Eating

For the past few weeks we've noticed that Jayden has been eating more. Usually he is a VERY picky eater. Just last month his diet consisted of only hot dog weiners and fries. If I placed anything else in front of him he had a HUGE fit. This had been going on for over a year and Drs kept saying it was a phase and to keep offering him new items on his plate and eventually he will eat it. Well it was far too stressful for him and far too wasteful for me, so I served him what I knew he wanted. I had a feeling that he would let us know when he's ready to try new things. Ironically, he's decided to try new things once his prevacid dosage was increased and his new GI diagnosed him with celiac and we knew then that we had to keep ALL traces of gluten out of his tummy. Maybe now his stomach is finally getting the chance to heal after 2 yrs of pain. Recently he's started showing interest in what we were eating on our plate. It's like he was starting from the beginning, you know when your infant starts to show interest in the food on your plate and you know they are ready for solids. My poor baby was afraid of food for so long and finally he was ready to give it a try. He would examine our plate and then say "Open" and hold his mouth open like a baby bird. I would offer him a bite and either he would eat it and ask for more, or he'd put it in his mouth, examine it with his tongue and then spit it out. But we still celebrated for him for at least allowing it in his mouth, which is a huge step for Jayden. 5 weeks ago when we got the diagnosis, I started to pay more attention to the meals I cook at home and the foods I buy to keep in the house, just in case he decided to start eating what we eat. Going on a gluten free diet is really not as hard as people think. Of course you will greatly miss regular bread and baked foods using regular flour b/c let's face it, gluten free flour just does not compare! A gluten free diet also eliminates fried foods (unless you use a GF alternative) and any and everything containing wheat. However, meats are okay as long as they aren't injected with broth. Rice, potatoes, beans, fresh veggies and fruit can also be eaten. So when you think about it, there are several option available on the GF diet, as long as they are prepared safely. But it's hard to go on the diet if you are a picky eater like Jayden is. But I continued to read labels and use GF ingredients when I cook just in case. Well I have big news...Jayden has been eating the same things we eat for dinner for almost 2 weeks now!! Of course there are nights when he would rather not eat, but I can sit a plate in front of him and he will not scream! Praise God. He is making some positive strides. On the 4th we had a family BBQ and usually I worry about him going to cookouts b/c usually there is nothing he can (or will) eat. So I packed him some GF snacks and GF beans. I didn't have to open his beans though b/c Jayden ate 3 hot dogs (they were GF, expensive but taste great!), a piece of chicken, and some of my rib. I was so proud of him! Also, after his appt on MOnday, we went out to eat at Outback with my parents. If you have anyone in your family with Celiac Disease, Outback has an AWESOME gluten free menu. We ordered Jayden the grilled chicken on the barbie with sweet potatoe fries and he ate it all!

I am so thankful for this. Now that he is eating better, it will make it so much easier to prepare meals for him and hopefully by the time he has to start preschool in January, they will be offering a gluten free option so that he won't feel set apart from his classmates.