This is the largest live oak tree in the state of Florida.  It doesn't look too impressive in the picture, but look at the trunk size when someone is standing next to it below.

Big tree huh!

Good boy Amos

Bye Bye pump!

Elise and I feeding the horses again.

Grandma Gail and Grandpa Gary

Well it's official!  We returned Elise's feeding pump!!!  No more pump!!!  She still has her mic-key button, but no more pump or tube feedings!!  I have decided that from now on, the second week of November will now be a celebrated holiday in our house.  As the week Elise stopped having tube feedings.  I was going to wait until the end of the month to return the pump, but she has been eating so well, that we decided to return it early.  I always thought that day would be so emotional.  But I think it came on so quickly and unexpectedly, that I didn't have time to cry tears of joy.  Although, I'm tearing up now writing about it.  I'm just so proud of Elise and how she has grown up in these last two months.  Eating and drinking like a "big girl".  And every week her meals keep getting bigger.  Just last week she ate an entire hot dog!  And man can she plow through the lays chips.  We have an appointment with the feeding clinic next Wednesday, and so I have started another food journal for this next week.  It is interesting to compare it to her last food journal, from the last week of Sept., which is when I started all the changes in her feedings.  She has nearly doubled her daily calories.  Plus, her calories before mostly came from the tube feedings.  They want her drinking 24 ounces of milk a day, and she is now meeting and some days exceeding that goal.  She ate a dove chocolate for the first time today, and loved it.  She looked up at me and gave me a huge smile with her teeth all covered in chocolate.  It was the best smile ever.  I remember when she got her mic-key button placed, explaining to family and friends that she would probably have it until she was two or three years old.  And her second birthday came, and I thought, ok we've probably got another few years with this thing.  And here she is, 2 1/2 years old, and she is completely eating on her own.  Only one more hurdle and her tube can come out.  We are so close I can taste it (taste it.....get it? ha ha).  Thank you to everyone who ever gave us ideas on ways to get her to eat.  It was great having all your support.  I'm excited to see the feeding group next week and tell them Elise's progress over the last two months.  I know they will be really excited.  I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Jason has to work all day, so Elise and I will probably watch the parade, and the dog show afterwords.  But don't feel bad for us, Grandpa Gary and Grandma Gail came to visit last week, and we had a Thanksgiving meal with them.  We had a great time.  Took them to see the largest live oak tree in Florida.  The visit was way too short, but we still had a great time.  I will see some of you in a couple weeks in Missouri.  But until then, eat well this week.  Love you all, Kristin