Introducing Rice Cereal!

Ali has been showing all the signs of being ready to eat solids.  She has more than doubled her birth weight.  She holds her head up well on her own.  She can turn her head away when she's full, and she shows interest in what we are putting in our mouth.  She also has seemed more hungry lately even after I increased the size of her bottles.  Additionally, my body has really started decreasing the amount of milk I'm producing, and I'm having a hard time keeping up with her feedings.  As a result, we decided to introduce Ali to rice cereal today. 

We started by sitting Ali in her bumbo and giving her 2 oz of breast milk thinking that she would learn that it was meal time and that she wouldn't be so starving that she would refuse the cereal.

Starting with an appetizer bottle

Clean before the feeding madness begins!

Then the fun began!  When we first introduced the cereal, Ali wasn't sure what to think.

 

Then, she started becoming interested in what was in her mouth and started to want more.

Then Daddy took over, and Ali started to really enjoy the rice cereal.  She would lean in for more, and she even tried to eat the bowl!

I think it was a success!  Feeding Ali rice cereal was definitely messier than just giving her a bottle, but it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated.  I'm sure things will be much messier when we move to things like sweet potatoes and peas and when she can throw her food.  I'm just happy that we've successfully crossed another milestone!