Meals with Matthew

Sounds like a Food Network show. I would be honored if Matthew grew up to be a chef. But anyway, here is a day in the life of Matthew, his food and what he does and doesn't like to eat.

Every meal starts off with a prayer. One day I asked Matthew if he wanted to say a prayer and he folded his arms, bowed his head and even shut his eyes for a minute. I couldn't believe that I caught it on camera. Now, he knows to fold his arms before he eats anything (even yogurt bites or little snacks throughout the day) and reminds me sometimes. I started to feed him the other day and he looked at me, dropped his spoon and folded his arms. He even mutters something along the lines of an "amen" after we're through.

Breakfast Usually, oatmeal (strawberries and cream is his favorite) and yogurt are his favorites. He eats a half of a pop tart while I'm preparing his oatmeal and letting it cool off. He loves getting milk and every now and then, I'll give him chocolate milk. This is the only time he drinks milk during the day though. It was only recently that he started actually liking the taste of the milk itself. He usually wakes up around 9:30 every single day like clock work and is eating right about the time Sesame Street comes on. He has become quite fond of Elmo and is fascinated by him on TV.

Lunch
Matthew would eat this Michelina's macaroni and cheese with ham for every meal if he could. He gobbles this up like no tomorrow. It never gets old for him and he gets so impatient when he sees me open the freezer and take it out. The four minutes it takes to cook is way too long for him. While it's cooking, he'll eat his other favorite staple. String cheese. He would seriously eat five of these things a day if I would let him. He also likes chicken fingers but the grilled chicken you get already warm at the store is his favorite type of chicken. He loves applesauce after his macaroni and drinks either his Gerber juice (the Kiwi-Strawberry kind is his favorite) or his watered-down apple juice for lunch as well. And everytime he takes a drink of any kind, he always says "AHHHH" afterwards.

Snacks Matthew has always been fond of the yogurt melts. I love these for church because there is no clean up and when fifty of them fall on the floor (or are thrown on the floor), there is not a big mess to clean up. He likes all the flavors and goes through the small bag in a few days. He'll really eat anything that he can get his hands on, whether that is what Mom is eating or what I give him. He likes his Ritz crackers and has adored popsicles since the day he first got a taste when he was five months old.
Dinner
This kid loves to eat. I ask him if he wants to eat dinner and he brightens up like no tomorrow. He goes right on over to his high chair like I haven't fed him in days. While I'm getting his dinner ready, he loves his cheese or usually eats mandarin oranges until his food is done. If he's not eating what we're eating, I can give him ground beef and he gobbles it down. He also really likes beans. I also have been feeding him a new yogurt that is by YoBaby that has a vegetable and fruit in the bottom. The weirdest smells come from those little containers make me want to hold my breath, but he has grown to love them. They're organic yogurt, one vegetable, one fruit all mixed. One is green beans and pear, another sweet potato and apple and another squash and peach. He'll eat that first then eat whatever is put on his plate after. He also really likes any kind of fish, mashed potatoes, french fries, apples, bread, pasta, rice, cereal...the list continues. He usually finishes his meal with either vanilla pudding or a popsicle. He also loves the taste of his vitamin juice, Vemma NEXT. I water that down and it is SO GOOD for him and he loves it.

I am so blessed that he is such a good eater. I'm not sure where all of it goes, but he loves to eat and even though he gets impatient while sitting in his chair, I love him to pieces when he folds his arms to say a prayer. I ALWAYS have to sweep after he eats, and I wash his highchair after every time he sits in it, but it's worth it! One day, he'll tell the world watching him cook Cheese Meals with Matthew on Food Network that he has always loved cheese since day one.