Food fun

With each of our children, there has been some point when they are a toddler (usually between 15 and 18 months) when we have an all-out battle over food. You know: they don't want to eat something, but as the parent you know they have to learn to eat their vegetables and protein in order to be healthy, so you make them sit there in the highchair until they eat the single measly bite of food.

We have yet to have The Battle with Aubrey. This is mostly because she has been so much happier nursing than eating solids that I haven't felt much concern over whether or not she's getting a balanced diet. Breastmilk is, after all, the perfect food, right?

Well, that's all changing. In the last 2-3 weeks I have realized that my milk supply is way down. Although Aubrey is still begging to nurse every 1-2 hours throughout the day, she's maybe getting a tablespoon or two of breastmilk at a time. Nursing is definitely a comfort thing more than a nutrition thing. And I'm fine with that, except that now I do feel the need to make sure she is eating more than just a saltine cracker for lunch.

This girl is the pickiest eater in our house, to say the least (although I have met kids who are even pickier than she is, that's for sure). She hates pretty much all the typical toddler-hate foods, but her dislikes extend far beyond what's normal. The grapes I had to ration with my other toddlers to make sure they didn't end up with a terrible bout of diarrhea and a horrid diaper rash? Yeah... she chews them and then spits them out because she likes the flavor but hates the texture.

Strawberries, no.
Bananas, depends on her mood.
Raisins, disgusting.
Any-flavor-but-vanilla yogurt, rejected.
Green beans, nope.
Potatoes, blech.
Chicken, how dare you?
Broccoli, I'm so offended!
Granola, too chewy.
Cheese, too squishy.
Baby carrots, too crunchy.

And on and on it goes.

Fortunately, she likes peanut butter and jelly. So long as it's not on homemade bread. Go figure.

And she likes to suck salsa off tortilla chips. That's normal.

Now, at dinner she does pretty well. This is because she will eat a lot more variety of foods if she can sit on Daniel's lap and be fed by him. For some reason, Daddy's allowed to feed her food, but she is far less agreeable toward me. Maybe it's because she thinks I ought to be providing her more of the milk she loves and is probably wondering what's happened to!

The problems come at breakfast and lunch (and when she wants a snack) when Daddy's not home.

Yeah... have I mentioned yet that my youngest daughter is showing signs of being quite choleric and extremely strong-willed-- or that I'm not a bit choleric myself? Yikes!