Avoid fruit and nuts. You are what you eat. ~Jim Davis

Addie has struggled with a feeding aversion since month one of her life. Due to undiagnosed reflux and food allergies, she developed a bottle aversion which morphed into a full blown solid food aversion. We are still working though that aversion. However, we've made huge strides. Especially considering we are in the thick of the two year old year when most kids eat string cheese and gold fish crackers three meals a day for a year straight.

For those of you who stumble upon this post who are knee deep in this struggle {clearing throat: Lisa}, I say to you - have hope. It sucks to be in it. I've gone through it twice. I can swear with my whole heart that it gets much better as they leave behind the twos. I promise.

 Just a bit of advice for those of you who are desperate: even if they won't eat, give them a utensil and let them play with the food. Don't have any expectations. Put something new down every meal. Clean the mess with joy and praise them mildly if they do take the leap. Expect it to take months for one food to become a regular part of their diet. Oh, and lie. Addie loves cheeseburgers. So, I told her a grilled cheese sandwich was just like a cheese burger without the meat. She loves them now. I'm serious. It works.

To further prove my theory on improvement, here's a list of what Addie will now eat (after 2 1/2 years of therapy and ongoing efforts at home):

* Cheeseburgers
* Fries
* Sweet potato fries
* Frozen gogurts
* Any type of cold cereal
* Yogurt with granola
* Bagel with or without cream cheese
* Grilled cheese sandwiches
* Pancakes
* Sausage
* Waffles
* Peanut butter and honey sandwiches
* Peanut butter and jam sandwiches
* Granola bars
* Any type of cracker
* Fruit snacks
* Ice Cream
* Fruit leather/roll ups
* Banana bread
* Smoothies
* Pop Tarts
* Apple (this is a ebb and flow type deal - some days she will, some days she won't)
* Any type of chip
* Pudding
* Cookies
*Brownies

This list is not exhaustive. As you see, most of these foods are on the sweet side. That is typical of kids with feeding aversions. They also have texture issues, as does Addie. We're working on fresh fruits and meats. But, she has come so very far. I mean, we're finally at a point where we don't have to pack her food when we go somewhere.

Addie self regulates really well. She doesn't over eat. She doesn't over indulge in sweets either. When she does eat something savory, she'll chow that down just like she would a cookie.

We keep her doctor up to date on her progress and she's growing really well. So, we just keep putting one foot in front of the other and look toward her four and five year old years as goals for normalcy. For now, I look how far we've come and try to accept her for who she is right now.