many thoughts, no pictures

Wednesdays are usually wordless but not so today.  Not sure if I've blogged about this but today is moving day.  After 7 years of living in Virginia, we are moving back to Texas. 

It feels bittersweet to leave.  I feel like we've finally hit our stride.  We have friends, a house, two dogs, a baby but we don't have family here.  I don't want Audrey to grow up without her family.  I always felt cheated to only see my grandparents twice a year (well my mother's parents, my dad's parents were in town).  I want Audrey to have family around.  Between both sides of the family she has 8 cousins!  She deserves to grow up with them around. 

I love my life in Virginia but I'm ready to move on.  I never expected to live in Danville for 7 years.  I always expected to move to the big city, Roanoke or Greensboro.  I guess I always had one foot out the door with Danville.  But of course once I decided to leave, God put some incredible people in my life.  It's harder to leave than I thought and I'm trying to not feel the feelings or I"m afraid I'll totally breakdown and refuse to leave.  I know we've made the right decision but it is hard to go into the unknown. 

Lufkin is my hometown but like Thomas Wolf wrote, "You can't go home again."  Lufkin is a different place and I'm a different person.  I hope we get along.  I hope I find some local friends.  I have my bestest friends in Texas but they will be about 4 hours away.  I hope I find some crunchy mammas to hang with so that I don't feel like a freak.  I hope that I can learn to let go and let God take my life in the direction that is right for me.  Being a parent means making decisions that are best for someone besides yourself.  I know I'm doing the right thing and I'm at peace with it but it's still hard. 

Wordless Wednesday - Banana

Friday, June 18 - Audrey is 6 months and 1 day old:

First time solids

So Friday we gave Audrey solids for the first time.  We gave her bananas, well a banana.  Since we are doing baby-led weaning, I knew that this first time would be more about play than actual eating.  I wasn't worried about her filling up on banana or trying to get her to eat half or anything like that.  I just cut it up into strips and let her have at it.

Just like we expected she didn't eat very much.  She did seem to have lots of fun touching it and smashing it.  She was covered in banana!  She seemed very hesitant to put it in her mouth, which surprised me.  I mean the child had been putting everything in her mouth as soon as possible and now that I wanted her to put it in her mouth she was acting shy!  But I had to remind myself that it was about her needs and if touching was as far as she wanted to go that was ok.  She did eventually put some of it in her mouth.  I don't think banana is her favorite food but we'll see.  By the end she was a bit more willing to put it in her mouth.  I don't think very much was actually consumed but it was fun.  Guess what wordless Wednesday will be!

So we are jumping into solids now.  We've let her try carrots.  Again not much was eaten but when she spit it out the dogs jumped to the rescue and ate it.  So kind of them to clean up after Audrey!  I have noticed that she is much more into her booby time.  She seems happier and hungrier.  She latches right on and gets to work.  She is eating less frequently but where she was only eating out of one boob, she is not finishing both off.  I guess the world is just a little to interesting to be snacking all day.