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We have gotten so used to Gracie eating and gaining weight, that I haven't posted all the good news! So obviously I am very excited about her weight (see post title!). She is 17 months old and gaining in her slow but steady fashion. No more plateauing (knock on wood!). Even our pediatrician is happy- yahoo!! She has recently started holding her own bottle which is a great sign of confidence and control. Gracie enjoys finger foods such as pieces of hot dog, cheese, banana, cut up grapes, crackers, peas...I mean, pretty much anything at this point. We just make sure not to mix too many textures so she doesn't get surprised and feels confident in managing whatever is in her mouth. She is most interested in whatever we are eating which is so fun to me! So there is a lot of sharing! We call her our "little poacher" because she hovers beside you and then steals whatever snack you have. Or suddenly there is a bite missing from your pizza- ha! I mean, just the fact that I can hand her a box of animal crackers and she enjoys them without gagging is a miracle. This is great for her development, confidence, oral skills and it shows how much more open her larynx has become. It's super awesome :) So in the picture here she is sitting in her bouncer which is totally for infants and too small for her, but she uses it like a papasan chair and it just puts her at this perfect angle for bottle time. Come to find out, our OT discovered that the makers of such products have designed bouncers and swings to put babies at an angle that really opens their airway and allows for easy feeding. Isn't that amazing? We are so lucky to live right now and have so many little things that make a huge difference.
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And by the way, have I mentioned how strong and agile this little monkey is?? Omg! She is literally climbing the walls!!!!!! I showed her some of the USA Olympic team competition and she went BANANAS!! She did an actual somersault today. Not gracefully and she needs to learn to tuck her chin, but I just couldn't believe it!
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Gracie also enjoys playing in her new playhouse!! (Thank you Davis family!!) where she pretends to cook, eat and drink tea! We try to do a lot of food play :)
So I am really thinking that we are on the verge of Gracie becoming even less dependent on her bottle for calories and eating more and more solid food. We are following her lead and hopefully we will continue on this great course!
So I am really thinking that we are on the verge of Gracie becoming even less dependent on her bottle for calories and eating more and more solid food. We are following her lead and hopefully we will continue on this great course!