Update on Marisa

[Anonymous]

Sorry I haven’t been around much lately guys. Been so busy but have been

thinking of you and I know some of you have asked for an update – so

while Marisa is napping (hopefully for a while more still) here we go.

Things are going pretty well, knock wood and anti-jinx dance. Marisa is

13.5 months. Getting close to walking, doing well holding just one hand

and fast crusing but not quite there yet. Trying to say a few words and

pointing/gesturing (and getting frustrated) a lot. She’s transitioned to one

nap for the most part but it’s a bit tricky some days.

We are on whole milk (Horizon organic) and using straw cups only. Marisa

doesn’t love it but usually drinks 12-16 ounces a day. We also are

completely off the Pepcid for about a week or so now. Think it’s going

fine – she does have a cold/is pretty congested but that’s no surprise

seeing as I had a nasty cold last week.

She’s WAY picky with her eating and has a very small list of foods she’ll

eat and still has the texture issues. Luckily she still lets us spoon feed her

sometimes and does usually like grilled cheese, veggie booty and

sometimes chicken nuggets. We are just trying not to stress about it and

to keep offering new foods without pushing at all. It’s a bit tough

sometimes when we have play dates with friends or see my niece – all

who eat really well but we wouldn’t trade our energetic little love bug for

a thing. Our Ped said at our 15 months visit we’ll discuss it and possibly

see a specialist soon so we don’t run into weight issues.

I’ll try to post some new pics soon – including ones from my niece’s first

year birthday party with Elmo there – Marisa went nuts for him!

Hope you all are well.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear she is doing so well. I know too well how frustrating feeding issues are and they are tough to deal with – so hang in there. You mentioned weight… is this an issue now?? We were told that Matthew only needs to put on about 6 ounces or so a month… that is not much at all.

Anyway, i posted under teh MSPI issues if you ever need a wonderful OT in Manhattan she is just great.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the update. I’m happy to hear she’s doing well and off medication. I hope she continues to do well without it. I know that was such a huge, huge relief to me when Myles came off of meds and did fine.

Myles is not eating well either. Still only spoon fed. His doctor is concerned. I’m confused. I really am torn between being worried, and just wondering why they feel babies need to grow up so fast? She wants him evaluated at 15 months if he’s not self feeding by then. Eliana didn’t self feed until 18 months. And she’s a terrific eater today.

How do you feel about it with Marisa? Do you think she has a feeding or oral aversion?

[Anonymous]

For what it is worth – ped, Gi and feeding clinics told me that they do not expect babies (who have no medical conditions) to be 100% self feeding until they are 18months old approximately….

[Anonymous]

I’m glad Marisa is doing well, its always good to hear. I just wanted to ask how well is Marisa gaining?? I just wanted to give you hope. Emma will be 19 months old this weekend and is very picky. She will not eat any fruit b/c of the texture and the only veggy I can get her to eat is zucchini. I agree with Christine, I think these docs have high expectations of these kiddos. If they are gaining and you don’t see anything wrong let them learn on there own time, including eating. Emma has every ability to eat, she just doesn’t want to. Her weight is great, she actually gained more weight (at one time) in the last 3 months than she did as an infant and she eats 90% less and she is a walker so go figure. They really don’t need much to be healthy and gain weight, which I thought was not possible if I didn’t see with my own 2 eyes. I was so worried that she would lose weight if she went hours without eating, but she didn’t. I’m hoping she will be just fine.

[Anonymous]

Karen-so many things are good for Marisa right now-congrats! No more constipation..? Look how far we’ve all come-pretty amazing. I remember meeting you for the first time in Dr. S’s office when she was four months and on Neocate! Now Milk-yippee!! I’m curious of her weight too. I read it’s super typical for at one year old for a baby to have no interest in foods (which would probably explain her “favorites” list). I can’t even think of a suggestion as knowing you (super mom), you’ve probably tried everything. Ian’s big thing is hates veggies except squash and pumpkin and sweet potato, but recently we switched to finger foods of carrots and peas instead of purees and he likes that-a control thing I guess. OH! We also slowly transition items he’s not crazy about by putting a dash of brown sugar when we steam them with water. That gets him eating then we wean the brown sugar off. Plus how’s her teeth? Ian dislikes purees and hard food other times depending on teething (little guy has only ONE of his front teeth but also a molar! Isn’t that crazy?). Finally, I know it’s hard around other kids that eat fine but try to put it out of your mind-remember they all (even without reflux pasts)have their own timeline. Definitely give EI a try. Thais has inspired me to call and request someone new.

One last thing-is self feeding including spoon fed too or just finger foods? Just curious of what’s a typical timeline for that. I haven’t worked with Ian on the spoon yet, but his small motor skills cant really handle it I think anyways.

Send those pics!!!

[Anonymous]

YEAH!! call them… that is what they are there for and you are in the program and you have a big say. who is your agency? What i have found is that your own agency is going to try and switch to one of their own therapists but your agency can go outside to get other therapists!!

BTW – you still going to see Dr M??

