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Hey, are you going to finish that food?

When Cordy was a baby, I wanted to hurry along each new developmental milestone. I was excited to get to each new marker along the path of growing up. Everything was new, so we encouraged Cordy in any new task.

With Mira, though, I'm not in as much of a hurry. I'm letting her do things at her own pace, even wishing she'd slow down a little sometimes.

Cordy had started solids at 4 months old, to the day. Her pediatrician said it was fine, and I was anxious to break out that high chair I had received during my baby shower. She was OK with starting, but she also wasn't exactly trying to steal the food off of our plates.

I made the decision to wait longer with Mira - perhaps until six months. Breastfeeding is going fine, she's gaining weight at a good rate, and I'm just not ready to deal with the mess of bibs and crusted on oatmeal and green beans in her hair. Not to mention the changes in baby poop that come from starting solids. I can easily hold out another month if it means another month of avoiding those toxic diapers.

But I don't think Mira agrees with my decision. Since birth, she has always been obsessed with food. Her favorite times of the day are when we're eating - she will watch with a look of amazement and wonder as we bite and chew our meals. Sometimes she will even make chewing motions right along with us. She eyes the food on our plate like she's about to swipe it when we're not looking.

Yesterday, though, was her most bold move yet. I was eating a sandwich for lunch, and she was sitting on my lap. At one point I was distracted, and my sandwich was held out in front of me, right in Mira's line of sight. I turned my head back to my lunch just in time to see Mira stare intently at it, then use all the power she could muster in her midsection to lunge forward for it. She hit her target, mouth open and filled with the edge of my sandwich. She looked a little surprised, but also pleased, by her feat.

I had to laugh. I pulled Mira away from my sandwich, but as a consolation, offered her a small crumb of bread so she could try the texture in her mouth. She was delighted by the tiny morsel of food, and wanted more after figuring out how to swallow the crumb. I gave her two more tiny pinches of bread before my sandwich was finished.

Mira looked disappointed when the sandwich was gone. I think she wanted more food! Cordy was never this interested in food, so it took me by surprise that Mira seems to think we're keeping all of the good stuff away from her.