Therapy - Things have been going well. I can't pretend that 3 therapy sessions a week doesn't get old because it definitely does. I also can't pretend that having a bunch of exercises with each type of therapy isn't a hassle to say the least BUT the exciting news is that they are working. The Chubs has made fantastic strides in every area and it's really made me realize just how important these sessions are for her. I had no idea the extent of her sensory issues until we started therapy. Thank God that we did. As a result of therapy The Chubs is now feeling much more comfortable reaching for things no matter what their texture, size or shape, putting things up to her mouth (I never thought I would see the day), putting her hands on the floor regardless of the surface, and she is willingly opening her mouth for the spoon, dropper, and vibrating teether (major feat). Again, anyone with a normally developing child would think these things are nothing and most have children that were doing this at 4 months old, but for The Chubs, being the sensitive little girl that she is, these are huge steps. Ones I would never have dreamed we would take because of her defensiveness to her environment. In fact she has finally found a few things that she really trusts near her mouth:
Yes, that is a tampon. Her feeding therapist will be so proud.
Feeding - This kind of goes along with therapy but overall feedings have become much easier. Eating is still not her favorite thing. I'm not sure it ever will be. But bottle feedings have improved and solids are coming along. Teething doesn't seem to effect her eating nearly as much as it used to. She is learning to eat through the pain and I'm so proud of her. We weighed her ourselves the other day and she was almost 15 lbs. Our target is 15 lbs or more at her 1 year mark. That means she will have tripled her weight since birth. Definitely something worth celebrating. We are still doing stage 2 purees. Moving slowly is key with her. We don't want to give her something that freaks her out and regress in that department. Our next step will be mashed table food. I will probably start introducing this next week. The challenge is finding food items that are milk and soy free. It would be easy to just mash up whatever we're having for dinner but since she has the milk and soy intolerance we'll have to figure out a few things to offer that she can handle. Did I mention she loves sweet potatoes?
Growth - According to our own measurements, The Chubs is now on the growth chart for height! She is right at the 3rd percentile. I am nothing short of thrilled about this. I wish I could post her growth pattern since birth. She was on her own growth curve (less than 1%ile) until about 8 months and then she just started to shoot up. Of course this makes her weight for height less because she's taller now but I'm sure it will eventually catch up.
Birthday Girl - My little girl will be 1 year old next week. We have so much to celebrate. This has been the most challenging year of my life but so rewarding. When I think back to last Thanksgiving, eating our turkey meal in the cafeteria of Children's Hospital, I realize just how far we've come. I remember feeling so much uncertainty, not knowing what was going on with her, or when we would be able to bring her home, what the long term effects would be, and if she would ever thrive like a normal child. Here we are almost one year later and my little girl is laying in her crib babbling away and happy as can be (with the exception of teething). It has been so much more work than I ever imagined. I knew having a child would be challenging, exhausting, and at times frustrating, but I never imagined that I would have a child that needed so much extra care. I thank God that He entrusted her life with us. That He knew we could handle this and give her the care she needed. Although at times I have wished I just had a "normal" child, I wouldn't trade this experience or The Chubs for any other child in the world. Every frustrating feeding, every grueling procedure, every long appointment, every sleepless night, they were all worth it. And though it is sad to say goodbye to the first year of my baby's life, I welcome this next one with open arms. I am ready to move forward and have great hopes for the coming year.
2 Days Old
Almost 1 year
I am blown away with your last picture of your sweets. She is absolutely adorable!
ReplyDeleteShe's come so far! What a proud momma you clearly are!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. The last section almost made me cry. You have done an amazing job with your sweet daughter over the last year. You should be proud of yourself (and Stephen too, of course). She has come such a long way & I know things will only continue to improve over the coming weeks and months. Happy almost first birthday to the sweet Chubs and my future daughter-in-law. ;)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it has been almost a year! Well, OK, I guess I can.
ReplyDeleteEllie, this post seriously made me tear up. I know, maybe it is the hormones. But still. I can't even imagine all of the struggles that you have been through this past year. I know that when you wanted to become a mother, you dind't imagine that your life would be like this. But you had to be the mother that she was meant to have - with your love and patience, the Chubs really has come a long way in that year. As if it were yesterday, I remember saying prayers that everything would be OK and that she would get to come home soon. And here she is, growing up,eating solid foods and putting tampons in her mouth. Way to go, Mom!!!
Way to go Lexi! Did you ever imagine you'd be typing the words: "She loves sweet potatoes"? And 3%ile??? That is awesome. You aren't just surviving anymore- you are thriving!
ReplyDeleteAwsome post, Mama! You and the Chubs have much to celebrate as she is putting herself out there to explore the world and eating so much more! And as challenging as it is to raise a child who needs extra care, you are doing great! It may not be what you thought, but you also seem to be turning a corner. There are stages and levels of acceptance with your journey of parenthood. While you aknowledge the difficulties, you are able to see the positive and are thankful for your family. I hope that you feel you are moving away from surviving parenthood and are able to see that you, too, are thriving. Thank you for sharing your special moments with the Chubs!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Chubs!