Our son has been trying to eat solids for a number of months now. His initial interest in food only extended to his fingertips. Once he figured out the whole “hand to mouth” thing he really became interested in food. What started out with a protruding lower lip and a confused look (avocado) has since turned into a monster who rapidly crawls towards any plate or utensil he sees. He carelessly abandons toys to one side or the other and monstrously crushes all others in his path. He moves as the monster truck: directly on top of his barriers. His ultimate goal is food. Truly this is my child (as I do the same things concerning food).
It wasn’t until this past week that my wife purchased cute little wheat crackers for our son. The box sits nicely on a book shelf (high and out of reach) and awaits my son after nursing each night. He looks forward to this wonderful treat he seems unable to choke on. Unlike the potato, broccoli, and other items where he always “bites of more than he can chew,” this cracker is of sensible size for our son. When my Wife holds the cracker out he anxiously reaches with his mouth, like a little bird craning for the worm, until he bites it in half with his five little teeth. This is, apparently, a very satisfying sound. He knows, now, what teeth are for.
As he is softening the first bite with his saliva he reaches out for the second half with his tiny hand and examines the object in question at length until he has successfully swallowed the first bite. Then, amazingly, his little fingers manipulate the remaining half into the best position for entry into his mouth and he proceeds to eat the second half. Sometimes he’ll bite it in half too… but either way it all ends up in his mouth. Crunching sounds are good. Crackers are good. Our son is good. The joys of parenting!