Baby Food Blues

I have hit a wall with my son.  My adorable, perfect, make-you-smile-all-the-time little munchkin.

He will not eat finger foods.

He's at the age where you're supposed to start introducing finger foods, so he can feed himself, become more independent, make a bigger mess.... It's not going the way I hoped. 

I admit, I have cried about it.

 Out of frustration, of course. 

I'm not some weepy chick.

Well, maybe a little.

Zach has never had a problem reaching any milestone.  In fact, many of them happened early.  Since he was born he's been an overacheiver, lifting his head, sitting up, getting teeth.  When it came time to start giving him solid food, he ate every pureed fruit, vegetable, and cereal with enthusiasm.  Now that it's time to foray into feeding himself with chunkier versions of his favorite foods, it's a "no go."

When we first started with the Stage 3 foods -- You parents know what I'm talking about.  The jarred stuff that has little chunks to help transition from pureed to big kid meals -- Zach gagged every time.

And I mean gagged.

It was horrible watching him get all watery-eyed with his tongue sticking out.  Not good at all for the nerves.  Or my heart, as I am sure it stopped several times at the beginning when I thought he was actually choking.  But after lots of trial and error (and more than a few days of running the food through a seive), Zach finally started eating without gagging.

Mostly.

Enough, at least, to venture into the exciting world of "Puffs"!  And perhaps pieces of banana.  Or even totally mushy peaches.  Arrowroot cookies?

Anything?

Nope.

Zach refuses to put any piece of anything in his mouth.  He'll push it around on his tray.  He'll pick it up with his fingers.  But he will not put it to his lips.  And when someone else tries to put it to his lips, he grits his teeth and turns his head.  On the rare (count them - two) occasions that I actually got a piece into his mouth.

He gagged.


Have any of you experienced the joy (and sorrow) of Stage 3 or Finger Foods?  Feel free to leave your advice - I'll try anything!