Today Tricky had an “egg challenge”.
No, it wasn’t an egg and spoon race for tiny tots, much to Aunty Penny’s disappointment; it was part of the allergy study he is participating in.
Since he started solids, Tricky has had one teaspoon of powdered egg in his food, once a day. Well it might be powered egg. It might just be powered rice. It’s a double blind study so we’ll only find out when it’s all over some time next year.
To be in the study he had to meet certain criteria; the child has eczema, a parent has eczema or asthma or allergies. We tick all those boxes. I’m asthmatic and am allergic to everything (even after weekly needles for six months) and Map Guy has eczema. Tricky got a bit of a raw deal.
So today he had to eat one and half teaspoons of hard boiled egg.
No bacon or sausages with it. Just egg.
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| Didn't steal this image, I had fun with a marker |
They were surprised he ate it so quickly… Really? It’s less than two teaspoons, which is about two mouth fulls.
Next was the questionnaire asking how many eggs does the whole family eat a month and in what form, then they went on to ask about Tricky’s food:
“How many teaspoons of food does [Tricky] eat at each meal?”
“Teaspoons? Hah!”
“Oh so a few tablespoons then?”
“Um, a couple of cups maybe?”
The look on their faces was one of absolute shock and quite possibly horror - I'm not sure because I looked away, embarrassed. Apparently eight month old babies don’t normally eat this much.
At which point I start wondering why is Tricky so different? Am I feeding him too much? I was told to feed until he turns away and refuses… he’s never actually done that. He’ll turn away to look around – at Map Guy or at Sprocket or even just at the piece of food on the floor that’s left over from the previous meal… but he always turns back for more. I’ve just stopped feeding him when I’ve run out of food.
He currently has four breastfeeds a day and three meals a day. For breakfast he has two weetbix while for lunch and dinner he’ll have a cup of mixed vegies/meat/pasta/rice plus half a cup of yoghurt, and sometimes a small plum/nectarine/half a banana.
If we’re going by those height and weight charts he’s just under the 25th percentile for weight… but over the 95th percentile for height. He’s long and skinny. A Map Guy clone.
I realize it takes a lot of energy to grow up and crawl like lightening and coast around furniture like he does, but my mother-doubt is creeping in…
So I open it up to you – did your eight month old eat this much?
{On a side note, if you Google “Egg on your face” to try and steal images for your blog, the fifth result is a picture of Fifi Box. Weird.}
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Meet Glowless at the Aussie Bloggers Conference thanks to
Oh yeah! bliss was on 3 solid meals a day at FIVE months. She, and now Bear are little walking garbage cans & good on them! Much better to have big, healthy eaters than to be strugglng to get anything into them. Go Tricky!
ReplyDeleteMonster consumed copious amounts of food. All the time. He ate HEAPS and probably more than what Tricky does. Monster would eat 4 weetbix (mushed up with milk) about 4 tubs of yoghurt, 2 bananas, a bowl of apple puree, and then dinner. He was/is a growing boy, he still eats A LOT. but now he is fussy about what he eats.
ReplyDeleteOli has been eating like that since about then as well. Chubba's :P Its a good thing
ReplyDeleteMy kids have always had enormous appetites. I'd be more worried if my child was only eating a couple of teaspoons at that age.
ReplyDeleteWell ladies, I'm one of those poor souls with the child that was still on a few teaspoons of solids at eight months. Thus was the start of The Fussy Eater's career as THE fussy eater! But Darling 2 made up for it with a lovely, healthy appetite. So I've had both.
ReplyDeleteGlowless, I'd say Tricky is in a good paddock. Who cares what the study nerds think. Bet they probably don't even have kids....
I was going to ask you what you thought, FEM, you are my go-to food guru!
ReplyDeleteYou know, there's a cool chart you can get for fussy eaters... :)
ReplyDelete*shameless sponsor plug!*
I was always told that it doesnt matter how much they eat or what percentile they are in, as long as they were eating and not showing signs of illness, then dont worry about it. I wouldnt stress about it, he's more than likely just having a growth spurt.
