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Friday 16 November 2012

It Turns Out I'm Neurotic



I’m a neurotic individual.

I know, big shocker, right?

To be fair, most people are neurotic in some way. But I- always the overachiever- have managed to expand my neurosis to many areas of my life.  

My husband is so lucky.

One of the many manifestations of my neurosis is the food journal I keep for my daughter.  The food journal is a little notebook in which I record every single thing she eats, at every meal, every day.

I started the food journal when she first ate solid food at five months, and now at thirteen months,the insanity continues.

I’m not exactly sure why I feel the need to document every morsel of food that goes into her mouth. The obvious answer is that the cause of any potential allergic reaction will be easily identified.  I have heard of other people writing down the new foods that their babies are introduced to for allergy-related reasons, but this doesn’t explain why I write down every food, at every meal. I guess it’s just one of the many things I do “just in case”. 

Just in case of what? 

Just in case I ever need to know what she ate for breakfast on July 8, 2012?  

Just in case she doesn’t get into Harvard one day, and I need to try to figure out where we went wrong? 

Just in case I need evidence that I am, indeed, insane?

My husband asked me how long I intended to continue journaling my daughter’s food intake. I hadn’t given it that much thought. He envisions this continuing into her adolescent years:

Food Journal Entry 5485: Child’s Age: 16
Observed child from bushes last night with binoculars, drinking a beer. This food has been introduced ahead of schedule- not due to be introduced for another (at least) five years. No allergic reaction noted.

Point taken, Husband.

Possibly the most neurotic thing about this whole food journaling business is that it didn’t occur to me that this was not a normal thing to do until my husband pointed it out to me- of course  I write down every food my daughter eats, at every meal, every day. Doesn’t everybody? 

I guess not.

Hmmm.

This begs the question, what else do I do that I think is normal that in actuality….well…. isn’t?

34 comments:

  1. Hehehehe! You crack me up-- probably because I recognize elements of myself in you! I hope that doesn't scare you too badly. :/

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    1. Hahah. Definitely doesn't scare me. I think you're awesome! :)

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  2. Haha! You make me laugh!! I see myself in this! LOL!

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  3. If she ever has an allergic reaction, I'm sure you'll be happy you keep this journal!

    I love the one when she's 16. I should start saving for really good binoculars for said purpose :)

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  4. This is a fun post but you might want to back off on this as soon as you can. When your child is older if she realizes you're doing this it could be perceived as a control issue and she'll start sneaking strange foods when you aren't around just for the satisfaction of pulling a fast one on you. Girls are so much more prone to food issues than boys so there's that to deal with. Food for thought.

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    1. Oh yes, I totally agree. I was totally kidding that I would keep up with my journaling nonsense. I'm starting to phase it out.

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  5. For over a year, I tracked my youngest son's diaper changes, feedings and sleep. He's now 16 months and I have managed to quit all but the sleep. I don't really know why I still feel like I need to track it, but I guess I like seeing how long he has napped since I can never remember what time he falls asleep?? So, I know how you feel! I'm equally as neurotic. :)

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    1. Wow. I think I just met my competition! :)

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  6. have another baby... you'll be so busy you will just be happy she eats , anything.

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    1. You're probably right. Although one's quite enough for now!

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  7. Hey, I'll be holing up with a beer and binoculars with you in that bush. How else would keep the record accurate for Harvard? ;)

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  8. This is too funny! I think we all have our own neurotic tendencies.

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  9. Your 16 year old journal entry example had me belly laughing...I had to leave the room because Madeleine is "napping" next me and I don't DARE wake a cranky baby from her "nap." (I use quotes because I am not sure if making a baby fall asleep in a swing, with a soother in her mouth, and the sink filling full of water for white noise constitutes a nap or desperation on my part).

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    1. Oh, it definitely counts as a nap. In my opinion, if sleep is happening, it's a nap!

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  10. I felt badly that I didn't keep a journal when I first started my daughter on solids, but now there is just no point - I have the pickiest eater in the world who eats the same things day in and day out. If this keeps up, I will have no problems remembering everything she consumes until she's 20!!!

    But I have my own neurotic tendencies, so you're not alone there.

    I'm just not brave enough to write about them. ;)

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    1. My daughter's becoming kind of picky too. But she likes some of the funniest things (like plain chickpeas)!

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  11. More than anything, this just makes me feel like I SHOULD have been chronicling at least some of my children's food achievements. Now all of their food journals would say, "Asked for chicken nuggets again. Balked at delicious meal in front of them. Ate Goldfish." I am also left wondering if all of the jars and cans in your pantry are facing the same way.

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    1. LOL. No, nothing in my pantry is organized. I wish, though! I think it would make me feel like everything was right in the world.

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  12. I've never been a list maker (or very organized in general), so I can't say that I relate to this particular neurosis. I do have PLENTY of my own, but the thought of journaling them is terrifying. My husband and children are already aware that I'm a frequent rider on the crazy train. Having it on paper would just give them ammunition to buy me a one way ticket.

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    1. Well, if you end up with a one-way ticket to crazy-land, I'll see you there.

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  13. Oh my goodness--Laura, that cracked me up. By the time I got to my fourth I barely even wrote down the new foods. He DID have an allergic reaction to strawberries and without writing it down and I will FOR SURE know that he can't have strawberries. But yes, with my first, I was much more on top of things.

    I love your last question . . . what else DO you think is normal and maybe isn't??? ;)

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    1. My list of things that I think are normal and probably are, well, not-quite-normal would be quite a long list (but since I think they're normal, I have no idea what's on the list, which is just as well).

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  14. I love your husband's comment. And love that you can laugh about your own neurosis. I think we all have them, and sometimes they become highened when we have our own kids. Great post!

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  15. From one neurotic mama to another...I get it. I have stopped trying to pretend to be Type B. Not gonna happen. Let's embrace our neuroses! ;)

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  16. Oh man girl, you're So much more put together than me. My second is going to be 6 months this week and I haven't introduced solid food yet because I'm like ehhh I don't know what to introduce and dont' have the time to look it up lol! I just know that I don't want it to be rice cereal this time but haven't learned what instead!

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  17. This is funny. I'm pretty neurotic too. I'm neurotic with my blog. Way too neurotic with my blog.

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  18. I still have that notebook from my first which catalogs the time, duration and side (left or right) of the breast fed from. Even when I was diligently recording this information I had no idea how I'd use it. I have to tell you how liberating it is NOT to do it this time around. And guess what? This one is just as plump and healthy as the first. If he's hungry, he whines and I feed him - no need to consult a journal. Throw away the journal! It's just another thing we do to make ourselves crazy.

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  19. Hmmm... see I think its great that you track these things. I dont track like that for my four month old... And I always feel guilty about it. Like I should but dont have enough time, and ill start tracking "tomorrow". Its that parametric mom guilt thing! ;)

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  20. I really enjoyed this post. I remember being very neurotic about my daughter's life as well. I had her in french classes, yoga, cooked organic food for her etc. Then when I had my second, plus renovations happening simultaneously, my goal was just to make sure the children were fed and I kep everyone as sane as possible amid the chaos! It's funny how things change.

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  21. hehhehe!! I'm thinking you may want to stop once she gets to school age coz it may not be possible to guess what she actually has eaten (even though you may have packed her lunch and snack yourself!)

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