Day #29....Missing That Place Called Home!

Everyday Reese and I get up and go to a place where there are caring, loving and helpful people. This place is St Josephs Children's Hospital. My daughter has spent the last 6 weeks here getting the help she needs. I have watched her every step of the way. She has grown so much over these past 6 weeks. I cannot believe how much more active she is now. She truly is a different child from the first day we arrived at the clinic. Feeding has been a struggle from the start and continues to a struggle today. We had hopes for our daughter to be eating by now. We know this is not going to happen over night or over the next few weeks. Who knows it could take months. Only God knows. I do know one thing and that is we miss that place called home! We will be coming home soon. They have suggested we stay another week. We will continue the day treatment program throughout next week. Maybe one more week will get us closer to figuring out what works for Reese.

I talked with the school counselor today and she let me know that Nicholas and Mason are doing well. They have expressed to her times they feel sad about their mom and sister being away. I think of how much they have matured over the past year. How lucky Reese is to have such great big brothers!

We will be driving home for the weekend after the clinic tomorrow!

Day #28....Learning The Word Close

Today, Reese was going to learn the definition of the word CLOSE. Annette the feeder would be working with her on saying the word close and then closing her lips for the beginning of the session. Then a dry spoon would be presented and when the spoon was placed in Reese's mouth, Annette would close Reese's mouth on the spoon. The final part of the session would be water on the spoon and letting Reese close herself. If after a few seconds Reese did not close, Annette would help with closing her lips. This should prompt Reese to swallow after each spoon. Reese did OK during these sessions. Your probably thinking by now all this to get a child to eat. I never imagined anything like this in my entire life. These children deserve Disney World after achieving to goal of learning how to eat. If you ever thought about how much the tongue moves while eating to get the food back to the throat and down to the stomach. It will amaze you! I can probably say this if a thought of mine every day lately. It is something we never had to think about and something again that comes so naturally to most of us.

WE ALL LOVE AND BELIEVE IN YOU!!!