Malloy never has been a particularly good eater, but lately it has become increasingly difficult to feed her. She turns her head, closes her mouth, spits and even starts crying. This does not make for a pleasant dinnertime experience. Last night I decided that perhaps she is unhappy because she wants to have more control over the eating process. She does enjoy picking up "finger foods" and putting them in her mouth. The struggle begins when the spoon comes into the picture. I had to put aside all of my "neat freak" tendancies and I decided to let Malloy attempt to feed herself. I handed her a spoon and gave her unlimited access to the containers of fruit medley and squash. She wasn't too skilled with the spoon, but she enjoyed putting her hands into the babyfood. While she was distracted by this new found freedom, I was able to shovel almost a container and a half of babyfood into her mouth. The aftermath of this feeding technique was not pretty. Malloy required an immediate plunge in the bathtub and the kitchen was a disaster, but at least I got some food in her!!
