Long post today!

This morning Joseph had an appointment with the dermatologist. She wanted to check to make sure his feet have healed well since his outbreak of palmoplantar eczema a few months ago. (He gets fluid filled vesicles on the soles of his feet and then it turns into cracking and bleeding.) He did so well. We are going to try a new cream on his skin to prevent the bumps he also gets on his legs and face. The hard part was in the waiting room. For 30 minutes we were sitting next to a little boy who was talking up a storm. Our kids looked about the same age, I asked the mom, and indeed they were only 2 weeks apart. My Jojo should be able to do that, I thought. I had to keep telling myself.......we will get there and the little things will mean so much more because of his hard work.

Daddy took him to the Kaufman Center for speech today. He said he worked very hard on signing and sounds. They are breaking down words into a couple of sounds that will be the easiest way for him to learn. Hard to explain, here's an example.......instead of grunting or pointing when he wants to get down from somewhere, he needs to say "d" sound and "n". It sounds like "duh-nah" Once he can master that, then he will add the "ow" sound. Right now he cannot yet combine the two sounds. He can get the first, but not very often the second part. But the highlight of the day is when he came home and his daddy said, "say hi to mommy" and Jojo said "ha-mama" instead of waving. No I didn't misspell hi, it comes out ha, but it was the best thing I have ever heard him say! He has the cutest little voice! It sure made my day! I was on the phone with my Mom and she got to hear it too!

We did have quite a horrible battle with food today. He had oatmeal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a stage 2 baby food fruit cup and one yogurt in between. He refused the lunch and dinner that we were eating. He has also refused milk for the past 4 days. He will not go near it in a bottle, cup, warm, cold or chocolate. His nutrition was horrible before and now this. When he doesn't want to eat or drink something he will grab his face with both hands and squeeze it, including his cheeks, eyelids or lips........oh how we battle with food.........