust. 

Izzy's (http://www.izzyslittlerock.com)

Offers a sizeable GF menu as well as vegan options. They try their best to avoid cross-contamination but can't guarantee it. 

Gigi's Cupcakes (http://www.gigiscupcakesusa.com)

Offers 3 GF flavors, definitely available on Fridays, but some locations have opted to do them every day. Some have also opted to have more GF flavors. They are cooked and housed in the same area as the gluten cupcakes, however.