Turning Corners

September 19, 2008 - I almost hesitate to say this but it really feels like my little Angelina has turned a few corners in the last week or so! It had been hard to get Speech Therapy (ST) time done at home because we were feeding her so often. SO I made a decision to lengthen the time in between feeds to every 4 hours during the day and raise the amount of formula for each feed to 6 ounces. I was scared at first thinking she was going to be too full but she adjusted really well. I didn't see any kind of a difference in how often she was throwing up or what might have provoked it. We did that for like a week. Of course all this follows stopping the Reglan medicine she was taking to help speed the GI process along - which was also contributing to her seizure activity. I really thought she would be throwing up more, but she hasn't! It as been great to have so much more time in between feedings so that we can do more PT and ST.
With that being said, being able to work with her with baby food more often (ST) is really paying off! Her gag is really desensitizing well and she is able to control it more often. When she does look like she is about to vomit I go to work tickling her feet, patting her hands on a song toy or whatever to get her mind off of her gag and it is really working! Then she can really work her food back and make good swallows. I am so proud of her for being such a big girl!
She also has been doing really well with PT. I now can stand her up and let her hold on to the ottoman or her play table and she will hold herself for quite a while before trying to toddle over or squat down. She is trying to army crawl to get to things while on her tummy and actually making her way to the things she wants or at least in the vicinity so she can turn over and get them. She gets mad when she falls over while sitting because she isn't upright - it's so great that she can even understand the view is better when you are upright than on you back!
I am just being a proud mommy today!