Just Call him Wilbur

That's right, my child is a p-i-g!! This is fitting to my late Papa (although he is a Wilber with an -er) as he would eat anything too...Mikey'll eat it. I have yet to find something AJ doesn't like. Although he's not quite a fan of tomatoes or avocados, but will continue to eat them anyway. Since Thanksgiving we've steadily increased Jackson solid food intake. The only things he can't have at this point are peanut butter and most nuts. We'll wait until he's 3 for those. I certainly don't feel like he's missing out as he will seriously eat whatever you put on his plate. We want to make sure he's a good eater which I think is hard to do. It's one of those things that just happens or not but you can at least help them along the way. I think consistency is key so that's what we're trying to do for him right now.

I try to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day since its the most important. AJ either gets a boiled egg (he started refusing scrambled, go figure!) or oatmeal along with 1/2 a slice of toast with butter and cream cheese (which is his most favorite of course) and 1/2 of a banana. He will eat it all no problem. I've also been giving him some OJ with water in his sippy cup.

For lunch I've recently started doing a few slices of deli meat, a handful of olives and a little bit of cheese. I might throw in some yogurt or wait for snack time. I'm pretty sure he's not starving so lunch is pretty laissez faire but I make sure he gets something in the middle of the day. Tri-colored spiral noodles are a good snack or addition to dinner as well. He also enjoys graham crackers and oranges.

Depending on what we're having for dinner, AJ might eat off our plates or we heat up some canned chicken or a serving of the whole chicken we cook ahead of time. He also gets whatever veggie we're eating and the other 1/2 of his banana. He might also get some tomatoes or carrots; just depends on what's in the fridge. He loves sweet potatoes for sure.

This past week he enjoyed Chicken Cacciatore and Tamale Pie. He kept pointing at our plates even though he still had his own dinner to eat!! What a great eater. I couldn't be more pleased. I hope it sticks. I was a fabulous eater as a toddler so maybe it's in his blood. I would eat everything my Nana would eat. She's got some stories. I just want to make sure AJ is eating enough calories and good fats for normal growth and development. I also want him to eat a variety of foods so I'm always looking for new things to add to the rotation. Any suggestions??!

I'm still nursing which I absolutely love but you just don't know how much they get. Pumping doesn't help since it's not a fool proof indicator of how much milk you have and I guarantee you AJ gets more than the pump since he his so efficient. He nurses faster than anyone I know! So at this point, my only real concern with his diet at the moment is his fluid intake. I read an article the other day about how much fluid a 1 year old is supposed to get and I'm just not sure that AJ is meeting that quota. I really do think he's getting enough milk, just maybe not enough water and other juices. We give him a sippy cup of water everyday and he leisurely sips on it all day but I've read that water inhibits the absorption of breast milk so I try not to give him any around the times we nurse. I'm sure he gets a good amount of fluid from his foods so I'm probably worried about nothing! Here's an article I've read about the fluid intake a toddler should have. Since AJ is on the lower end of the age range, he'd probably be closer to 4-4½ cups (32-36 oz.).

Toddler drinks: A guide to milk, juice, water, and more
On average, children 12 to 36 months old need about 5½ cups (44 ounces) of fluid per day. This target amount varies based on your child's size, how active your child is, and even the temperature outside.

If this sounds like a lot, don't worry – your child is probably getting about that much already. Here's how it typically breaks down:

• 2 to 3 cups cow's milk or its equivalent: Toddlers under age 2 need 2 to 3 cups. Toddlers age 2 and up need 2 cups.
• 1 to 2½ cups other drinks: This can come from beverages other than milk that your child likes, such as water and juice.
• 1 to 1½ cups fluid in food: Surprisingly, foods like fruit, yogurt, and rice contain a fair amount of water, and it counts toward the daily requirement for fluid.

Overall, I am so happy with the way we introduced solids to Jackson at 6 months and added things along the way. I think he is a fantastic eater and  I really hope I can keep it that way. Maybe he will be a chef!