The past few days June has been incredibly fussy during parts of the day. Usually it's after a nice long nap, when she should have been refreshed. Often I will nurse her and she'll end up coming off and then screaming and arching her back. I wondered if it was gas or if she was sick. Yesterday, she was so bad that I made an appointment with the doctor to get her ears checked. Then, as I was getting Willa lunch, June was frantically gesturing for some cheese (her favorite). I gave her some snacks and realized thirty minutes later that she wasn't fussy at all, in fact she was her regular self. Going back over the past few days in my mind, it seems like this has happened too. She's been really fussy and then is happy after having some snacks. Duh! She must be hungry!
I'm having the darndest time figuring her out. She is very stubborn and independent so sometimes she will throw food off her tray if she wants something else, or if she is mad at me for walking away, or if she is just tired, or if she wants to feed herself. I experimented by putting peas on her tray and then giving her peas in a bowl. Wow, she was so excited to have her own bowl that she ate almost all the peas. Then yesterday, I tried putting her food on a plate with a little plastic fork. She thought she was hot stuff. Food she would never have taken if I fed it to her, was actually making it to her mouth. And, if her little hand accidentally forgot to load the fork and brought the food directly to her mouth instead, she didn't complain. This morning we tried the same thing with her oatmeal. Her little hand wanted to grab the spoon and bring it to her mouth. It was slow, patient work and I had to guide a lot, but she ate so much more than when I just try to do it myself.
Still, she throws and refuses most food, then when I go to put her to bed, she nurses voraciously. I know my milk is not as potent these days because we are busy and she is supposed to be on more solids. I really think that hunger is why she has never been a good sleeper. I can tell if she's had a good dinner because when it's time to nurse for bed, she will suck a little and then just smile and giggle. On those nights she sleeps very well. It's too bad that I can count on one hand the times it has happened.
Anyway, I'm frustrated. I'm trying to give her healthy options, but I just want her to eat more. Also, have I mentioned how she HATES milk? I've been trying to introduce it and now she hits my hand away whenever I bring her a sippy cup because she's scared that I will have put milk in there. I have to unscrew the sippy cup, show her the water, let her lap some out with her tongue, then show her how I put the lid back on. Then, MAYBE, she will drink out of it.
Any ideas of foods for little ones that are soft enough for them to eat that they can do on their own? Here are the foods she will sometimes eat: toast, oatmeal, avocado, banana, yogurt, carrots, peas, rice cakes, cheese. She retains the right to refuse any of her favorites at anytime of the day and at any phase of the hunger spectrum.
I can't really remember what we fed Parker at that age. I know that he LOVED blackberries.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you're dealing with this. Ugh. I do remember that if Parker was ever over tired or hungry he was volatile. And sometimes if he got too hungry, then he wouldn't eat. Sometimes it was easier to get him to eat if he was a little distracted by something else, like being in the car.
It's so hard! We still don't let Emme feed herself too often because she makes such a huge mess, and she can't really manipulate utensils yet. But she can do diced sweet potato on her own in addition to the foods you mention. If June can handle a spoon, then black beans and sweet potatoes mashed together have been a big hit with Emme. We've also tried tofu and eggplant thai curry (without too much spice) and lentil soup with tomatoes because we eat weird things like that anyway. Emme is teething right now so not eating well but being super cranky because she's hungry. Why is feeding a child so hard?! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSlate has a hard time with vegetables too. He likes black beans, French style green beans (only that kind) and sometimes carrot sticks. He'll eat other veges sometimes if I mix them in with Spaghetti, like spinach for instance. Also, I know this is more expensive and you're not a fan of baby food for older kids but Slate will almost always eat the vegies that come in the little pouches. Like sweet potatoes and some other vegetable, etc. He loves the pouches.
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you make any great breakthroughs on vegetables. I'd love any ideas.
As to milk. I've never tried this cause Slate loves milk, but I think I heard that my sister in law sometimes puts just a touch of strawberry quick in with milk when her kids first make the transition to milk for a short while cause they are used to the sweeter taste of breast milk.