My former champion eater? Gone. Disappeared faster that the steak he used to scarf down. He used to eat anything and everything in sight. Steak, asparagus, beans, hummus, spaghetti, all fruits. The list was never ending, and a little mind boggling. Now? He ever so delicately picks up each piece of food, and drops it over the side of his high chair. The only sure-fire foods are raspberries, blueberries or strawberries. Oh, and peas. He has also reverted to wanting baby food. We haven't fed him baby food in months! I actually had to go and buy some for him. When will this phase end? I miss my little garbage disposal!!
Sleep.... Oh how I miss thee! This kid has slept through the night since less than 2 months old! He has always been a champion sleeper. 12-15 hours of glorious, restful REM cycles. These days... well, he's been awake since 4:30am, so you do the math. He also used to be an awesome little napper. 2 naps a day, minimum 2 hours each. Now he is fighting the second nap with all his might. I actually wouldn't mind going to just 1 nap a day. It would make it a lot easier to go places. But when he only takes 1 nap a day, he is a whining crying heap of misery. He just sits and rubs his eyes and bawls his heart out. Um... kid? If you are tired, SLEEP!!! But, he won't. He also has been waking up frequently in the middle of the night hungry. Probably because he spent the whole day throwing his food off the highchair, no? And he truly is hungry. All he wants is a bottle, which he scarfs down in record time, only to roll over and go back to sleep. Delightful!
We are currently still on formula at the recommendation of our ped. C needs to go through some allergy testing, especially in regards to dairy. We tried to switch him over to milk, with no success. He's been on lactose free formula since about 5 weeks old, and won't eat any dairy. Cheese, milk, yogurt... none of it. That, coupled with the flare ups of eczema he has had, is enough to warrant some allergy testing. Until that is done, we are to keep him on formula.
He IS getting some teeth in. His top 2 eye teeth just broke through, and the gums in the back of his mouth are very swollen and inflamed, so it seems like he is working on some molars. I'm sure that can't feel all that pleasant, so I do feel for him. Probably why he has turned into the picky eater. Which attributes to the middle of the night hungry wake up.
Can you see the cards stacked against me, here???
The worst part of all of this is the horrific constipation the poor kid has developed. He's all bunged up. We are giving him baby prunes mixed with pears. Sometimes with oatmeal. I have a pretty firm no juice policy, but left that in the dust with reckless abandon in the hopes of seeing some poop. He's had apple juice, pear juice and apple-prune juice. We add flax seed oil to (what little) food he'll eat. Still nothing. The only way we have been able to get him to go is by using the Fleet liquid suppositories, the poor kid. We have started adding Milk of Magnesia to his bottles (with the ped's blessing). I never in all my life have looked forward to a poopy diaper this desparately!!!
So there you have it. The train wreck that is our day to day life right now. Little napping, even less eating, and zero pooping. I just know you are going to be beating down my front door with jealousy, and eagerness to lead my life, right?? .....Right??!?! Hmm, guess not.
So... suggestions? Offers on buying an abnormally large 1 year old? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller??
4 comments:
My guy's been going on a sleep strike as well. I read online from a "sleep expert" that maybe he's not sleeping well b/c he's overtired. She recommended putting him to bed early - we've been doing an hour earlier at 6 and then not waiting until he seems super tired for naps. It hasn't been perfect, but it's helping! My guy is a human garbage-disposal too! I hope that doesn't change anytime soon!
1. He's teething. That's why he won't eat solids. It hurts too much to chew.
2. He's at the age where he's learning about cause & effect (i.e. gravity) that's why the food's going on the floor. He figures, "Gee, if I can't eat this stuff, what else can I do with it?" Watch him carefully, or you'll end up in the Ped's office with 3 nurses and you holding him down while the doctor fishes 3 kernels of corn out of his ear!
3. Put him to bed around 8pm, with his last meal about an hour before that (maybe even a bottle 1/2 hour before bed to hold him til morning). If he's not up by 7:30am, wake him up. Get him on a schedule. Babies' schedules change as they do...you have to adjust. Put him down for his first nap 2 hours after he gets up. Don't let him sleep longer than 1 1/2 hrs. Put him down for his second nap right after lunch (around 12:30). No more than 2 hours.
Try this out and see how it goes. Good luck!
For the teething: get thee to a person who sells Young Living Essential Oils, and purchase some thieves. I can't tell you what thieves is, because I'm no oils expert, I only know it is super helpful with the teething.
Here's an article about the constipation. Read the whole thing, as part is geared more toward a teeny newborn, and toward the end it applies more to your bigger fella.
He might not want to eat because his abdomen's all backed up with poo, and that might be affecting his ability to sleep, as well.
One thing I think the article left out is that if you massage the arch of his feet. Sounds weird, but sometimes that helps, too.
I'd totally trade your constipated 1 yo for my poops-in-her-pants 6 yo.
Is it possible that he is absorbing most of the food he eats/drinks because he is eating so little food and most of it is baby food and bottles. You know like breastfed babies do? Maybe?
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