(sorry Karen to hijack)

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys! So far weight is really not an issue. She’s dropped down to

40% for weight but that’s only a drop because she was a comfort eater

back at the height of things and in the 90%. I think the Ped more just

wants to use it as a barometer.

Thais – would love to hear more about this OT. Is she with EI? Private?

Expensive?

Christine – DH isn’t as concerned about it as I am – the eating issue. And

I’m not hugely concerned – just a little.

Tracy – she’s definitely teething – working on eye teeth and molars. So

that doesn’t help but she’s always had this weird pickiness and texture

issues. Other than purees, which can’t be lumpy and are hit or miss

anyway, she’ll eat: toasted English muffin (whole grain), bread or waffle

with butter; grilled cheese sandwich (1/4-1/3 sandwich); few pieces of

cheese, dried fruit, veggie booty/veggie chips; chicken nugget (Purdue,

maybe 1 nugget tops); cheerios, puffs and crackers. Sometimes she’ll

have a few tiny bites of meatloaf or turkey meatball but not often. No

pasta, lunchmeat, hot dog, fresh fruit, fresh veggies or other table food.

Interesting with the brown sugar. Do you mean you steam the veggies

with the brown sugar on them? I’d definitely be willing to try that – but

still not sure if M will even taste them because of the way they feel (soft/

mushy).

But overall we’ve VERY happy. And yesterday she started pointing at tons

of stuff in Goodnight Moon (red balloon – she has a balloon obsession;

quiet lady) and then she was playing with her walker (FP Stride to Ride,

which I HIGHLY recommend) and the front “hood” lifts up and has shapes

inside and she kept takign out the blue circle piece and fitting it back into

the right shape on the hood back in – don’t know how she learned that

one but it was really cool!

Brandy – how is Emma feeling these days?

[Anonymous]

She is with EI but she will also do private – i will email you her info. Also, it seems like Marisa is eating a good variety…. some babies do not do well with a combination of let’s say puree with lumps until they are much older – ie they do not know how to react to mixture of textures… so hopefully it will pass.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Thais! I do know she is doing pretty well and I feel bad saying

anything as I know you and some others have had such bigger feeding

problems. I guess we’re just concerned that basically all her finger foods

have to be dry and that she’s almost scared of new foods sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Oh don’t feel bad! How would i know what is normal, right?

[Anonymous]

Ellie was like that….she actually seemed to be scared of new foods, but she was anxious overall as an infant so it wasn’t at all surprising. It boggles my mind now, but I was not the least bit concerned. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t worry about it and I thought she’d start eating a good variety of foods one day, and she did. Maybe it’s because I knew nothing about feeding aversions, or oral aversions back then. With Myles I worry because I know more. I guess ignorance really is bliss. Myles probably is in a better place than Ellie was at this age, but I worry about him more.

But anyway, with Ellie it was a very gradual thing. I kept offering the same foods over and over and over again and if she didn’t eat them I fed her purees. Eventually she started experimenting and before I knew it she was eating full meals of table foods and no more purees. She eats so well now. It really is amazing.

Do you ever try the “This is for mommy” trick? That often worked with both of my girls. I’d sit down and start eating something and not offer them any. Many times they’d ask to have some of what I had. I taught them to like many fruits this way. Recently they both began eating cucumbers dunked in Salsa because mommy was eating some and didn’t offer them any! Now they think it’s a big treat to have cucumbers and salsa.

One activity that helped both of them accept new fruits is grocery shopping…they both love the produce dept because I let them touch the produce; feel what’s fuzzy, what’s smooth, name the colors, etc. and I let them pick fruit and bag them. They love to show daddy the apples they picked or the peaches they bagged and they are more excited about eating things that they helped pick out and bring home. Marisa’s a little young yet but this may help as she gets a little older.

I hope Marisa and Myles are both eating like little piggies soon.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Christine! Yes, that is definitely part of the problem – I must know

and read too much so I get concerned whereas DH takes the “she’s still a

baby” approach and doesn’t get as worried. It doesn’t help that we see her

cousin (my niece) all the time – she’s 5 weeks younger and eats

EVERYTHING. Oh well – all in good time I guess.

Thanks Thais – would love the information. And I don’t have a concept of

what’s normal anymore either!

I’ll have to try that trick too, Christine.

On a good note, she actually tried a little piece of Mac n Cheese before!! I

was so surprised/pleased. I had made some of the Annie’s and made it

dry and congealed and she did take a bite and didn’t get upset. Now if I

could only get her to eat fresh fruit and veggies and all too.

I agree though – hopefully she and Myles are being piggies soon! How is

he with new foods? Will he try them or no interest?

[Anonymous]

Right now he just shudders and gags on anything new. Ellie used to scream. She wouldn’t spit it out and she wouldn’t swallow. She’d just scream until you removed the food from her mouth.

[Anonymous]

Marisa used to do the shudder/gag thing. Now she just stares at new foods

on her tray and either ignores them, gets upset or throws them on floor. On

the rare occassion she tries one (like hot dog twice now) she makes a face

adn spits them out. She won’t let me feed her anything but purees – “real”

foods have to be self feed (fingers only).

[Author]

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