Day 4 - Eating strawberries

This photo was taken at 6 months and 4 days old, so right at the beginning of our BLW journey. It was J-cub's first taste of strawberry, and he loved it. In those days, he loved anything and everything we put in front of him. Since then, his tastes have refined slightly, and I can probably count the number of foods he'll eat on both hands. I worry that I'm not a very good advert for BLW, having a baby who won't eat. But I think the important thing is that I don't care. He ate well until he turned one year old. He was on the 98.6th centile for weight, so we can't really have gone too far wrong. And, let's not forget, food is for fun until they are one.

Well he is one now, and has been for 4 months. And food has stopped being fun, and has become something to run away from. But he's not losing weight, even though we've switched from formula to less-calorific cow's milk, and he's having fewer bottles most days. He doesn't eat crap (he's the only baby at nursery who doesn't get a pudding, which they question me about most weeks. "Are you sure you don't want him to have some apple crumble and custard?" Ummm yes thanks, I'm sure he'll be fine living in ignorance of the existence of refined sugar) and he does eat plenty of dairy, fat, and fruit.

Admittedly, he could improve on the protein and vegetable front. He'll eat cucumber and tomato, and onion and mushroom if the latter are in a sauce. And carrots. That's it really. None of the delicious roasted veg we started with, or stuffed peppers, or aubergines ... and no meat or fish of any kind (we decided to raise him as an omnivore and let him choose when he's old enough to understand. That is now, apparently. Quorn is fine, chicken is not). Oh, unless he's at nursery. There, he apparently eats beef chilli or chicken curry with gusto.

But as I was saying, I think the most important thing is to chill the frack out about it all. We have never forced him to eat. I have spoonfed him yoghurt, because he makes a pathetic baby bird face and opens his mouth for it. And I've spoonfed him soup, because it's easier if the soup is thin. I have never cajoled him to eat, or begged him to take one more mouthful. He eats what he wants, and stops when he's full. And even now, when I put a lovingly prepared shepherd's pie on his tray, and hold my breath while he takes a forkful of carrot and peas, prods it with his finger, gingerly tastes it, then flings it gaily onto the floor, I do nothing other than calmly eat my own meal.

And sometimes, sometimes, it pays off.

I had thought that J-cub was the only child in the world who didn't like strawberries. He likes the idea of strawberries - he'll happily pick them in the garden and put them in his mouth, only to spit them out with disgust and immediately reach for another one. Like most foods which he refuses, I've continued offering them to him.

Today, I was eating a ham sandwich with a side of strawberries, and J-cub was eating houmous on ricecake with a side of black grapes. He pointed at my strawberries. I handed him one. He nibbled it. He took it out of his mouth, and looked at it. He looked at his grapes. He ate a grape. He put the strawberry back to his mouth, popped it in, chewed, and swallowed. And signed for more. He ate ten strawberries. Ten!

I've read that children can refuse a food ten times before they decide if they like it or not. J-cub must have refused strawberries a hundred times, before deciding that actually, they're quite yummy. And whilst strawberries aren't high on my list of things I'd like to see him eat more of, it gives me hope that one day he'll suddenly start eating broccoli, or a nice piece of fish.

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In other news today...

...J-cub signed for food when he would normally have milk, chose a banana from the fruit bowl, and ate it. Banana is hit and miss with him, and he's never before asked for it. And he has never chosen food over milk.

...While watching a Something Special segment which showed lots of children in an aquarium, J-cub signed crab. This is a really hard sign to do, I can barely do it myself. And yes, there was a crab on the screen. And no, Justin had not just demonstrated the sign. I was very proud.

...J-cub pushed his big bunny on the swing today, and rolled his ball down the slide. It was lovely to watch.

...He went to bed on time! After having his milk downstairs, and cleaning his teeth afterwards! I was gobsmacked, and happily curled up on the sofa for a nap of my own before Jamie got home.

...I managed to exchange J-cub's wedding outfit for one which fits. It's a size 9-12 months, which is approximately what size he was a year ago. Children's clothing sizes seems to be entirely random. My sister-in-law tells me that children wearing suits to weddings is chavvy. I beg to differ, I think my baby looks gorgeous.