On the other side

It's December 12th, and the boys and I spent half of the afternoon at the park. It was awesome. I know it won't last for long, but I just love this weather. It feels almost naughty to be at the playground less than two weeks before Christmas.

Grady's six month check-up was yesterday, and everything went well. He weighs 18 pounds, 8 ounces now (less than I thought) and is 26.5 inches long. He's growing fine, and is healthy, and he got three shots this time around (including the flu shot). He was a super good boy at the doctor, and he only cried for a few seconds when the shots went in. It was a pleasant visit, and we don't have to go back until March.

I love our pediatrician's office--the nurses are great, it's no problem getting in for a sick visit, and aside from the crud eye fiasco of last spring, they are very good about getting the boys what they need when they need it. The only problem I have is that there are four doctors--great when you want to be seen quickly, but not so great when a different guy sees you every time.

When G was in for his four month check, we were told not to start solids until after our six month visit. Fine by me, but when we saw a different doctor yesterday he acted like I was crazy because G wasn't on solids. He was telling me to "zip through" all the cereals and Stage 1 foods because he should be on Stage 2's by now. The doctor pointed out that G was "beyond ready" and that it would be fine to have him eating fried chicken and sirloin tips by the end of the month. Okay, that last part is a lie, but you get the idea. I'm not going to rush G--we're going to try all the foods in a timely manner and I'll follow his lead--but it just annoyed me that I'm being told something different every time we see someone new.

So Grady had his first taste of rice cereal last night, mixed with breast milk, and he loved it. He loved it so much that within moments he was grabbing the spoon himself and trying to mash it into his hole because I wasn't going fast enough. So I guess he was ready. We'll try oatmeal in a few days, and then move on to the colorful world of veggie and fruit purees. Should be an exciting trip.