The past 30 days flew by so quickly I hardly realised Lavinia is already 7 months old. We’ve been outdoors for the first time since March 8, as the government eased the lockdown.

New milestones and achievements

Lavinia’s new achievements have been small in quantities, but vast and dense in quality. While sitting unsupported, she doesn’t need any confidence presence (or boost) from us. She prefers playing while sitting than lying down; when she rolls on her tummy, we know she’s planning something, like reaching a toy that’s far from her grasp.

On the independent playing note, she can now play for an extensive amount of time. We especially encourage her to play on the floor as opposed to the highchair or the bouncer: we reckon that the floor and the mats are the best way to promote independence and boost her mobility.

Her motion skills have improved too: I can’t say she properly crawls yet, but she can transport herself from a point to another if she’s motivated.

We purchased a few more toys to keep her interested as she grows up. She seems to like them; she looks very excited also by simple objects we use every day, such the TV remote or any kitchen utensils. You don’t need fancy toys with a lively baby: Lavinia can play for quarter of hours with a simple muslin cloth.

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Every single morning, after her first breastfeeding session, I send a picture of Lavinia to her grandparents, some member of our extended family, and my dear friend Chiara. It’s a way to involve them in her life, as we live far away from each other. I usually also put the same pictures on Lavinia’s Instagram account later. These are my favourite from this month’s compilation.

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We finally went out for a walk

Last Sunday we went out for a walk along the Thames river for the first time since March 8. It was weird and pleasant at the same time: there’s an invisible enemy floating in the air, though the people seem not to care too much.
We didn’t see many folks wearing masks, and most people weren’t really respecting the 6 feet distance. We’ve seen scenes like a dozen people gathered together at the park not respecting any social distance rule: I don’t think they belong to the same household.

One of the positive sides of going out again is that finally Lavinia napped in the afternoon. She snoozed for more than an hour! The last time she did that it was indeed when out and about, nearly three months ago. She was four months old!

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The weaning continues

By looking at the way Lavinia enjoys food, you may say she’s a foodie. The only food she hasn’t avidly eaten so far are lentils. I suspect she isn’t crazy about them because of their texture – not easy to chew when your teeth can’t help you!

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I’ve given her whatever lives in our fridge or pantry, minus eggs, acidic food such as kiwi, and all the food I’m allergic to. I don’t prepare anything special for her, as I cook her meals by using the basic ingredients to make ours. For example, if we have chicken and cauliflower for dinner, she’ll have unsalted soft-boiled (or oven baked) chicken and cauliflower with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.

One of her staple meals is soy milk porridge after her last breast milk of the day: I discover it helps her wind down for the night.

She’s still not completely sold on water, even though she can have it with no problems when eating solid food.

You want to hear her talking?

…or screaming, if you will. Here are some videos that document our daily life nearly 24/7 – yes, sometimes she speaks also when sleeping, and I’m not kidding.