Caden Feeds Himself!

I have been hesitant to say anything about this because I wasn't really sure if it would last. I thought it might just be a fluke and he would revert to his old ways. But on October 29, Caden woke up and decided he wanted to feed himself! Now this is a HUGE deal!

Even though he has been eating 100% orally since September 2011, he has not wanted to eat, nor has he been willing to chew his food. All his food had to be pureed and we had to spoon feed it to him. It's been very exhausting!

This change literally happened overnight. It was like someone flipped a switch in him and he decided it was time to feed himself and start chewing food. This was not a gradual change at all and took me quite by surprise! We have been trying to get him to do this for the past 3 ½ years! All of his feeding therapists have been working with him, and us, toward this goal. But he was not willing... until October 29. I just wish I would have known where that switch was sooner so I could have flipped it and started this a long time ago!

I really thought he would only do this for a day or two and then the novelty of it would wear off. But for the past four weeks, he has continued to want to feed himself. It is so wonderful! He even tells me he is hungry now and that is a completely new thing! He has never told me he was hungry before and truly meant it. I am praying this new attitude of his continues on and his eating skills progress even more. He is still a long way off from being a “typical” eater for a child his age. But we are further down the road then ever before.

Here is a little video I took of him eating in the first couple days of him feeding himself and me feeding him some things he needed to chew. He has improved since then but this is how it all started. Please continue to pray things go well in this area.