The Mechanics of Eating

So one of the things that I had somewhat forgotten about the baby stage was the period where the baby is supposed to be eating solids, but it's really just for practice and not nutrition, and so the end result is a lot of mess and not a lot of gain on the nursing front.*

For the record, Will is fine with carrots and applesauce, and not that excited by sweet potatoes and pears.  I personally don't see what the difference is between pureed apples and pureed pears, but apparently he finds one.

Anyway, last night he tried self-feeding, and I'm afraid that we may need to do a little work before it really gets there.

You've got to give him credit for trying. And anyway, it's all of a piece with his previous behavior.  For his entire life, he has had a habit of eating whatever happened to waft in front of his face.  He chewed Leo's hand nearly off in the delivery room.  When he's hungry, he'll sample passing chins or elbows until he finds what he's looking for.  And anyway, there may have been some applesauce on that bib.  He has many fine qualities, but he's not yet a tidy eater.

*You may notice a certain amount of ambivalence to this stage of development.  It's tedious, and it means that I have to simultaneously eat my dinner and feed him his, which is a juggling match I don't enjoy that much.