6 Month Challenge Begins Today!

The boys were born early. They were smaller than their gestational age. They have always been under the percentiles for growth. We have gone through testing, to find nothing to cause it. We have tried letting them eat all the high calorie foods they want, and still they stay small. 

Yesterday we went to the pediatrician for a well check, our first one in years. I am if it isn't broken why fix it kind of gal. Well the Dr. was less than thrilled with their weight and height. Am I surprised at this? Not even close. I deal with it every day. At school when no one believes my kiddo that is the height of a kindergarten kid is in third grade. At church when they go to receive communion and barely get their hands up high enough for the server to see them. (I almost always get the look from the server if they are OK to receive.) Clothes shopping when the girls skinny jeans fit and boys skinny jeans look like baggy carpenter jeans. At dinner when they eat just enough to not starve and then quit. It is part of our day, every day to be concerned and to look for ways to get extra calories into them. Heck we even encourage them to sit and watch TV so they burn less calories! 

With that in mind, and per the doctor's recommendations we are increasing our efforts for the next six months. In the hopes we see enough growth to keep the doctor from recommending us start testing for other issues! EEEK- not again! 

That means the kids get to have ice cream for breakfast in a smoothie with carnation instant breakfast for a double whammy of calories. They get to have ice cream for dessert too. Samuel doesn't like milk, but he does like ice cream. Instead of just chocolate instant breakfast in Toby's morning "coffee" I will be adding the vanilla too for a double serving. (We used to do this when they were younger for the calorie boost.) Instead of cooking new foods for them to eat, I am to push the things I know they will eat. Adding in protein powder and other healthy calories where I can. 

My goal is to keep track of the smoothies we come up with (since they don't like "frunkies", anything chunky, in them) and other ways we are finding of sneaking extra punch into their diets. We are also going to measure every week. Height and weight. Just like me eating better and exercising to lose weight and inches, they will be eating and exercising to add the same. I really need them to see that throwing away half their lunch at school or choosing to eat it can impact their growth. 

To kick this off we made our first smoothie today using raspberry sherbet, sunny d and applesauce. They said it tasted like candy! I will only call it a success if they drink it! We also made sweet potato muffins and I stuck in some carnation instant breakfast in those too. Those they gobbled up!

I decided to look up some of their numbers from the past and to see how they compare on average to the growth of boys their age. Yikes!

Samuel - 
Age                 Weight     Height
Birth                3.2 lbs      15.5 in
1 year             18.7 lbs    28 1/2 in
8 yr 9 mon       40.4 lbs    48 in 
He has the weight of a 5 year old and the height of a 8 year old. 

Toby - 
Age                  Weight     Height
Birth                 1.5 lbs     12 in
1 year               15 lbs      26 1/2 in
8 yr 9 mon        35.5 lbs   45 in
He has the weight of a 4 year old and the height of a 7 year old. 

We will measure again every week for the next 6 months in the hopes we see some great growth spurts, and that they don't get fat!!!!!!