Our attempt at solid food

newest pics of Miss M - four months old...

Baby, you should be in pictures...

Every parent thinks her baby is the cutest little thing in the world. Before you're a parent you look at other peoples kids - the not-so-cute ones - and think, "I wonder if the parents realize how homely that kid is." But as soon as you become a parent a switch flips and it doesn't matter if you child has a third eye in the center of her forehead - she is the most beautiful baby ever.

So naturally, Miss M. is the most beautiful baby ever. But when friends or strangers pay her a compliment I always say "thank you" and wonder to myself, are they just saying that because that's what you're supposed to say when you see a baby or do they really think she's a cutie? But then today I received the most adament and detailed compliment to date and I'm finally starting to think that maybe Miss M is not just a beauty in her mom's eyes. Yesterday I emailed baby photos to a video production colleague of mine in NYC and today he called me and said the following: "What a looker that kid is. Seriously, you should have her in to an agency, with a face like that she should be making you some money. I mean, she's better looking than the kids on the diaper boxes. Beautiful!"

I know it's a shallow, vain thing to be happy that other people think your kid is cute - but I have to say... I like it. Now I won't feel so wierd about telling other people she's a cute baby because I've had good, unbiased commentary from an outside source (non-family, non-friend) to back up my motherly pride.

Miss M discovered her hands yesterday!

In fairness, I do believe M knew she had hands before yesterday; however, I'm not so sure she knew what they were for. Now she knows... they are for pulling mommy's hair out. They are also for making her stuffed hippo make noise, and for grabbing dangly toys off of her play gym. As an adult you take for granted how easy it is to reach out and grab whatever is right in front of you... it takes a baby months to figure that out. We're so proud of Miss M and her newly developed ability to grasp, scratch, tear, and pull... so proud that mommy is going to celebrate by getting her hair chopped off (before Miss M takes her new found barbering skills a little too far).

Babies make you fat...

...And so do Ruffles Potato Chips, fast food, glazed donuts, ranch sauce, Kit Kats, and all the other crap I ate while I was pregnant. I will be the first to admit that I was a bad, bad girl and my pregnancy diet was far from well-rounded. But hey, I didn't particularly like vegetables before I got pregnant, is it really realistic to think that I would choose to eat them after? Pre-natal vitamins are the healthiest thing I consumed all nine months... and the fact that I managed to swallow those on a semi-regular basis is a small miracle in and of itself. But...

Now I'm a boat. Actually, a house boat. Actually, maybe even a 5000 square foot house boat. My complete lack of self control for nine months has resulted in a complete lack of a waist for the subsequent nine months. So in an effort to become more motivated to shed my "baby weight" I'm going to tell you all exactly how much I gained and exactly how much I've lost so far. Let me preface this revelation by telling you conventional wisdom states there is no reason for a woman to gain more than 30-35 pounds during her pregnancy....obviously this does not take into account donut cravings or the ravenous first trimester hunger that I experienced. I gained 70 pounds. Yes, that's right - twice the "average". So far I have lost 41 pounds... only a little over half-way to my pre-pregnacy weight. But if you add the 10 pounds I would have liked to have lost before I even got pregnant, not quite half-way there. Needless to say, no more donuts for me.

Please hold me accountable blog-o-sphere...I'll update you again in ten pounds.