So Ethan had his annual “well visit” with his pediatrician last week, and everything was pretty much in order in terms of his health and development, with one exception. His weight has basically plateaued since his last check up in November. His pediatrician wants to monitor it for a while and see how he’s doing in six months.

This was a surprise, but it probably shouldn’t have been. For about a month or so leading up to the doctor’s appointment, Ethan had become an incredibly finicky eater. He’d discovered he could actually say no to our offerings of whole wheat pasta, seven-grain waffles, and organic vegetable soup. Suddenly, meal times were filled with shrieks of “DON’T WANT!” and “DON’T LIKE!” followed by the defiant act of covering his mouth with his hands.

Very discouraging for all involved.

Also at work here, we think, was some more teething–he was due for another set of molars to come in, and I think they were doing just that during this four-week stretch. So tooth pain probably didn’t help. Interestingly, Ethan never lost his taste for ice cream. (Shocking, right?)

So, grudgingly, we’ve made some changes. Goodbye organic whole wheat waffles, hello Leggo My Eggo. That kind of thing. It’s a matter of calories–he’ll eat what tastes good, so we’re compromising a little to get those calories into him.

We’ve also discovered a little something about toddlers and meal time. They don’t (or at least he doesn’t) like to sit still long enough to eat a whole meal. So now I find myself following him around throughout the day and letting him nibble his food wherever the mood strikes him. (The things you do as a parent!) Meanwhile, Ethan thinks this is great. He can play and eat at the same time! 

I have no idea if I should be doing this. Are we teaching him bad habits? Or are we just adapting to his specific needs? I couldn’t begin to guess.

But it’s all worth it, since he’s back to eating like normal again. Hopefully six months from now he’ll pass that weight test with flying colors.

And then it’s back to the whole grain stuff!