At the dinner table

J's appetite stimulant works really well. Of course, I question why the manufacturers feel a need to put alcohol in a pediatric medication. But they do. I've been assured that it is a small amount of alcohol and the medication is perfectly safe for a 2-year old. And it does have dosing instructions for a child J's age, so we have been accepting of it. But still!!

Anyway, it works well. He eats a lot better now than he used to. We did try taking him off of the appetite stimulant for a short time, just to see how he'd do. He didn't do well. I guess we need to keep him taking it for awhile yet.

J needs encouragement to eat. It's not a constant mention, but he does need the occasional "Have a bite"; "Just two more bites"; "That's a good boy"; "Yay, J!" - that sort of thing. He also has been known to be bribed with dessert or movies. And he has a special straw that a friend gave him at Halloween. It's a purple bendy straw with four little orange jackolanterns on it, and it seems to encourage him to drink more milk and juice. His weight appears to be on the rise, and he's getting taller. He's still not a big kid, but he's starting to catch up a bit now, and we're feeling quite relieved.

J likes to imitate now. Things we say, things we do. He loves my calculator and the computer. J will try to sit at the computer on his own, and he'll tell us "I need to study". Or he'll gather up all his little treasures, head to the door, and say "I have to go to work now".

Tonight J had maccaroni and cheese for dinner. This is one of J's favorite dishes, and consists of boiled maccaroni with melted Cheese Whiz stirred in. He loves it. He had apple pie for dessert.

While he was enjoying his dessert, I wandered into the kitchen to refill my water glass.

J: (holding up a piece of pie) Have a bite.

(T takes a small bite of J's pie.)

J: That's a good Mommy.