January 2, 2010 "Fan of Food"

It was only about 3 days after Porter’s tonsillectomy. He was attempting to eat one of his favorite foods, a cheese quesadilla. After taking a bite and wincing as he swallowed, he tried another and got the same result. Though he truly wanted to eat, his throat was unforgiving and he was frustrated. He looked up at us and exclaimed, “I’m a big fan of food!”
I have often said for all the ways my boys are challenging, they are easy in many others. This is one area of ease, food and eating. I’m grateful for it too. I have heard about and witnessed the struggles parents have with their children over eating.
Some of the things we haven’t experienced: multiple meals, different foods for each family member. For the most part, our kids eat what we eat. Of course there have been exceptions, but those occasions are rare and usually involve a sit down meal at a restaurant.  Another: chasing our kids around the dinner table, or our kids using the dinner table as a pit stop. They don’t take a bite, dash off to play, come back for a bite, and off again. They sit until they’re done, then it’s on to the next activity.
Constant snacking? Not at our house. We eat at regular meal times, though sometimes there may be some cheese or yogurt in between. Actually, Porter isn’t much of a snacker. Some of his “don’t” foods are chicken nuggets, fries, chips, cookies, candy, mac ‘n cheese, ice cream, etc… On the other hand, Parker’s “do” foods are chicken nuggets, fries, chips, cookies, candy, mac ‘n cheese, ice cream, etc…. They are very opposite when it comes to “traditional” kids’ foods. (Unless Porter needs some food with his “dip” of ranch dressing). We’re not sure how this is going to play out as far as Parker is concerned. He might be tiny now, but he’s developing tastes and preferences that will follow him into adulthood and his metabolism will not be as forgiving later in life.
Our boys also differ in temperature preference. Luke warm is cold to Parker and hot to Porter, and both entirely unacceptable to both. But they share similarities in weight gain, or lack thereof. I used to dread the consultation with the nutritionist at neo natal clinics. She often made me feel like I wasn’t doing so great as a mom, that I was missing something when it came to feeding my children. But they ate, and ate well, ate healthy, still do. Unfortunately for Porter, right before his tonsillectomy he had strep, and right after the stomach flu, which constituted an all night puke and poop fest. I think he’s lost about four pounds, which is a lot when you don’t have much to lose. His pants are even baggier, his face even thinner.
But luckily, he’s a big fan of food! He’s on the mend and enjoying food once again.