My babies and food.

I am completely perplexed by the change in my daughter. Her once good eating habits which were extolled to all and sundry have diminished and I am at a complete loss to make them return. She has decided not to eat her vegetables and virtually anything else I offer - well not entirely, but just how complete is a diet of water, pureed fruit, yoghurt and the occasion corn and rice thin and less than 150mls of formula today.

She is already petite I am worried she will waste away. She still loves to breast feed - in fact so much whenever I feed her and I have time to give her as much as she wants I call the time "breastfest" much like Octoberfest except with milk and no lederhosen. Gabriella gets all giddy with delight at the opportunity to have uninterrupted access to her favourite drink she almost acts like a drunk in a beer hall.

I have tried serving her chicken, pork, minced beef, lamb, smoked chicken, vegetables, rice, pasta, baked beans, scrambled eggs, cheese, toast and sandwiches and she won't eat more than 2 or 3 mouthfuls per meal. I now face every meal with trepidation because the fun of watching the food disappear spoonful after spoonful has gone.

The joy I had preparing her meals has dissipated too and I try not to be anxious prior to feeding her and quite nonchalant just in case she is picking up some negative vibe, but I just can't help but feel so discouraged and annoyed when she shakes her head vigorously from side to side and swats at the spoon with her little hands every time the spoon comes close to her mouth.

Sometimes I hope she will open her mouth and scream just so I can sneak a mouthful of something in.

Her previous good habits were obviously too good to last it was initially such a relief given the dinnertime battles still rage with Elliot. We often have to monitor that he will eat his dinner up to an hour after we have finished ours. Its not like we want him to eat a huge plate of food a standard meal might consist of 2 small pieces of broccoli, 4 small sticks of carrot, half a potato, peas and a sausage surely not too much to ask from a nearly 6 year old. And we always offer variety this is an example of dinners on offer for a typical week i.e. this week:

Sunday: Eye fillet, Belgian endive and blue cheese salad
Monday: Marinated lamb chops and rice
Tuesday: Thai beef salad
Wednesday:Nachos with guacamole, sour cream, refried beans and salsa
Thursday: Sauteed turkey thigh chops with greek potatoes and vegetables
Friday: Home-made lebanese pizzas topped with char-grilled vegetables, a baby spinach pesto, mozzarella and bacon.

No takeaway or greasy food - those things I suppose he would consider a treat. I hope one day he realises and appreciates the cultural diversity offered in his diet. But until then....

Please come back my good eating little Gabriella I miss you.