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Today marks three weeks of Ansley enjoying rice cereal.

Though, really, "enjoying" may not be the most appropriate of words. Maybe that sentence should read "...Ansley wearing rice cereal." Yeah, that is much more accurate.

I wasn't sure we were ready to start solids. I mean, there is so much debate over when to start with solids. I've heard everything from 2 weeks to 12 months. I wasn't sure when exactly the right time would come.

At her 4 month appointment, her doc gave us the go to start solids. He suggested a few weeks of rice cereal for breakfast and dinner, and adding in veggies and fruits one at a time a few weeks down the road.

I held off a few days more, but realized we were feeding lots of formula just to keep her full a few hours at a time. The doc did tell us that feeding her rice would help her sleep longer at night and go longer throughout the day.

So, we tried it.

At first, not a fan. But, once she figured out it was indeed food, she got a little more excited, and really started enjoying it. And, it seemed like with every bite she took, I there right with her, opening my mouth as I put the spoon to her mouth, and closing when she needed to close. When I finally realized I was doing that, I felt like a total loser. But, Ansley caught on to the eating process.

She sees the spoon, and mouth opens wide. It's become a total reflex. And, honestly, I really think she was ready. Sure, the first couple of times, she was probably wearing as much as she ate, but, we're getting better. Now, we don't have to ditch the clothes for the food. If the spoon doesn't come fast enough, she's sure to let us know she is angry. I can also foresee a problem with sharing.

So, she's a regular rice cereal eater. And, she likes it. It fits nicely into our routine, and she does sleep better...most of the time.

So, she was ready. Much more so than I was, or am, really. Everyone told me this time would fly by, but I don't think I truly understood what they meant. Each and every day, she gets older, and a little further away from being that little bundle that came home on September 26. She's changing.

And, so am I. Motherhood has changed me ways I never thought possible. But I love it. I love playtime, and bathtime and bedtime, and all the time in between. And, even though right now, I know she relies on my hand to hold that spoon, one day, she won't need me. One day, she'll feed herself. And, though she may try that now, we both know that she can't do it on her own, no matter how hard she tries.

But, in years to come, I'll still have my hand there, ready to help her when she most needs it, and ready to clean off whatever mess she gets in.