Honey, I think I Broke the Baby!

Yes, I realize that may be a little harsh, but last night I certainly felt like a deserving recipient of this badge. Allow me to explain...

We (and by we I of course mean Jason) make meals for Brianne in advance and stock pile them in the freezer for future consumption since she eats way earlier than we do. Yesterday I pulled out a spaghetti and meatballs for her, one of Bri's favies. I put the container in the microwave for a reasonable amount of time as usual and when it was done cooking I put it in one of her cute bumblebee bowls so it could cool. While it was cooling she started getting antsy, so she and Jase started grazing on some crackers or cheddar puff corn, you know, something with absolutely no nutritive value. And since I didn't want her to fill her tiny tummy full of junk, I hastily intervened and put her in the high chair. She was anxious and hungry and shouting at me, so I sat her bowl of spaghetti on her tray. I didn't realize she already had a fork in her posession and when I turned around to get her milk, she decided to dive right in.

When I turned back it was too late. She had already crammed an entire meat ball and some pasta in her mouth. I could see that she dug right into the center of the pile of noodles too and there was steam coming from the empty spot. I looked at her and she started to turn red, and then she started gagging and coughing. I knew from CPR class that as long as they are coughing you should just let them, so I tried not to panic and let her cough. She stopped coughing and was getting redder so I did what any normal person would do in this situation, I panicked. I shouted "Jason I need help!" and he came running in and saw her and calmly placed a finger in her mouth and scooped out the offending meatball saying "wow, this is still really hot". Brianne was breathing again but was still getting redder because she was screaming and tears were streaking down her face. And this wasn't just crying, it was the silent, sobbing, body shaking crying that so breaks my heart.

I got her out of her chair and apologized, a million times, for not being more observant and setting a plate of scolding hot food in front of her. After about 15 minutes I tried getting her to eat again and she absolutely refused to eat any more spaghetti. She did eat her peas, then I gave her a yogurt, you know, something cold to soothe the scolded tongue. Then we tried the spaghetti again, still a no go. She led me to the cabinets and pointed out the applesauce, so I gave her some. Then a nutri-grain bar, then some more cheddar puff corn, then more milk. I think she sensed my guilt and decided to use her powers of cuteness in my moment of weakness, to get away with something she knows she couldn't have otherwise. Blast her cuteness!!