Mr. Independence

Dan has been asserting his independence during mealtime lately. My usual routine has been to give him Cheerios or toast that he can eat himself while I fix his and my meal. But when it's time for the main course, he takes only a five or six bites from the spoon and then begins to protest. I thought maybe he was filling up on finger foods and water, so I switched the routine and offered the main course first. The results were the same.



Turns out, he just wants to feed himself. So tonight, for the first time in five months, Jim and I ate our dinner without having to take turns spooning food for Dan. I boiled some macaroni and mixed vegetables, drained them, mixed the reserved liquid with cheese and added it to the pasta and veggies. Voila ... veggie mac, a big mess and a happy baby. Dan fed himself the entire meal with his fingers, shoving his fist full of the morsels into the back of his mouth. Most of the food wound up in his mouth, not in the high chair, on the floor, in his hair or on his bib. And he didn't choke or gag once. Bravo, kid!