spoon me.

Dear Olly Noodles,

This month we have expanded your palate with things such as: squash, pears, and the old stand-by, rice cereal mixed with squash. You aren't really thrilled with any of it, but you don't hate it either. Which is a relief, because I have vivid memories of Uncle Alex gagging on broccoli as a young baby--side note: I don't think they even make broccoli baby food any more; I looked, so I could determine if the aversion runs in the family.

There is this whole wives' tale that if you give a baby vegetables first, then the baby will not be spoiled by the sweetness of fruit and be a more adventurous eater and all that jazz. I mean, it might be a wives' tale, but you still got the squash before the pears. Who knows. I was going to make all of your food myself, but I broke down and started you off with jarred food in case I made a big batch of something you hated. I will test out your tastes and then make you fresh food accordingly. Maybe that is really what the wives' tale should be: real food vs. processed food.

The other day, you also ate a lemon slice and a lime slice. We kept waiting for you to make funny, overly sour faces, but they never came. You drooled alot, as a natural reaction to the acid, but seemed to like it. I think lemons and limes seem sour compared to lemon and lime flavored things, like Sprite, but to a baby (you) and your unadulterated taste buds, they taste just fine. If you do not eat cupcakes, you will think fruit is sweet enough for dessert.

Going back to a few months ago, when I said raising you is akin to internet dating, today I will take it a step further. Much like a courtship, I must be the kind of person I wish to attract, or in this case, create. So because Daddy and I have realized just how observant you already are, and how much more you are going to pick up, we need to be better role models in the nutrition department. To steal a line from the show "Roseanne" (way before your time), we eat like our parents are out of town for the weekend. We want to show you by example a healthy way of life. Are you going to eat a Happy Meal eventually? Probably. Are you going to be a gluten-free, free range, all organic, vegan child? Probably not. But you will not be running around with Pepsi in your bottle and Cheeto dust in your hair and a Kool-Aid mustache.

You have brought about so many more good things than you will ever know in my life and for your life. You inspire me to be a better person for you and for myself and I love you and eat your vegetables. The end (for today).