oh the struggle with solids

So here is how a typical 'meal time' for Ryann goes around our house.  We attempt to get Ryann in the high chair.  She kicks and arches her back and it often takes both of us to get her in that dang thing.  She throws anything we put on her tray (food, toys, her sippy cup) straight to the floor.

We get one of these scenarios...

what?  you want me to eat?  heck no!  suckers.  :o)

We can usually convince her to eat a few cheerios, or a couple of the garden tomato little crunchies.  We offer her something on a spoon.  She flips out tries to smack it out of our hands.  We can then get her to eat maybe a couple more cheerios before she is slamming her head in to the back of the high chair and throwing a fit wanting to get out.

Per her doctor's suggestions we tried giving her a giant pretzel stick.  At first it seemed like it was going to work.  She actually picked the dang thing up and stuck it in her mouth.  Once.  I ran to get my camera and she wouldn't do it again.  So we stuck it back in there just for fun :o).

A little later she bit down on it, and apparently it hurt her poor little teeth and gums (she cried), and now we don't do pretzel sticks anymore.  We also tried putting part of a pickle spear in a mesh feeder.  She LOVES to suck on it.  But only if we're holding it.  If you try to make her hold it she freaks.  And I'm pretty sure just sucking down pickle juice has no real nutritional value.

we tried to rig it so she would 'feed' (suck pickle juice) herself tonight.  she would NOT touch it.

So today we are trying a different high chair.  One that doesn't have a high back (so she didn't feel closed in) and sits closer to the table.  I didn't anticipate it making much of a difference, but we thought we'd give it a go.  Pretty much the same reaction we usually get from the high chair.

 you thought this new chair would help?  seriously?  that is hilarious.

I did read this little blurb on Wholesome Baby Foods:

Your 8-10 Month old baby might be crawling and trying to pull herself up. At this stage, your baby may not have a big interest in eating.

As we note in our Is my Baby a Picky Eater page, your baby may suddenly begin to refuse to eat. She's simply too busy to stop exploring her world and she may get quite miffed when you put her in her highchair to eat.

With her independence growing, she may also begin to show preferences for certain foods and Refuse to be Spoon Fed. Take heart - this stage of baby feeding, while quite challenging, will soon pass. Let your baby be your guide and try not to get frustrated. It's important for baby to decide the foods she wants to eat. Before you know it, your baby will be eating all the adult foods and enjoying adult meals.

Which, pretty much sums up our experience in a nutshell.  Though she has never been a big solid food eater, she used to accept the spoon and would try things.  When she started to get more mobile (just before 7 months) was when she really started refusing to eat.

And whenever I start to say something about her hating the spoon, people ask 'why don't you let her try to feed herself'.  We do.  She doesn't.  I can feed her five cheerios, then put one on her tray.  She picks it up, stares at it and will NOT put it in her mouth.  A spoon she just throws. 

I'm 90% sure that it isn't the taste of things she doesn't like.  Because if you can actually get some in her mouth a lot of times she is cool with it.  Except carrots and cheese.  She throws up (not gags, like vomits the entire contents of her stomach) almost instantly when either item goes in her mouth.

I'm trying not to get frustrated (which we all know I am, oops.  fail).  It is just tough when I see tons of kids around her age gobbling up anything you put in front of them, or at least TRYING to eat something.

I know this stage will pass, but her first birthday is approaching faster than I like, and I have no idea how I am going to wean her from the bottle when she won't drink out of a sippy or eat any food besides cheerios.

And I'm sure you've heard enough about our food drama, but I had never seen a baby who refused things like she does, so hopefully if there is anyone out there with a babe like mine, you'll know you're not alone!