Tortilla Chips Are the Only Food

Thing 2 is starting on some real foods now. At his last appointment, the doctor gave the go ahead to start him on cheerios (which we had already tried once). So we have been allowing Thing 2 to randomly try foods that would be soft enough or would melt in his mouth. Each time we have tried a new real food, it will touch his lips or his tongue and he will start gagging. Now, if you were to watch him do this, you can totally tell that it is all for show. He hasn’t even tried to eat it yet. The food has gotten nowhere near the back of his mouth or his throat for him to swallow. We have tried cheerios, puffs, bananas, little pieces of bread. The only real food we have found him to eat is mandarin oranges. He seems to like those ok. And when I say he likes them, I mean he doesn’t gag at the thought of them going in his mouth. He usually eats two mandarin oranges in a sitting and then decides he is done with that.

Well, the other day, when Thing 2 had finished eating and was sitting in his high chair playing, The Mr. and I were eating sandwiches and tortilla chips. With each lift of a chip to our mouths, Thing 2 was staring. Finally, I held one out to him (knowing that he cannot eat a potato chip) just to see what he would do. He just stared at it. After intently observing us eat several more chips, The Mr. held out a chip to him. This time Thing 2 grabbed it and put it right in his mouth – no gagging! Of course we took the chip away. (He did not cry at this.) I just couldn’t believe that he would put a chip in his mouth without any issues but won’t eat a cheerio, a piece of banana, or bread! It’s not like he hasn’t seen us or his older brother eat any of these things!

So, sorry Thing 2 but you are much too little for tortilla chips. You need to learn how to eat other foods without gagging first! Oh, and a couple of teeth may also help with the chewing process when it comes to chips.