Adventures in Blending

This is Keller's "Cheese" Face. He does it when he
knows he's being a mess.  Are we in trouble or what?

Here is more detailed look at what a blended diet means for us.  Keller is starting to eat more with his mouth which always confuses people that know he has a g tube.  He can eat with his mouth.  Allow me to answer some questions we frequently get.

Can he eat with his mouth? 

Keller has not had any problems with aspiration ever.  The reason he got a g tube in the first place was because we could not get enough calories in his mouth to keep him alive before his heart surgery.  Keller is allowed to eat as much with his mouth as he wants.  His major hangup is that he has no idea what it takes to live, being fed through his tummy has allowed him to get lazy so to speak.   He is also learning how to chew and handle texture.  Dry things and crunchy things are good, noodles, bread and rice and those type of things still cause him some problems. 

When will you get rid of his tube? 

Keller has to take all nutrition and medications by mouth for three months before they will remove his tube.  That means he will have to be responsible for all 1000 calories and all the hydration he needs as well.  

What is in his food? 

Although there is room for a little variation his blended food is made of soy milk, prune juice, oats or grape nuts, pears, beans, sweet potatoes (is he turning orange?) avocado or spinach, bread, egg or chicken. This makes about 38 ounces of food.  Thanks to a very good blender this can go fairly smoothly into his tube. He also gets 9 ounces of water and a couple of teaspoons of Miralax in his tube throughout the day, plus medications.

Some interesting things: 

Since being on blended he does not reflux unless we misjudge how much is in his stomach and over feed him. And I guess that is considered more of a vomit than a reflux. 

It costs about $60-70 to make his food a month. We previously were paying $54 a month for reflux meds so it seems like a pretty even trade. 

I do have to blend everyday still but every 25 calories or so that he eats means one ounce that he does not have to have put in his tube.  So throughout the day I get to deposit some blend into tomorrow's bank.  

I know can tell you the amount of calories in very random things.

I have a running tally of the amount of syringes of blended food he has had during any given feeding.

He gets 4 feedings of about 7.5 ounces plus 10 ounces "overnight."  Sometimes he does not have that much left at night so we just give whatever he still needs for the day.  

Keller has got a mean "hangry" (Can that be genetic?)

In non food news: Things are getting pretty fun around here.  Keller has been crawling but is now standing on his own and taking a few steps! Norah and Keller love when they get to play in her bed at bedtime.  They get so wild and so much giggling ensues.