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This weekend I was on call. I was in the hospital most of both days and a lot of one of the nights.
That left Dave and Nate alone in the bachelor pad. It gave Dave lots of time to implement his evil plan. His plan to get Nathan to drink some Chocolate Neocate.

Dave I both thought it tasted better (though not a lot better) than the EO28 that we tried first.
Nathan disagreed and spent the last 2 days of the weeks spitting it, drooling it, and cheerfully bidding it "bye bye".
Then the weekend came and Dave sent him to Neocate boot camp.
No fluids were offered except the chocolate amino acid beverage.
Nathan did not drink.
We added chocolate syrup, vanilla extract, warmed it up and poured it over ice. We tried different cups. We tried a shot glass (his favorite drinking utensil).
He stood firm.
When he hadn't urinated in almost 10 hours, was awake in the middle of the night screaming for a drink, and still wouldn't swallow the Neocate, I caved and gave him a giant glass of ice cold mango juice.
Which he guzzled.
And regained his strength for the next day's battle.
In total, over about 4 days, he drank about 2 ounces of Neocate.

We gave up and Monday he drank rice milk. (NOT an infant formula. Consult physician before using in children under the age of 5!)

Tuesday the GI nutritionist finally called back and gave me some new Neocate strategies and redoubled our conviction that he needs a milk substitute that actually contains protein and fat. He's got a lot of ground to make up and solid food just isn't going to do it.

So, with a sigh and a sense of foreboding I went down to the GI clinic and picked up more EO28, more chocolate Neocate, and some Neocate tropical.

Then, as I was about to leave, it caught my eye.
Elecare.
It was in a sexy little package with a FREE plastic shaker bottle and it claimed to be vanilla flavored. Also made by the makers of Pediasure. Seemed to be in its favor.

I had read online that some kids took the Vanilla Elecare better than Neocate. I also read that many refused it. Still, I grabbed the box and added it to my stash.

When I got home Dave and I inspected the packaging like a Torah scroll, impressed by the results of a taste test done in normal children.

We weighed the powder, added water, shook it up, and Voila! magic happened.
Dave and I tasted it and agreed that we would actually drink it. Maybe a little chalky but no sulfur to be found. Strong vanilla smell and flavor. No medicinal aftertaste. We dissected it like a pair of sommeliers discussing a fine Syrah.

And then we gave it to Nathan.
Who loved it.
Who has already drank about 10 ounces of the stuff.

Who maybe, we say with fingers and toes crossed, will actually grow.