never?

We saw a new feeding therapist yesterday, and Mr. Hyde was right. She had no magic tricks to make Elie start eating. She believes it is reflux (ya think?), and we're just going to have to wait it out. (We've heard this before, right?)

She did say something very interesting though: "Eliot may never take a bottle."

Now, this may seem strange to those of you whose kids had ZERO trouble feeding, but it came as such a relief to us.

Bypass the bottle? Good. No problem. Let's move on.

Thankfully, the act of sucking on a bottle is only needed at one time in your life - babyhood. After that, we chew and swallow. Little Elie started on rice cereal with a spoon this week - all in an attempt to ease her from traumatic bottles to easy-going solids. She's doing great, too. Smiling and cooing; opening her mouth and swallowing beautifully.

Unfortunately, we cannot say "goodbye" to the bottle quite yet, because the majority of her nutrition will come from it for at least the next six months. So, we continue with seven drinking attempts a day, and then tube whatever she doesn't take orally. These attempts, however, have become so much less stressful for me. Knowing that Eliot doesn't absolutely, positively, without a doubt HAVE to master this task is comforting - in a weird sorta way.