He eats! He sleeps!

Our little boy is growing up.

Just one short month ago, we could find nothing to entice him at dinnertime.  Not at breakfast or lunch either for that matter.  Food off of our own plates?  Not interested.  Banana slices?  No, thanks.  Applesauce on a spoon?  How insulting.  And finger foods were merely an excuse for tactile experimentation.  

Our priority is to avoid feeding him grains until he's quite a bit older and will have an easier time digesting them.  And so, a few weeks ago I offered him a coconut flour pancake.  I'd given him coconut flour pancakes before, but this a different recipe.  An extra egg, a little vanilla mixed in.  To my surprise and utter delight, he loved it!  It was a definite turning point.

Since then we've had hits and misses, but he has definitely become more interested in "people food."  Coconut flour pancakes.  Almond flour cheddar crackers. I'm even letting him chew on some delicious fermented carrot sticks for the probiotic benefits. Life is so markedly different from how things were even three or four weeks ago.  We're all so pleased, and quite excited.  Our doctor had said at his 12-month check-up, to let her know if he still hadn't started eating better by 15 months or so.  It looks like Gabe's chosen age was 13 months. 

And on a related note...

He's finally sleeping better!  I don't know if I've shared here much about it, but Gabriel has been our worst  sleeper to date.  It had been months since he'd slept through the night (although he has done it before), and as of last autumn he was waking up 2 or 3 times each night.  I was pretty weary of it, though one's body does adapt.  Still, between that and the fact that nursing him supplied a good 95% of his daily nourishment...well, there seemed no end in sight.

But just over a week ago, out of the blue, he slept 10 1/2 hours one night.  Then he did it again.  And again.  The fourth night he woke up and cried, but I sent my husband in to cuddle him in my stead.  I'm happy to say that our sweet and spicy Gabriel is now about 11 days night weaned.  If he fusses at night, he gets Mr. Wonderful for a snuggle - and this mama stays in bed.  No more nursing him back to sleep!  We have closed up shop!  And he's doing very well.  I am one ecstatic girl, let me tell ya.

Things are looking up around here, people.  And I am incredibly, indescribably thankful!