My Journal - Week 78 (25Feb11)

"LET ME... LET ME!!!"

This is a phrase my own mother reminds me of often.  It's a phase she recalls me saying and going though when I was just a bit older then Hunter.  It's a phrase many mom's find themselves going though with a child who is at the age of discovery and exploration.  Hunter once again is no different.  Today, for the first time, Hunter decided that he wanted to feed himself with a spoon.  Self feeding is not new to Hunter, he's been popping food into his own mouth for quite sometime now but not with his own spoon or fork.  Today, he decided - he's going to show me.  I suppose I could have tried this sooner, on my own violation - but it never dawned on me that he would want to!  I am quite aware that he can do these things, I am just never fast enough to realize he's been ready well before I am to let him do things on his own!  So, it would seem that this time around, Hunter decided that he wasn't waiting on me to "let him" try... he showed me.  I wish I could have videoed the exact moment, but again a description and a few photos will have to do.  I had sat him down to give him is afternoon snack of a Gerber cereal bar and his last bottle of organic fruit in a jar and about half way through eating his fruit he literally grabbed the spoon out of my hands and fed himself!!  I was in total disbelief!  I was glad that John was home at the time and he promptly grabbed the camera to get a few snaps of the event!  Now, I would have let Hunter do it all on his own for the rest of the food but I didn't quite have him in a full sleeved bib (which looks like a toddler's painting smock) and I didn't want the extra laundry at that very moment (his and mine).  In the photos I have posted you will see me helping him with the last bit of fruit in the jar.  Oh, and for the record, Hunter really knew what to do on his own.  Even after he fed himself, he directed me to put the spoon back into the bottle to get more food out and back to his mouth!  Just made me realize how much he's absorbed and how he's ready way before I am to do just about everything!  I am so glad I had the photos to post but tomorrow however, I will put him in his full sleeved bib so that he can have fun exploring what it will be like to self feed with a spoon to his heart (most of his mouth and clothing's) content! I think I will have the video camera out for that one... and post it if all goes well - or even if it doesn't!!!

And in advance - I apologize for the poorer quality photos... (Unfortunately John is not the para-photographer professional... I am!)

The grab for the spoon during my feeding Hunter... "Let me! Let me!"

Hunter bravely using the spoon on his own to feed himself with Mommy helping

Can be a confusing ordeal!  "But I can manage Mommy!"

"Thank you Mommy... it's a bit easier when you help."

"I think I am getting the hang of this feeding thing!"

"However, I do believe I am better with my left hand though."

"See Mommy!  I need to dip it back into the bottle too!!"  (This surprised Mommy)

"And after it goes into my mouth!"

"Yes Mommy!  Back into the bottle again to get more!!"

"And finally back into my mouth again!  I think Mommy is really proud of me!"