Let the Picky Eating Begin

At Sydney's 18 month check up we received a packet of information about what to expect in our little angel over the next few months. The bulk of the information was explaining how we should prepare for her change in appetite, or lack thereof. Up until that point we had never struggled much with getting Sydney to stuff food in her mouth. She would gladly clean her own plate and yours if you chose to share. Thus the chunky baby thighs have followed her into toddlerhood, and I love them so.
Alas though, this past week she has started to show her almost-20-month-old decisive self in promptly deciding when and what she will and will not eat. I'm thankful I was prepared for this, however I will say the waste of food alarmed me at first. I'm not use to throwing away trays full of food that I carefully cut up in bite sized pieces. Not only is it a waste of my labor-intensive efforts to prevent choking, but a waste of food!

So we have learned a few things to accommodate this change in diet.

(1) Dinner for Sydney is no longer at 6:15, rather it is at 5:15 when she gets hungry for a snack. I have to use this captive audience that is craving buttery club crackers to squeeze in something decently healthy while she has the patience for it.
(2) All good things require dip. Ketchup. Ranch. Honey Mustard. Just don't be too generous with the pouring because in-between bites of real food it is going to get lathered on her fingers and smeared on the face in an attempt to eat only the chosen dip.
(3) Start small...just a few bites, then wait. No more time consuming cutting of a whole portion of food because in the end, it might just go to George and he isn't picky about that small of bites anyway.
(4) Take it away. For some reason, as soon as you start to say "all done" and take the food away...Sydney starts shoving it in her mouth like there is no tomorrow. It's like calling her bluff I guess? Oh boy.
(5) The bib will always hurt upon removal, even if it doesn't. Mommy screws up ONE time in getting the button on the bib caught in her hair...and from now on, so be it every time the bib is removed, it's "uh oh! uh oh!" and a sweet little scowl. That's okay though, I'm just thankful she will still wear it.