A Breakthrough

Today, I was giving Abby her pills in peanut butter as we have become accustomed to doing. I coat 2-3 capsules at a time with peanut butter forming a ballish type structure and then I offer it to her to see if she will eat it. She turns her head away and then I gently open her mouth and place the peanut butter ball way back on her tongue. Hold her mouth loosely shut, she mouths it a little, and then poof - all gone. So today, the above happened (offer, turn away, down the hatch) and then when I made the second peanut butter pill ball and offered it to her...she turned away again. But then, as I gently opened her mouth, she reached for the peanut butter ball...and ate it! I could see the wheels in her head turning - "Hmmmm, next she's going to open my mouth and put her fingers and that thing that tastes pretty good into my mouth. Maybe I can just take the thing and avoid the fingers..." Abby then proceeded to eat the other extra crunchy pill balls the same way. Ah-hah! This was much easier all around. I would love if it would continue, but this whole letting go thing kind of requires that I not get attached to anything. So, I won't. But it would be really cool if it could be easier on both of us more often, at least :)

Also, we had a blood test to check liver enzymes yesterday (no results back yet) and Abby has definitely been more interested in food - to the point of eating wet and dry dog food with only off-Broadway quality theatrics on my part (like tossing kibble bits to her as if they were treats, warming food up, and pretending to eat her food myself with lots of "Ooooohhhh, yummy! Delicious!" comments.) Sam has also volunteered to try all of her food prior to her eating it to make sure that it is safe. In addition, he mocks her hesitation by diving in and stealing anything that she refuses. "Fine, you don't want it, I'll eat it. Get out of my way, Abby! Tastes good to me!" It's his way of helping encourage her competitive eating spirit - otherwise known as "sharking".

Another day, another night...