Maybe his pallet is too sophisticated for Mac and Cheese

The last few weeks have been trying. Evan has been difficult to put it mildly.

It's a constant struggle balancing my need desire obsession with calories. The nutritionist we saw for years told me upon release from GI clinic, that to continue to grow Evan needs to eat 1600 calories a day. That's a lot of calories.

Intellectually I know that kids this age wax and wane when it comes to eating, and that is normal. Since eating with Evan has never been normal it is hard to let go of my need to get calories in to his little body.

I use little tricks to get extra calories into him everyday, extra butter, olive oil, at 360 calories a bottle, Boost Plus is my best friend. It is really a tight rope act, fitting in snacks would add to the calorie count for the day, but with Evan's limited awareness of hunger, any snacking ultimately causes him to eat much less at meals. I'd love to get more fruits and vegetables into his diet, but they are so healthy, low calorie and filling. I'd rather he eat more high calorie items. Like chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream icing.

I understand that kids at this age will eat the majority of what they are hungry for in the first fifteen minutes of a meal, BUT, Evan eats SO SLOWLY that fifteen minutes adds up to about fifteen calories. So I make him sit there, until he eats what I think is enough, as I do mental calculations of the total calories for the day.

I do have to force myself to remember that a year ago he was still eating baby food, and I was pretty certain that he'd be heading to college with pallets of mashed sweet potatoes. I really should not complain. I really cannot complain. But after two hours of him sitting with one tiny little piece of french toast in front of him, or two tiny little pancakes, or four ounces of spaghetti, I'm pulling my hair out, he's frustrated, I'm frustrated, no one is happy.

Then he has breakthrough moment like tonight. FIVE lobster raviolis, Alfredo sauce, less than 30 minutes. (that's a ton of calories!!!) I do my happy dance and wonder. Lobster Ravioli? What other odd things should I be trying?