Sidekick

Blaise was my little sidekick for about 7 months.

He is such a good baby but our one little bitty issue has been that sweet Blaisey-boy has refused to take a bottle.  Seven months in with him and I could count on one hand the times we missed a feeding together (in which he pretty much just didn't eat).  I told our pediatrician at his last appointment that the Lord had done a work in my heart about it.  I can honestly tell you I see it as a blessing.  Blaise is number 4 and is pretty low-key most of the time.  He hasn't gotten all the one-on-one attention other children get.  So it's not a bad thing that he goes with me everywhere; he never gets left with a babysitter.  I guess it's been his way of demanding attention he might otherwise not get.

But a few weeks back, it all changed.

A friend of mine who goes to our church and who is also a speech pathologist has worked with Blaise on his bottle-taking skills in the past.  One Monday I had a work thing to go to so I asked Brandi if she would take Blaise and work with him again.  She agreed and we both laughed when I dropped him off that at 7 months, he was already in intensive feeding therapy.

Well, she worked her magic and Blaise took 6 ounces while I was gone.

I about fell out of my chair when she sent me the text to let me know.

And since then he's taken one bottle from me each day.  I am so proud of my boy.  And I'm so thankful for this one little bit of freedom.

I haven't really been sad about him getting older, but sometimes now I get these twinges of realization that his baby days are numbered.  He is sitting well.  And mobile, really; he can roll to anything he wants.  He gets up on his hands a knees so I know he will be crawling soon.  Shane said the other day that Blaise will just be one of the gang soon.  It's true.

But when did I blink?  Cause it seems like just yesterday that I was peering through hazy wee-hour eyes at that little milk-mouth.

I call him Blaisey, Blaisey-boy, Blaisey-boo and Boo.  Sim calls him Bwaze.  And every day at lunch, when Silas says what he's thankful for, it's always Blaise.  Then Silas goes on to say that Blaise is thankful for him.

I never knew one child could make such a difference.  Oh, how we all love Blaise...