(true story)
One bright morning, there awoke a tiny and very hungry Katiepillar. She started to eat breakfast.
First she ate one big bowl of porridge with applesauce, but she was still hungry.
Next she ate two handfuls of Cheerios, but she was still hungry.
Next she ate scrambled eggs with cheese, but she was still hungry.
Next she ate some buttered toast, but she was still hungry.
Then she ate some Kashi flakes, and she decided she was all done ("unnnn!").
Now she wasn't hungry any more, and she wasn't tiny anymore. She weighed one whole pound more than last month!
(Hooray! I'm a good mother!) :)
I love it! This is the cutest, most creative entry yet. You keep outdoing yourself:-)
ReplyDeleteI read the post on Katie's weight and am happy to read of her weight gain. My son is about 2 wks younger and I am lucky if he'll eat 3 tbsp a day of soild food, but he's still nursing. Just wondering if Katie still nurses, too.
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteKatie does still nurse some, but only a couple times a day. Her ped. said it wasn't enough to "count." I'm not sure what I think about that assessment, but I do remember reading somewhere that as your baby gets older, the fat content in your milk decreases. Since what Katie needs is more protein and fat, my milk didn't have enough to fatten her up.
Regarding weaning to solid foods: Katie actually used to be fairly average weight (50th% or higher) -- until about 7 months, when she started solids. I think I started giving her too much too soon, and cut down too early on her nursings. Meanwhile, she started crawling, and really needed the extra calories, but I couldn't get her to eat enough solids. It was like she didn't have the attention span to sit long enough to eat a good meal. Looking back I realized that it was due to her strongly independent streak -- she liked solids, she just objected to being spoon-fed. Once we started giving her finger foods she ate tons. I think if I had just resigned myself to mopping cereal and sweet potatoes off my kitchen floor 3 times a day, it would have been better! It was a lesson in "people before things." Once we figured out this personality trait, we tried to let her feed herself as much as possible. Now, at 16 mos, she's pretty adept with a spoon and fork.
Judging by the darling pictures of your son on your website (love the one w/yogurt in his hair), I don't think you need to worry about malnutrition yet! :)
Hello, again!
ReplyDeleteI've been busy and now I have a chance to respond...
Rafe and Katie sound alike! Rafe refused to be spoon fed until he could do it himself. He will even pick up the piece of food he's attempting to pierce with a fork and place it on the fork before putting it in his mouth!
I have offered solids since 5.5 months and he never showed an interest until about 13 mo when he started mooching from our plates.
I offer food, but he still nurses as though he wants to be an only child! Haha!
For awhile I was concerned about his solid intake, but quickly had my fears assuaged by realizing that breastmilk can sustain a baby through the first year. I have never restricted any nursing because I planned on ecological breastfeeding, which has now grown into toddler-led weaning... I never thought I would ever nurse a toddler, but I am!
What really got Rafe to eat was moving him to a booster seat at the main table and giving him our plates and utensils instead of a high chair and toddler utensils. It's amazign how much he just wants to be like us!
Take care!
Somewhere I heard that your child decides when it's time for a new baby -- basically when he's ready to relinquish his role as the baby, and is willing to stop nursing so frequently. I found it an interesting idea.
ReplyDeleteHm, I wonder if Katie would be more content sitting at the big table with us. Right now she's in a highchair close to the table, but after a few bites (unless she's starving) she insists on getting out of her chair and sitting in my lap to finish dinner. I wonder if we pushed her chair right up to the table if she would be more willing to stay there. We'll have to try it. Thanks for the idea!