Update 8/1/14

Almost a year has past from the last update.  Of course lots has happened!  

Just recently coco has expanded her fruit repertoire.  Now her fruits include

1. Apple

2. Pear

3. Cantaloupe 

4. Watermelon

5. Honeydew

6. Grapes (peeled and seeded, cut to half)

Her regular food,  whines and cries but eats

1. Salmon

2. Steamed meat patty

3. Almond butter

4. Nutella 

Shows lots interest in salad but didn't try.

Still bikes!  Sometimes not willing would whine and bike.  

Problems:

Language is still extremely difficult to come by.  She is learning to say yes/no.  Some accuracy now. She says 'all done' when done with her food.  

 

Sleep sometimes becomes an issue when she wakes in the middle of the night and not go back to sleep until about 3 hours later.  

Pooping - doesn't go for about 3 days sometimes.  The meshed purple yam doesn't seem to help much now.  

Behavior - drops without any indication.  Sometimes laughs/cries out of no where.  Puts hand in front of face and opens closes fingers.  Tenses body when upset.

  

Update: 9/24/2013

So much has happened!  Coco started McCarton in September.

New Foods:

- French Fries (McDonald's) - since two weeks ago.

- Apple (gala) - 9/21/2013 (goal achieved for the year!!! First fruit she ate in 3.5 years!!!).

- All sorts of cookies and chips.

- Barbara's GF Honey Rice cereal.  

- GF Chicken nuggets - she eats this for school lunch.  School trains!

- Frozen sweet potato fries

- Orange juice

- Ginger honey water

* Took a couple of small bites of Asian Pear, probably too juicy for her.  Will try again.

* Coco shows lots of interest in new foods.  She even comes and cooks with me.  

* Phasing out GF soy sauce!

Motor:

- Learning to ride on a bike - milestone!  Our goal for her for the summer!  Almost there!!!  I can still remember the day when she sat on her bike like a statue.  

- Walks to and from school.  She actually runs to school most of the time when I drop her off after the LIRR ride.  Must really love the school and the teachers there.  :)  Note to self, do not attempt to take the C, E after the LIRR ride.  Do NOT!
- Been putting her hands in front of her face lately.  :(

Others:
- Toileting - going by herself and attempts to wipe herself.  This happened since our Seattle trip (beginning August 2013).  She ran to the toilet by self and poop the first day we arrived!  

- Good memory - I took her once to McDonald's and next time we pass by she pushed me in the shop.  I got her french fries and she gobbled it up.  

New goals besides language (language always on the list):
1.  Expand on fruits - pear? banana?
2.  Expand on foods - sweet yam fries?  meat patties?
3.  Brush teeth by self
4.  Shower by self
5.  Biking - Endurance
I imagine #3 & 4 will take some time...

Update: 6/23/13

Been quite a number of months.  An update on progress.
Food:
1.  Able to drink various juices from a cup and straw cup (previously drinks from juices boxes, even with the freshly squeeze fruit juices, I had to put in a juice box box.)
2.  Drink water from straw cup (cup with cover and straw).  She will take 10 sips if I count to 10.
3.  Drink water from a spring water bottle (with help of adult).
4.  Eats various almond/soy yogurts, although never finishes (leaves some at the bottom).  Seems to like greek yogurt consistency.
5.  Eats the GFCF home made carrot cake.  (eats the tips of the wedge, leaves the thick part and gets another wedge.)
6.  Eats various GFCF cookies and potato chips.
7.  Takes Children's DHA from a spoon!  (Previously from a medicine feeder.)  Coco will come if I tell her 'Coco, come for fish oil'.
8.  Will eat shred carrot egg fried rice, shred cauliflower fried rice and steamed fish fried rice.
9.  Starting to eat the GFCF Nature's Path whole-o's cereal.

Still can't get her to eat a fruit.  Will bring watermelon to mouth but will not bite.

Others:
1.  On toileting, not too consistent.  #1 is more consistent than #2.  But both has to be reminded at times.
2.  Trying to get her to say 'I want ...'.  So far, everything is 'kiki' (cookie).

Working on:
1.  Get her to eat a fruit.
2.  Say 'I want ...'.
3.  Put yes/no in context.
4.  Say 'Mommy', 'Daddy'.

Been reading raz-kids books with her.  Also work on starfall books.

1/31/13: Fresh Pear Juice!

