Pierce the Peanut

It seems like every where you like these days we are reminded of America's weight problem.  I don't know about your pediatrician's office but ours is "in your face" about exercise, mealtimes, snacks, fruits, etc.  There is even a table with all kinds of beverages on it and their equivalent in table sugar next to each one.  I get it!  And I don't have an overweight child.  We have the opposite problem around here.  Our middle child is underweight.  I'm the kind of parent that doesn't really pay too much attention to those growth charts because they are for formula fed babies.  My babies are breastfed and breastfed babies tend to be leaner.  This is not just my opinion, it is a medical fact.  So basically my kids aren't going to be at 100% and that's ok.  But I do like them to at least be on the charts with those chubby bottle fed babies. 

Pierce was doing great till he was 15 months old.  When he literally fell off the growth chart.  So we were told to give him more milk, butter and oil on his food.  Who wouldn't want extra butter?  We love butter!  We are the leave it right on the kitchen counter all the time butter people.  So it spreads better of course.  We can do extra butter.  Pierce was doing ok and then he decided he didn't want to drink milk anymore.  That threw a wrench in the works so to speak.  So much for carnation instant breakfast that was going to help him gain weight.  But at 18 months, he made it to the 4th percentile.  So the Dr. was happy and so were we.

Mr. Pierce had an earache last week, his first one ever.  He is 21 months now and the Dr. noticed he failed to gain even an ounce in 3 months.  Not Good.  Again he fell off the charts.  Apparently, a childs growth chart should be a nice, smooth curved line going upwards.  Well, our little peanuts is all jagged lines, with peaks and valleys and a very concerning horizontal line that shouldn't be there at all.  The weird thing is that Pierce eats all the time!  He eats better than our 5 year old.  He has been known to finish his dinner and then pull a "robbery" and eat off his brothers plate.  We are going to continue extra butter and fats with vitamins and hope his weight will pick up.  He has another weight check in 4 weeks.  If he fails to gain enough, he will have to have blood work to check his liver, kidneys and thyroid.  Just the thought of bloodwork for him breaks my heart.  So wish us luck trying to fatten up Pierce the Peanut over the next month.  He won't wear a hat if I put one on him, but if he finds a hat he will wear it all day inside the house!  Stinker.