The Third Week!

The third week is drawing to a close! I cannot believe that Monday marks the first day of week four! This treatment is flying by! (Some days!)

Jack is doing great. Seriously. He's wonderful. We still have meltdowns. We still have tears and fights and all that but food-wise, the kid is on FIRE! He's tried chicken nuggets, pancakes, broccoli, spaghetti, carrots and green beans. They've even got him re-eating apple sauce. He's really gotten the hang of this eating thing!

He's definitely got clear favorites about food. He loves waffles, grilled cheese, peanut butter sandwich, carrots and bananas. He struggles with broccoli but he's never once spit it out and always powers through it.

He's learning how to drink from a cup, something he could never do before because he never had the correct muscle coordination in his face until now. Again. He's a champ.

Because of the work with his Speech Therapist, he happily brushes his teeth twice a day! SAY WHAT?! Before we literally had to pin him down while we brushed them and he cried and gagged. Now? He stands there while I brush and count to 20 per area and claps when we're all done.

Emotionally, he's starting to have a hard time. Up until now, it was new and fun but its clear he wants to go home. We've had to suspend visitors because he doesn't get why they won't take him home. Every visitation was resulting in a 3 hour crying tantrum (and a bloody nose once for me) so we're halting them for a bit. Poor kid. I know he doesn't understand and that's what makes it so hard for me to watch.

I try to focus on the positives of this. So I'm listing my top ten best things about this treatment:
1.  Jack and I both have met some incredible people in the last three weeks.
2. His vocabulary has EXPLODED. Seriously. He is constantly talking. Repeating everything. Saying spontaneous sentences. The whole shebang. It's crazy to listen to him. The nurses crack up when he walks up the Nurses' Station to ask for milk and the conversation goes as follows.
Jack: "Milk peas." The nurse says "Ok" and goes and gets it.
Jack: "Tank you, welcome. See you soon."
3. He is learning that he can see me throughout the day and doesn't NEED me to be with him all the time.
4. He is less dependent on TV to help him calm down when he gets upset and needs to "reset" himself.
5. He is sleeping better.
6. He's having less temper tantrums there versus home. Between his speech improving and my parenting improving, we're more in sync with each other and thus can understand each other better.
7. He's becoming more social with other kids.
8. He's learning to trust other adults, not just Mommy and Daddy.
9. I don't have to pay for diapers for him for 8 weeks! (LOL Thanks TriCare!)
10. He's eating! That's the best and biggest reason!

So there you go! This week's update and my 10 ten list. I have a on going copy in my notebook and whenever I'm feeling a pity party coming on, I glance at it. I have a million and one things to be thankful for and it helps to remind me. This may not be the ideal situation but we could have it a lot worse. It's only temporary and it'll be over before we know it!

Until next week!