Far too long

Phew! I know I haven't been updating this regularly but things have been busy. Between driving back and forth and getting Mason to the hospital, etc I have neglected this. But the end is near...this Friday! A total of 8 weeks and we have almost made it!

Overall, Mason has continued to make good improvements. We ran into a little difficulty the week before thanksgiving and during thanksgiving where he was acting abnormal. He has started to take foods with ease (even though still in smaller volumes ~15-18 g per session) but he started acting differently from one day to the next so the nurse practitioner checked him out and his tonsils were enlarged. He was a little stuffy in his nose but other than that no symptoms but the good news is we were able to continue trials by mouth because he was strong enough to handle it oral motor wise. Once we got through that he powered through and has made some good progress. I think where I left off they were cycling through the thicker soups like beef stew, chicken noodle soup, black bean soup, and lentil. Next they introduced him to veggies such as: sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, and peas. This final week we have targeted a fruit and a carb in order to make it thicker and decrease the overall fruit sweetness: cream of wheat/peaches, pancakes/pears/peaches, and french toast/apples. With every new introduction of food Mason has been able to adapt and generally take in more volume and we were able to get rid of the gravy as a preferred "food" and add sweet potatoes (plus he is enjoying these fruit/carb combos really well). He has taken up to 33 g in one sitting and generally takes at least 15 g a meal which doesn't sound like a lot, I know, but is great improvement. He is able to clear his mouth with 1-2 swallows now and is more timely. The plan is to continue rotating through each kind of taste weekly and introducing new foods over 2 days at a time with always having his preferred meal in the morning (since that is typically his more difficult meal). We are also going to be coming back here once a month to continue working on these techniques.

We are so thankful for the opportunity to attend this program and for God's perfect timing for us being here. We are also appreciate for all are friends and family who have helped take care of Corbin while I have been here. We couldn't have done it without you all! And we are very thankful that we will all be together for Christmas!