I've searched the internet to see if anyone else has seen a connection between these two things, but so far I've found nothing useful. Maybe no one else has been bonkers enough to feed their toddler pickled onions. Of course this sort of thing is what happens when I leave Wookiee in charge of Ewok for the weekend.
The weekend of the Stitching Show (which went very well btw, see my other blog Dyeing to Sparkle, for ongoing detailed posts about the planning, prep and actual show) I had to abandon Ewok to the tender mercies of his father for most of the weekend. This is not to say that Wookiee is no good at looking after Ewok, just that the last time I went away for the weekend I had to leave him detailed instructions, written up and printed out, on the usual daily schedule, what to do in various circumstances, meal plans and a 'your son is crying, why?' diagnostic chart. I confess I did take the piss rather with that last item, but I had a laugh writing it.
They both seemed to have survived the weekend, but I noticed on the Sunday evening that Ewok had an appaling case of nappy rash. It transpired that it had appeared since the last nappy change, but since Wookiee tends to postpone changes until he absolutely has to (he has nausea issues) I assumed it had been brought on by him 'stewing in his own juices' for a little too long.
After Ewok had been put to bed, Wookiee was giving me the highlights of their weekend, and he comes out with 'Guess what two things he stole off my plate at lunchtime, and actually came back for more of?' Exhausted though I was I managed to figure out lettuce, but not the other item. That, it transpired, was a pickled onion. These are both things that Ewok has been given in the past, on his own plate, and both have been summarily rejected, now it seems he has developed a taste for them. I didn't think much of it beyond the thought that this would expand the options for mealtimes.
The next morning Ewok's bum was looking better thanks to the liberal application of rash cream before bedtime and I thought nothing more of it. Lunchtime came around and Wookiee prepared his lunch of sandwiches and salad, and included some pickled onions which were the first thing to vanish off the plate. That evening I was changing his nappy (after he'd pooped) and his little bottom was red raw with rash again! That was when it occured to me that the acid in the pickling vinegar may have been coming through in his poop and attacking his delicate little botty.
It's not an unreasonable connection to make, he very rarely suffers from nappy rash. Usually it's when we haven't spotted he needs changing straight away. This was also the worst case of rash I'd ever seen on him. So I told Wookiee no more pickled onions until I'd checked into it, and then went to do some research, which as I mentioned before, turned up nothing.
Ewok hasn't had any pickled onions since, and although the last signs of the rash still haven't quite faded (yes, it was that bad) it hasn't come back either. Unfortunately, to really be sure of the connection I should feed him pickled onions again, but if you'd seen the miserable, sobbing and howling toddler who squirmed to get away from me while I was wiping his botty as gently as I could, you'd understand why I'm not that bothered about proving the hypothesis.
4 weeks ago
|