Feeding Update

About a month ago, LB started working with a different Occupational Therapist to help with his feeding issues. It has been such a good experience! I liked our previous OT but she felt like LB needed someone who could also do some general sensory work with him along with the feeding. I am so grateful she recognized this and made the suggestion. We now go weekly and LB has made huge strides. Our new OT has done a great job developing a rapport with LB (a.k.a. Mr. Skeptical). She is also at a different location and I am so much happier about that. It was pretty chaotic going to the downtown Children's Hospital and LB was clearly overwhelmed by the number of kids they had in the OT room. It was loud and noisy and there was no way LB was going to relax and try to eat new textures. I was also becoming increasingly negative about whether the therapy was going to work. The new location is close to our house, quiet, clean and suits LB (and me) much better.

The OT spends the first part of the session doing fun activities with him that help him explore his senses and push him to expand outside his comfort zone. While she is playing games with him she also is doing things to get his mouth ready to eat. She has these animal toys that vibrate and she will ask LB to kiss them or hold them. I know it sounds silly but it seems to be working. He does this pretty well and he will even let her hold the toy in his mouth while it vibrates. That is a big step for him because he used to be very orally defensive. I wish I had taken my camera last week because I had to carry LB out of there in just his diaper. He was covered head to toe in banana, pudding and crushed graham cracker. Do you remember his 1st birthday photos? He hated being messy!! LB has come so far in letting go of that fear. Last week he was squishing banana between his fingers and was mixing it with the pudding. At one point he was licking the pudding out of the cup. It was a sight to see. I never thought I would be so excited to see my kid messy! He had a blast and the OT was even sad she had to end the session.

He is also taking big steps in the chewing department. Last week I gave him a waffle and his typical routine was to just lick it and play with it but not take a bite. I was encouraging him to take a bite and then he did. I thought for sure he would spit it out but he let it sit there on his tongue for a moment. I kept telling him to "chew like Cookie Monster" and then he moved the waffle over to his gums and chewed. He chewed!! I seriously started to sweat and hold back tears I was so excited. The biggest part of it is that he took four more bites! I was in utter shock and he was clearly so proud of himself. Since the famous waffle day he has taken bites of scrambled egg, tuna fish salad and Ethiopian food! Last night was our monthly get together of Ethiopian adoptive families and LB had our whole table clapping and giving him high fives. He seemed to like the yellow split peas and the cheese the best. I gave him a bite of the lentils but they were too spicy. There was also something wonderful about seeing him hold injera and attempt to take bites. It's like it was what he was born to do.

I know LB still has some catching up to do but I am so proud of him. These victories are so encouraging and that much sweeter since he had to work so hard to achieve them.