big milestone: SELF-FEEDING!!!

I know when we started solids with our big kids, but I don't remember when Robbie and Jocelyn started feeding themselves. It was exciting, but it wasn't a huge deal to me.

Like so many other things, it's been different for our third.

Zoe is 15 months old. Most kiddos have been self-feeding for a while by now, but Zoe has this little challenge called cerebral palsy. That means the motor neurons in her brain are damaged in a way that affects most of her movements. Her legs are stiff and often uncooperative, her back muscles are tight while her abs are weak, and her hands try to stay clenched, especially the right one. 

She can play with toys with her hands, but self-feeding has been a challenge. You see, our little princess loves food. Our little princess would prefer to be fed by her "servants" (aka Mommy and Daddy and 姐姐 and 哥哥). Our little princess doesn't want to have to work for her food or wait until her hands can get food to her mouth.

But guess what?

Our little princess fed herself today. One noodle, then two... I think the total was eight or nine.

This. Is. A. Big. Deal.

I put the noodles on the fork each time, but she looked at them...

...brought them to her mouth, with the fork in her left hand and some help from her right fist,...

and ATE THEM! (Yes, my finger is in this picture because I helped this time, but she did it all on her own more than a half-dozen times.)

I cheered! She just eats up positive reinforcement, doesn't she?!?

This is a huge step.

Way to go, Zo-Zo!