Meal times are truly amusing adventures now. There's no type of feeding that doesn't bring with it great excitement! Nursing Rowan means being on constant alert for signs that he's about to bite down with the new chompers. Thankfully the injury to Mommy has been minimal so far, and I'm sure with strategic use of the cheek-flicking technique, we'll avert the need to wean early. (Cheek-flicking might sound harsh, but it has proven its effectiveness a few months ago when Rowan went through an awful clamping-down phase. Even without teeth, that was horribly painful! A few days of flicking, and we broke the habit.) Anyway, breastfeeding is the lowest on the suspense scale.
Slightly more suspenseful is wondering if, when I place a delicious spoonful of food in Rowan's mouth, he will choose to show his delight and appreciation by saying "Yum!", or at least some 7-month-old variation of the word. Such an exclamation is, as you might imagine, accompanied by a strong exhale to communicate the enthusiasm. And said exhale is, as you might also ascertain, accompanied by little bits of flying pureed food. Yesterday Rowan, the high chair, and my shirt were covered in tiny bits of carrot. It looked like someone took a clogged orange spray paint can to us all!
This morning I learned there is yet a higher level of suspense to be experienced during a meal. It's so suspenseful because when it happens, it carries the most gross of all the consequences so far. Yes, as you might have guessed from the title, I'm on the edge of my seat wondering whether Rowan will sneeze with his mouth full of something! This happened for the first time at breakfast today, when I was sprayed with a shiny combination of peaches, oatmeal, and snot. Eeeeeeeeew! Rowan thought it was positively hilarious.