Lots going on as usual around here.
First though we eagerly await the arrival of Eleanor Grace! Mike's brother Brian and his wife Lauren will be welcoming their first baby, hopefully today! Yay!!! Can't wait to meet her!
***Edited***
Elle is here! The pictures of her are precious! She was a few weeks early and I believe in the NICU to help with her lungs-please say a prayer for her!
In other news, today Bennett was supposed to be having surgery (a minor one) but after panicking {slightly} and receiving good advice from my wonderful facebook, DS mama's (thank you all!), I cancelled it. It was supposed to be done at an outpatient center but I spoke to the cardiologist and it just seems safer if Bennett has it done at the hospital. So there you have it. Next Tuesday he will be having his surgery in the hospital and I feel much better about it.
Ahh.
Of course I'll be nervous about it again next week:0
Now, next Monday, the day before the surgery, I'm taking him to a Good Shepard Feeding Clinic to see if they have the magic wand that will make Bennett self feed...yeah right. We've been on the waiting list so I figure we'll go, see what they say and by all means I do not want to add more therapy to his schedule but I just want to see if they can give any more advice on top of what everyone else says.
As far as his self-feeding goes we are trying to let Bennett play with his food, touch, kiss, lick, pat, bite-you name it. And he's okay with that but he has absolutely no desire to pick up a stinkin' cheerio or gold fish cracker and actually eat it. None, what so ever. He of course isn't crazy about big chunks on a spoon but will tolerate all stage 3's and things I grind up in the blender. He's still a "muncher" not a side to side chewer so it's just going to take time. We'll see what these people have to say though.
Now onto some fun stuff {other than little Elle being born}! Bennett has started to use his little walker, although it's an extremely slow start, I'm just glad to see his tiny, little legs move! Bennett didn't really put weight on his legs for almost the first year of his life. And I realize for a typical kid, this is nothing. I know that. I have two girls that walked at 12-13 months and were running at 14 months like it was nothing. And it was nothing after the first month of seeing them do it. That's what babies are supposed to do! Well, I cannot tell you how different it is with Bennett. Things don't come easy to him at all. Everything is work, hard work. So seeing him do even the littlest things, brings great joy to us! Although to him this isn't little! I can finally picture him walking one day. When a few months ago I just couldn't.
To be honest though, I think the feeding may be a bigger celebration than the walking-ha! To see him feed himself a meal (actually taking food and putting it in his mouth himself) will be like watching a miracle-lol-anyone else in my shoes knows what I'm talking about. But it will happen...eventually.
So here he is in all his glory, taking itsy, bitsy baby steps....I have to laugh because the darn walker gets away from him and he has to catch up to it. He gets a little ticked at this by the end...keep in my mind Bennett isn't the biggest fan of working hard;)
Way to go buddy! You're getting there!!
Soooo exciting Adrienne. Go Bennett, Go!! Ella will walk all over the house with my help but is completely terrified of walkers.
ReplyDeleteYay Bennett! He knows exactly what he's doing with every deliberate step! He's so cute, even the "this is hard" face is adorable. Congrats on the newest baby in the family! Hope the feeding clinic goes well!
ReplyDeleteTiny steps, but so very exciting! When Ainsley was learning to walk, we put weights on her walker to keep it from getting away from her. We used the weights that are designed for walkers to wrap around their ankles. Our PT thought of weighing it down - I never think of these things! :)
ReplyDeleteOh boy Adrienne, do I ever totally understand where you are coming from!! As you know, I was finally at my wits end over the feeding thing that Landon & I actually needed an intervention. Landon now sees a feeding specialist 1x/week (sometimes 2)!! I just spoke with Kelli (Love for Colin) this past week about this very issue. I actually had a notebook that I wrote down "EVERONE's" advice/tips.......I crossed each one off as I tried them........no luck & TOTAL FRUSTRATION!! Now that we are involved with the feeding clinic, I am starting to realize just how much work eating can be for our little ones. First thing....ALL CHILDREN ARE DIFFERENT!! There are so many factors involved.....right down to sensory/tactile issues! You need to get to the root of the problem. Things are finally progresssing in the feeding area for Landon.....(and mommy is much less stressed out)!! HE WILL GET THERE!!
