Scooty Mornings

It's officially spring time in our neck of the woods and for that, we're grateful.  It's time for long walks, getting the garden ready, grilling, and bubbles outside of the bathtub. :)

It's still a little chilly, but Isaiah is loving being outside.  He loves listening to the dogs bark, birds chirp, and cars go "voom".

Inside the house, Isaiah is spending a bit more time in his Scooot.  As he's getting used to it, we're still sticking to just three times a day, but we're extending the amount of time he gets to hang and enjoy it.

He's rocking scooting himself down the hallway from his bedroom in the morning and after nap; he made record time just this morning going from the end of the hall to the kitchen entryway.

In the mornings, his goal is always to get around that little black table (whose days are numbered, I suppose.  It's finally time to child-proof because he loves stopping and grabbing at the table and the decorations on the bottom of it.  I should probably get some outlet covered while I am at it since he's always grabbing at the walls....) to get to this toy...

Until Isaiah gets distracted by Mickey singing.  Once he decides he wants to watch Mickey, Dave or I help him turn around and he wheels over to this other little table.

We did adapt it by clicking one of the legs off, but Isaiah fits perfectly underneath of it.  We switch which leg is taken off to keep it interesting.

Later in the morning, when it's time for snack, Isaiah goes back into his Scooot and sits at his little adjustable table and eats.

You need two hands for Veggie Cheese Puffs.  You can't chance dropping their deliciousness.

The Scooot has brought a welcome change into our household.  In a few days I plan to add a fourth time for Isaiah to sit in his Scooot, to push himself over to the table for a meal.

This week we are pretty busy (as we prepare for a busier one next week).  Isaiah will be coming with me to the dentist for a cleaning (let's hope it goes better than 6 months ago when he flipped his lid when he saw the masks), we have our 6 month meeting with Early Intervention, water therapy...not to mention I need to start packing for DuPont because it's almost time for treatment again already, plus a sleep study (Lord help me), and our consult with the surgeon to help relieve Isaiah's hydrocephalus...

March sure is flying by.  It'll be Easter before we know it!

Eating Update

It was a little over a month ago that I admitted that I was doing Isaiah a bit of disservice in terms of his eating, so today I am here with an update.

I just realized I don't have any current pictures with how well he is doing with a fork, so here's the one I posted a month ago after reading and trying some great suggestions.  

Although we fill his fork, we don't hand it to him.  We put it either in a bowl or on the table and it's his job to pick it up and put it to his mouth.  He's rocking it.  His OT was impressed with his new skill of using a utensil, and said it's typical to first start out by putting the food on the fork for a little one, so we're happy with the progress.  

Isaiah has made HUGE progress in drinking.  He has been doing well for some time with holding a sippy cup when laying down, but it was tough when sitting up.  We had been tipping the bottom of it for him but we learned that there's a fine line of helping him with this task; if we offer too much assistance, he takes advantage and won't even hold the handles.  We learned if it's too full, he can't lift it, but if it's not full enough, he can't get the water to the mouth piece.  Ice helps balance the issue nicely.  It also makes him happy because of the cold temperature and because it's fun to shake. ;-)

But recently, he doesn't need us anymore.

And happily, he gets annoyed if we help!  Hooray independence!  For real!  For real!

He still needs help with things like yogurt, apple sauce, and pudding, ...basically anything on a spoon, but if it's in a packet, he's starting to get it on his own!

We do have to help squeeze, but guys, he's even learning to suck the tip of the puree pouch!  Like a straw!  FINALLY!  This is something we've struggled with for months.  I stopped pushing it at 13 months because honestly he didn't get it, he wasn't ready, and we were all frustrated.  We backed off and once in a while, if he was refusing the spooned puree (he's still finicky about fruits as table foods.  he LOVES them pureed, but hates them as table foods.  We think it's a texture thing.  It'll come in time.), we had put the packet to his mouth and he'd take it that way.  But lately, he's taking the packet himself and foregoing the spoon.  And it's awesome.

We've still been struggling with finger feeding.  He seriously would throw 99% of what we offered to him on the table. I tried a mat and he'd throw the food from it and then throw the mat.  Nothing would go in his mouth.  Nothing.  This week I introduced to him to one of our suction cup bowls and um, WHY DIDN'T I DO THIS SOONER?  

I'm mostly able to put a pile of finger foods inside of the bowl, and although he still sometimes pitches it behind him, he's more likely to put it to his mouth now than ever before.

So that's my long-winded update on Isaiah's eating.  I am starting to work on a few posts about WISHBONE DAY! (woot woot!), Isaiah getting mobile (ahhh), and t-shirts.

Did I just say t-shirts?

Why, yes. Yes I did.