Food is Yummy

It's been a fun week at our house.  Joe has explored his food options and been doing very very well and baby food is soon to be a thing of the past!  Last week I expressed some concern with Sarah (Joe's OT friend) about his eating.  Although he came to us much too early he is nearly 15 months old which means he is 12 months old adjusted.  I felt he needs to try new textures, flavors, and varieties.  She agreed 100%. 

Several months ago I had a horrible scare.......I was feeding little Joe level 3 baby food, beef and veggies, and the little man choked on me.  It scared me soo much that I never let him have any level 3's again!  I also experimented with bitter biscuits and mum mums and the same thing.  He would go crazy and bite a huge piece off.  I would stand over the top of him like a total psycho and the second a chunk broke off into his mouth, I would grab his little face to hold still and stick my finger in his mouth to remove the piece.  He would look at me like, "jeez Mom I'm trying to enjoy my treat and you are ruining it!".  So we just quit all together because I felt bad doing that too him.  I mean he eats and adult sized bowl of rice and baby food sometimes seconds, why rock the boat right?  I realized that isn't right to do to Joe, he needs to eat big boy food!  Besides, what is more wonderful than eating?  There are so many wonderful things to eat and Joe needs to enjoy too!

Fortunately for us Sarah is a feeding expert :)  She came over and we ate cream of corn...yummy (Joe thought so I guess) mixed with rice.  He did really well.  He gagged a few times, but the key is to remain calm, smiling, and talk him through it.  He eventually chewed chewed chewed and down it went.  Yeah Joe!  I learned that sticking my finger in his mouth and freaking out was not good.  In fact he wouldn't let Sarah put a piece of biscuit in his cheek because of my past experience.  Oops.  He figured it out fast though!  I guess since Joe was on the vent when he was born that can cause your gag reflex to be closer.  Ours is quite aways towards the back of our throat, but Joe's is quite close to where he swallows. 

Yesterday we decided to get really crazy and give Joe spaghetti his Daddy made for supper.  His first time eating spaghetti ( I will post pics later promise).  Sarah came over to help supervise.  We cut it up really small and when we feed little Joe the key is to stick the food into the side of his mouth .... in his cheek.  This will force him to chew chew chew.  He did very well only coughing and gagging a few times he does better on the left side of his mouth than the right.  The right side is his trouble area in general though.  Sarah also brought us a very cool cup, it is plastic, but very malleable.  We can pinch the edge and kind of funnel the fluid into his mouth.  It has a cut out opening so when we tip it up it doesn't hit his nose.  He did awesome awesome with it!  He drank a glass of juice and 3 glasses of plain milk!  Bye Bye bottle and formula.........Joe's a big boy now!  Heck we can skip the sippy too!  Joe also got to try a beef stick, I think he enjoyed the way it made his gums feel more than anything.  Darn teeth!  Sarah also showed us that cheese cloth works to filter out pieces that my choke him.  We wrapped a choc chip cookie in the cheese cloth and let him chew that a little bit.  He wasn't so hip on that though,  but at least gave it a try!  

Pictures to come soon............I promise!