This blog post was originally published on April 14th, 2021 on Floating the Boat.

The days are long, but the years are short. 

I’ve heard this quote a thousand times in relation to children, and I must say it is true. Mind you, there haven’t yet years passed, but the weeks fly by, and now Lily is already eight months old! My plan to update this website every step of the way was also quickly tossed, as it’s just not as easy to find the time, sit down and craft a blog post once a week. 

However, I still want to check in as often as I can, so I thought I give you a quick update on what’s been going on. Lily has become a little personality and is just on the edge of crawling. Even though I read all the Pikler books and try not to cheer her on to be one of the “early crawlers”, I cannot always resist from lamenting that she cannot crawl yet and takes her time. Partly because it frustrates her a great deal as well, and I wish it for her. 

On the other hand, crawling signifies a milestone for me that shoves her from tiny baby to full-on mobile, and a part of me cries for my tiny bundle for whom I was the entire universe. It’s the same with solids. She was pretty reluctant at six months, so we took our time, and now she’s slowly warming up to the idea of other food than breastmilk. Again, I am torn between exhilarated that she’s growing up and sharing our food, and mourning the time where my boobs were everything she needed all day. 

As for solids, we’re doing a mixture between pureed foods and baby-led weaning (i.e. where they eat proper food like adults in chunks, just unsalted). A part of me is still worried she might choke, but I prefer BLW in general because she can sit with us and explore her own food while we can eat in peace, instead of having to feed her. She prefers to have command over the things that go into her mouth, and I understand that completely. Even if I give her pureed foods, she wants to hold her own spoon, which is great regarding independent eating and terrible in terms of how it looks under our kitchen table. 

​Baby-proofing the flat has also been a crucial part, and whenever I think I’ve got every corner covered, I spot another safety hazard to be eliminated. I try to eliminate all deadly safety hazards without going overboard. I still feel this is our space to live, not a soft play area, and a bump on the head here or there won’t do bad harm. My biggest concern is our bed. It’s quite high, and I’m scared she might fall out of it after a nap when I’m not quick enough to get to her. My man says it won’t matter if she falls out of bed, but I cannot be so relaxed about it – I mean, she could potentially die, is all I tell myself. Friends have suggested to put the mattress on the floor, but, honestly, I’m not a student anymore. I want to sleep in a proper bed and I’m sure we’ll find the right solution in time (or if you have one, please share :-)). 

Babbling is also one of her favourite pastime activities, and her favourite word is “gobm” or “gum”. We’re not sure what it means, but she sure as gobm loves saying it all day. Despite the pandemic, we keep busy as good as we can. Last Friday we took her to the zoo for the first time, and she loved it – especially the farm animals. Animals, in particular, fascinate her, and even though the love isn’t really mutual (my in-laws’ cat and my parents’ dog steer clear of her whenever we visit), she’s still enthusiastic about it. 

Finally, let me say how much I cherish her laugh. Despite time rushing by, I try to inhale her baby scent every day, remember her laughter and her smiles before they change with the next growth spurt. I know we cannot hold onto time, but by being in the present as often as I can and taking her in as she is now, I hope I can at least retain the memories.