At 2 1/2 years Crew weighs in at just over 21 lbs. Now, on the "charts" and according to the doc this is considered "failure to thrive". Okay, I feed the kid... I really do. Because of his CP he has a hard time chewing and swallowing. I am always offering him something to eat but he usually just pushes it away. I have felt that he is getting really bored with the usual... yogurt, fruit, PB&J, Pediasure. Yesterday morning I couldn't get him to eat much. We had to go into town for private therapy. Crew was extremely grumpy. He wouldn't use the walker and was obsessed with opening and closing the door. Finally, the therapist dug out a bag of Teddy Grahams and put them in front of Crew. We had Crew down on the floor on all fours and would have him reach up to get the cookies out of the bag. Supporting his weight with just one hand on the floor, balancing and reaching up with the other hand to catch a cookie is a great exercise, I learned. Crew snarfed the entire snack size bag of grahams. The therapist and I discussed that it is obvious that Crew is frustrated. He wants to be mobile. He wants to do what other two year olds do but he is so limited. Also, when kids are hungry or tired... the affects are huge. I wanted to go to Sam's after but he was so dang ornery! I decided to bag it! Instead, I stopped at Wendy's on my way home and ordered him some chicken nuggets. Yes, chicken nuggets! I've never given him any before and decided it was time to give it a try. While driving back home through the canyon, I kept handing him nuggets. He mutilated the first 3. I am assuming he ate them because I couldn't find them in the van ( he has a tendency to throw his food). LOL. After we arrived home, I put him in his chair and gave him some more. He looks happy doesn't he? It's time to introduce some new foods! Any ideas?
Kade survives on tortillas with cheese and cocoa puff cereal bars. He is 4 1/2 and weighs 31.4 lbs. It has been a long uphill battle to get him to gain. Unlike the rest of us. :) It has actually gotten so bad that whenever he says he is hungry everybody jumps so he uses that for anytime he is tired, sick, etc. I'm hungry.
ReplyDelete"Failure to Thrive" ? Naa. Celie is the same as C. That is a silly thing to call it. I prefer "petite" or "slim". Good luck with the food ideas. I just make Celie eat what we have. I know, it's a little controlling.
ReplyDeletewe consider peas and green beans finger food and stick it straight on the tray. Also sliced fruit and ceral without milk. Try everything! How fun!!
ReplyDeletewe consider peas and green beans finger food and stick it straight on the tray. Also sliced fruit and ceral without milk. Try everything! How fun!!
ReplyDeleteYeah Crew!!! I'm glad to see you are getting your french fries, teddy grahams, and chicken nuggets. E. seems to really like something for about 4 meals, and then never again. She loved watermellon until I bought one and then she decieded watermellon wasn't on her list of favorites. I too have a hard time coming up with good food ideas. The only food item E. never seems to get tired of is cheese. Good Luck!!!
ReplyDeleteK.
I can't offer much help in the way of foods...my son is a picky eater...and only eats breads or veggies. He's kind of a punk that way!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your son is doing well...he looks so happy in that picture! :) You're doing a great job with him!
Where on earth do you take him for private therapy?
ReplyDeleteGOOD heavens.
And GOOD for him. What a tough little guy.
Have they suggested duocal? It's a fine powder-like substance that you can mix into almost anything moist. Jack is also failure to thrive and has been ever since he turned two. The dietician we see has a son with CP and her personal theory is spasticity really burns calories even when our kiddos aren't in motion. We also started a new "formula" called Resource Just For Kids 1.5 (1.5 calories per ML) -- we still use pediasure as well. The frozen french toast sticks are high in calories and Jack loves them! We also do french fries, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, corndogs, and his latest kick is meatballs on a hotdog bun. I dice everything very, very small so he has to work less on coordinating his oral motor skills. We do let him have bigger things and use utenils, etc. but not each meal. The less energy spent, the more calories that will stick! There are a bunch of "smoothie" recipes out there which include fresh fruit, yogurt, ice cream, etc. Try adding butter or olive oil to foods as well. Jack will still occasionally eat the stage 2 jarred food so I sneak a lot of the higher calorie add-ins. Sorry, this became a novel!! Jack is 3 and a half and weighs 27 lbs...still off the charts, but he's gained a pound in the past month! WOO HOO! Please let me know if you have any question! Lots of love to you!!
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