Developments on edibles:

Successes:
- Fresh pear juice (day 1).
- Fresh apple juice (day 3).
- Rice Milk Box (she takes it herself from the pantry!).
- Almond milk (she takes it out from fridge herself, after a few days of drinking it now)
- Almond cookie from chinese market - takes it herself.

Failures:
- Cheerio look-a-like cereal with or without almond milk, no take.
- Brown rice cereal w/ or w/o milk, no take.
- Chicken nugget, bring to mouth, no bite.

To try:
- Apple + Carrot juice.
- Brown rice milk.
- Nut chip.
- Sweet potato fries.
- Above failures.

Update 1/29: Fresh apple juice!

Coco drank freshly squeezed apple juice!  Not much, about 1-2oz.  I had to put it into a juice box.  Will give it in the cup after she gets used to the taste.  So happy!  Will make fresh apple juice everyday!

Update 1/28/13: GFCF

Coco has gone GFCF!  We even replaced the soy milk with almond milk.  She is slowly tolerating it (we started yesterday).  Almond Breeze she didn't like at all.  I had to get Silk.  It is darker I am not sure why.  I am not sure if almond is any better than soy too.  No doubt since we replaced milk with Soy milk, we saw  improvements, but not sure if the improvements are from the replacement or just by aging.  I'd figure I'd give that a try since most people recommended almond or rice.  I had rice milk as well, but from the labels almond seem more nutritious. We really need to increase her food repertoire quick.  Would be nice if she can eat some fresh fruits.  The whole world would open up if she can eat some fruits.  Tomorrow I will make some fresh juice and see if she can tolerate it.  She was able to drink a few sips of pure water since a couple of weeks back (discovered by accident after brushing her teeth - meant for her to rinse, but she drank it).  Previously all water was mixed in with apple juice 50/50.  Great that she can at least drink a few sips.

Sue has been working with her on chicken nuggets.  The other day we even threw in a few slices of apple, after having her touch the whole apple a few times. She refused to touched it but did after Sue wanted her to transfer them into another bowl.  The movement seems like 'yuck' to her.

Today Coco ate a new potato chip (Lays).  Held two for quite a number of hours on each hand mind you.  Finally ate one when we didn't give her anything to eat after she refused the rice dinner.  She also ate apple sauce and drank the almond milk.

To try:
1.  Fresh juice
2.  GF cereal with almond/rice milk

Update: 1/24/2013

Time rushes by and it's already toward the end of January 2013!

A quick update:

We are trying to go Gluten free and casein free!  She's been drinking the silk Soy for quite a number of months now.  I've read on some sites they should go Soy free as well?  I am not sure because she didn't tested allergic to soy and it is nutritious.  We did get almond milk.  Will let her try when she finishes the soy milk.
On 1/19, Coco ate gluten free animal crackers.  In two days she finished the 8oz bag.  She can open close the Hefty bags.  We now use the crackers as a reinforcer.
On 1/20, Coco ate veggie chips!  She held it, put to mouth for a while, smelled it for a while and took a bite!  She ate all of the chips in her bowl after!
On 1/21, introduced gluten-free soy sauce.  She's fine with it.
On 1/22, introduced gluten-free cereal (a cheerio look-a-like without the gloss) mixed in with the normal
Cheerios.  Spits the gluten free out.  Will try again...and again.  
On 1/23, Coco ate a gluten free chocolate chip cookie!  Held it for a number of  hours and finally took a bite!

Now what can we do for breakfast?  She used to eat cereal with milk but ever since she went to school, the cereal became a finger food...  I tried again and it worked at home, but in a couple of days, finger food again.  :(

More on the list: chicken nuggets, maybe some apples, pears, (would be great if she can eat ANY fruits).  I think she likes crunchy.  But she does eat rice and meat (w/ steamed egg).

Sue's been introducing chicken nuggets to Coco.  She was able to get her to touch it and kiss it.  We pack one to school today, see if they have any successes.  Sue tries very hard, not sure if anyone else is up to the challenge.

Academics:
Still writing on the iPad.
Have movements for writing her full name, movements for writing 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9.
*Seemed to forgot her colors.
Learning to count 1-6.
Starfalls stories everyday.
Write name everyday.
Write 1-10 almost everyday.

Need to:
- Follow up on OT visit.  Spoke to Maddy (OT) at school a couple of weeks back but haven't heard of a schedule so Sue and I can go in to see what she's working on.
- Visit schools.