The Hailey Hammer

As any parent knows, it is not the most pleasurable, or clean, thing to have to feed your children. Whether they're two and refuse anything you put in front of them, or 7 months old and very active, it just isn't a lot of fun. Hailey, being wonderfully creative, has discovered a way to make it even more enjoyable for me. She has mastered what I lovingly call "the Hailey Hammer."

The game begins like so - She eats really well, and without much mess, until she gets the edge off her hunger, then the fun starts. Her left hand magically becomes a hammer that waits very patiently in the air above her head. Whenever any object comes near her mouth - BAM! - she brings down the hammer! I think she scores extra points when she happens to smack the spoon full of pureed baby food on its way to her mouth, sending splatters all over the place. Bringing down the hammer is typically followed with a big smile, a little gurgle, and if there's a large mess, some chuckling!

Thinking I am smarter than my 7 month old, I then divert her attention with anything available. When she is fully occupied with my decoy, I swoop in from the other side with a spoon full of food. With the awareness of a hawk, she somehow senses my impending victory, turns with the agility of a cat, and brings down the hammer on her unsuspecting mother. Another score for Hailey.

Somehow I end up getting all of the food down, with a fairly small amount of mess, but it is definitely a time consuming process!