October 11, 2000 - Tuesday
I don't know whether it's his ear or what, but something is still not right with Harry, especially at dinner time. For the last couple of nights this week and several last week, he's been particularly picky, if not just outright uninterested in food. It's certainly occurred to me that it could just be our food - that is, the food we're giving him. I know that he's been exposed to some new tastes at daycare, including saltier and somewhat greasier foods than we'd give him ourselves. Perhaps, he's finding his home cooking a little bland these days.

It also occurs to me that this may have nothing to do with his ear or developing taste buds, but rather intellectual advancement, in it's own odd way. The eating troubles he was having back in June and July seem to have been the result of increased independence on his part. As soon as we started to let him stuff things in his own mouth, he started eating well again, including letting us feed him part of his dinner.

What ever it is this time, his mother and I have a puzzle to solve. When he's not happy at the table should we get him away from it so he's happy? Or, should we keep him there because he shouldn't be in the habit of ruling the house and home with his whining? One thing is for sure, it's harder to work through these problems thoughtfully when he's sitting there screaming. Another thing that I'm realizing is that babies aren't going to ever let you get too comfortable with habits. What works one week, may not be the same the next and there's no resting on parenting laurels.

Since Harry's right ear continues to ooze wax and occasionally other colored gel, he paid yet another visit to the doctor's office. They still don't seem to have much of an explanation for Harry's troubles, but did decide it was time for Harry to begin taking medication to end the symptoms. Since it's unclear what the real problem is, Harry will have to receive both internal medicine, applied with a syringe, and two different types of ear drops that we will rotate day after day for ten days. Poor Harry, he does not seem to like being forced to ingest liquid from a syringe. Who's to blame him?


Comments, opinions?