Tummy

I was making dinner last night and the Caleb was sitting across from me at the island eating some carrots. Carter climbed up into the other stool and asked for a snack.  As he was munching on some sweet potato chips, Caleb asked me if Carter could have a carrot. I explained, once again, that carrots aren’t safe for his little brother. Carter turned to me and said, “No. Tummy.” I dropped my spoon. Carter has never said anything about foods not being safe for him, although I seem to be constantly telling him that foods aren’t safe.

I asked Carter if he could eat the food sitting on the counter. “No. Me. Tummy,” he said again and pointed his little finger at all the food I was using to make dinner.  It was a bittersweet moment for me. My eyes were filled with tears as I hugged my littlest man. He has finally made the connection that some foods aren’t good for him.  In a way, I felt relieved. He knew that this was unsafe food for him. We have worked for months to get him to understand that we were not withholding food to be mean, but rather to keep him safe. Even now, I get teary eyed. This was such a milestone moment for us and one more positive step to keep his tummy safe.