Cookies and Milk

Ben is really good with his hands.  His fine motor skills are definitely his best skill set.  He has a little lion that plays music when you push a button (the size of a watch battery) hidden in his hands and feet.  Ben has been able to push that button for months now.  I tried to get him some finger food like those yogurt puffs, but I couldn’t find any over here, and banana pieces were too slippery. 

Finally, we caved and gave him teething biscuits (we were trying to wait as long as possible for the wheat).  His first one was a few weeks ago, and only about a quarter of it made it into his mouth.  He could pick up the pieces with his pincher fingers, but if the piece slipped into his fist, it never came out.  Within a few days, he was getting most of the cookie into his mouth.  He was opening up his fingers to put up to his mouth.  Only the pieces in the very deep recesses of his palm got lost, but he was still gagging every once in awhile if he got too big a piece. 

Now he is getting really good at eating them, and even big bites don’t faze him.  He can see a little piece on his tray, pick it up, and usually get it in first try.  Even the pieces that get stuck to the back of his hand, he can turn his hand over and get the right part to his mouth.  A few times a piece has fallen on his bib, and he reached down and carefully lifted the bib to get the piece right into his mouth.  I realize this sounds silly as I am writing it, but it has been entertaining to watch this whole learning process, and to see notable progress every day.  He can even get those slippery banana pieces now.  This weekend, I am going on a mission to find more finger foods and plain cheerios.