All About Ben...Part 1

Here are just some random updates on how Ben is doing:

Sleeping...

8pm-6:30am straight through...occasionally he will wake up to find his toy cars but goes back to sleep quickly

Eating...

Ben has a great appetite. The only thing he does not seem to like is applesauce. The catch is, he will only eat foods that can be swallowed without chewing. He is not able to chew foods and he can tell just by looking at something if it is even worth trying. We can eat pizza and chocolate in front of him and he could care less as they do not pass that test. Even quick dissolve baby snacks won't work. He eats very quickly....he will smell it first but does not take the time to taste it and he is very cautious about new foods. We tried ice cream and once he dealt with the brain freeze, the extreme cold tempature on his teeth prevented him from eating any more, as bad as he wanted it.

Right now, a typical meal consist of: oatmeal made with whole milk, yogurt and carnation instant breakfast packet mixed together for breakfast; slightly pureed soup (sometimes with crackers crumbs soaked in) for lunch plus either yogurt or pudding on the side. Dinner is more of the same. I have been able to crush up graham crackers into the yogurt and he will eat that. I've added cooked rice to the soup successfully as well. We've tried a variety of soups and he has like them all. He also likes mashed potatoes and cream or sauce foods like overcooked (not al dente) mac n cheese with extra milk mixed in, or italian chicken sauce over rice, etc. He likes scrambled eggs as well as long as they aren't too dry.

He eats very quickly and does not seem to know when he is full. He usually puts his thumb in his mouth between bites but this past week I've successfully been able to teach him to pause between bites (it helps to have him stop and sign more) to make sure his mouth is empty before adding more food to it. He has also learned what 'no thumb' and 'put your hand down' means. Ben has a habit of storing food in his mouth so we're working on ruling out the reasons that may be causing that and then teaching him that it is no longer necessary, that food will always be available and he won't be hungry any more.

I'm having some difficulty getting him to drink anything. Most of his fluids are coming from his foods (broth in soups and milk in oatmeal, etc). Occasionally he will drink water out of a cup (and other times refuses) and I've also begun working with him to learn how to drink through a straw....he keeps getting his tongue in the way!

Dr Appts...

We've already begun these-trying to take advantage of daddy being home this week to get as much done without having to take everyone along.

31lbs and 39inches tall was his initial weight at the ped. I'm very curious to see how much he grows over the course of the coming year...

Ben did great at the dr, was fairly cooperative and loved playing with the stethescope. I credit our ped for how well she handled him, took her time, followed his lead and comfort level as she checked him out. He's a healthy boy and we are so thankful for the care he received his first 6 years, though not what he would have received in a family, he is doing well in spite of that.

Bloodwork went well. The first lab wouldn't even try once they felt how strong he was. The second lab was much more experienced and they called in one extra person to help hold his arm straight. So thankful they got a vein on the first try and he held still after that. Results came back good. We only have to repeat two vaccines and take some meds to get rid of a common parasite. He will have to get an upper GI done to check out his throat and figure out what is going on down there, check for reflux and hopefully get answers on how to help him.

Dentist...this took some bribery with toy cars to get him to open his mouth so they could take a look. Verdict was all 8 molars have to be removed, cavities and fillings on his canines....and xrays will all be done under anesthesia next month. His teeth are awful and I can just imagine the pain he's been in. He keeps taking my finger to touch one of his new front teeth that have been coming in. His gums bleed very easily and it has been a challenge to brush even just the front teeth. He did not know what a tooth brush was at first. It makes me mad that something so simple could have prevented so much pain....I'm sure the tooth pain is what has prevented him from being able to chew food for 6 years...

Part 2 coming tomorrow...

P.S. Any specific questions on how things are going, the transition, etc, please ask!