Faith's Blended Diet and Other Things that Help with Her Digestion

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This page contains affiliate links and Faith's Mom may earn a commission if you use them. As an Amazon Associate, Faith's Mom earns from qualifying purchases.  Learn more.   Ever since Faith was born, she has struggled with her digestion. When she was in the NICU, she would spit up after eating even the tiniest amount of formula. Her dad and I were convinced her tummy was too small to handle large volumes of food. Sometimes when she ate, her heart rate would drop really low, which is why she needed to be in the NICU for longer. She just could not get the hang of eating and breathing at the same time!  Faith receiving food through an NG tube in the NICU.  Grandma giving Faith a bottle when she was 2 months old.  After finally bringing her home, eating continued to be an issue as she struggled with severe reflux and constipation. We tried various formulas, but she was never able to drink enough formula to gain a lot of weight. She also had trouble burping, and she...
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The Rewards of Respite Care

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Faith and Kimberly at Kimberly's college graduation reception

Last night when I came home Faith was so excited to show me the Mr. Pumpkin Head she and Michelle had made. There it was on our bookshelf, right next to two Mr. Potato Heads. By the looks of it, Michelle and Faith had a blast. Once again, I found myself being very thankful for such wonderful respite care providers.

I think respite care providers are a must for anyone with special needs children. I have to admit, I felt a little guilty handing off my daughter to someone else while I went and did, well, nothing. But that was the point. When we found Michelle, we were at the top of our stress level. We both needed a break.

The difference between us and couples with non-special needs kids is they could just hire a babysitter or have friends and family look after their children. We on the other hand, need someone who has had special training to look after our special needs daughter.

Rob and I applied to have a certain number of hours a month that we would have respite care available to us. We did this through our disability case manager. When we first began, we had one respite care provider with just 20 hours a month. Now, we are up to two respite care providers for 45 hours a month. The increase in hours allows for Rob and I to spend more time together as a couple as well as have some precious alone time.

A couple of years ago after having just Michelle, we also found Kimberly, a college student majoring in early childhood development/special education. Since Kimberly knew she was going to be moving, she introduced us to Lindsey. I know of families who have a hard time finding the right respite care person for their child. Also, there is often a high turnover rate with respite care providers. These are other reasons I am so thankful. 

It seems as though the Lord has found us the perfect respite care providers who have come to love Faith just as she loves them. And what a huge blessing that is!

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