When Prematurity Comes Back to Bite, It Bites Hard!

Marshall was a 33 weeker. That doesn't seem too premature to me. Yet, every time we have feeding therapy, it seems I'm finding out new things that are "wrong" with him. I'm not at all upset at the therapists for telling me this. I'm actually very glad!! So far since starting feeding therapy with the SLP, we have found out Marshall has: Reflux (pretty bad), a significant fine motor delay, oral motor delay, dysphagia, hypotonia in his jaw, and now, yesterday I'm told he has weakness in his trunk. The good thing is, look at how amazing my son is!! He has compensated for these things so well and found ways to work around them. I've got to help him get better at his "problem areas" so he won't have to work so hard to compensate for things anymore. I'm just a little overwelmed though.

Also, we had a great visit with Marshall's counselor. She drew him an "angry thermometer". We talked about different things that make him mad and she asked him how mad they make him. They determined that if the thermometer is at the bottom, he's not at all mad. If it goes up a little, he says it's to the top of his head mad, the next line is to the ceiling mad, then it goes to to the top of the mountain mad, then to the sky mad, then to space mad, to Pluto mad, then SUPER MAD all the way up to Eris. He doesn't talk much when you ask him questions. He can talk to you for hours if he talks about what HE wants to talk about but if you try to direct the conversation, he quits talking right away.