Chewbacca

My 8-month-old son loves books. He eats them for breakfast. He devours them. I mean that quite literally.

I can't read him stories anymore because he wants to chew on every single book I try to read him. He has no preference for author, illustrator or size of book. He doesn't care if they're colorful or if they rhyme. He just wants them in his mouth.

I've always believed in the importance of reading to babies, no matter how young. But it's kinda hard when your kid would rather snack on Green Eggs and Ham than read about them.

So I've had to memorize a few just so he can get a bit of a literary education. I can recite several in my sleep, including Goodnight Moon, Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed and Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? These are of course some of the simpler children's books on the market but it won't be longer before I've mastered Guess How Much I Love You.

I guess it will be a little longer before we can sit and enjoy a good book together...the way they were meant to be enjoyed, that is.

On the bright side, he also really enjoys gnawing on his baby toothbrush, so I'm feeling pretty good about his oral health. Then again, he's got a lot of book residue stuck to those gums so the toothbrush fixation makes sense...