A Miracle

I haven't written much about this because it's so frustrating for me and because so many people don't understand the seriousness of the issue, but Little Man is an impossible eater.  Or technically, a non-eater.  I wrote about his issues with breastfeeding here.  His eating hasn't improved since then.  Before his doctor recommended that I give him Pediasure every day, he was losing weight because he just wouldn't eat.  For a period of over 6 months, he would literally scream when I gave him a plate of food because he did not want it.  His doctor ran allergy tests, tests on his blood, etc, but couldn't find a reasons for Little Man's aversion to food.

When I try telling people about Little Man's eating problems, they often tell me that he's just a picky eater and he'll outgrow it eventually.  Princess is a picky eater.  I was a picky eater (still kind of am).  Little Man is not just a picky eater.  He simply does not care for eating, at all.  My mom told me that her dad was the same way when he was young.  He was super skinny as a child and refused any type of food until one day he ate Wheaties cereal at a friend's house and discovered he actually liked them.  After that, his mother always kept Wheaties in the house.  My grandpa still eats Wheaties almost every day.

It's been over 6 months since Little Man has willingly put a vegetable in his mouth besides potatoes (and he'll only eat those when we're at Grandma's house).  Fruit is iffy on most days too.  At almost every meal, I offer Little Man fruits and vegetables, but I usually end up throwing them away, along with most or all of his other food.

But yesterday...Little Man had spinach.  He gobbled it up and begged for more.  I almost cried at the miracle I'd just witnessed!  To be honest, there may have been some trickery involved though.  You see, the 8 month old I babysit eats baby food that comes in handy little pouches.  Little Man was sitting beside me while I fed the baby and actually asked for a bite.  I nearly fell off my chair and then I had an idea.  Twisting the cap off of a fresh pouch of pears and spinach, I handed the whole thing over to Little Man who eagerly sucked down the whole pouch and begged for more.    

Gerber 2nd Foods Organic Baby Food, Pear Spinach, 3.5-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 6)

I think I may have discovered Little Man's new snack.  I do intend to keep offering him vegetables and fruit in traditional form, but this is one way to get the vitamins and minerals he needs in the meantime.