I Can Feed Myself!

One meal time waaaaay back when Matthew was only 6 months old he surprised me and my grandma by suddenly trying to grab his spoon to help shove it into his mouth.  He was trying so hard to help us feed him that I was afraid he was going to take a spoon to the back of the throat.  He was concentrating so hard that his little arms were shaking and he was making what I now consider to be his concentrating grunting noises.  Needless to say he was very proud of himself, and we were very proud of him.

Fast forward to the other day.  This meal time at almost 9 months old he suddenly tried to grab the spoon out of my hand.  After he eats I usually wipe off the spoon so that he can play with and analyze it, but he usually waits patiently until he's done eating to do so.  This day I shrugged, handed over the spoon, and then watched him get really worked up.  The arms were shaking, the concentrating grunting started, and I felt like he was getting very upset for no reason that I could figure out, so I took the spoon away and let him calm down for a few moments.  Then I gave the spoon back.  You know what he did?  He took that spoon and banged it up and down on his baby food container with a giant smile and a gleam in his eye like he was saying to me, "I get it, Mom!"  So I tipped the container a little bit to get a bit of food on the spoon, and you know what he did?  He took that spoon and stuck the food in his mouth!  AND he did it over and over and over. 

I'm not going to lie.  Some of the spoonfuls hit his chin and some landed on his cheek and sometimes the food would drop off the end of the spoon before it made it to his face, but I'm seriously so excited about his ability to demonstrate that he's comprehending skills.  A friend said to me that as her daughter was growing up she felt like each stage was her favorite... until the next stage occurred.  She is so completely right!  Some women have said to me that they could never possibly stay home because they would be bored.  I think that is crazy.  I find this little guy to be the most fascinating person that I've ever met (Sorry, honey)!  Everyday brings something new to be excited about and I'm so thankful that I don't have to miss a beat!