"Eat 'em up time!"

"Bananas, cherries,
grapefruit, lime,
kumquat, kiwi
Eat 'em up time!"

- From Fruits, by Sara Anderson. One of Stella's favorite bedtime books.

As Stella enters her last week before her first Birthday, it's constantly amazing the amount and variety of food she eats. Where just a couple months ago, we were impressed if she gummed some steamed or mashed food before ejecting it back onto her bib; now she powers through whole meals like a champ. Sarah and I both know that we won't always be able to count on having such an adventurous eater, but for the time being we are enjoying it.

What are some of her favorites? Apple sauce. Yogurt (though we have to give her non-dairy, since cow's milk still seems to give her gas). Oatmeal. Cheerios. Green beans. Pasta (especially with a touch of red sauce). And peas... lots and lots of peas... as evidenced by her morning diaper change.

(She's going to really appreciate that detail when she gets older.)

Let's watch her eat, shall we?

First off, here's Stella with her Num Num (or is it Mum Mum? Yum Yum? ...I can never get it straight). We originally gave these to her on the flight to and from Dallas to keep her busy. But, they've quickly become favorites. She woke up fussy one afternoon, so I gave her a couple to snack on. Be sure to pay attention to the end of this...


Did she just stick that whole thing in her mouth? Such a solemn little eater, no?

This video is actually from just a little over an hour ago. Stella learns the advantage of having top and bottom teeth...