Meals with Linus

This post was started Feb. 5, 2009. We've posted on his check ups and eating progress since then, but like the other postings today, this is for the record:

Linus continues to throw us "curve balls" about meal times: First, don't think about sitting down until he has his own utensils. Everyone else has them, so should he. And don't think for one second that you can feed him. That's HIS spoon, and HE can do it, thankyouverymuch. Then there's the game: He'd rather hold his cup or utensils to the side of his high chair and then drop them. If he has food on a plate, he'd rather dump it on his tray. If he doesn't have a plate, then you'd better give him one quickly so he can pick the food up from the tray and place it ever so precisely onto the plate--the same plate which he will later dump on the tray. And then, more likely than not, he'll throw pieces of the dumped food across the room or onto the floor just to see what will happen to the food or what reaction might arise from those in charge.

Now, I admit, the above description can be amusing. Sometimes. Most times not so much. I've grown a little weary of the search and rescue efforts that follow in an effort to re-discover the floor that was once visible underneath the piles of food and scattered dishes.

About the only thing he'll eat regularly is yogurt and french fries. And chances are, we'll think we've hit paydirt when we get him to eat something besides those, but just try to offer the same item again expecting grins and watch the same item being rejected by the super-ejector tongue. This morning I even resorted to hiding scrambled eggs in his yogurt, and it worked. He's also a thirst-quencher and will drink as much milk as I will give him, and when that's gone, he'll steal Fidget's cup and finish that, and whenever possible, he'll take hits off Mom's and Dad's beverages if allowed. So, I'm either going to have to resort to a completely liquid diet or withhold milk in hopes of letting him be hungrier and hopefully resulting in his eating more.