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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Solid Food, HELP!

i really appreciate all the feedback i got concerning Jack's 1st birthday party. i now have some more great ideas & i'm excited about party planning. but now i need help, again. please.

Jack is still taking a bottle for his feedings. 4 times a day. dr bubba told us to start offering him whole milk once he hits 11 months. (which is next week). i started offering solid foods around month 8. (or something like that.) but its been a little bit of a frustrating process. maybe i'm not offering the right foods or maybe Jack is just going to be picky. i can't figure it out.

he LOVES fruit loops, french fries, vanilla wafers, ritz crackers, the baby yogurt and bread. i offered blueberry muffin last week & he loved it too. he likes mashed potatoes & he's even eaten creamed spinach. and to my surprise, he likes spaghetti. but the frustrating part is that when i place something new on his highchair tray, he won't even look at it. it can be anything. he loves pureed bananas but when i offer a real (cut up) banana, he won't try it. i've also tried: mandarin oranges, diced apples, cut up green beans, cooked carrots, cut up chicken, the gerber pasta pick-ups and i'm sure there's more but i'm drawing a blank. i literally have to force him to try a bite of something. then, if he likes it, he'll continue to eat the pieces of food off his tray. if not, he just spits it out.

when ben & i sit down to eat, he's very observant. he gets so excited & squeals until we let him try a tiny piece of what we're eating. for example, he's tried my salad or sweet potatoes. often, he'll continue to eat. so i thought maybe that method would work at his meal times. i sit down next to him & pretend to be eating or i'll actually take a bite of what i'm offering him. *occasionally* that works. but most times, it doesn't.

so my questions are: has anyone else had this same trouble? what did you do? what solid foods did you try with your child? maybe, i should just keep trying & not worry about it. i want Jack to eat healthy & love to try new things. i would love to offer him chicken, veggies & fruits that he would eat. i'm just not sure if i'm doing this solid food thing right?!! this is, after all, my first time raising a kid!!! any help or suggestions would be great. seriously. how did you start your child out on solid food?

i'm really trying not to get discouraged. i know that he won't always be this way. i mean, who doesn't love a good meal?!! but i'm worried that when he switches over to whole milk he won't be getting enough nutrition if he's still being so finicky. he still loves the pureed baby food. he'll eat the pureed fruits & some of the veggies. i buy the pear & squash (its pureed together) and various other combos & he eats those pretty well. but he will NOT eat the chunky baby food. like vegetable beef dinner or mac n cheese or spaghetti. he just hates the consistency. i feel bad when he doesn't try something new so i go back to offering the same old thing. i really want him to have variety.

maybe i'm just worrying way too much about this. if i am, please tell me. it will make me feel better. if i'm not, i'm open to any suggestions! thanks to all you mommy's out there. hopefully, i can return the favor someday!!


6 comments:

Shannon said...

Girl, It sounds like you are doing a great job. Just keep at it. Jackson was and still is the same way. Some days are "great eating days" and then somedays he will hardly eat anything. Keep offering it and eventually he will come around. Don't fret Auds...You're doing great!

Robin said...

I totally agreed with Shannon. He doesn't sound picky to me at all. I think he sounds pretty well rounded. Both my boys totally skipped chunky baby food, they would rather have regular food once we started solid foods. Honestly, I think you are doing awesome, just keep offering &, like Shannon said, he will come around soon!! Talk to you soon!!

Ben and Audrey said...

thanks girls! i really appreciate the encouragement. i'm just trying to be patient with him. hopefully, he'll begin to try more foods soon. have a great week!

Emory said...

Emma is a picky eater also. It sounds like Jack might eat more than she does. I have talked to our doctor about it and he isn't concerned because she is growing. It sounds like you are doing a great job and keep offering things!

Audra Laney said...

I think you're worrying too much! He's eating way more than Drew ate at that age! It took us MONTHS to get Drew to eat the chunkier baby food. He was WAAAAY past walking when he started eating the "crawlers" food. As long as he's gaining weight and eating SOMETHING nutritious, stick with it! Keep offering. He'll continue to come around, I bet. Some weeks Drew will eat anything we put on his plate. Other days he refuses and spits everything out! On those days, I feed him whatever he'll eat! And the bit about him getting bored with the same food? Hey, if he's eating it well, it must not be bothering him too much! Keep up the good work! Our boys will come around!

Ben and Audrey said...

thanks everyone!! i guess i am just a worry wort!!! i'll keep at it!!

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