ReplyDeleteAnd WOOHOO Bennett!! Look at you go:) These small steps are the foundation for the BIG ones!! So exciting!! Landon wouldn't bare any weight on his legs for the first year either! It's so funny because once he started.....things seemed to progress rather quickly in this area!! Now he is a walking machine!! Did I ever think that he would be walking by the time he was 2.........NO!! And look at him now....walking before he turns 2 (this Friday)!!
Bennett, you are on your way!! Keep up the good work!! Trust me Adrienne.....these first steps are "so worth waiting for"!! It's the big payoff for all their hard work!! Congrats!!!!
Look at that fancy foot work!!! Go Bennett!!!
ReplyDeleteWay to go Bennett!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, Nate and Bennett are 2 peas in a pod! Seriously, we are going through exactly the same stuff. Nate is just taking steps and he refuses to self feed anything but liquids. I am still pureeing food and getting very tired of it. That is the biggest struggle for sure! I'll look forward to hearing about the feeding clinic! You may also want to check out http://www.loveforcolin.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteShe is going through some feeding issues too.
-Danielle
www.foreverbetter.blogspot.com
Love the video of Bennett with the walker, we have a similar one for Emily and she is not a fan of hard work either...but tolerates it ;-) Our therapist had us use duct tape to secure heavier soup cans to the sides of the walker and it helps because it doesn't seem to get too far in front of Emily if she accidently pushes too hard because it's a little heavier. Love the new header!
ReplyDeleteYeah Bennett!! I feel your pain on the feeding issues. Lindsey just throws everything on the floor now. My dogs sure do love it.
ReplyDeleteYAY Bennett!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI was just looking back at our blog... Max (who also didn't bare weight on his legs until almost a yr old) was just at this stage at Thanksgiving. Then started cruising the beginning of January, then standing up in the middle of the room mid Jan, then first baby steps end of Jan, and today he took 10 steps!!!!
Go Bennett - slow but steady - you'll get there!!
Go Bennett go!! Arina won't move her legs at all, and she ends of hanging while it scoots away. Soon he'll be walking!!
ReplyDeleteYEAH Bennett! Way to go!!!
ReplyDeleteBennett is RoCk'n the walker! I do agree self feeding is a VERY good thing! let us know the tricks you learn! Maddie and I are in some need of some help!! we will be thinkng of you all next week!! smiles
ReplyDeletePraying that Bennett's visit to the feeding clinic goes well. We started taking Wesley to a feeding therapist last fall, and it has made a HUGE difference for him. We still have a LONG way to go, but as Kelly said, there are different factors involved for every kid, and we are slowly working through Wesley's sensory and low tone issues. I hope that they are able to give you some helpful tips for Bennett!
ReplyDeleteAnd look at those steps! What a big boy!
Yay Bennett! Colin just started taking 1 or 2 steps with help with the walker, but just by moving his feet I can see walking in the future. Probably long term future, but the potential is emerging now! I love your new header!! Bennett looks so adorable and I just can't wait to see you guys!! :)
ReplyDeleteWay to go Bennett! You'll be running around before we know it!
ReplyDeleteAdrienne,
ReplyDeleteLiam just started with the walker too! It's been so great to see those itty bitty steps, and the smile and sweet satisfaction that oozes on his little face is the best ever!!
Good Shepard-I heard AWESOME things about it!! I actually attempted to get on the waiting for Liam about a year ago, but our insurance wouldn't cover a dime since it was considered "out of network". MUCH luck to you guys as you try to figure out what works for Bennett, we'll be thinking of you!!
Good for Bennett! He will be running around before you know it! I have been in your shoes! We took ours to the park today and my hubby and I both commented on how far Will has come (with his gross motor skills). All the PT has really paid off! He was climbing, running, and sliding like it was nothing! The eating for Will is a different story . . .he is 6 and some of the sensory, oral motor, textrue issues are FINALLY starting to come together. Good luck at the feeding clinic!! I have done many courses (as an SLP) and my advice is to be patient and try all the different techniques until you find one that works for him. Keep up all the food chainig, sensory and oral motor exercises - they will pay off eventually!
ReplyDeleteThat's great! Peyton's been walking behind his toy for a while now but just this week he started signing for the first time and FINALLY a consanant sound. He's got "more" down and "milk" is coming along great. They definitely cruise along in their own time, don't they? :)
ReplyDelete