That's the diagnosis today from the pediatrician. My son, Noah, is still just shy of twenty pounds in weight at fifteen months of age.

He's at the fiftieth percentile for height, but only the third for weight, and has been steadily, slowly, slipping in the latter area.

It's odd - he seems to be happy and healthy, is hitting all of his developmental milestones, is intelligent, is friendly, is energetic... but is a picky eater. If he eats five whole pieces of popcorn chicken, we consider it a good meal. An entire stage two baby food at one sitting? Woot!

So, they took three tubes of blood, asked a lot of questions, and began a battery of tests for scary-sounding things such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, kidney issues, liver issues, and more. Odds are excellent that we have a lot of tests and dotor's visits in the near future.

Sigh.

For those of you who do pray, your prayers would be greatly appreciated.

Not overly big on praying, but you've got my thoughts. It's horrible to have a family member with some sort of condition, made even worse when it's a young child. I wish him and all your family the best, and don't worry, it will all get better soon.

After all, he is the most loveabull maybe, that has to count for something.

Not much on praying either, but I wish you all the best as well.

I hope all goes well for Noah. For all the scary sounding possiblilities they throw out, there are two common ones that are not mentioned. The fact that he is bright and moving should be positive. Hopefully it is just a matter of him being a picky eater.

I'm hoping that's the case. I was always a very skinny child, and a picky eater myself (still am fairly picky).

Noah is walking more every day, he climbs ALL the time... pushes chairs to the dining room table so that he can climb up on it, for instance.

He's outgoing and friendly, makes eye contact, smiles readily, etc. Coos and babbles incessantly.

But it's sobering to look at some of the possibilities. You just assume that kids will be healthy, outside of minor ailments. It's tough to shake that "really bad things only happen to other people" mentality.

My cousin was a very picky eater as a baby, always under weight, but she was and is the most robust and healthy person I know. Oh, and given time she became quite a good eater.

Let us hope and pray that that is all that is wrong with your cherub.

Maybe he'll be a dwarf!

Seriously though I know a few people that started out like that and turned out to be normal - just never really growing taller than 5'0 or so.

Hopefully at worst he's just gonna be a little dude.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and our son. I hope it isn’t anything beyond just a picky eater and hope as well that maybe he is just going to be a little dude.

I join my woice with the others in prayer to all the gods who listen. I and DM are ding Light, prayers and good wishes to your son Nolan and your family as well, that this will all turn out fine.

With knowledge and technology being as advanced as they are noadays, I'm sure Noah will be fine, whatever the outcome. Fine, of course, comes in different levels, but I mean that he will still grow up a happy child. What's more important.

For now, best of luck, and I hope you can leave hospital visits behind you as soon as possible.

I hope everything works out ok.

When I was an infant and a child, my parents pretty much thought of me as being too thin etc. (in fact she still does). But I'm fairly healthy, so I hope Noah is too.

Noah is fine on height - 50th percentile (i.e. dead average). It's the weight that's the issue... he's a beanpole.

So far, so good. All but one test (for celiac) have come back as normal. We'll see what comes.

Does the word celiac come in layman terms flavor?

It's an issue with the body's ability to absorb certain foods. Gluten is a big one.