Friday, March 22, 2013

Eating Crow

It's like pulling teeth to get my once *perfect* eater to eat anything lately that isn't covered with gravy or doused in hummus. And even then? Dicey. Our go-to foods and methods are being tested and denied. He's still eating, but he's definitely no longer the poster child. No more omg this is so easy because my kid eats everything and isn't this fun!?

Those days are gone.

And remember when I wrote a few posts about traveling with kids? Well, we still follow the same principles, but heaven help me. Traveling with a nearly 13-month old kid is so very different than traveling with a 6-month old. Flying to Europe and back with an 8-month old? Cakewalk. Flying three stinking hours from Florida to Chicago with the kid now? Enough to make me take up drug use.

While I didn't mean to come off as smug, I sort of feel like I did in some previous posts about how we do things around here with a kid that is mellow as a cucumber. Never my intention... but man. I was just trying to document how things are around these parts and then the kid goes and pulls a 180 on us.

That kid morphed into a tantrum-throwing, water-refusing, flailing diaper-changer, food-launching maniac baby that's making me wonder if he has an outside terrorist coach that's providing him with schemes and play-by-play material that sends us to bed with migraines. He's teething {well he did just break through on his first lateral incisor, but that's neither here nor there}, blahdee blahdee blah. It's less than fun.

Okay, so he's also adorable and sleeps through the night and naps like a champ (oh please don't let that be cursed, too!). And I can assume that he's just so darned intelligent that his brain is on overload and he's acting out because he's learning how to assert himself and knows just how he likes his eggs in the morning. That it's better for him to be stubborn than too easygoing and in the long run, that assertive personality will definitely play out in his favor when he's CEO of a company someday.

Right? Someone tell me this is all normal and my kid might actually drink water instead of only! milk! someday. 

Also, please serve me up a plate of that {ehm, vegetarian} crow anytime now. Bib on, I'm ready.

{and while this goes without saying, I am definitely exaggerating as I would literally lay my life down for this kid we're so freaking thrilled to be wreaking such havoc on our lives.}

14 comments:

Darcey said... [Reply to comment]

This makes me feel so much better because Layton is EVERYTHING you listed above. What is even worse is his favorite thing to do these days is play in the toilet (eeeewwwww). Not enough hand sanitizer, clorox wipes, or anything else to deal with that nastiness. He thinks it is sooo funny and running around with the toilet paper strewn around the house is top on his list too.

The eating thing will come and go and with no reason whatsoever. It did with my other kids and it is very frustrating. Right now we are on a steady diet of mac n cheese, banana muffins, and grapes. Kid isn't to big on variety...

Hang in there...I would like to say it gets easier, but it doesn't. Certain things become easier and then the things that were easy all of a sudden become hard. Exerting their independence and opinion every chance they get, and you learn to just roll with the punches. Totally agree with stubborn over easy going later in life, but i have 1 easygoing and 3 stubborn in my house, and the easygoing personality is a breath of fresh air most days. My 3 stubborn children (layton included in this group) are EXHAUSTING!!!

Hang in there momma...you are doing a fabulous job!!!

Becky said... [Reply to comment]

Your hilarious! I can't wait until have these problems.

Addi's mom said... [Reply to comment]

Good problems to have for sure, but man oh man! Mac is just starting the "oh hells no, I won't eat that". We used to eat avacado and banana as daily staples...those days are gone. You are scaring me about flying with a 13 month old...Mac will be that age when we fly...by myself. Oh lord. Please post suggestions, I beg of you! Before we know it these kiddos will all be eating the "Sloane diet" right Mol?!? ;)

Brooke said... [Reply to comment]

I'm so glad to hear that Benjamin is not the perfect poster child. Caroline was feeling kind of intimidated. (She IS eating now... only sweet potatoes, please and thank you.)

Party of Three Heads said... [Reply to comment]

LOL! I can totally relate to you with going from perfect to the absolute opposite. Benjamin is like my Colston.. starting the terrible 2's early... It will get better, just be persistent, and hang in there.. and milk being his favorite right now.. It was Colston's too.. but now? Water, he absolutely loves water!

Molly said... [Reply to comment]

Lmao! Oh I hope none of you ever have a Sloane eater. Gah! Kellan is a maniac as well all know. He was perfect little angel until 6 months when a switch flipped and he turned into eat everything, get into everyething, as you know. And now, he has just recently started shunning food unless it is his preferred items: homemade "pizza", carrots, pear, squash, zucchini, rotisserie chicken, banana and a few others. But gone are the easy days. He's much better than sloane bc if he likes it, he will eat a ton of it. I'm just not thrilled with the variety, and I know it will get worse.

Anne said... [Reply to comment]

Hahahaha! Right there with you! Gracie regularly does the "cockroach" (ie lies down on her back, limbs flailing while screaming her head off) these days when things don't go her way. Also, after eating everything in sight for a majority of her life, is now refusing to eat almost everything (except sweets...no dummy, this one). I fed her an entire meal last night on top of a honey mustard pretzel. I am right there with you on the "she's just too smart" theory. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Also, this too shall pass...(right?)

Sarah said... [Reply to comment]

Thank you for saying this! I'm always driven crazy when globe-trotting parents say how easy travel is with children if you just prepare a few diversions. Eleanor is a fairly easy child, but flying with her between about 6 months and 2 years was rough. Screaming, projectile-vomiting rough! (It does get easier after the toddler stage, so hand in there.)

Caroline said... [Reply to comment]

I think they just go throw stages like all of us. Sometimes Finn eats all his food and I want to buy him a pony. Other times, he throws his fork at me and I want to punch him in the face.

But ya know, sometimes I want to punch Miles in the face. So I think it's all just part of life, no matter our age :)

Brie said... [Reply to comment]

Right there with you. On all of them. The eating, the tantrums, the diaper change flailing, the tantrums..it's got to be normal. We fly again in two weeks, just two hours but I am not looking forward to it.may convince hubby to just buy a 3rd seat so I can strap him in his carseat on the plane.

Emily said... [Reply to comment]

I felt exactly the same way after Kaia turned one. It was like "where did my sweet adorable easygoing baby go?" She's 18 months corrected now and honestly, it hasn't exactly improved... She's very stubborn about a lot of things. She cries and freaks out a lot when she doesn't get her way. She has perfected the ear piercing cry-scream which makes me want to run away. Thank goodness I love her so much, since some days she's really hard to like!

Suzanne said... [Reply to comment]

LOL yes, some days they're sooooo cute when they're finally asleep. Some toddlers can make the whole world revolve around their will. Sam was a sweetheart until he was about 3, and then he was a terror until he was 7, and then he was a perfect angel until he was 13, and then he's been a teenager, which is beyond mind blowing. He turns 18 in three months. There have been glorious days and weeks and months and torturous days and weeks and months at every stage. Hold on, mama, and enjoy every step of this long road!

Alison G. said... [Reply to comment]

Normal. Period. Just remember my mantra when things get crazy: Something will be different in two weeks. (Better or worse, but at the very least, different!) I figure I can get through anything for two weeks!

Tiffany said... [Reply to comment]

Lol. I have nothing to add. But just know you aren't alone. Juli and B will have a field day together