The Joys of Pudding

Today was all about pudding! Maddi has been giving the indications that she might want to try some "real" food. Those indications include the intense glaring coming from her baby blues when John and I eat something in front her and the movement of her mouth and tongue. I was told by the Speech Therapist at Primary's that Maddi needs to see us eating and that we needed to exaggerate how the lips and tongue work while eating. So,true to Beverly form, I went to town on this assignment. I feel that I have the worst manners in the world just in the habitual licking of my lips and exaggerated movements of my lips and teeth.

Well, all of those unsightly movements have had their desired affect. Today when I was eating a french fry, Maddi was giving me the evil eye! Wild Child that I am I handed her one. She took it between her thumb and first finger and in one smooth motion popped it into her mouth. She didn't quite know what to do with it once there but I wasn't disappointed in the least. After the french fry scare I went with a Hershey's Kiss and just rubbed it on her tongue and let it melt. I had tried that a bit yesterday but today I was pretty aggressive. She LOVED it!

John wasn't satisfied with candy, so he went and found chocolate pudding. If you have been following the blog, that was one of the first things to spark a reaction with her, long ago at Primary Children's Hospital. At first we would wipe the pudding on her tongue and she would close her mouth and swallow. Then she would curl her tongue to get more off the spoon. It didn't take me very long to have her try to close her lips around the food. Overal,l she was quite successful. She ate half of the cup of pudding. Having the stamina to continue eating will be the most difficult hurdle to overcome. We were so excited. We can see spaghetti on the horizon soon.

She also tried and succeeded with another necessary task directly related to food today! She would be mortified if I mentioned it outright but it is such a huge milestone that I cannot leave it undocumented. Let's just say most Moms of two or three year old children are consumed with this task and are thrilled with its money saving results, as well as lessening the heaps in the landfill. I have been working with Maddi on using sign language to alert me to her needs. John noticed her hand in the correct formation with the thumb between the first and second fingers making a sign language "t" and she was drilling a hole into me with her eyes saying,
"Hey are you listening (seeing)?"
We went right in and sure enough she knew exactly what she needed. Again, I really need a larger scale happy dance.

Yesterday and today, we have busted out of the hospital for a little while! We have gone on a little walk that included a ride in the van. Yesterday, we went to Wal-Mart looking for a coat since her old coat was cut right off her body. We found little to be desired in that area. We went armed with our Yes/No paper to get Maddi's opinion on things. I can't even begin to have her eye for fashion. She chose a Hershey's Chocolate T-shirt and a nice pair of work out bottoms. She gave a resounding yes to those two items. It is so nice to have a way for her to communicate with us. We also visited both Grandparents homes. I think it blew them away to have her slouching in one of their chairs just like a regular teenager would.

Today, we went to dinner at Cafe Rio with our dear friends from Cache Valley! Maddi did great. We didn't even bring the chair with us. She just walked right in and sat in a regular chair and ate her chocolate flan with style! It was heartening for me to see her in a regular setting and to be sitting with our friends visiting and laughing together. It almost felt normal!

I always sit down to do a post with the intention of being brief but somehow it never happens. Honestly, Maddi is doing miraculous things, all of which there was no guarantee that she would be able to do. She was coloring with me today and it started out pretty scattered and disorganized and in a very short time she was coloring in the lines like a pro. She has the tenacity and determination to work through her obvious frustration with having to relearn things that were once so easy to do.

We have been blessed and we know that these miracles are no accident. Prayer is real and tangible, there is a God in Heaven who is merciful and loving and he has provided a way for us to be happy! Thanks to all of you who have and are praying for her. We know that we haven't made this journey alone! I need another whole blog to write about the other miracles that have happened as a result of this situation. This could either be a great Hallmark movie or a loved Christmas storybook, not that I ever want to relive it. I am thinking my viewing preferrences have been singularly converted to comedy!

Little by Little, Here a Little, There a Little, Things will be added upon!