Eating Hassles

We're done! Jocelyn and I are taking a break from starting solids. It has been a month now and it has been getting worse and worse. Jocelyn doesn't want to take even one bite of solids anymore, and from what I have been reading online, it's not good to force the issue or become frustrated...those things will only make it worse.

Our solid routine:

I started out with rice cereal. Jocelyn took to it well, eating a couple of bites right off the bat. She began eating a little more and then slowly started to reject it. So, we switched to oatmeal. She seemed to love it at first, eating 5-6 bites. Slowly, she started taking less and less. I have tried mixing it with breast milk, I have tried mixing it with water. Water seems to work better. I have also tried bananas, sweet potatoes, squash, peaches, and applesauce. Not exactly in that order, but still. I have tried giving her the fruits and veggies alone, I have tried giving them mixed with cereal or oatmeal. I usually get a face that look like this:That is NOT Jocelyn in the picture, but that IS the face she makes with everything...even bananas. Did I give her a chance to get used to the new tastes you may ask. I did bananas for a week straight, three times a day mixed with her oatmeal. No change. Still the sour face every time. So, I have tried to let her get used to the new tastes, but she never gets used to them and rejects eating altogether.

Another thought. She hates baby food. Maybe she just wants to move on to table food or finger food. That would be great. I tried to give her Rice Krispies the other day and you would have thought I was trying to kill her. Then when I did get one into her mouth she gagged for about 3 minutes straight. She doesn't have the pincer grasp developed yet, so she can't pick up food on her own. Maybe once she has more developed fine motor skills it will get better because she will be able to feed herself. Maybe this food thing is going to be a struggle. All I know for now is that we both need a break. Jocelyn won't allow my finger anywhere close to her mouth anymore. I can't even feel if that fourth tooth is all the way broken through yet or not.

Ah teeth, maybe that's the issue. Who knows. What I do know is that we won't be trying solids for another week or two. Maybe she will be ready then. Maybe not. We shall see. Eating is an important fact of life. It's something I surely enjoy. Hopefully Jocelyn will come to enjoy it too.

EDIT: So, as Todd and I ate dinner tonight and Jocelyn sat in her highchair watching, she looked so sad. She really seems like she wants to participate in eating with us, but she doesn't want that goo I've been trying to give to her. I had a box of biter biscuits in the kitchen to try. These kiddo "cookies" are kind of hard, big enough to hold in a little hand, and turn to a soggy mess while being licked. Even though it says it's for infants 10 months and up, I opened them up and handed her one. She started out licking it and making her sour face, but she kept licking. Eventually the faces stopped and she really seemed to be enjoying herself. SO, maybe that's just it...she wants to be able to feed herself. She just needs a little time to get her motor skills in order. Fingers crossed!