Don't Tell Me I Can't Eat

Hey everybody.  Hoss here to update you on my progress with eating.  You see, they told my Mom that I aspirated and so I have this feeding tube.  I keep having swallow studies, but they keep showing that I still aspirate.  Not as much, each time is better, but Mrs. Denise keeps telling Mom to steer clear of liquids, just in case.  I've never had pneumonia and aspirating can really cause that in kids like me, so why force the issue until I can learn how to swallow properly.  But Mom keeps wondering how I'm supposed to learn to swallow if I don't ever practice.  So at my well check up last week (I weighed 16lbs and 8oz and was 27 inches long) Mom talked to Dr. Peep about how to go about practicing.  I've been practicing with baby food for a while now, 8-10 bites at a time two or three times a day, but no liquids practice.

Dr. Peep and Mom feel it is reasonable to go ahead and try some liquids since I have not ever developed pneumonia with the things I have been eating.  Dr. Peep said that teaching a kid to eat who has been solely dependent on a feeding tube can take an act of Congress.  In other words, it don't come easy.  He assured her that we would both certainly get frustrated with eating food before I was truly eating.  But, since Mom's goal is to get the feeding tube O.U.T. she decided to jump in with both feet.  Also, I have a cardiology appointment next week and they will do a chest x-ray so we will know if my aspirations are setting me up for pneumonia or not.  On one hand, I hope my lungs look as good as always, but can you imagine how much she's going to push me if I'm still all clear?

First she started me with bananas.  Now keep in mind I've tried lots of things, but just a few bites.  Bananas were the first food Mom decided to substitute for a feeding.

Take that aspirations!  I ate the whole tub!!

Next she worked in some higher calorie foods that I just adore!  I can't get enough of Turkey and Rice, Chicken and Vegetables or Vegetable Beef.  I really love the more savory type foods, but that makes sense.  That's what Mom craved when she was pregnant with me.  Heck, she ate so much Japanese food I'm surprised my name isn't Toyota!  You can see I REALLY enjoy my meats!

Mom's also introducing some non baby food things, like yogurt.  My big brother Jax loves yogurt and it's supposed to be good for you, so why not.  Guess you could say it's a hit as well.

Most recently, she's been feeding me in more of a traditional meal setup.  You know, more than one thing at a time.  I think she needs to work on her combinations a little bit (tonight it was strawberry banana yogurt with sweet potatoes and corn...I would be rolling my eyes if I knew how) but it's good for me to have different textures and temperatures.  So far, I don't seem to have any real aversions, thank goodness.

We've also been working with a sippy cup.  Shhhhh, don't tell anyone, but she puts chocolate milk in my sippy.  I know that will stop once I get the hang of it, but for now, I've got her convinced that I need that extra treat to get me to drink.  Today, Mom took the handles off my sippy cup and it made it more like a bottle.  Very quickly I figured out how to hold it myself and even can put it in my own mouth.  I mostly am chewing on the nipple rather than sucking it, but that's ok for now.  I don't get tons of milk to swallow at one time that way.  Sometimes I cough a little like it's trying to go down the wrong pipe, but mostly I swallow it.  Yumm!!

I'm telling you what, I am so proud of myself!  Sometimes I kick my feet and flail my arms and hit the spoon headed towards me and sling baby food all over me and Mom and the kitchen.  She doesn't care, it'll all clean up when we're through!

I'm also developing my own cues for Mom.  This is my, "No Thank You, I've Had Enough" face.  Sometimes she doesn't get them the first couple of times I show her one, but eventually she catches on.

I guess that's all for tonight.  I best get to bed, after all, who lets a baby stay up past 9:30?  Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!  But if they do, hit 'em with a shoe and tell 'em I don't want to sleep with you! Thanks Uncle Gil!