Tonight I decided that Tricia was probably ready for solids. I know this is a decision with which someone is bound to disagree. Maybe even several someones. That’s okay. This is my kid, and I have pretty solid reasons for starting her on rice cereal.

It was pretty bittersweet to watch that kid take right to it, though. On the one hand, I was glad my instinct about her readiness for it was good. But I was sort of hoping, in the secret subcockles of my heart, that she would hate it and just plain refuse to eat it, as it was not mama-juice.

But no. My girl was very ready for this stuff. She ate it up and still wanted to nurse afterward. So there goes my plan of delaying solids. Although rice cereal is all she’ll be getting for a while. But still.

I just want time to slow down a little. Just a tiny little bit. Just enough for me to savor her infancy a little more. Just enough for me to be able to record every moment in my mind to replay when she’s not so small and doesn’t need me so much. Just enough that when she’s 13, I can recall this day and this moment with perfect clarity, right down to the smell of that rice cereal.

Is that so much to ask? IS IT?! Don’t bother to answer that. I already know.