snowdeal.org > ex machina: the eric update - day 388: odin's first adventure with cheerios!

ex machina

the eric update - day 388: odin's first adventure with cheerios!

even though odin has been enjoying the merits of relatively solid food for quite some time, whenever we tried to introduce anything as thick as even mashed potatoes or anything with the slightest bit of chunkiness, he'd - well - gag. and while this might not normally be a cause for concern for parents of "normal" babies, as a parent of a micropreemie it's often hard to know if the behavior is an indication of an Impending Issue related to his microprematurity.

sure, all kids like to gag occasionally on foods they don't care for, but sometimes it can be an early indication of oral-motor delays that can reveal themselves when you least expect it.

so, today we decided to give him an impromptu therapy lesson and see how he did with that classic first finger food - cheerios.

we didn't have very high expectations and thought that maybe he'd get a few of them in his mouth before bringing them back up again.

but apparently he had other plans.

while odin loves to put anything and everything in his mouth, he discovers that it's a little tricky to get a single cheerio from the tray on his highchair to his mouth without dropping it.

and, of course, there's still the complicated bit about coordinating one's mouth and tongue with one's fingers. all things considered i think he picked up the requisite skills quite quickly.

soon enough, he's shoveling them in his mouth forgetting what meager table manners he might have acquired from his pops ( the emphasis being on meager ).

and tada! the cheerios have disappeared! without the slightest hint of gagging.

maybe next time we'll have to try french fries again :-)

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7/27/2005 10:38:00 PM 3 comments

3 Comments:

Have you heard of 'Farley's Biscuits'? They're 'cookies' made out of rice cereal. You can get plain and banana flavour. For a time, my son loved them. They basically dissolve when they gnaw on them and they're so dense, that it's difficult for them to get a chunk off. They can be pretty pasty and messy, but they're great for little hands and palates :).

I can't believe how BIG 'little' Odin is getting. He's a corker :-)

By pumpkinhead, at 2:41 PM

The Fruit Puffs are the best; my daughter's favorite was the apple ones! Good luck with soilds...

By Anonymous, at 7:58 PM

thanks for all the great suggestions! ( and especially to beth m for reminding us in the first place that cheerios might be a good thing to try )

By e3, at 9:27 AM

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[ rhetoric ]

“"it is hard to be brave," said piglet, sniffing slightly, "when you're only a Very Small Animal." rabbit, who had begun to write very busily, looked up and said: "it is because you are a very small animal that you will be Useful in the adventure before us."”

the complete tales & poems of winnie the pooh

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this site chronicles the continuing adventures of my son, odin, who was unexpectedly born on the fourth of july at 25 weeks gestation, weighing 1 pound 7 ounces.

he's quite a fighter and you can always send him a postcard to the most current address listed here if you're inspired by his adventures. see the postcard project/google maps mashup to see a map of the postcards.

if you're new, you can browse the archives to catch up. and don't forget to watch a few movies that i made while we were in the neonatal intensive care unit. or if you want the abridged version and you can find a copy, you can read about his adventures in the november 2005 issue of parents magazine.

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