Eva eats!

As part of Eva’s therapy to teach her how to eat, the therapist has asked me to give her tastes of baby food a couple of times a day. I’ve done that and she hasn’t ever really been interested in the actual baby food but tolerates it in order to chew on my finger. The day before yesterday, I was doing the very same thing I do every day and was making ridiculous “nom nom” noises with an over the top happy voice so that even if she gags she see’s that mommy is happy and that this is fun and yummy. I dipped my finger in a jar of sweet potatoes and she almost leaped out of the bumbo to grab my finger! She shoved it in her mouth and swallowed the baby food without even making a face! I was shocked! Again, I dipped my finger in the baby food and she was reaching out for my hand like I’d never seen her do before. Before I knew it I was scooping baby food onto my finger and she was spending less and less time chewing on my finger and more time anxiously awaiting more baby food. I know I’m making it sound like she devoured the whole jar of sweet potatoes but really she only swallowed a total of about half a tablespoon, haha! That is WAAAY more than she had ever done before though!

 

Yesterday, she did the same thing as well as tried her very first banana! She loved it and was biting off little chunks and swallowing them. I was so HAPPY!

 

Today, she graduated from eating from my finger since she is not as interested in chewing but more interested in the food itself. I fed her from a spoon and she did pretty good. I think she still needs something to chew on while she is trying to work the food down. Whenever I would pull the spoon out of her mouth right away she would gag. If I kept it in her mouth for a bit while she swallowed the greater part of it then she would be fine. The good news is that she was still really interested in the baby food, the bad news is that I tried the banana again today and she gagged on a chunk and threw up:( I think I’ll stick to pureed foods for now…got a little too excited.

 

Eva still hasn’t rolled over. She has no interest in being on her side or her tummy and fights me when I try to do her therapy. I’m not too worried about that though. I think that as she gets bigger and stronger she will naturally be more interested in the world beyond her immediate reach.

She has not thrown up in several days and is getting better and better at sitting up. Eva is our sensitive one. She gets rashes easily, gags easily, wakes up if a pin is dropped but boy is she a happy little girl! She can be throwing up one minute and the second she is done she will give the biggest, happiest smile. She is so squirmy and wiggly and lately she knows that it makes me laugh and wiggles with a big grin on her face.

Right after eating

I was thinking back today to how hard life has been. I’ve said it before and it is still true, she is the hardest of the 3 trach babies. I’m not quite sure how I survived the first 6 months but by some miracle I did. I’m sad that I didn’t get to just enjoy her babyhood but I’m so glad that it’s over. I’m grateful every single day for what life is today. I’m grateful that she is doing so much better, not perfect but much better. I’m grateful to be able to sleep through the night and for the two nurses that make that possible. I seriously love them for their service. I know that it’s their job but to me it is a huge service that has given me back my life and the ability to be a mother to my kids again. I’m so blessed!

I’m so proud of Eva and how far she has come.