Into the food journey

Well I got word yesterday from Davis' dietician that we can start rice cereal. His Phe level was a bit low again (1.6) so instead of adjusting the formula recipe, she decided it was time to introduce cereal. He is to have 2 Tbs. of rice cereal a day in addition to his formula. We will do that for two weeks as his dietician is on vacation next week. In two weeks we will check his phe and, hopefully, add other foods. Two Tbs. of rice cereal is 2 exchanges. So he is having two exchanges at this point,the more exchanges he can tolerate the better. But we won't know how much he can tolerate until he is eating table food,so probably after a yr old. Unfortunatly that number doesn't really change much as they age,so what he is able to eat at two is the same amount he will be able to eat at twenty-two.

He didn't really seem to like the cereal- he just looked at me like "what is this?" and spit it back out. So we must practice!!!

Anyway I guess we are about to embark on the crazy world of feeding a PKU child. I think it is pretty much the same as a non-pku as far as baby foods go, just no meat baby food. Although I will have to start counting exchanges and keeping count of what he eats. From what I have heard Gerber is great about supplying the phe amounts in all of their foods- so that is what we will feed him only.

I have mixed feelings about starting food. I am excited, yet scared. Scared because this is when he becomes "special". We have already started adjusting our diets a bit. Garrett doesn't get chocolate chip pancakes anymore, instead he gets strawberry or blueberry pancakes. No more hot fudge sundaes at McDonalds-we willl come home and eat a popsicle or get a slurpee instead. We are TRYING to eat more fruits and veggies. This will be a learning experience for us all for sure!!