A Special Note from Addison...

Hello to all our blog followers!

This is Addison and I wanted to share an extra special message with you all. See Mommy and I have been working extra hard on my eating. Mommy says we are doing something called "Tube Weening" where I learn to eat and not rely on my "tubie" anymore. I admit I am just a little sad about this because Tubie is my best friend and really means a lot to me. But I really wanted to be a big girl. My Pediatrician said that he really felt like it was a good time to let me try and give me a little room to grow, so Mommy promised we'd work really hard at it and told me that it was my choice. She would let me decide if I was ready to be a big girl and become an oral eater. Mommy said I shouldn't be scared and she would help me along, we would get through this together.

So we came home and she talked with Daddy and told him the news. And Daddy said he'd even help too. (I also think I remember something about a pony too). A month ago my journey to saying good-bye to Tubie began. I can best describe it as a marathon and sometimes a battle of wills. (I let Mommy think she wins them all.) But my Mommy and Daddy didn't give up. They kept trying with me. I am so excited to say as of today I have been eating and drinking enough food that I haven't needed Tubie..... FOR THE LAST 14 DAYS!!!! Yup I have went TWO WHOLE WEEKS without a tube feeding!

I saw my Pediatrician again today and he was so excited to hear the news. He checked my weight and said that I gained appropriately and was still following my curve. He gave me some new goals for me and Mommy to work on and said that as long as I stay on my growth curve and do not fall below the 10th percentile, I don't have to use Tubie. Mommy will take me back to visit again right before Christmas so I can tell him all about the progress we are making and let him know that I have achieved the goals he set forth for me. Mommy says we are officially on the path to saying "Bye Bye Tubie", just 165 days to go (maybe a little more, or less). That's right if I keep being a good girl and eat and drink by mouth (even when I am sick, which also means taking medicine by mouth) that in a little less then 6 months time Mommy and Daddy will likely get permission from my doctors to let me take Tubie out FOR GOOD!

He even told Mommy that she can call and cancel my appointment that she's been waiting a year for at the feeding clinic! The best part was Daddy got to be there today to hear the good news too. He was so proud of me that he took me out to dinner to celebrate! We meet with my GI doctor again next week for a follow up and I really hope she will be excited and proud of me too...

Can you believe it? First I got to share all the turkey and fixings on Thanksgiving with Mommy, Daddy and Blake and now I am on my way to big big things! Before you know it I'll be graduating college, walking down the aisle and starting a family of my own. Ok so Mommy says she just can't think about that part right now because she's not ready for me to be THAT grown up yet, and Daddy says no boy talk so shhh...

So long for now, I look forward to updating my loyal fans again later.

Love,
Princess Addison