"Lolllyyyyallll....Maaaamaaaaaaa....LOLLLLLLYYYALLLL!!!"
This is what I generally hear over the monitor between 6:00 and 7:30 every morning.
Translation:
"Cereal, Mother. May I please have some cereal?"
Well, maybe someday.
For now it is a near panicked whine and request for nourishment as we struggle through our morning diaper change. The panic intensifies as I pull whatever I'm going to fix out of the cupboard. Lately it has been cold cereal, because you DO NOT want to hear the beagle-like sounds that radiate from this child as I take the time to microwave oatmeal. I'm afraid she will pass out if I take the time to scramble an egg or two.
You would think the circus that is our morning would lessen as she is able to eat. No. I wish. But no.
After she eats her "Lollyal" she usually starts barking for fruit or "Fooot," oranges specifically. You cannot rationally explain to a toddler that Mommy forgot to pick up oranges. Once I have convinced (tricked) her into eating a banana instead she seems calm for a while. We play, run errands, whatever the morning brings.
An hour or two passes. The cycle repeats. Only this time everything is "Cheese!" "Cheese!!" "CHEEEEEEEEESSSSEE" "MAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
This goes on throughout the day with different requests. Cheese, crackers, grapes, oranges, bananas, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken... it goes on and on.
The only respite from the constant hunger is the two and three hour naps this growth spurt is graciously providing.
It isn't just the constant requests for food. It is the sheer amount she is eating per meal that is startling. Take last night for example, we went out to Los Bravos (Best Mexican food ever!) with my dad. She was incredibly cranky on the ride over, so I knew she either didn't get her nap out or was hungry.
My kid is a Mexican food fiend. I attribute it to the fact that it is all I wanted to eat while pregnant with her. She is pretty familiar with the routine. As soon as we sit down she is asking for "Chips and Dip Dip." She proceeded to eat no less than 20 chips with salsa and cheese dip. I ordered her a plain cheese quesadilla, which is more than she normally eats.
She devoured it.
Along with half of my chicken chimichanga, rice and beans. Where is she putting it?!?!
In case you were wondering, my word processor does not recognize quesadilla or chimichanga as words.
(Ice cream is not a daily food for her, these are just the only photos of her eating I can find.)
If anything she is thinning out. She has always been tall. Hovering between the 90 - 100th percentile. She was 8lbs 12oz and 20.75in long at birth. At our last well visit pediatricians appointment she was 25lbs and 30.25 inches long. That was about a month and a half ago. She had to go last week for a sick appointment and was only at 25.4lbs. Here's the kicker. She is now measuring 33 inches tall!!! 33 INCHES! That is 2.75 inches of growth in A MONTH AND A HALF!!!
Hopefully this spurt passes soon. If not, I'm either going to find myself decrepit from exhaustion or in the poorhouse from our grocery bill.
I feel like I'm feeding a linebacker. Who knows, maybe she will be the first lady in the NFL?
