Little Victories

There is a song by Matt Nathanson called Little Victories. ILOVE the song for many reasons. Here is a link to the song on YouTube...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFjbqyAgGJQ

Anyway, the point is I usually try to focus on the good--no matter how little. Yesterday ended pretty awful. Eric had to go to the eye doctor for his check-up. They had to dilate his eyes--which if you have ever had it done, it burns and then you can't see right for a couple hours. I think it's kind of nauseating. Anyway, you wait in the waiting room, go back, label some pictures, and get drops. I had to hold him down for the drops after he did so nicely in the waiting room playing and working with the nurse on using each eye individually for the image labeling. We went back out to the waiting room for 20 minutes or so for the drops to take effect and again, Eric was great. He was playing, etc. Then, we had to go back into the room for the doctor (whom I'm not particularly fond of because, well, he kind of an arrogant ass). Yesterday, he actually seemed nicer than usual. Anyway, when Eric had to sit in my lap to have the doctor look into his eyes, all hell broke loose. He was kicking and screaming and I was holding him on my lap with my legs around his legs, my arms around his arms and my hand on his forehead to keep him still. Somewhere in there, I managed to help hold his eye open too! Anyway, when all was said and done the doctor turns to me and says "you're really good with him and I don't just mean the holding him down part." I suppose I could have taken this as a compliment but I almost erupted. I just kept thinking "wow, I can hold my son down and have him screaming bloody freaking murder and that makes me a good mom." What wonderful standards we must all have? I know he meant well and that Eric has to get his eyes checked. It was just an awful, awful moment. Followed by me carrying the nearly 50-pound child kicking and screaming down three flights of stairs and out to the car with no coat on in 25-degree weather. But I digress.

Focusing on the little, good things, right? Eric no longer need bifocals. The doctor seems to be thinking that his eyes are doing much better and we can drop the bifocal. His script is still fairly strong, but again, over time, hopefully that will weaken.

And today...ahh today! I asked one of Eric's speech therapists who also works on feeding issues to work on it with Eric. Though he eats a variety of textures in his food, he is quite picky. He hasn't eaten a vegetable since he was eating jars of baby food. He takes vitamins and supplements, so nutritionally, he is fine. Eric has needed a lot of sensory input around his mouth lately--asking for pretzels, starting to chew gum, etc. The therapist thought we should start with raw carrots and an apple. The first step is to have a child touch the food, then put the food to their cheek, then kiss the food, then put the food in their mouth, then bite the food and ultimately swallow the food. If you know anything about Eric, if you even put vegetables on the table at dinner, he freaks like he is afraid of them. Today, he got all the way to holding the carrot in his mouth--in less than a 30 minute session. I'm not saying I expect him to be asking me for raw carrots--even in 2009--but it is a major step in the right direction!