Feeding

If your child doesn't have feeding issues you are soo blessed! When we adopted Addy she had so many health issues that I really didn't worry too much about the fact that she had a feeding tube. I knew that someday she wouldn't have they oxygen, colostomies, pulmonary hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea. The tube was another story. I knew that it would be a long time thing. I was seriously hoping that she wouldn't have a g-tube by the time she was four. That didn't happen and I knew then that hoping for age 5 was a dream. Addy started feeding therapy in November of 2010 and has made tremendous progress. I wanted Addy to accomplish three things before kindergarten. I wanted her to walk :) she's doing that! I wanted her potty trained, (see my 365 blog for that info) and I wanted her to not have to have a bolus feeding during school.

I'm not sure if that's going to happen but she is making so much progress. She is presented food with each tube feeding. She doesn't eat very much but at least now we are putting the spoon and food in our mouth without freaking out. She is tolerating Stage 3 foods pretty well too. She does freak out when a big chunk actually gets swallowed though. She doesn't mind it in her on her lips or in her mouth but does NOT like to swallow it!

Addy is really trying to be more independent. She really wants to feed herself but she just doesn't have the wrist rotation to use her spoon too well. I finally got in some curved spoons I ordered her. I had looked all over Springfield for them and couldn't find any so I went on and ordered them just after Thanksgiving and they just arrived this week! She is LOVING it! She does much better with her left hand so that's the only spoon I'm presenting her right now. The actual spoon is a little big for her but she is using it so I'm not complaining! She did great with lunch today, I can't wait to see what she's able to do just before school starts!