That Eating Thing

You have read about updates on Ayden's heart and lungs, but we haven't commented much on how he doing with getting rid of that feeding tube. Ayden appears to have no oral aversions, which is a major plus. He sucks on his pacifier, chews on his toys, and tastes food. However, Ayden was intubated for so long that he is basically starting over with his feeding. He chews on a bottle and tastes the formula, but it has become increasingly difficult to get him to suck on the bottle. The times I have been able to get Ayden to do so have been when I have tricked him by getting him to suck on his pacifier and then making the quick change to the bottle; he doesn't appreciate my deviousness and has since learned not to fall for my antics. In addition to working with the bottle, we have been given permission to allow Ayden tastes of solid food. He doesn't quite know what to do with it and acts a little whiny, even if we allow him to play in his food. So... we wait on Ayden to decide and hope he does so sometime soon; the feeding tube was never meant to be a permanent solution.