Emily loves to be outside, and has no problem playing in/with the snow (she didn't even mind the freezing temps). So we had her feeding evaluation today and I feel like it went well, it is just emotionally draining for me. We met with an occupational therapist and speech therapist, they watched Emily eat several things and discussed all sorts of issues. They feel that Emily needs occupational therapy to work on her oral motor skills. She needs to improve her chewing techniques and tongue movement. Nothing is wrong in that department, they just want to see more aggressive actions on her part. They want to increase her excitement and arousal (their word, not my mine) about food and eating. Rather than force her to move on to table foods they want to work with what she likes, smooth and crunchy things. They want to stress food play. Sounds simple enough anyway.
I always come away from evaluations with a heavy heart, boggled mind, and lots of guilt. First of all no one likes to hear that things are "wrong" with your child, and secondly no mom wants to feel like they are being lazy, or not being proactive towards the situation. They seem to question my evaluation of Emily, from her skills to our routines to her personality. I continually stressed that for the last year the main concern has been Emily's weight, so food really isn't my main focus. The one time I thought things were going really well Emily was actually losing weight. It is all is very frusterating for me, but God is constantly reminding me there is much to be thankful for. Now I have to wait for insurance to let me know what is covered (does it have to be thru Early Intervention?) so I know where to go for therapy. I am looking forward to Christmas break and just some down time to spend with all the kids. I am thinking that we really need to adjust our schedule, mealtimes and food is becoming a struggle for everyone, as is this little house :).
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