Toddler Talk: Picky Eaters

Has anyone else out there been blessed with a picky eater in their home? Sadly Stafford, myself, and McKinlee are all pretty confident in what foods we do and don't like (thank Heaven for Addie who is an angel and likes most everything she's tried so far) to put in nicely. I'm a vegetarian, Stafford MUST have meat and avoids colorful vegetables when possible, and McKinlee is a mixture of us both, which basically leaves chocolate and fruit. So this post is for anyone out there that can relate.

Every situation is unique. McKinlee has a lot of stomach acid like her dad, she has a crazy sensitive gagging reflex, and is not a fan of textures. Being our oldest, I just thought this is how all kids are, but so far Addie has proven that wrong (there's hope for our future children!!). Through the 3 years of McKinlee's life, I have learned a few tricks that have helped us in the food department.


Don't let them graze 

Early on, we let McKinlee eat whatever she wanted whenever she wanted because at least she was eating! I think all parents of picky eaters probably feel like this at some point. We decided to cut out half of her snacks and limit her to 3 meals and 2 snacks. Right away we noticed a difference that she was eating more at meal times. Hallelujah! I was so ecstatic! That was one of the biggest and best changes we could have made.

Offer healthy options 

I made sure her snack options were more healthy. She didn't do vegetables, but I started doing fruit cups or fresh fruit, crackers and cheese, apples and peanut butter, etc. If she liked something she would usually stick with it for a few days in a row before she would ask for something different. When she started talking more and more, food became a lot easier to figure out.

Limit distractions

I took a toddler nutrition class in college and this stood out to me. We keep the TV off, I clear the table of crafts and other clutter and try to make meal time focused on the table and eating. Young toddlers may have a hard time with this at first, but keep trying it! Consistency is key!

Only try one new food at a time 

It would be overwhelming for me to sit down to a plate with all new foods on it. When we decide it's time for McKinlee to try a new vegetable (or chicken) I make sure to make the rest of the meal something she's comfortable with. She loves pasta and rice, so that's my easy meal to introduce a new vegetable. Lately I've taught her to mix her veggies with her main dish and that sometimes distracts her from what she's really eating. It's all about finding what works for your babe.

I hope you find some success with at least one of these tips. I know food has been a source of frustration in my mom life, but it has gotten a lot better with time. Let me know what works for you, as we are still working with our picky eater ;) Happy hump day!

29 Weeks

How far along: 29 Weeks
Total weight gain: 24 lbs.
Maternity clothes: I finally got the most comfortable (and affordable) maternity jeans here and here (these ones are only $22 online right now!). I am so happy. As I was trying them on in the fitting room I wanted to cry from excitement. It's nice to feel good in jeans again.
Best moment this week: Seriously- finding jeans. Also being able to leave the house to go to the outlets. It has been freezing lately, so as soon as we saw temperatures above 20* we couldn't resist! 
Symptoms:  More back pain.. and more cramps this week. I also talked to my doctor about a pain I had in my lower abdomen on the side. She said it was probably round ligament pain. Luckily it hasn't been too bad since my appointment, so I'm crossing my fingers that it's gone for a while.
Movement: More and more! She's been on my bladder and in my ribs all week. I forgot about that discomfort haha. 
Food cravings: I got my chocolate/peanut butter fix this week! I can always count on a holiday to get a good chocolate stash going.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No, but I've had some heart burn lately. I laid on multiple pillows last night hoping to prop up my upper body enough to feel better. It worked luckily (along with the handful of Tums I took) and I was able to get some sleep.
Have you started to show: Yes.
Gender: Girl!
Belly button in or out: The top is starting to poke out and the rest is pretty flat. We're almost there! haha.
Wedding ring on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Very happy!
Looking forward to: Stafford's parents are coming to town this weekend, so it'll be fun to show them around our city.

This week was my glucose test and they tested my iron. I was way less nervous this time around thank heavens! I ate normal that morning and had an afternoon appointment. This time I had to go in and drink the juice in the office and sit for the hour. I was SO tired the whole time. I could've fallen asleep in the waiting room. The Dr. checked out the baby and said she's growing great! She is measuring right on time (that made me a little nervous because McKinlee was always measuring small and she weighed 6 lb. 13 oz. when she was born... I think that's a good size! ha). So I was happy for all of that. They took my blood at the end of the hour and I was sent home. They called me Monday morning and told me I passed my glucose test!! YAY! BUT my iron levels were extremely low. This wasn't really on my radar, because my last pregnancy it wasn't a problem and I know I eat healthier now than I did back then.. haha. Feeding a toddler will do that to you. I am a little concerned, but I'm not a big pill taker! My Dr. told me to take 3 iron supplements a day! That's crazy considering I take Flintstones as my multivitamin. I asked if I can try to switch up my diet before taking the pills and see if that works out. We'll see the outcome. In the meantime, please send me any iron-rich, meat-free recipes :) Not that that's difficult or anything.