garrett the carrot, reprise

It appears that Garrett's growth spurt is over, and consequently meal times have become a bit more challenging. No longer is he voraciously stuffing every crumb of food I set before him into his belly. Instead, these days he's eating more and more like a picky little bird (and not the sort of bird that sweetly chirps about an approaching spring; no, this is the sort of bird that incessantly whines about how cold it is). Don't get me wrong -- he's still a sweet boy, despite the teething and the cold which I'm sure have contributed to his waning appetite as well as to his recent edginess. I just wish he'd eat more.*

Take last night, for example. I served a chicken and rice dinner with a side garden salad. The salad had pieces of grated carrot in it which Garrett, of his own accord, figured out how to dip into ranch dressing. Only, once dipped, he wouldn't eat the carrot; instead he'd lick the ranch off, then dip again for more. After several licks and dips, he'd set his used piece of carrot off to the side, select a new one, and begin the process again. He didn't touch anything else on his plate.

So. For those of you just joining us, all my son ate last night of his dinner was ranch dressing.**

Garrett is so weird sometimes. And here is further proof:


Lately, when he's tired or bored, I'll find him curled up with his blanket and binky on any available piece of floor looking as if he's about to conk out. (He hasn't fallen completely asleep yet, though it's bound to happen any time now.) His typical position is on his stomach, knees folded beneath him, with his bottom sticking up in the air, and I have found him thus everywhere from below the kitchen sink (see above) to underneath chairs in the livingroom. So bizarre.

Also? Just the other day he realized that a great place to stick his fingers when they are not otherwise occupied is up his nose. He doesn't pick; he just safekeeps them there. I can't decide if I should be grossed out or charmed by his resourcefulness.


*Though he's eating less food than I thought was normal for him, he does still eat. I'm not worried about him wasting away to wispiness. But it is getting pretty annoying to prepare meals which he's proved to me before that he'll happily eat only to watch him pick at them in disgust. I'm sure this is just one of those toddler phases I've been warned of, but still. It's frustrating.

**Of course, being the sort of mother who doesn't like to send her child to bed on an empty stomach, I offered him an assortment of food which was not on the menu, but which I knew he'd eat at least a little bit of. But just out of curiosity, do you think any nutrients can be derived from licking a carrot? And do kids ever get sick of eating the same old fallback foods over and over again?