The Food Feud, Episode 3, or Where's My 'World's Best Mom' Award?

Lasts night's dinner was a raging failure.

I had high hopes, because Mia had barely had any lunch, thus no snacks were allowed that afternoon. She was asking for her dinner by about 4:00 PM (my wittle heart was breaking, I tell you) and I just knew she'd eat well. I was making Ugly Naked Chicken, a glazy, sweet recipe that she always likes.

So she sat down and started eating, actually taking unprompted bites, but then she started squirming in her chair which eventually led to a huge bruise on her hip. Dinner never recovered. She cried throughout the rest of the meal, wanting me to hold her, and laying her head down on the table.

Since I was trying to feed Lauren at the same time, I couldn't hold her, and I only gave her a few hugs. (But I was able to snap some photos for my blog...priorities, I tell you.) I looked at this as a good opportunity for her to learn a lesson the hard way - sit still in your booster seat, or you might get hurt.

By the time Lauren was finished with her meal, Mia hadn't taken a single bite beyond the first 4 or so she began with. I left her there with all kinds of encouraging words while I got the girls' jammies ready and started the bathwater. I had set the timer, and when I walked back in the kitchen to let her know how many minutes she had left, I found her asleep.

At the table.

Lights on, sister babbling and crashing toys around on the floor.

This was completely unprecedented. Mia has only ever fallen asleep outside of a dark bedroom one time before, and that was when she was getting an ear infection at school one day. (So...not completely unprecedented, I guess. I'm nothing if not historically accurate, I tell you.)

Justin got home late last night, so I just let her sleep there while I bathed Lauren and got her ready for bed. I carried Mia to her room just before I nursed Lauren at about 6:30.

When I told him later what had been going on, Justin got all worried that his baby girl was sick. I was all, "Calm down, she woke up too early this morning, so she's had a long day with not much food, she's just waaay tired. Don't worry so much."

He was asking all kinds of questions about her temperature, and salmonella from peanut butter, and various other possibilities, but I assured him: "Mia is fine. Enjoy our quiet night!"

So we did. It was very quiet, and we went to bed early, too. Only to wake up to a vomitous Mia at 3:00 AM.

Dang. Justin was right.

After he helped me clean her up, I couldn't get back to sleep for being mad at myself. She just wanted me to hold her at dinner...and all I did was calmly tell her to quit crying and eat.

She's not been able to keep anything down today, and is, at this moment, sleeping on towels on our bed. Her eyes are glossy, her face is pale, and she barely moves except to hug her little elephant closer.

I deserve the World's Best Mother Award, like I deserve an Oscar Award: Not at all, I tell you.