The Cannon Hackett Chronicle: That's just ducky!

found a spot of sunshine this morning

Although Ben was sick last week with a troublesome stomach bug, he is much better now, and we have been enjoying the outings my friend, Tina, has suggested. Every week she, her son, Auden, and Ben and I try to go to the zoo or find another outdoor adventure. Lately we've visited a farm/petting zoo (located just outside of San Antonio), and an in-town duck pond (sadly Ben was more interested in investigating the dirty lake than watching the ducks).

Ben's new "learning station"

More than any other attraction, Ben loves anything to do with animals: I'd say 3/4th of the books he brings me to read him are animal related, and he knows the animal noise sounds for dog, cat, sheep, cow, and pig. Sadly most of the animals at the farm we visited didn't actually "say" what we've been teaching him, but he still really enjoyed it.

a very friendly, soft horse (@ Fiesta Farm)

I've also started doing a "letter of the week" with Ben. I shopped around and found some foam and wooden letters, so every week I plan on taking them out during our morning play sessions and talking about "A" or "B" things and playing with the letters. I figure since he is already savvy enough to point out a ball or a duck or a "meow-meow" in a book illustration, he can start getting introduced to these new shapes too.

Ben's favorite word is still definitely "dguwkg" (sometimes is means "duck," sometimes "dog" and sometimes it just means "that interesting object over there.")

Today we had Ben's latest speech therapy (eating/chewing) session. Unfortunately I got the time wrong and we arrived an hour early. Wandering around aimlessly at a hospital complex with an antsy and hungry toddler is not as much fun as one might think.

Anyway, his therapist said he's doing really well: chewing better than before, spitting out less, and consuming more (although usually no more than a teaspoon of food at one sitting!). Since he has improved the therapist suggested we encourage him to eat more and more by offering him real food before each time we would have offered a bottle. That makes sense, and now that I feel like he might actually eat what's offered, maybe he can start getting more of his calories from food (and less from formula). She also suggested trying more soft-cooked foods which can be squished between the fingers (because that's apparently the best his gums can do at this stage), so I'm going to try him on soft cooked carrots, fruit, canned pumpkin, and soft rice and/or pasta.

Overall, this was a very hopeful therapy session. I feel like during the others I came out discouraged and daunted. It's nice to having Ben's eating situation looking up a bit.