Sunday, April 27, 2008

cheeri oh's


well, this was quite the weekend.

I won't go into how I cried all the way home after picking Cooper up from daycare on Friday because I (again) felt like the crappiest mom ever (the solids "thing" was brought up again and I was told that my child was still hungry after he'd eaten all the food I'd sent ... blah, blah, blah). I won't mention how Chris and I had a fight about how crappy I felt and how, as a Dad, there was NO WAY he could possibly understand how I felt as a Mom. I won't discuss the gut-wrenching feeling that overcame me, when, in a fit of mom-sanity, I tore through my What To Expect The First Year book and realized that my son should've been feeding himself a cracker, oh, um, 5 freakin' months ago!!! And, I won't dare go into the guilt-ridden, type-A, we-will-overcome-this-setback-this-weekend shopping spree that didn't end until I'd loaded a cart with more than $100 in baby-friendly finger foods (oh, and a ball for funzies!).

Now that I've outlined everything I won't talk about, here's what I will ... this weekend Cooper and I both triumphed! He, after much protesting, gagging, coughing, nasty faces and one heinous puke session, is now, happy to munch on crackers, cereal chunks, bananas, Stage 3 foods, yadda, yadda, yadda. And I, after pushing through the protesting, gagging, coughing, nasty faces and one heinous puke session, am happily serving my little guy all the foods he should've been eating all along, without being poised in the ready-to-administer CPR position should Coop start choking (AGAIN!).

I've realized that Cooper is not as little, and certainly not as fragile or delicate, as I previously believed him to be. He's a big boy, ready to tackle big things. And now that I've learned that an awful fate will not be found in the likes of every finger food that crosses his lips, I'm thrilled to let him tackle on. In fact, he hit a major milestone at lunch out today ... one that brought a tear (OK, several!) to my eye. The waiter asked if the "child" (um, what happened to "baby"???) would like something to drink. He brought Coop some milk. In a big kid cup. With a straw. And with daddy's help, he downed that milk. THROUGH THE STRAW!! A week ago he couldn't figure out which end was up on his sippy cup!

Before I know he'll be ready for steak and a glass of wine.

5 comments:

~ Straight Shooter ~ said...

Way to go Momma!

Anonymous said...

YEA--thanks for NOT sharing the down moments!! ha ha I love the pics with Coop frowning...they are precious. Don't look now, but your baby IS a lil boy. Don't cry, you are a big boy mommie now! Milestones are the best.
lovemimi

Sawatzky family said...

Okay first things first...... you have the cutest little boy I have ever seen! (excluding my own of course lol) Congrats on the transition to solids and finger foods!

Hayley said...

I am about to need all the advice you can give! Oh, such a cute baby!

Hulsey Fam said...

hey girlie,
Coop is soooooooooooo stinkin cute and going at exactly the right pace. There are no rules, you are the momma and you are doing awesome. Little man Lawson has an older sister that is constantly talking and doing things he just thinks are way cool. He is growing up way faster than my first one. He is just a little shadow of hers:) So no worries on the solids:) But I am pumped you finally gave that kid some "real food" talk at ya later girl:)