Emme and her eating issues (oh, and my issues too!)

     First of all, I just want to reiterate, that I, have issues.  I have said it in the past (click here). But, I have reached an all new level.  

     I have neglected my blog.  And, it's not because I don't have time to write.  I have time.  3 times a day I have forced down time.   Two times a day, I lay down with Emme until she falls asleep for her naps.  At night, I lay down with Jackson while he falls asleep.  During those times, I always have my computer with me.  What else am I supposed to do?

     I used to write in my blog during those times.  I wrote in my blog during those times, until Dec 11.  On Dec 11, I made my usual rounds to my favorite blogs.  BooMama is one of my favorites.  On Dec 11, she had a post entitled Crackwords (click).  She talked about some game she found that she couldn't stop playing.  

     I should have stopped there.  But, I am nosey (no comments from the Peanut Gallery), so I had to dig around to find the name of the game.  Oh, I found it alright!  

    It's called Pathwords.  It's just a silly word game.  There's a bunch of letters and one has to make a path from the letters to find words.  Each game last 5 minutes.  What's worse is.... it's played on Facebook so you play against all your friends and it ranks you in order according to score.  It's not even about the score or the ranking anymore.  I just can't stop.  I see words in my sleep.  I see words all day and think, "Ewww... I bet I can make that word on Pathwords."  

     I am too embarrassed to tell you how much of my life I have wasted on this game?  Ok, how about a prize for the closest guess?  (I'll do anything for a comment or two.) (Hint: guess in hours... how embarrassing!) (Darja, (she lives with us), you can't guess!  And, you can't tell Gina!)

Enough of that...

     This picture has nothing to do with Emme and her eating issues.... I just love the picture.

     Our friends came in from South Carolina over Christmas break.  Those two cute blond boys... that's 2 of their 3 children.

     I think we are going to be old-school and go back to arranged marriages.  Our girls are going to marry those boys.  Won't they have the cutest kids?  I mean, David, the one holding Emme, wanted to hold Emme.  What 13/14 year old boy wants to hold a baby?  Where's the contract?

NEXT...........

    Last Tuesday morning we headed out at 7:30 am, IN AN ICE STORM, to take Emme an hour away to the children's hospital.  We had an appointment at 9 am to see the feeding team.

     In case you are unfamiliar with Emme's eating issues, let me just give you the rundown.  There's a laundry list of them.  She frequently throws up.  She starts gagging and coughing when you put her in her highchair to eat.  She cries when the feeding begins.  She TRIES to throw up her food.

     We have had found nothing anatomically that would cause this behavior.  So, apparently, we needed a team to figure it out.

     We talked for awhile, told them all about Emme, played for awhile, etc...  Then, they wanted to see her eat.

     We were to bring a variety of foods.  Things she likes ( Uh.... NOTHING!!)  baby food, food with textures, etc...  We were also to bring all the things we use during her feedings... spoons, cups, bowls...

     You know how kids NEVER perform when you want them to???  We'll not this time!  She was true to Emme form.  She gagged, she cried, she coughed, she tried to throw up.

     When it was over, I was so excited for this team to tell us all the things we were doing wrong.   After all, we tell her "no" when she starts to gag and cough.  It makes her cry.  Certainly, this can not be the right approach.   If she throws up, we make her eat more. Meals are supposed to be pleasant.  They sure the heck are for me:-)

     Do you know what they told us?  They said, "You guys are doing a great job.  You are doing everything right."   Can you believe that I DID NOT want to hear that?

     I wanted them to tell me what to do!

     They even said her chewing was good!  They her responses to food are learned behaviors.  At one time, it probably hurt really bad to eat (reflux), so she didn't want to eat.  But, since she is upright more, walking.  And, since she is developing a lot of muscle, this should not be an issue.  I guess strengthening the core helps with the reflux.

     They said that she is going to be fine.  If they didn't believe that, they said they would be having us come in weekly and talk about a feeding tube.

     The team gave us a higher calorie formula.  Information on some kind of powder we can buy to sprinkle on her food.  It's 45 calories a tsp.  I'll probably get this mixed up with my sugar free Stevia and blow up like a balloon.  Good heavens!

     Anyway, since that time.  Guess how many times she's thrown up?  (I'll get there is a second.)

     It's like she knew her jig (good Pathwords word) was up.  After the marathon appt, we went to lunch and she was  sticking a fork in Paul's chili and eating it!!  Are you kidding me?  DO you know how much money that appointment probably cost me?

     After we had been home awhile and Jackson had had enough time to illegally eat his snack in the family room  AND leave it on the coffee table...... this is what I walked in and witnessed...  

     Sorry for the poor quality photos.  They are from my phone.

     Emme has thrown up twice in the last week.  Once because I gave her a bite of her cousin's birthday cake.  I think it was too dry and she gagged.  A small amount of the food she had just eaten came up.

    The other time was last night.  It was because I stepped on her hand.  I think it hurt so bad she threw up!  Poor thing!!

    So, there.  Basically, you are caught up.  I am done with Pathwords.  I have confessed it as a sin.  Unless of course, any of you have any really good words that start or have the letters v, k and z in them.  Kidding... just kidding!!!