cute curls and toddler trials

Savannah was so excited because she slept in curlers last night.
She got them for Christmas in her stocking and we have attempted "the big curl" a couple of times, but by the time we get her wet hair (so much hair!) in the curlers and she tries to get to bed, she complains that she can't sleep with the curlers on her head.
Anyway, she made it all night last night, and she was super excited with all the curls this morning. She called three different people to tell them about her curls today. She also loves the fact that I told her my mommy used to do my hair like that when I was little. And I think she was even more excited when she was showing her curls off to Nicole today and Nicole told her she used to do that when she was little too! Savannah has reminded me of that three times already this afternoon.... What color were your curlers? Pink! Miss Nicole had pink curlers too! Pretty cute stuff.





She's happy, I promise... she just wasn't being so cooperative with my wanting a picture!

Let's see, what's the news of the SawMan lately? Um... you mean besides being a textbook toddler? Seriously. Why do toddlers do what toddlers do? Or don't do I should say.

Sawyer is driving me crazy with his toddler pickyness when it comes to food. I mean, it is plenty hard enough to figure out what to feed him with all his allergies. But then when he changes his mind every day?! Actually I'm lucky if he changes his mind... at least then he might eat something. Here's the current list of his allergies and likes/dislikes.

He breaks out (severe eczema) if he eats:

• any dairy (which in a normal toddler makes up approximately 95% of what they actually like, right?... cheese, yogurt, milk, mac&cheese, goldfish and numerous other snack crackers with cheese, etc.)
• including eggs
• acidic fruits (oranges, peaches, nectarines, kiwis, tomatoes- meaning no pizza or pastas with tomato sauce. but remember, no white sauces either with dairy!)
• any legumes (beans, peas, soy -that one makes the no dairy harder!, tofu)
• berries

Now for things he can, but will never eat:

• asparagus
• broccoli
• avocado
• most other vegetables
• raisins

Things he used to eat, but now refuses:

• chicken
• turkey
• pork
• sausage
• ground beef as in meatballs, burgers, etc.
• carrots
• potatoes- white, red, and sweet
• bagels
• toast

Which leaves things he will currently eat:

• ham
• hot dogs
• fishsticks
• crackers (and crackers and crackers)
• apples (he's just agreed to within the last few days)
• pears
• bananas (I couldn't begin to count how many bananas we go through around here)
• chicken only in fast food/freezer nugget form (he refuses even homemade nuggets or strips and you can forget about baked, broiled or otherwise healthy poultry)
• veggie pasta
• veggie stix
• his dairy/egg free frozen waffles (sometimes)
  
• cucumbers
• olives
• pizza crust (can you tell I'm reaching to make this list longer?)

I've just recently started letting him *go hungry* if he doesn't want to eat what we offer him. I've always kept his likes and dislikes in mind (and obviously his allergies) when I make up a meal for him. And I try to mesh it with our meals as much as possible. For example the other night, we had Meatballs Stroganoff over noodles, with mixed peas and carrots. He had plain meatballs and noodles without the sauce, with carrots. Or if we're having salmon, and I know the kids don't like it, I'll make them fishsticks instead of the salmon. I try to make it as much as a family meal as I can while not catering to them, but avoiding the biggest struggles with things I know they won't eat.
But with Sawyer's newfound pickyness, especially the things he used to love like chicken or sweet potatoes, there is just no happy medium.
So now I'm offering him a combination of something I know he'll eat, something he used to eat, and something new or that he hasn't agreed to before. If that's what we're having. And that's all he gets. No more serving the turkey bites with carrots and having them all smashed into his hair instead of his mouth, so then giving up and warming him last nights chicken nuggets. If he doesn't want to eat it, he can get down from the table.

I've hesitated before on doing that, because I feel like he's too young to understand the whole I'm hungry because I didn't eat anything, and frankly, I don't want to hear about his empty tummy at 2 in the morning. But enough is enough and if he's hungry, he's got his chance to eat with the rest of us. If he really doesn't eat anything, then we'll usually offer him some oatmeal or applesauce or something later before bed, but as a bedtime snack, not as a meal replacement. So hopefully he'll make it till morning.

So far, no progress. He's still not eating any better at meals. But obviously, he's not starving to death. It's just frustrating. Can a kid really live on chicken nuggets and bananas? I hope he outgrows these allergies.

Anyone have any new ideas, both parenting-wise and food suggestion-wise, for things to try with him?