mmm, mmm, good!

We've started feeding Owen this rice, banana, milk porridge concoction. It is this vile grey puss color, but regardless, when you strap on his bib, it's go time. The kid is nothing but enthusiastic when it comes to eating. Enthusiasm can only go so far in covering up poor technique, though and let me tell ya, the kid is lacking some serious eating technique.

He grabs for the bowl. He knocks the spoon away from his mouth. He ducks and weaves like Sugar Ray Leonard. He opens his mouth and moves his head from side to side like a graduate from the Stevie Wonder School of Deportment. In short, feeding him is a train wreck. He ended up with cereal in his hair of all places...

My favorite part is when you finally get the cereal in his mouth, he goops it forward with his tongue and pushes it out of his mouth and on to his bib. Then he dives his head down and tries to slurp it off his bib. I thought that eating was a natural, instinctual act, but my little genius is definitely showing me otherwise.

Owen eating reminds me of the old Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom show. Golden is Marlon Perkins, staying out of the action; cooly, dispassionately narrating the events. Owen is some dangerous wild creature trying to eat some hapless prey animal. And I am the indefatigable Jim Fowler, volunteered to do a dangerous job that I am not adequately prepared for by some old codger who sits in a studio somewhere doing voice over of my exploits after the fact.

When I was a kid, we used to tube feed baby birds that my parents bred. Would it traumatize a baby too much to use a speculum to sort of smooth out the feeding process? Okay, maybe a bit harsh, but pet ownership is really my only frame of reference for this parenting thing. At least I'm not considering crate training him.

Thanks for all of the comments and emails. I like to think that I stir the pot a little bit here and there and I relish the discussion. Keep 'em coming! Still haven't heard from any takers on a mtn. bike ride this weekend. Let me know if you're interested.