Food, glorious food

I stepped on my first Cheerio last night.

Okay, it probably wasn't the first ever Cheerio I've crushed, but it was the first in my own house, tossed to the ground by my very own son.

We tried Cheerios last night in an effort to give J something to eat he can touch, since that's what he really wants to do. Our efforts were less than successful: he played with the few on his tray and tossed most of them and refused any that were offered him. So, I tried again at lunch today, eating one myself (and can I say, blech?! I haven't had plain Cheerios in years and now I remember why!) and then giving him one, which he took. He then proceeded to stick out his tongue and say "ack ack ACK!" as if I had just given him dirt to eat, then gag, then swallow, reluctantly, exaggeratedly to get it down. I tried another half Cheerio later, but the reaction was the same: dramatic distaste.

But, I thought, he's at least taking food from my hand, if no enjoying it, so why not try banana instead? Smoother, sweeter, better, right? Umm, not so much. He had the same reaction: hacking, gagging, swallowing with effort, and frowning throughout. BUT, he really wanted to hold the banana as I was finishing it off, so I let him gum it, and his reaction was unadulterated joy! He scraped the side with his two little baby bottom teeth and actually ate what he scraped off. So I cut tiny little slivers loose and left them on the banana for him to gum off, and he ate those without even a wince.

Which confirms for me this all too real fact: this baby not only knows what he wants, he knows how he wants it. With food, how he wants it most is just like we are having it. So now we move into trying to add more veggies to our meals that we can mash for him and trying to figure out which finger foods he will take in which forms. Because HE has to decide how he wants to eat, you see.

Where did he get this strong will, I wonder? Because I am so shy and unopinionated and the husband is so soft spoken and retiring....oh.