A few days ago, I wrote on Facebook that Rowan wasn’t eating at all. He wasn’t wanting anything, and would just scream and tantrum when I’d offer him food. VERY off his game, being that he is historically a very very good eater. After being sick for so long, I was not liking that he was suddenly boycotting food. My formerly chunky little man has thinned out quite a bit.
I’ve been checking him over, top to bottom, trying to locate pain spots or sickness or something to explain whats upsetting him so badly, to no avail. But many of you said he would overcome it and to just keep pushing fluids. You were all right. I did that and within a day or two, he was back to eating a bit more. It was a relief, for sure.
Since this has sort of been the case with him the last couple of months, I start very small with meals. Lunch is always more of a snack around here, but especially with Rowan now, I’ve been offering him tiny amounts of things I know he likes, and just working to get anything into him. Today, I started small, and it burned me, hahaha! Because today, finally!!, he was HUNGRY!
I started feeding him a bit earlier than usual, because I wanted him to get a good long nap in before we have to leave for Dr. Mike this afternoon. But he ate solidly for over a half hour! I gave him a small handful of ritz bits, which are a new things around here and are VERY popular with the kids. He wailed at first, and then tasted one and asked for more. He ate the entire bag of them. (to clarify, it was like a single serving bag, not like the bag in the box of crackers.) Then he ate a banana. Then a granola bar. Then a fruit source bar. “More please! More please!” It just kept going!” I kept finding little things to offer him, but had I known he was going to be this hungry, I would have given the kid a sandwich and an apple to begin with! But at this point, he wouldn’t have eaten that much after already eating so much. I found him a few more things but finally offered him a nap, which he squealed “YA!” to, and down he went.
So what changed. A tooth. I have been checking his gums every few days for the last several weeks and I’ve never felt/seen a bump even! But not, we have a two year molar poking through!! And those suckers take a while to surface all the way. I’m truly really relieved to have found it, though. To know for sure why he’s struggling, and that there are ways I can actually help! I didn’t want him to just be in a stage of fighting with me about his high chair, or getting picky with his food, but now that I know he’s been in pain, and not just testing our new behaviours, we can keep on moving 🙂
YAY, ROWAN, FOR POPPING A TOOTH!!!! Congrats on almost being two! I can’t believe thats actually coming up, my goodness…