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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Faith Is No Longer a Teenager

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Last week on the 25th, Faith celebrated her 20th birthday, which means she is no longer a teenager! That morning as we drove to her day program, she asked, "Mom how did I get to be 20 so fast?" In some ways, the time has crawled by, but in other ways, it has gone so incredibly fast. 

Faith turns 20! 
When it came to planning something for her birthday, she told me she didn't want a party. I knew though, that as soon as I didn't plan one, she would change her mind. And that's exactly what happened! A few days before her birthday she was asking me who is coming to her party. I was like, "What party?" 

I had decided to just have a small gathering at our apartment. I'm glad I didn't opt for a bigger one at a larger venue, mainly because of the weather. Up until last Wednesday, we had been having the most beautiful fall ever. The colorful leaves were still on the trees and the grass was still green. We had gone to the pumpkin patch on October 19th and it was 70 degrees!

Having fun at the pumpkin patch the week before! 

Faith makes a new friend.

Her dad came to visit her on the 21st and he had remarked what a beautiful drive it had been. But on Wednesday, fall had come to a sudden halt. The temperature dropped into the 40s and it began to rain. The next day, that rain turned to snow. We had squeaked in her birthday party just in time! 

Along with the party, she celebrated by taking her birthday balloons with her to her day program. Due to some of the dietary restrictions of some of her peers, she couldn't take cupcakes. Instead, she handed out glo-stick bracelets to some of her friends. She saved the cupcakes for her friends at therapy the next day. Some of her friends sent birthday greetings in the form of video messages and voicemails, which she loved! She also had a lovely visit over the phone with her grandparents in Canada.

Ready to party! 
Birthday cake! 

Thankful for the helpers! 

Fun with family! 

I'm so glad she had such a great day! 

She had a great time at her party, eating cake, singing songs, and having lots of laughs. One of my favorite parts was just sitting back and relaxing while one guest read her birthday cards, another helped her open presents, and another folded all the tissue paper and neatly put her presents in a pile. Faith had also designated a cake cutter, so I didn't have to do that either! 

I continue to be so grateful for those who blessed her with wonderful gifts like clothes, money, wall hangings, flowers, games, a squishmallow, and other fun things. I'm so glad her 20th birthday was such a success, not to mention safe from the winter weather! 

Getting ready for bed after a fun but exhausting day! 
We ended up with 8.5 inches of snow! 

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 30, 2023 at 10:37 AM

    Beautiful pictures - a lovely view of the special day and no longer a teenager!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ivy PJuly 15, 2024 at 10:16 AM

    Lovely post

    ReplyDelete

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