a less weighty issue

At ten and a half months, Oliver continues to grow at a fairly steady clip. His growth has slowed down, of course, but he continues to hang out around the 75th percentile of the charts.

Weekly weigh-ins are still on Sunday night, before bathtime. I'm doing a lot better at not worrying about them and whether he gains, loses or stays the same, I don't do anything differently in the days that follow.

Oliver is eating just about everything (no citrus or cow's milk). I haven't bothered keeping up a food list since the doc said whole egg was fine. He has snacks and lunch at school and enjoys them immensely. He especially likes the social aspects of mealtime, and really doesn't like to dine alone. This is a challenge at home since we tend to eat about an hour after he goes to bed. We do a little better at breakfast, when Oliver's high chair rolls into the dining room and he enjoys some toast with CD.

Penguin has begun to camp out next to the high chair when Oliver is eating. Her efforts are frequently rewarded. Oliver isn't entirely proficient at executing the transfer of foods from his fingers to his mouth.

We are seeing progress with the elusive sippy cup. It was just a matter of getting the right cup. Once we got the same ones they have a school, which are not spill-proof, he has done very well. He isn't getting bottles at school now, just a little breastmilk in a cup during snacks. I am also not pumping at work anymore. That may be my favorite aspect of all this progress. I still don't plan to cut him off on his first birthday, but I do see the day fast approaching when he won't be nursing anymore. It's a little sad, but I am ready for him to be less dependent on me.

Another home challenge is figuring out what to give him. Finger foods start with cheerios (or in our case, an organic equivalent) but I've been flying blind beyond that. Doc has suggested some things that I initially thought strange but they've worked well. Fish sticks are a big hit. Scrambled egg is another easy thing to make. I keep tofu in the house now as that is one of Oliver's favorites. I've given it to him plain and watched it disappear but they marinate it in soy sauce at school so I expect the plain stuff to be rejected soon. He's got a long way to go before he can wield the spoon on his own but I'm certain yogurt will be top of his list when that day comes.