This is a small series of things I miss. There are so many I couldn’t possibly get it all into one article so here’s the second thing that I miss.
There are some things you find that you miss when your little one is no longer a baby. When they are little and learning new things like learning to roll over, sit up on their own, crawling and eventually walking, you encourage them to learn more and more and it’s exciting. You want them to progress in ways that makes them more mobile and independent. But in doing so you are losing things you never thought you would miss.
Another thing I miss is being able to eat a meal I don’t have to share. I don’t mind sharing, but everything, and I do mean everything I eat is open for mooching from my toddler. Even if he has his own plate, if he notices something different on my plate, then he has to have it. Sometimes if he thinks I’m eating something he isn’t he gets angry, even though it’s the same thing. It’s just my piece isn’t as cut up as his is. Still he requests it with a passion unlike no other. I know it isn’t very sanitary sharing utensils, but when you’re tired, you just want a snack and you have a toddler hovering around you like a vulture, sometimes you just don’t have the energy to get back up to get separate dishes and utensils. Besides, what kind of mom would I be? I mean other animals let their little ones eat with them and when their young are real little some mothers will regurgitate the food for them. I’m not that into sharing though. He can just eat off my fork.
Maybe I have spoiled him by always sharing my food with him in the past, but I am not the only one who does it. His father and sister have both succumb to the mooching and end up having to split their food and drinks with him. He’s a big eater who never seems to ever get full so he seems to be always eating. He’s not overweight either so I have no idea where he puts it all. I wish I could eat like him and stay skinny. Now all I have to do is just look at a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and I gain 5 pounds.
Feeding him off of my plate isn’t as near as bad as sharing a water bottle though. When we go out somewhere I always bring a water bottle since both he and I drink a lot of water. I know I should bring separate bottles, but it’s all I can do to remember to fill one up and take it with us. The problem with sharing the water bottle is his method of drinking. Little kids tend to “backflush” when they drink. This deposits whatever is still in their mouth, in his case the last three bites of food, back into the drink. So when you take your drink you see little pieces of food floating in the bottle. Not pretty I know. It’s amazing how before my little one came along, I would have been disgusted, poured it out, washed and sterilized it before drinking from it again. I may have even thrown the bottle away. Now, however, I just shrug and drink it down. Sick, isn’t it. I’m certainly not going to go thirsty just because my toddler decided to share back the food I shared with him.
Hey life with kids is messy and it’s all part of the deal. I can’t say that drinking “chunky” water is something you ever get entirely used to, but it’s something I bet you’ll miss years down the road. As time goes by and the image of that little mouth drinking from the same cup you are is a memory you will later treasure and will want back again I’m sure. Or maybe not.
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