Tides

E has declared that she no longer likes black beans. The food we’ve relied on to feed her for nearly two years straight has been removed, without warning, from our arsenal. Our ace in the hole, nullified. Feeding her has become a guessing game, and we’re still learning the rules. Break the rules, and handle a tantrum. Adhere to the day’s rules, and handle a fed-therefore-energized happy tornado. And don’t expect the rules to stay the same. Yesterday’s delicious, eat-two-bowls, Mommy was actually sad to share so much mushroom and cream sauce pasta is top of the I NO LIKE THIS category today. Cheerios have regained a top position in comfort food, although the Os haven’t been in circulation since late ’06. And MOMMY I DON’T LIKE COLD has made fruit for school lunch a challenging premise. The kids keep their food in a fridge, so our challenge has been to send food that doesn’t feel too cold, like sghettis, or food that warms up, like sausage and peas. That’s still a favorite, and that’s a daily meal, and why are you shaking your head at the combination of soy-sausage links and frozen peas? Perfectly natural, like PB&J. A contemporary classic.

L can sit up. By what measurement does one demarcate official baby achievement? The question is: she can sit up, as in be seated upright. She does this well, she does not topple, she does not need to lean against. I have taken sitting pictures. She can go from sitting to crawling. But she can’t get to sitting on her own. So does this count? Or am I prematurely milestoning her? I can tell you this: she loves an upright world. It’s entertaining to watch her second-by-second deliberations. Move my face downward to continue luscious gnawing of generic foreign object in my hand? Or look up and enjoy the scenery? Or gnaw? Or look? Or go back and forth, interweaving the two with spun silk droolstrings? This baby, she’s not so baby. She can get things. She can sit. She can swallow the attractive choking hazards her sister has had previous freedom to leave everywhere.

Playdoh crumb.
Playground rock.
Lip lotion cap.
Marker cap.
Crayon paper casing remnant.
L, we don’t eat foreign objects!

We knew how to feed one, we knew how to contain the other to keep her safe so she didn’t inadvertently feed herself. Two very-relied-on sure footings we’ve lost in recent few days….