Is my almost-9-month-old eating enough?

[Vinimamae]

I feel like I'm all over the place with my DS' feeding schedule, and I'm constantly worried he's not eating enough.  Not only is he super fussy to eat solids (even if we hand feed them, he will typically take a few bites but be done after that), but his milk feedings/nursing sessions are all over the place.  Here's a breakdown:

6:30 or 7: Wake up, nurse (usually nurses well)
8: eats very little amount of food, no matter if pureed or finger food
9: sleep
11:30: first attempt at a 4 oz bottle, which he usually barely takes.  Normally we can get him to drink 3 oz after a lot of insisting on our part
12:30: eats some veggies, again, very difficult to feed him.
1:30 or 2: sleeps some more, usually for another hour
3: another fight to get maybe 3 oz of milk in him
4: banana (this he eats very well)
6: nurses, but only for a very short period.  Refuses to continue nursing
7: veggies and some meat, usually a very painful feed, cries a lot (could he be tired??)
8: nurses to bed.  He usually eats well, but lately has been falling asleep after only a couple of minutes
NF: usually nurses well, but only one side. 

He seems to be ok in terms of activity level and wet/dirty diapers (although his poop is a little harder than I would like to see), but I feel like I'm always force feeding him something and i'm worried he's not well fed.  Advice???

[Lolly]

If he's not willing to take it he's probably not hungry - how is his weight gain, is he following his curve?

What are you feeding in his bottles - is it breast milk or formula? Many formula fed babies are doing 3 milk feeds a day by 9/10 months so he may be happier and more hungry if you tweak his schedule a bit. My kids (and a lot of others!) did a routine something like

Wakeup - millk feed
1-1.5 hours later - solids
Nap
Lunch (11.30/12)
Milk feed pre nap (ours was 2/2.30)
Nap
Solids
Milk feed as part of bed routine

I think 7pm is too late to be giving solids, you would be better of doing solids where your banana snack is (or half an hour later) and then a bedtime milk feed. If he is awake 6.30/7 then you need to be aiming for bed around 7/ 7.30. With solids around 4.30 he should take a good feed and not be too tired to eat (which is what's happening now).

What do you think?

Laura

[Vinimamae]

Thanks, Lolly.  I will try to tweak his schedule a bit in line with your suggestions.  I think he's ok with the weight gain, but we have his 9-month check-up this week, so I will know by the end of the week.  Thanks a million!