Safari

Let's just say this was a bit outside my comfort zone...but cheap entertainment/experiences for the kids always suck me in (darn groupons).  I'm not exactly an animal person and when you step out of your car, nasty pigs and crazy brave chickens come walking right up to you.  Thankfully, we went with some friends, which made the experience so much better for me and the giggles heard on the ride were very heart filling (warning...picture dump).

 

Journeying On,

Imaginative Play

There's a children's museum not too far away, and we thoroughly enjoyed it!

We played hard and have been recounting the day's events for days now.

Most of the pictures speak for themselves:)

Journeying On,

Super Eaters

Before my kids had feeding tubes placed, I was totally ignorant and arrogant about eating.  My thought was simply to do whatever it took to get my kids home and out of the hospital.  I thought that after they were home, my momma instincts would kick in and I would be able to get them to eat.  Well, that just hasn't been the case.  It has been more complex, required more learning, more patience and more faith than I ever thought possible.  But let me tell you, His grace has been more than sufficient for all of these! I haven't always endured (yes, I mean we've often only 'survived') mealtimes, offering little grace to my frustrated eaters, but the Lord has been redeeming mealtime in our house and his works are spectacular!

  

He finished half of a waffle

Ate almost every sprinkle off his donut

(after wiping his fingers and every sprinkle clean)

1/4 cup of cheese and 1/4 of a banana

Bacon:)

peanut butter crackers

scrambled eggs and loads of potato sticks

and has been drinking milk!!

This is huge!! Until now he has only wanted water, which doesn't help much with his calorie intake

and so importantly...he is enjoying it!

A huge blessings and encouragement.

We have been able to cut his tube feedings a little bit, but because he isn't on the growth chart, he has little to spare if he looses weight during a tube wean.  We really need him to have a growth spurt before we can start a serious wean on him.  He is definitely getting there though.

Addison's eating has been....well....let's just say miraculously jump started by the stomach bug  a few weeks ago.  While she was sick, she couldn't tolerate any of her tube feedings, so we just did fluids.  When she got over the bug she started eating...like a lot!  And saying she was hungry (a first!!).  On March 28th she went her first whole day with no calories through her tube.  Since then, she's only had a few bolus feeds here and there to fill in for meals she hasn't done well on. And she's not had a tube feedings since Thursday (April 4th)!  She still doesn't drink nearly enough so we're using the tube to keep her hydrated, but she has needed no calories during this tube wean and has only lost about 6 ounces of weight.  When we can go about three months without using the tube for calories or hydration, we can talk about taking it out for good:)

PS-I'm also very aware that we will win the contest for "most pictures of kids eating" :)

But it was your own eyes that saw all of these great things the Lord has done...
-Duet 11:7

Journeying On,

Chocolate

Since we've graduated (by that I mean kicked out when they turned three) from the early intervention services provided in Tennessee, we haven't had feeding therapy in a couple of months.  Thankfully our amazing feeding therapist agreed to still come once a month and this week is the first time since November; and we were glad to see her.  She really helps, especially Ethan, be accepting of new foods.  Even if they don't make it in his mouth, at least he's touching them....and they both did a little more than just eating and touching food this week....

Off to the bathtub...

Journeying On,