28 Things To Do This Fall...

 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Feeding Disorder Of Early Childhood ....

Feeding Disorder Of Early Childhood ICD-9 Code 307.59

I am sharing this post in hopes of raising awareness and reaching other families who may be going through the same feeding struggles with their child. Any posts that I ever post on my blog is *NOT* to get your sympathy or to make you feel sorry for Blaze or even us. Blaze is doing very well. We are amazed at the progress he has made. I post to educate others, in hopes of meeting others who may have a child like my VERY unique child, and also to help those we love understand Blaze better.

From day one, Blaze has struggled with feeding/eating. He came to me as a newborn foster child and the very first thing I noticed about him was that he could not suck a bottle. I cut his nipples and dripped formula in his mouth for the first few weeks. With time, he got better, but never got past a newborn nipple. Then when it came time to start baby foods, he struggled. He could not figure out what to do with baby food.  He would choke, vomit, inhale (which landed him in Children's), etc. Just the sight of people eating, thoughts that he might have to eat a new food, or even touching foods would send him into a vomiting fit. For three very long years, he struggled with eating and we struggled with feeding him. He's dealt with constant GI issues. He's had every test done under the sun, but nothing explained his difficulties. For three years, he worked with his OT and several SLPs/STs with very minimal improvement. In April of 2015, he started the Autism Center's feeding and nutrition program. It wasn't until just recently, after reading a letter that his doctor wrote to Blaze's school, did I learn that they had diagnosed him with a feeding disorder.

Of all the things we've gone through with Blaze, the feeding struggles have been the hardest. The constant battle to gain weight, balance out his diet, add new food groups, etc has taken it's toll. When he started having seizures, we started control meds. When he started having GI issues, we went to a GI specialist and started meds. When his vision got worse, we got glasses. But, there is no magic fix for feeding disorders. It is a one day at a time struggle and when I say struggle, I'm not joking. It has been a long hard journey. We now go to the feeding center almost every week and sometimes two times a week for feeding and nutrition help.

This week we finally reached 10 foods that Blaze will eat. These foods are still a struggle for the first few bites, but if I am persistent with him, he will eat (something the center has taught me to do). He eats now from all food groups. The foods are all pureed, but it's a variety and that was our first goal. We are slowly getting away from baby foods (after 3 years of buying that stuff) and eventually he should be able to drop his formula too ( goal #2). We still have a ways to go, because we are nowhere near a typical toddlers diet (solid foods), but we will get there. We now have a fridge full of liquid peanut butter sandwiches, fruit and veggies yogurt smoothies, etc and we are fine with that, FOR NOW.

There is hope for kids like Blaze. Did you hear me?!?

THERE IS HOPE!!!!

If you think that your child might have a feeding disorder talk to your doctor. Teens and adults are not the only ones who can have a feeding disorder, as we have learned that with our Blaze. I'm also willing to share what I've learned. Contact info above. Just never give up!

 
 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Salt dough pumpkin keepsakes...

Ingredients

1 cup salt 
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup luke warm water

Directions

1. In a large bowl mix salt and flour.

2. Gradually stir in water. Mix well until it forms a doughy consistency.

3. With your hands form a ball with your dough and kneed it for at least 5 minutes. The longer you kneed your dough the smoother it will be.

Store your salt dough in a air tight container and you will be able to use it for days.

You can paint your creations with acrylic paints and seal with varnish or polyurethane spray.

You can let your salt dough creations air dry, however salt dough can also be dried in the oven. Bake at 200 F until your creation is dry. The amount of time needed to bake your creations depends on size and thickness; thin flat ornaments may only take 45-60 minutes, thicker creations can take 2-3 hours or more. You can increase your oven temperature to 350 F, your dough will dry faster but it may also brown, which won't matter if you are painting your entire creation (you can also cover your dough in the oven before it turns brown).

There are a few options to color your salt dough: 1. Add powdered tempera paint to your flour, 2. add food coloring or paint to the water before you mix it with the salt/flour, or 3. add natural coloring like instant coffee, cocoa, or curry powder.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

These are the best days...

Ice cream is good but sharing it with

cousins is the BEST!!!!

 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Let me officially introduce you...

I've been waiting a long time for this day. 862 days to be exact, but who's counting??? Today, I would proudly like to introduce you to my GRANDSON Justin Cade  known on my blog as my foster son "JK"! He is no longer a foster child! He is now officially one of ours! Congratulations to my son-in-law Corey, my daughter Anna, Brookelyn, and Aniston on the adoption of your son and brother. Today is a great day! God has for sure blessed our family with this precious gift from above. I love you all with all of my heart and I am so HAPPY for you! heart emoticon


 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Never give up....

 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Family, Friends, and Fun Times (Labor Day)...

We spent Labor day with family and friends. Brandon (Ashley's boyfriend) and his family invited us up to their family cabin for Labor Day.  We had a cookout and the kids enjoyed fishing and playing in the creek. We had such a good time.

 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6