The Handle.

The baby is a lot like her sister.
They look a lot alike.
She is hitting her milestones at the same age her sister did.

She wants to be exactly like her sister.
She wants to do everything exactly as her sister does, when her sister does.
She tries to stay in her sister's classroom, at drop of, each morning.
She assumes she is going to all her big sister's play dates and parties.
She sees herself as a twin.

Except when it comes to food.

She has no interest in eating anything that her sister does.
Her sister has no influence over her when it comes to food.
Here she is autonomous.

I try not to stress about it. I know that not eating vegetables now - doesn't mean she will never eat vegetables.
I know that some days babies eat very little and some days they eat loads.
I am (mostly) calm about it - except for The Handle.

The baby will not eat the piece of food she has been holding, known in this house as - The Handle.
Since most of her food is finger food it means she leaves about a third of everything she eats.
Now, I know that leaving some food on your plate (for Mr. Manners) is considered polite and even prudent for us adults -
in a baby is just plain annoying.

I have tried gracefully accepting The Handle, say a piece of a chicken nugget or a carrot and then trimming it to a slightly different shape and returning it - no go.
She immediately rejects it. I can see in her eyes, just as clearly as if she had the words:
"Oh no, no way - that's The Handle - I'd know it anywhere."

I wouldn't mind but she will reject The Handle but then ask for more.
"You have more" I say, pointing at The Handle.
She looks at me with a twinkle in her eye and firmly shakes her head.
I have never managed to get her to eat The Handle. Not once.

Have I just admitted that the baby has the upper hand?