Laila versus the bottle!

I've always worked better under pressure so, in theory, preparing everyone for my forthcoming time apart from Laila should be a doddle... until we discover that my girl has no interest in bottles whatsoever! Uh-oh, we may have a problem... and what's Laila's response? Take a look:

So Laila has taken a liking to Ella's Kitchen, so solids are sorted. However, when it comes to milk, breast is most definitely best in her eyes! Aside from my own enjoyment, it appears that Laila also prefers nursing rather than all the faffing, sterilising and warming/cooling malarkey involved when it comes to combination feeding. After trying all manner of bottles, beakers, sippy cups etc etc, she sees all artificial feeding methods as toys - having either a good old chew, rattle or general thrashing around in the air - all resulting in a milk shower for anyone within close proximity. Whilst funny to watch, this isn't boding well for my time away... although I accidentally discovered one means to an end; Laila seems to enjoy having milk sprayed from the bottle into her mouth, haha, but that's far from a long-term solution! I therefore began this week giving a few ounce of milk via a bottle before Laila's been allowed the real deal with a view to making her realise that bottles are here to stay... However, after consulting with our Health Visitor, it transpires that Laila may be one of those babies who decides to just skip bottles and go straight to drinking from a cup! I've given that a try and, hey presto, she seemed much more interested, so watch this space...

Look who can stand up!
I may be 7 months old,
but I think I'm a grown up!

I had to go to see the Dentist this week and, up until I got into the car, hadn't thought about what I do with Laila during my check-up. I now found myself just dealing with anything that comes along without the stressing which may have occurred pre-baby, so she accompanied me in and lay on my tummy throughout, watching intensely, much to the Dentist's amusement. Her hunger for knowledge is insatiable! Straight after, we went for a 'quick coffee' with Tina and Mickey which, of course, rapidly became a day of shopping with Tina and Mickey. We took a break from shopping for lunch and the babies had a little play together - adorable! Since Laila's been able to sit up, she's become even more adventurous and eager to explore the world i.e. grab hold of everything that falls within reach or manouvre herself towards anything that's not within reach. Needless to say, whatever ends up in her hands goes straight into her mouth. Over the past couple of weeks, as sitting has becoming boring, Laila's figured out how to crawl in her own fashion too; even sitting on my lap while I'm eating is becoming more difficult - she's eager to toddle I'm sure. We managed lunch on the basis that other diners around us were taken in by her cheeky smile so she had a few 'conversations' with them whilst I got on with eating! I love how she makes friends everywhere I take her - I can see the tables turning very soon - Mummy won't be able to get a word in edgeways!