Once again, we offer a blog entry that has a culinary theme. (And this time you won't ever guess the item that our youngest is "eating"!) Gwendolyn went to Children’s Mercy Hospital last week for a routine visit with the occupational therapist and nutritionist. Nothing too earth shattering came from that meeting but we did get some updates.
The one negative result is that Gwen won’t have another follow-up swallow study until after the New Year since she’s already had a pair in her short life. As a result, she’ll maintain her button feeds of formula at least through that time. However, Gwen was authorized to begin getting a steadier stream of solids that can now be served by mouth at refrigerated temperatures. So, a couple of times a day Gwen can partake in a helping of food much closer to that of her big sister's. The one caveat is that the nutritionist was concerned that regular baby food has too much water in it. She wanted to be sure that Gwen doesn’t miss out on the full nutritional value she could be gaining. In stepped Mom to save the day!!! Thanks to the help of her latest kitchen gadget (a little baby food blender that perfectly purées) both Gwendolyn and Braelyn are now getting fresh fruits and veggies at their feedings. In fact, Dad’s getting jealous that the girls are starting to eat better than he does. No shock that the twins each seem to be big fans of this new twist to their feeds… Just ask our little Brae Bear!
The one negative result is that Gwen won’t have another follow-up swallow study until after the New Year since she’s already had a pair in her short life. As a result, she’ll maintain her button feeds of formula at least through that time. However, Gwen was authorized to begin getting a steadier stream of solids that can now be served by mouth at refrigerated temperatures. So, a couple of times a day Gwen can partake in a helping of food much closer to that of her big sister's. The one caveat is that the nutritionist was concerned that regular baby food has too much water in it. She wanted to be sure that Gwen doesn’t miss out on the full nutritional value she could be gaining. In stepped Mom to save the day!!! Thanks to the help of her latest kitchen gadget (a little baby food blender that perfectly purées) both Gwendolyn and Braelyn are now getting fresh fruits and veggies at their feedings. In fact, Dad’s getting jealous that the girls are starting to eat better than he does. No shock that the twins each seem to be big fans of this new twist to their feeds… Just ask our little Brae Bear!
A strange request that came from this hospital visit occurred when it was suggested that Gwen have beef jerky or slightly stale licorice sticks (so they aren’t too floppy) from time-to-time. The idea is to give her a new oral stimulation that continues to force her to work and strengthen her tongue. Few sights cause as much laughter in the Castellano household these days as watching a nearly 11-month old gum on a piece of jerky. Luckily, "The Gwenner" is a big fan and typically works on her Slim Jim until each end is nearly flattened. More often than not, her face is saturated in drool by the end of this process. Yesterday, Gwen sat on the couch with Dad watching baseball and working on her latest piece of jerky. Now that’s a sight right out of a Norman Rockwell painting, ‘aint it? Anyway, here's a "keeper" photo for the baby book... Our Gwendolyn's first Slim Jim:
On a sad note, today marked a return to daycare for the girls. As we said earlier, it’s nice that Gwen shares so many commonalities with the daughter of their new daycare provider. But it’s never easy to drop off your bundles of joy with an “outsider.” Still, we suppose that’s a normal emotion that plays out for parents in many other locals. The combination of sadness and guilt that you can’t always be there with your kids is an awfully strong tug.
Well, before we get all misty, it’s probably best if we sign off for now. Talk to you later in the week.
Well, before we get all misty, it’s probably best if we sign off for now. Talk to you later in the week.
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