Monkey's Diary.

This is another purely journal post so I can remember this in years to come... feel free to read if you wish or go and eat some chocolate.

Monkey had two doctors appointments this week (that's just how it seems to work out for us lately) and they both agreed... He's not unhealthy but we need to work on his weight.  He has officially dropped below the bottom line on the weight chart (with his head and length still up the very top).  Dr Jenny (on Monday) was very surprised when she weighed him, she said she had been ready to say we didn't need to see her again.  Then she weighed him and got a little concerned that he wasn't as heavy as she thought he should be, then she charted it and got even more concerned that he had dropped off the bottom.  She was encouraging that he looks healthy, he's meeting all his milestones, he's very alert and loves interacting with others and is trying to learn new things.  She was so so so encouraging and very excited that he is sleeping so well now.  Have I told you how much we love Dr Jenny, she get so involved with her patients and not just the kids, she worries about how the kids problems might be affecting the whole family, she's so great!

Back to the topic... She was a little concerned though that usually babies pork up and then when they start crawling it uses up some of that store... Monkey has no store... and is starting to crawl.  We both agreed that although he's not officially crawling he is, and has always been, very active so that possibly accounts for much of his slender frame.  Her suggestion/prescription was to move his diet on a bit.  Because he seems to be handling foods that aren't usually recommended until they are 9 months old she wants us to start filling him up a bit more.  He was having one "meaty" meal a week and she wants me to dice up soft meat into 3 or 4 of his meal each week, cut out "empty" foods like the bready meals he was having and replace them with creamy carbs, introduce 2-300ml of a special formula each day.  I had to hunt down this formula, it's recommended for bubbas with constipation, so I scoured chemists, supermarkets and variety stores until I tracked down a tin.  It seems to be working, we are getting a good amount of formula (still not 2-300ml) into him and no constipation.  Since he's not a fan of drinking the formula (I can get about 100ml into him if I really really try) and we anticipated that, she recommended that I use it in his mashed potatoes, I make porridge with it (or mushy vita brits, etc) I use it in anything I make for him in place of water if it will work.  So, from his diet is changing...

Monkey's old diet...

Breakfast - snacking on crusts from Lion's toast, sitting on Mummy's lap and eating her cornflakes, maybe a little bit of Grandma's porridge if we are there at the right time.
Lunch - teeny tiny sandwiches, or fruit, or crackers, or whatever, he's not usually interested in anything big at lunch time.
Dinner - Chunky mashed veg, usually mixed with pureed pears to keep him regular.  Bits and pieces off our plates that he can handle.  One meal a week with a little bit of meat (I had tried a couple of tins and he didn't like them, only the stuff Mummy makes is deemed edible by Monkey).
Snacks - biscuits, rusks.


Monkey's new diet...

Breakfast - Porridge made up using 1/4 cup of formula, also still stealing bits and pieces where he can.
Lunch - Yoghurt and bits of our lunch.
Dinner - Veg with a little meat mixed through.  I prefer to modify whatever we are eating for him so I'm not zipping around the kitchen trying to be a short order cook.  We had pasta with bolognaise sauce last night so he just had some of the sauce with the mince squished up a little finer.  We had porcupines earlier in the week so I mushed up a piece of one with some of the tomato sauce for him.  He loved bits of diced chicken mixed through his mushed sweet potato.
Snacks - still biscuits and rusks, also a small bottle of formula if I think he's in a good enough mood to allow it (only 1/4 cup at a time).

I am trying to get an extra bottle of formula (1/4 cup) into him before bed each night as well.  Although tonight I made up a 1/2 cup bottle and he drank it all!!!

He's been far more accepting of new foods and textures all along than his brothers ever were (or still are, really).  I remember trying both of them on couscous and the hilarity that ensued as they tried to get these yicky yucky little balls out of their mouth.  I tried tossing some couscous into one of Monkeys meals ages ago and he was a little confused at first but wasn't really bothered by it and he finished it all.  Tonight I made tabouli and threw some of the burghul I had left over in with his sweet potato and he loved it.  Lion and Dragon were both finicky about meat.  It had to be indistinguishable as meat and it had to be chicken or lamb.  So, I started off Monkey with some tinned lamb and veg that I thought would go down okay... NO WAY.  He spat out every single mouthful.  I know they say that you should offer them a food up to 10 times before they might accept it but really, I wouldn't eat tinned lamb so I tried a second time when I wanted something easy one night but when he refused it again that was fine with me.  I went straight to mince and finely diced stuff and he hasn't refused any of it.

He went for his needles on Wednesday and Dr Michelle was in agreement with Dr Jenny that although he is obviously healthy and not having any problems in any other areas we need to keep an eye on his weight.  She pointed out that he is still roughly following the curve and his fluctualtion are within normal range he is just right down off the bottom.  She was happy for us to continue seeing Dr Jenny and would update Monkey's file as she got updates from Dr Jenny.

Poor little Monkey didn't like his needles.  Also, he was 2 days too late to get his last oral rota-virus vaccine because he was sick when he should have gone for his 2 month needles so they were late, then when he should then have gone for his 4 month needles he was sick again so those were later still and then this time when we came to the modified date for his 6 month needles (at 7.5 months) he was sick AGAIN.  They weren't worried because he's had the first two doses so he should be fine.  He was pretty fine for the rest of that day, he had a little bit of a fuss overnight but then the next day... things weren't good.  He was a little cranky pants.  He didn't like having his nappy changed because I think his legs were feeling stiff and sore, he wanted cuddles but didn't want to be held normally, he was just not right.  He had another REALLY rough night and woke up on Friday back to himself.  I'm not looking forward to having them all stuck for their swine flu jabs... Dragon, however, is VERY EXCITED to be getting that needle, he saw a BIG tub of lollipops that they are giving out with each jab.  I'm not so sure he'll be as excited when it actually happens.

Anyway, if you made it through, congratulations.  If you skipped to the end to see if I said anything interesting... sorry, just this.

G'night.