Dairy Trial

Last week's appointment with the "Feeding Team" was disappointing due to a critical miscommunication between the new GI doctor/food aversion/feeding specialist and me.  When we went through the basic "what's he eating?" drill, it appears as though he somehow missed the crucial part where I said that Roo drinks soy baby formula that has been fortified to 30 calories per ounce.  I swear he must not have heard that part because his advice was as follows:

• Reintroduce dairy on a trial basis (woo hoo!!)
• Change his formula to Bright Beginnings soy formula because it has 50% more calories
• Buy the book "Food Chaining" (written by said doctor, I might add)
• Bulk Roo up a few pounds and return to meet the rest of the feeding team in July once he's not so "undernourished" 

Wha????  So, I'm trying to keep my PG rating but seriously?  Bulk him up?  Isn't that why we're here?  If I could get the kid to eat, we wouldn't need the feeding specialist. 

I walked out of the appointment truly believing that Bright Beginnings must be some sort of super-fortified miracle formula with 50 calories per ounce that we had overlooked.  Of course, Bright Beginnings is a more expensive version of what we're already giving him - fortified soy formula.  It's 30 calories per ounce with roughly the same nutritional values in all areas.  Sweet. 

Call me crazy but I'm not switching his formula.  The Bright Beginnings is sweet and vanilla flavored - two things Roo loathes, and offers no benefit other than putting the poor kid through yet another formula overhaul. 

I'm allowing myself a cooldown period and then I'll broach the subject with the doctor.  Or maybe I won't.  I haven't decided yet.  In the interim I'm considering asking our pediatrician for a trial Zantac prescription because he is definitely refluxy and can't eat at all in the morning.  Today's breakfast - one bite of plain yogurt, one eighth of a strawberry and a sip of milk.  I'm full just thinking about it.

Okay, feeling a little better now.  Onto the good news.  We got the go ahead to do a dairy trial and so far it's going as smooth as Chantilly cream.  He's had real butter, cheddar cheese, a few bites of real yogurt, cheddar goldfish crackers, cheese pizza, chocolate pudding, and macaroni and cheese.  No Chantilly cream yet, but he's no worse for the wear with the new additions.  I am so happy for him.  And for us.  We have been liberated.

He doesn't love everything.  Yogurt, pudding, and other squishy stuff he's happiest smearing on the cat, but the other night be ate a whole square of pizza.  Looly and Bean cheered and shouted for him the whole time and he actually enjoyed it, I think.  I don't know if it was the cheering section or the pizza he liked more but either way, he ate a whole piece.  That's a veritable feast for him. 

The girls are so sweet and have been adjusting to Roo's new loosened food restrictions.  Several times Looly has reminded me that Roo can't have goldfish (or real cheese, or butter, etc.)  When I remind her we're doing a dairy trial she gets all smily and hugs her brother and congratulates him on his new options.  Honestly she is more of a help in this process than several doctors have been.  Bean too.  Our conversations go like this:

Bean: "No Roo eat pizza."

Me: "He's trying it tonight Maisie.  We'll see if it gives him a tummy ache."

Bean: "No tummy ache, Roo. Eat more pizza, Roo."

My sentiments precisely.