We like food at our house

Okay, so some of us like food.  This little guy he does not.  But I'll get to that in just a second.  

This cute little guy just turned 15months, okay so he's almost 16 months and I'm a bit behind (we've had a crazy month!)  At  his well baby check up we found he weighs 21lbs, that puts him right around the 10th percentile, and he is 32 inches long, about 75th percentile.  He seems to be growing just fine.  However, he won't eat solid foods, he'll eat baby food purees but not what-we-are-eating solid food and it's just annoying.  So I mentioned it to the doctor and he suggested he be evaluated with Kids on The Move (early intervention in our area).  

So we did just that.  Last week they came and did an evaluation on little man.  He will now be working with an Occupational Therapist to help him over come his texture aversion. At least we think it's a texture thing.  You see, he LOVES baby food bananas, will even eat freeze dried bananas, but if you were to let him eat a whole banana, or cut chunks off for him, he'd spit it out.  He'll take a bit and then spit, and then scrap his tongue of any remaining pieces.  He does this for most foods that we give him 'bites' of.  I am totally out of ideas of what to feed this kid.  The OT suggested we write down what he eats for a few days as well as make a master list of the things he will eat.  Well here's that master list:

*yogurt        *freeze dried yogurt     *robin eggs(candy)     *m&m's     *cookies     *baby food purees

*black beans (sometimes)     *fruit loops (sometimes)     *suckers     *teddy grahams (sometimes)

*nilla wafers (sometimes)     *rice cereal     *oatmeal     *pancakes     *french toast (sometimes)

*waffles (sometimes)     *fruits in mesh feeder      *french fries (really just mutilates them)

*rice krispy treats     *cheesecake     *pudding     *freeze dried bananas and strawberries

That's it.  That's all I can think of that he will usually eat.  Pretty lame list, as most of that has no nutritional value at all.  I tell ya, packing a diaper bag with snacks to go anywhere is SO hard to do.  I just don't know what he'll eat. Finding things that he'll eat during the day is challenging too.  I really have offered this kid everything, seriously everything.  Every morning I offer him whatever we are eating, same for lunch and dinner.  He used to at least take a bit and then spit it out, now he won't even try it.  I am excited to work with the OT to get this kid eating like he should!

The OT also had me write down how much fluid he takes in each day.  I was surprised at how much he doesn't drink.  He averages 2 ozs of milk a day and about 3 ozs of water.  And it's not for lack of offering it to him.  I feel like I offer it all day long.  Most of the time he pushes the cup out of his way, or takes it and throws it on the floor.  I don't know how to even get him to drink more.

I have made it a point not to make food a battle in our house.  It's just not something that I think is worth fighting about.  I am really surprised at what my children will eat too! I don't know if it's because I've given them the control of their own eating or if they are just those kinds of kids.  I like to believe it's because they feel like they are in control of their bodies.  I took a nutrition for young children class as part of my degree and I learned something then that has always suck with me.  The teacher said there were 5 keys to eating.  Parents decide what to eat, when to eat, and where to eat, and kids decide how much and whether.  I've really tried hard to stick to that.  My older kids know that what is in front of them is for dinner, and they can choose to eat it or choose to be hungry. I don't play the 'one more bite' game.  I respect them when they say they are full, even if it appears that they've only played with their food. But, if they decided in 20 mins, an hour, or even in the middle of the night they are hungry my answer is always the some; don't worry, there will be breakfast in the morning.  That has been my policy since, well forever.  This game plan won't work with little man, not yet anyway, he's just too little.  So I'm willing to take all the help I can get!

It's a darn good thing he's cute!