Cheeto Please!

"Do you want a cheeto?" the therapist asks. Gus holds out his right hand and smiles big as she presents a small bag of original cheetos. The top is pulled opened his little hands are trying to dive in. This would be the first time Gus has eaten something solid, which makes me very nervous. We have been introducing foods to Gus on a very cautious level to make sure he can swallow them correctly. However, if there is one thing Gus will master again its eating meals, downing snacks and drinking milk.

Gus is given a piece of cheeto in his hand and he quickly gets it to his mouth. His mouth waters as he begins to chew and move it around with his tounge. As the snack dissolves he is demonstrating his chewing capabilities. "Mmmm," is how Gus describes it with words. He still remembers the best part as he puts his cheesy orange fingers in his mouth to lick them off.

I'm so excited to tell him this story one day and how excited he was to eat a cheeto. Practicing eating is something Gus does several times a day at meals. Everything we order into hospital room service must be a puree consistency. Basically it must be as thick as honey. Gus is a fan of pureed french toast and chicken noodle soup.  He's tried mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, yogurt, pudding, pears and peaches. He's ordered pureed broccoli and carrots for the last time. Milk just is not the same thickened, so he prefers apple juice and grape juice. Tomorrow's menu is puree pancakes, pizza,  and fruit! We are always excited to see what familiar dishes will look like after going through the blender.

To just tell you all straight out, I've had a couple of emotional days. I think Curt is about to ring me out. After three weeks in the hospital you can get a lot weird. Every time I thnk about the help our family and friends are doing for us I loose my eyes again. Curt and I don't even know how to say thank you that big. Thank you so much. We love you so much.