The Milk Machine

This kid loves milk! Yes, it's true: Ethan finally made the switch over to whole milk and is no longer on formula. I just followed the pediatrician's advice and warmed the milk in the bottle so that it was served the same way he has his formula, and he loved it. Now that he has that part down, we're working on reducing the amount of milk he drinks each day to about 20-24 ounces, so that he'll start eating more food. So far, it's working pretty well; he actually is eating more now that he's not full from his liquid diet. Later on, we'll work on weaning him from the bottle. That's not
a huge priority for me at this point, or at least not as important as the food issue.

He just seems to have these weird eating quirks that make it a tad difficult to know what and how to feed him. He is definitely interested in feeding himself, with no help from mom, thanks. Sometimes it works, sometimes it just ends up a game for him, but I know this is a stage we have to get through on the path towards independent eating, so we just keep forging ahead. He's eating a lot of different fruits, and even some vegetables, but he's not so sure about meats yet. He'll eat scrambled eggs and omelets, and seems to enjoy a pretty good variety of seafood as well, but-- and this is a big 'but'-- I never know if the food item he loves today will be spat out tomorrow, for some unknown reason. I'm not sure if it's just the novelty he enjoys, or what, but it seems like the second time he has something he is totally over it. What the heck, kid?! I just keep offering it, of course, along with a few other options, so that he at least gets repeated opportunities to try it. We don't completely dismiss a specific food just because he pushed it away once or twice or seven times. But man, that does get expensive after awhile!

On a good note, though, he doesn't appear to have any food allergies (knock on wood), so we have so far successfully avoided some of the nightmarish experiences a few friends of mine have gone through with their own allergic/sensitive kids. No thanks! I'm so grateful that he may just be picky, rather than one of those kids who can't eat 95% of the groceries we typically buy. Phew!

Either way, though, we know one thing: Pandas are not safe around my boy. Run for your life, Ling Ling! (Just kidding; he's hugging him, of course! Right?)