ReplyDeleteMine ate more than Hubby and I. And that is saying something. At 2 the twins still put the 5yr old to shame. Not only do they consume enough for a small island nation, they do it at lightning speed. I haven't even finished preparing our food and they're doing Orphan Annie renditions at my feet with the empty plates, hopeful looking faces, and the "more...more...more". Better to have a kid who will eat anything and everything, than a fussy eater (yes I'm talking to you MISS5).
ReplyDeleteLil used to hoover everything in sight, and kept up with the breastmilk too. Now she's two, and we have to threaten to give her food to the dog before she'll eat it. She's so two.
ReplyDeleteMy kids ate stacks. They are now 3 and 6 and not big fatty boombahs. Just normal healthy kids.
ReplyDeleteI think Tricky sounds just perfect.
HOLY CRAP!, look at those eggs. Those are AWESOME. You did such a great job!
ReplyDeleteBugger, I was hoping this was going to mean he'd miss that two year old eat like a bird stage! :P
ReplyDeleteLT is starting solids officially tomorrow and aim pretty sure she will be an eater as well coz she loves looking at us eat and she drools! Hahaah. Anyway a mom in my moms group said her son is eating heaps as well and she said you can never over feed a baby.
ReplyDeleteBeing big fatty boombah myself, this is what was worrying me.
ReplyDeleteKevin, you rock my world! Loved your post today, was on tablet-y thing and couldn't comment then, but you've reminded me to go back now!
ReplyDelete*Shameless sponsor plug* You should check out www.healthychart.com.au for your fussy eater Miss 5!!!
ReplyDeleteHaha walking garbage cans, that describes it perfectly! Because yes, it does all come out...
ReplyDeleteMy son was a piggy too, and when my daughter isn't ill, she eats a fair bit too! I agree with some of the other comments - I'd be more worried if my 8 month old was only eating a couple of teaspoonsful per meal!
ReplyDeleteYour eggs are fantastic! Love the vampire one :)
boo!! i just typed this long response then lost it when i hit post.....boo.
ReplyDeletebasically said wouldn't woory too much with those height /weight stats. smiling tiger has similar stats and cries when his bowl is empty so i think i need to increase his portion sizes. little emperor always and still does eat smaller portions. i think ST eats more than he does and there are three years between them.
tricky is obviously using up all the energy and needs that amount to keep him going.
boo first comment sounded better than this one......:)
i've had both types too and i much prefer the good eater! first one is not so much fussy but just can't get enough food in him...he eats a huge variety of food but i really feel nowhere near enough. i used to feel so frustrated bout it but now i just think he will not starve and every now and then he eats huge amounts but very infrequently. my one year old nephew weighs more than my three and a half year old....*sigh*
ReplyDeleteso glad number two is an eater :)
Millar didn't eat anywhere near that amount.. (still doesn't). But I wish he did! He's a snacker, drives me crazy.
ReplyDeleteKeep doing exactly what you are doing, it's obviously working. You're parenting by instinct and that is the way it should work.
Both my girls have been good eaters. Only the first few times did they only eat a few teaspoons. It takes a whole lot of fuel and energy to be toddlers. I wouldn't worry, I have always found that what's 'expected' is rarely the case for anybody.
ReplyDeleteBoth my 8-month-olds were total boombaladahs who hate three solid meals, breastfed four times and still whined in hunger. I'm not sure about 'cups' but definitely platefuls. Pumpkin featured prominently. Mr7 would happily eat an entire mashed avocado at one sitting. Both are now long and skinny, with no apparent bottoms to speak of.
ReplyDeleteSigh. That would be 'ate' three solid meals, not 'hate' three solid meals...
ReplyDeleteMy son was about the same at that age - love it while it lasts!! As now he's three and I have to shovel a few spoonfuls of cereal in for breakfast, let him push vegies around his plate for lunch, then perhaps have a couple of forkfuls of risotto or something similar for dinner... I'm constantly serving up dish-fuls of food that go uneaten even with my constant coaxing and bargaining.
ReplyDeleteMuch prefered him being a big eater but I can understand how that "mother-doubt" can interfere... I do remember thinking I was giving him too much to eat, back in the day!