I’m SO excited!

Look what Piper got to try this week!

Those of you in the Ds world undoubtedly know about these little wonders, but for those of you who don’t—it’s your typical honey bear that you buy at the store, but it has a flexible straw (made of the stuff you buy at the hardware store—yeah, this is very fancy stuff) that fits exactly into the hole.  The genius behind it lies  in your ability to squeeze a little out for them when they get their lips in the right shape.  It encourages them to get the “o” shape going, and start trying to suck.

So we had our first lesson last week during OT.  She got to try a few times when she was eating this past week, but we didn’t, honestly, do it as much as we maybe should have.  I thought I’d give her a little time to get used to it before we pushed too hard.

Yesterday during breakfast, she totally sucked by herself!  She took a couple good gulps, one after another.  I was so excited that I think I scared her from doing it again, so she kinda slacked off for Becky a few hours later.  But she was getting her mouth in the right shape, and that, in and of itself, is huge.

Tonight for dinner?  She drank a whole 2 ounces of juice, by herself.  I didn’t squeeze once!  I didn’t have to help her lower jaw or anything.  All. By. Herself. 

I was really hoping that maybe by the time we see the pediatrician for her 12 month checkup, I could say that she was getting the hang of the honey bear.  Looks like Piper’s blown my expectations out of the water, once again. 

I am so excited!