The 4th of July

Will and I are still learning.  Every new activity and adventure we have as a family is a learning experience with Max.  The Fourth of July was nothing different, there were very good moments and then some that we wished we approached differently. 

What went REALLY well:
Max loved the parade.  Especially the fire trucks.  He would jump up and down, wave, yell and scream, and was the happiest kid at the parade.  It was very fun! 
At one point the "Wells Fargo" horses passed and Max said "hi cows" but then cheered the LOUDEST for the poop truck that was following the horses.  I am pretty sure he was the only kid cheering for the poop. 

After the parade instead of trying to go swimming and packing the day with tons of 4th of July activities, we came home.  We let him play with trucks inside and we watched the Lego Movie while Max jumped on the trampoline.  It was perfect, and something he was comfortable with. 

What went WRONG:
We took Max to a night time party at our good friends house.  They live in a great neighborhood and have a party to celebrate the Fourth each year that is called the "Cul-da-sac of Fire"!  There is music, lots of people, fireworks and food.  Everything was going great, we brought Max trucks to play with and food for him to eat.  Then it started to get dark and the fireworks started.  They were popping all over Provo.  He was hearing every sound from all over the Valley.  And because his hearing is very sensitive it started to really overwhelm him.  He started crying and hitting his head with his hands, and pulling his ears.  He hated all of the random noises and was making it known.  He cried a lot even when inside where the fireworks were quiet. 

So even though he has made strides, there are a lot of things that we still need to be cautious of.  Loud noises that he isn't expecting is one of them.  I am grateful to our friends the Merrill's and McGuire's who understood what was going on and went out of their way to help us, it means a lot.  We know there is going to be a lot of situations that Max isn't going to be able to handle, but we are lucky for the situations he handles with ease. 

What doess Max eat?

Max is a big boy.  We call him THE TANK.  People are always shocked when we tell them that he hardly eats.  I am sure most people think we are lying.

Max ate well as a baby.  It was the transition to solid food that was hard.
He was bottle fed and at about 16 months we transitioned him to a sippy cup.
He would drink milk and apple juice from his sippy cup.
We noticed at a very young age that he was picky.
We tried to give him everything we were eating for dinner and he would fight us.  He wouldn't open his mouth and hit our hands away. 

Solids Max will always eat:
White Bread
Colby Jack Cheese - only.
Popcorn
Plain pasta
Strawberries - not cut up the whole strawberry
Raspberries - they are his favorite, and have been since he was very very little.

Solids Max will occasionally eat:
(And when I say eat I mean take a few nibbles...)
Pizza - but plain cheese.
Mashed Potatoes.
French Fries
Pancakes

Things people have suggested to us:
Force him to eat.
He will get better when he is older.
Have you tried vegetables and fruit with him?  Have you tried multiple times? 
(Yes, thank you we haven't thought to give our child vegetables...)
Blend in things to his milk.
Don't let him have anything else until he eats a solid food you are having for dinner.

Some suggestions have been helpful, others have made both Will and I feel like dumb parents.  People don't realize how hard we have tried to get Max to even lick food.
But we have learned it isn't the food, it is the texture.

Max has Sensory issues when it comes to food.  So right now, we do what we can.  We are patient and NEVER force him to try something he doesn't want.  We respect that he has a hard time with food, but ALWAYS give him options.

There are days Max will only drink apple juice and milk.  And you know what, this is okay.

The YOGURT STORY:
At about 18 months Max was eating yogurt.  He would eat smooth vanilla yogurt.  Our doctor suggested, bless his heart, to add yogurt flavors to his milk to give him a bit more calories during the day.  The two textures together didn't sit well with Max, and he stopped eating yogurt.  He hasn't wanted it since.  I am so glad that he didn't stop drinking milk. 

 

We know we have a lot of work to do, but we are hopeful that one day he will like ice cream and chocolate.