Don’t Your Prefer Cheese?

Grace has had full control of the fine motor skill, index finger to thumb grasp, for quite awhile. She can pincer grasp things with the best of them, but still won’t say “Ma Ma.” Go figure.

With this skill she self feeds herself completely on the weekends. I still send mashed food with the finger snacks to daycare because I figure if they don’t mind having the food spit back on them, why should I? Grace is a champion with beans, shredded chicken, peas, pasta, fruit, Cheerios and cheese shreds.

You know what her FAVORITE snack is though?

Yeah, I know, all the major kiddy food groups are in the list. It’s because its not food.

It is ….. hair! Gross huh?

She sees our Corgi, Lil’ Rick, as a buffet. A smorgasbord. Between the snacks of hair that she finds on the floor and the drive by plucking, she eats hair all day. I keep thinking, “Don’t you prefer cheese? What are you doing kid?!?”

So I am constantly trying to feed her at home. Most of the time I will put her into the high chair, give her a snack and – Freak Out – OK, go back onto the ground and eat dog hair then. And she does.

It is not just dog hair though. Of course not. My daughter is apparently not that picky of an eater. Human hair seems to be just as good. She likes to rip fists full of hair right out of my head. I think they must taste better if it has the root too. I am fairly certain I will be bald by the time she is 2.

This past weekend, Grace and I met my friend Jen at Panera for lunch. Apparently, while I was refilling my drink, Grace lured Jen in with whispers of baby love and … BANG! … ripped out a chunk of her hair. Which went straight into the mouth.

To be on the positive side about this tendency that I can’t figure out how to stop aside from giving away our beloved pet:
1) She appears to be taking only what she is willing to eat.
2) It’s just another form of protein, right?
3) Given all options, eating hair is better then boogers. Although she has been trying to stick her finger up her nose lately. Hmmm ...