Several weeks ago Philippe and I were invited to friends’ for dinner. I volunteered Philippe to make his famous chocolate mousse for dessert. Charlotte was delighted to help. I think the pictures speak for themselves.
While cleaning up, Charlotte had a chat with Bamma. Bamma asked Charlotte if she was, like Bamma, a “chocoholic.” Charlotte said, “Yes, I’m a chocomolic.”
“You’re my friend, Taylor.” Clearly! And, no, Taylor is not a shrimp; Charlotte is a giant.Last night Charlotte’s good buddy Taylor came over for a playdate and dinner (with her parents, of course). She quickly declared my chicken chili delicious (it was) and ate about 3 bites.
Then, Taylor’s dad was trying to get Taylor to eat a bit more. [Aside: This always makes us feel good because it means we’re not the only ones who have to push our kid to eat.] So, I said, “Hey Charlotte, show Taylor how you can take a big bite of soup.” She said, “Sure. It’s yummy.” And, damned if she didn’t shovel another spoonful, chock full of chicken and veggies, into her mouth.
In the end, Andy definitely got Taylor to eat a lot more than Charlotte, but I was stunned.
Charlotte with her favorite monster last Sunday. She’s still talking about her celebrity encounter!Charlotte and I visited Sara, her dietician, at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin today. Charlotte’s “official” CHOW weight was 15.3 k, or precisely what it was back in June. While her vertical growth (she’s up to 3 feet 5.75 inches) is steady, Sara is a tad concerned that her weight gain is flat. Charlotte has gone from 94% ideal weight for height to 90% ideal weight for height.
Charlotte did have 3 ear infections in about 6 weeks (August through September), followed by a 24-hour “summer fever,” all of which dampened her appetite in the past two months.
I’m hoping that now that she’s healthy (save for a sniffly nose), she’ll start chowing down again. But, we’re back to needing to be vigilant about caloric intake, adding calories where we can, and worrying about food and weight.
On the bright side:
I finally had the home healthcare company retrieve the Zevex pump and all of its accessories. We’ll miss our friendly delivery man, Vince J., but we won’t miss the pump.
Charlotte’s eating is very inconsistent, which I suppose is pretty “regular” for a toddler. When she eats well, however, her volume is stil pretty low for a kid her age.
We did have a major meal on Friday night–Charlotte ate 5 (!!!!) raviolis, all by herself. While volume is important, we know we can make up for calories with our high calorie purees and dessert (the kid is definitely ours–she loves dessert). So, we’re really working on self-feeding as that will be the key to success in school.
Well, it has nothing to do with the 2 1/2 hour drive to Milwaukee or the nearly 3 1/2 hours it took us to get home.
Here are the basic stats of our visit.
Weight: 33.75 lbs (15.3 k)
Height: 40.5 inches (102.2 cms)
Yes, she is off the charts for height. In fact, she hits the charts at average for a child of 4 years and 3 months.
“Bye bye, tummy tube.”
Yes, in that little specimen cup, Charlotte is holding her MICKey button, the last one she had in her tummy. Right now she sports a piece of gauze over the stoma. The stoma (or hole) should close up within 2 weeks.
We’ve also stopped the Pepcid as Charlotte’s reflux seems to be resolved. Further, we’ll be dropping one can of Pediasure a day, substituting it with whole milk, with the goal of getting her to whole milk with no additives by the time she starts preschool in September.
We’ll follow up with her surgeon in Chicago if the hole doesn’t close itself. After that we’ll go to Wisconsin in September to consult with Charlotte’s dietitian, Sara. (Every toddler should have their own dietitian!). In December, we’ll see the whole team.
As you might imagine (or not if you’re my brother!), I really have no words for the emotions I’m feeling right now. The champagne is in the fridge. It’s a good bottle, Veuve Cliquot, that Philippe’s EVP gave him at holiday time. We were saving it for a special occasion and we can’t think of anything more special than this.
The best day ever. Ever. Ever. Or, at least in the history of feeding Charlotte.
