Mario's eating progress

Hello All! So we finished our last first doctors appointment and have transferred all of Lil M's care to Austin. We have seen the Pediatrician, ENT, Cardiologist, and had a therapy evaluation. So far all is good. Everyone feels he is doing great considering his past. My favorite quote so far has been, "Mario how did you end up in my office." Said in wonderment by his new Cardiologist. Of course I love his new Cardiologist now. If we went back to KC today I am sure most of his doctors wouldn't believe this is the same little boy they just saw a month ago. He has changed and is doing so much more since we left, it is crazy. As of the end of April he was still using a bottle and only eating a little bit of pureed foods. Now he is on the "whatever we eat" diet,  eating almost all age appropriate foods, and using a straw big boy cup (no more bottles!). He still needs thicken liquids and a higher calorie content from his formula, but I'm hoping we can wean off of both soon. He has a test ordered called a swallow study to determine how thin of a liquid he can handle. They will feed him liquids at different consistencies and take X-rays while he swallows to determine where the liquid is going, i.e. is he swallowing it all the way down or is he silently aspirating (choking) or having reflux. I am hoping this goes well. We have tried some non-thicked liquids one sip at a time and he does well, but when I've tried to decrease the thickener for a whole cup, he gets congested. We are having fun experimenting with real food. He comes running whenever he sees us eating anything. He loves avocados! Sometimes I wonder if it is because of the taste or because they are squishy and fun to feed himself.

This is after one of his first chocolate cookies.

He's already trying to steal food off mama's plate.

He is eating his milk through a big cup, i.e. McDonalds, just like Grandpa does.