I have some big announcements today!
I have been waiting for my whole life to write this blog,
but I had a lot of work to do before I could announce that “I LOVE FOOD”!!!!
Most of you know that I’ve had some feeding problems since I
was born. My eagerness to get into the world early came at the price of having
a tube in my nose for the first 5 months of my life, and then a g-tube placed
in my tummy in January of this year.
Then I had my big tummy surgery (Nissen fundoplication) in May of this
year. I finally healed from the bloating
of that surgery a few months ago and was starting to feel better in
general. None of that was very fun, but
it was totally worth it. Aside from
scars being pretty cool, my tummy feels pretty good now.
I’ve been working with Anne, my feeding therapist for 11
months now, and she’s coming 2-3 times a week. About a month ago, my parents,
Heather (my nanny) and Anne noticed that I was showing more interest in putting
things into my mouth and was more willing to taste things. So, they devised an evil plan. They would starve me!!! After a lot of research, Mama & Daddy
decided to try to withhold my tube feeds to see if it would make me
hungry. I didn’t notice it at first, but
they slowly decreased my g-tube feeds over the course of a week. Then I turned into Mr. Crankypants…my tummy
was sore and I had no idea what was going on.
What was this strange rumbling in my belly? I had never experienced this sensation
before, since Mama & Daddy always pumped my milk in on a set schedule. Oh my goodness…what was a poor little dude
supposed to do in order for this yucky feeling to go away? I wasn’t sure what to do at first, but then
teacher Anne came over on a Saturday morning and suggested that they try to
feed me milk with a new sippy cup in the bathtub (my happy place!)
And it clicked!!! I
was so hungry that I was willing to do anything at that point, and the bath
helped me relax. I drank about 6 ounces
of milk in that one sitting…and my tummy felt so much better! The lightbulb went on…in order to stop the
rumbling in my tummy, I had to put food into my mouth. Aha! I
was pretty proud of myself too.
I never looked back…
It’s been over 3 weeks now since Mama & Daddy have used
my g-tube to give me any calories. I’m
drinking a lot of milk, but I’ve also discovered the wonderful world of
food! I’m a savory kind of guy…nothing
too sweet. I love guacamole, chips,
veggie sticks, refried beans, lentils & curry sauce, all kinds of Indian
food, and even sushi!
Mama & Daddy are so proud of me…it made them cry when
they were able to feed me a bottle for the first time ever! I really like this feeling, so I’m doing my
best to stay on track and keep exploring the culinary world. Maybe I’ll be a chef or a food writer
someday?
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| Just chillin' |
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| Grammie giving me my new sippy cup! |
Sometimes it's just hard to choose!
Drinking from my straw feeder & my sippy cup
My remarkable success at eating has almost overshadowed
another amazing milestone. I CAN
WALK!!! I’m pretty proud of my new
wheels. I have been working on this for
a long time, but I finally just put mind over matter and just let go of the
furniture. Lo an behold, I could still
keep my balance…hooray!!! Watch out
world…here I come!!!
This all comes in time for my next adventure…Paris! We’re leaving on Thanksgiving for a week in
the City of Lights. Mama tells me that
this is a city in a far away magical land called France. I even have to have a special little blue
book with my picture in it in order to be let into the country. I’m packing my stuff already…so expect tons
of dapper little dude photos in the next installment…and expect pictures of me
eating pate!
My first steps!
Getting better and more confidant every day!
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