A Foodie is Born

As most of you are aware, I have been trying earnestly to solve the Case of the Repugnant Solids for over 2 months now. Nate just hasn't been a fan of eating off of a spoon. I originally thought he rejected rice and oatmeal because he needed something less bland and more flavorful. I was positive that when I broke out my amazing Babycook, he would be unable to resist my all-natural concoctions. I was proven wrong time and time again. Banana. Apple. Pear. Green Beans. Avocado. Carrot. No matter how many tricks I tried to play, how many funny faces and voices I made or how infinitely patient I was, they all produced the same result: utensils and dishware flung angrily aside in a fit of rage. We even resorted to organic jarred food to see if the change in consistency would persuade him. No sir. He was firmly planted in his anti-puree stance.

Funnily enough, he has no problem snacking on tiny bits of steamed fruit or veggie or little chunks of bread or pasta. He adores puffs, zwieback toast and biter biscuits. Likely due to the fact that he can independently feed himself. Mr. Do-It-Himself. But I cannot get past my fear of choking enough to give in completely to BLW right now.

Naturally, I grew perturbed. I had never known a baby in my life not to like baby food. Was I destined to breastfeed him until his stubbornness succumbed to the temptation? What if he decided breastmilk was an unparalleled diet? Would our future involve food therapists, nutritionists and speech-language pathologists? The premonition was agonizing.

Then, out of the blue clear sky, we had a breakthrough.

Thanks be to the savory sweet potato.

I'm not sure if he just suddenly became "ready" to put in an honest effort at this eating thing or if he gradually grew accustomed to spoon-feeding after months of practice. But he gobbled up that orange porridge as if it were his last supper. As a matter of fact, after he had scarfed down the two ounce jar, he cried in protest. The little piggy wanted more! I couldn't believe my eyes. The kid who fought me tooth and nail in opposition had now turned on a dime, playing the submissive role. I could hardly contain my excitement, as evidenced by my clever little ditty below:

Ode to the Sweet Potato

So orange, so sweet
The only food my son will eat
Delectable, nutritious
Tasty and delicious
There isn't much more one can say
All I know is you're here to stay!

I guess my little aficionado just needed to find something he liked enough to motivate and inspire him. Since he tasted sweet potato, he's been much more open to eating solids. He doesn't share the same enthusiasm he exhibited with his beloved vegetable but at least he is now receptive to the idea of the spoon. He will even dip the spoon in the bowl and with some gentle guidance from Mommy, bring it to his mouth. I have learned to bound and gag the Type-A-Don't-Get-Too-Messy part of my personality and acquiesce to his demands. I now let him dig in, basically finger painting with his food. Stripped down to only a diaper of course. The messier the experience, the more accepting he tends to be. Must be a boy thing.

We've since tried mango, spinach, white potatoes and plum - and he's ingested at least 1 ounce, if not more, of each in a sitting. I know it may not seem like much but it's worlds of progress compared to just two weeks ago.

Just like that, the food war was won.