How to Feed a Henry

For the past seven weeks, we have removed dairy from Henry's diet. We wanted to test whether it could help clear up the fluid in his ears and reduce the chance that he would continue to get ear infections. In the meantime, Henry has been evaluated by two Ear, Nose & Throat specialists and had a series of treatments by an osteopath .  Henry is in great health, except for the ongoing fluid in his ears. Last week, we visited Henry's pediatrician for his 18-month check-up. Henry is meeting all milestones and his health is generally thriving. Unfortunately, his ears are still completely blocked with fluid. While we are not excited about this outcome, Daddy and I feel like we have done what we can with alternative low-invasive treatment options. Henry is scheduled for ear tube surgery tomorrow morning. Making non-dairy meals for our family was generally easy and didn't require many sacrifices. For the most part, our whole family participated, but Daddy and I did spl...

For the past three weeks, Henry has been dairy-free in an effort to reduce his susceptibility to ear infections. This is a big change for our family's diet. Since introducing solids, we have frequently given Henry dairy products. In addition to drinking whole milk , he would often eat yogurt , cheese , kefir milk, and foods cooked using cream and butter . Dairy foods are some of his favorites, but we decided to give this a shot on a trial basis to see if it could help improve Henry's health . Henry drinks a dairy alternative with his afternoon snack. Not only is Henry dairy-free at home, we also notified his daycare provider about this change. The staff asked me to write a note clarifying what foods we wanted to restrict. Since dairy can be found in many surprising places , they needed a clear understanding about what foods are not allowed.  Daddy and I gave them a list of foods Henry is avoiding during this trial period:  Milk Yogurt Cheese Cream cheese Sour ...

Last week I took Henry to the pediatrician. He was diagnosed with yet another ear infection. This is his fifth serious ear infection over the past seven months. The pediatrician gave us another round of antibiotics and was concerned enough to refer us to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist for an evaluation.  Henry's usually bubbly personality changes for the worse when he gets an ear infection. When Henry is sick his usually bubbly and outgoing personality changes to clingy and cranky. He has trouble sleeping for more than a few hours at a time, without crying out for comfort. It's rough on the whole family when he does not sleep well because his ears are hurting. I am tired of giving Henry multiple antibiotics and I am worried that his hearing and speech development are being affected. Ear infections are fairly common in young children and there is a lot of conflicting advice about how to treat them. The most common treatment for recurring ear infections are ear tub...

Henry and I eat oatmeal for breakfast about once a week. It’s a hearty dish for chilly spring mornings. I like to mix seasonal fruits in with the oatmeal, and lately that has included Ataulfo or honey mangoes. Henry is a big fan of this dairy-free variation. This recipe is Henry-approved. Ingredients ½ cup 1-minute quick oats ½ cup mango (about one small mango) ¼ cup flaked or shredded coconut, unsweetened ½ cup coconut milk Henry's portion is served with two spoons, since at least one will inevitably end up on the floor. Directions Dice the mango flesh into small pieces. Pour oats into a microwave-safe bowl. Add the mango, coconut and coconut milk to the bowl. Stir until well combined. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute on high. Stir the oatmeal. Heat for an additional 30 seconds on high. Stir again. Scoop a portion of the oatmeal into your child’s bowl. Allow the oatmeal to cool slightly before serving. Henry using a spoon to e...

About a month ago, I wrote about our plan for switching Henry from formula to milk and from bottles to cups. We are halfway through the originally planned transition period, so I thought I should report on how it is going. As with many well-laid plans, we have had successes, surprises and re-adjustments along the way. Being a parent requires a lot of flexibility and willingness to adapt . First, the successes. Henry does not seem to have any qualms about drinking milk instead of formula. He has tried out coconut, almond, goat and cow milk. His favorite seems to be the cow milk, either as whole milk or as kefir milk . I also have a carton of hemp milk that we will open up tomorrow.  Henry drinks almond milk with his lunch. Since Henry seems to have no issues about switching to milk, I am happy to report that our family has purchased our last box of infant formula. We will phase it out completely within the next few weeks. While I had intended to exclusively breastfeed Henry...

With his first birthday fast approaching, Daddy and I have been thinking a lot about transitioning Henry from baby formula to milk. At his 9-month check-up , the pediatrician gave us information about how to make the switch. Rather than going cold turkey , the doctor suggested that we start by replacing one bottle of formula at a time when Henry turned 11 months old. Then, we can slowly introduce more milk and reduce his formula intake over the course of about two months. By the end of February, the conversion should be complete. Henry tries out his first cup of milk on Christmas Eve. As part of this transition, we’re also phasing out bottles . Henry has become proficient at drinking from a straw, even using my water bottle on occasion without spilling. I am confident he will make the shift to straw cups seamlessly, but we will also retry open cups to give him a chance to practice this skill. Henry usually drinks five or six bottles of formula per day of varying amo...