The one with the Tied Tongue

I thought I had already blogged about this, but when I took a second look, it doesn't seem like i did.

At Pax's six month check up his pediatrician (who is usally too conservative with our kids) said that he was dropping on the weight chart. He had been in the 50% when he was first born, but had been dropping, and was currently under the 10th percentile. I told her about how Pax wouldn't eat anything but his bottle. It's terrible. Like seriously. If you've ever tried formula, which I have . . . . completely by accident, you'd think that a kid would WANT to eat anything BUT that once they had the opportunity. But not Pax. Pax purses his lips and turns his head away from anything we put by his face. Spoons. Baby snacks. Even bottles filled with juice. He just wasn't eating anything but formula. She got a little taste of it when she tried to look in his mouth as part of his check up and he pursed his lips against the tongue depresser. So the pediatrician referred us on to a speech therapist.

Sounds funny to me. How can my six month old really need to see a speech therapist? Well we went to Elk's Rehab and met with Jennifer, who actually does nothing OTHER than teach kids how to eat. I had no idea that kids not eating was such a common thing. We've never had an issue with Parker or Preslie, so it surprised me a bit. But the therapist was saying that especially babies who have ever been on a feeding tube have a hard time learning how to eat and usually require a little intervention.

I honestly thought we'd be there once, she'd tell us things to do to fix it, and then we would be done. But I was wrong. The first time she just watched me feed him - or rather, TRY to feed him. Turns out this little man who LOVES to hold his own bottle and HATES to be fed while eating (but LOVES it any other time) also wants to be in control when he is eating. She suggested I give him his own spoon while I fed him. And I'll be darned - it totally worked! He is much better at eating now!

The other thing she said was, after putting his finger in his mouth, that his tongue was tied. Anyone know that is a legitimate thing? I totally thought it was just a figure of speech. If you put your tongue up behind your top teeth, that piece of skin that attaches your tongue to the bottom of your mouth - that's where it happens. Paxton's attaches too high up on his tongue. She said it was probably a reason why he wasn't so great at eating (ie always spits the stuff out), and that it would cause a big problem later in life when he started to try and talk, and an even bigger problem when he gets old enough to kiss people. LOL! SO FUNNY! She also told me that she could tell by the way I talk that my tongue is tied too. Interesting. . . .  . . although it's never bothered Eric.

So we have no been referred to an ENT, and he has an appointment in a few weeks to meet with the only pediatric ENT in Idaho to discuss untying his tongue. Our crazy kids. I swear we have seen every specialist there is!