Growing Sense of Independence

The biggest news around here is how well Patrick is progressing with his finger foods. It's still hit or miss whether each piece makes it into his mouth, but he sure loves trying. Last night's dinner was getting frustrating because he was working too hard on picking up the few Cheerios I had out that he wouldn't let me feed him the rest of his dinner. I had to confiscate his finger food until he'd eaten his other food. Amazingly once he saw his Cheerios out of reach, he gave up and let me feed him, but he was all too eager to go after those Cheerios again when I moved them back. His arms are still too short too reach very far into the tray, even though he's reaching a little farther every day, so I've been putting the Cheerios right at the front. They're right behind a little lip, so he can't see them very well and will grope blindly behind that lip if he thinks I might have left even one piece of food there. A lot of times if there is a piece there, his little fingers only push it farther away. As a result, I've been handing him most of the Cheerios, one at a time. It makes for a very slow process, especially when only about half the Cheerios even make it to his mouth. The good news is that he is slowly but surely getting better at it and growing more insistent on feeding himself. Last night he actually picked up one piece off his tray himself and moved it into his mouth, getting it in the first try. I was so proud of him!

Yes, I'm sure you noticed in yesterday's pictures that Patrick's hair was not exactly cooperating. While he may have inherited the texture and color of my hair, he appears to have inherited the behavior (or lack thereof) of Matt's. I couldn't find anything yesterday to help keep that hair from flapping up. I decided it probably wasn't a good idea to stoop to gel or hair spray--not yet anyway. It may be time for a haircut, as much as I hate to admit it. You don't realize just how long it really is until it's standing straight up.

Patrick's been frustrating this morning. He's still spitting up like a fountain, and I think it's starting to hurt his belly too. He hasn't been as eager to eat, and he's been fussier than he has in a long time. I'm pretty sure no new teeth are coming in yet, so I doubt that could be the problem. He cried through lunch, closing his mouth to even macaroni and cheese, one of his favorites. (He was still eager to play with the Cheerios, though.) The only time he quieted down and was perfectly well-behaved was when I was talking with Matt on the phone for a few minutes. I think he misses his daddy.