I have some exciting news about Atticus!! Well, really two exciting new developments! First, I'm proud to say that Atticus has learned how to pull up on his knees! He's been reaching for the TV remote on the coffee table, and taking everything off that stands in his way (including Robbie's laptop....oops!) to be able to reach it. I'm so proud of him! However, this also means that now I have to fight with that (expletive of choice) crib again to be able to lower his mattress! The last time I had to do anything to it was when I assembled it almost a year ago when Atticus was getting ready to come home from the hospital for the first time. The side rails kept falling over, the middle support kept bending when rails fell over, etc....and it always seemed to land on me! I was literally black and blue by the time I finished putting that crib together. I had cried, I had been beaten badly, and I hurt all over, but I finally put it together!!! Oh well, maybe this will be the last time I'll have to mess with it, and Atticus can go straight to a toddler bed after this! ;)
Ok, second big development happened earlier this evening. Atticus, of course, eats through his G-tube, but we still make attempts at feeding by mouth with Stage 1 or 2 baby foods. Generally speaking, these sessions don't go well. Most of the time, you give 1 or 2 spoonfuls, and he's had enough. If you try to give him more than that, he'll throw himself into such a fit that he'll make himself throw up everywhere. Not a pretty sight. And totally not the type of behavior that I want Atticus to associate with eating, so we generally stop. Every once in a great blue moon, I might be able to get about 1/3 of a jar down. But generally, I have to trick him into opening his mouth, and he grimaces whenever he swallows. So recently, I've been doing some research through a few other Heart Mamas' blogs that have older heart kids and have "been there, done that". One of the tips that I picked up was to put some of the food on Atticus' tray and let him play in it while trying to feed him. This hasn't been easy for me because I'm totally OCD, so I have to make sure that I strip him down to his pants, and that I'm able to give him a bath right away, but this has certainly helped A LOT! If I let him play in the food for a few minutes before I attempt to feed him, then he's been getting to where he doesn't grimace so much when I put the food in his mouth. So tonight, I decided to give him something new, and we had some Stage 2 Pumpkin with Pears while I ate my dinner. I took a few bites of my food while he watched me, then I spooned him up a bite and he LOVED it!!!! It was the first time ever he actually leaned forward towards the spoon and willingly opened his mouth to let me feed him! And he only grimaced the first time or two, but then started eating almost like any other "normal" baby!!! Hooray!!! It's something so small, but I feel as great as someone who's finished their first marathon! LOL! One mini hurdle overcome in the road to getting off the G-tube!! Thank you God! I was also amazed that he actually ate about 1/2 the jar before he started getting tired and actually attempted to make the sign for "All Done"! (It done by wiping your hands back and forth-like dusting crumbs off your fingers.....his was more of a clap/swipe two times, but I knew what he meant!!) After he had signed "all done", he refused to take anymore bites.
Dinner with Atticus has just blown my mind tonight! It seems like after almost a year of trying to get him to eat by mouth, we've finally taken the first "real" step towards taking all our meals by mouth. It has certainly given me some renewed hope exactly when I was beginning to feel like it would never happen! Thank you Lord. You always know exactly what I need. :) It has also been exciting this week to notice Atticus attempting to make some of the baby signs that the Speech therapist and I have been teaching him. We decided to go ahead and begin with some Baby Sign Language because 1) of his hearing loss and 2) because his vocal chords still haven't healed completely. It's like finally getting to talk to him, and knowing that he understands; that he's beginning to make the association between speech and its meaning. Very cool stuff. As always, I'll ask everyone to keep sending those well wishes, good thoughts, and keep on prayin'!!
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