Small Wins, Big Feeds: Celebrating the Quiet Victories
By Chelsea, AJ’s Mom | Tubes & Tantrums
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Today, AJ let me finish his bolus feed without a single tear.
No flailing. No head-banging. No heartbreak in his eyes.
Just… quiet acceptance. A few deep breaths. And one curious glance at the syringe like, “That’s it?”
And you know what?
I almost missed it.
I almost rushed into the cleanup, the next task, the checklist in my head. Because when you live in the world of feeding tubes and meltdowns, you’re always bracing for the next thing.
But today — I stopped.
I sat there with him on the floor, watching the formula settle in his belly, and I whispered,
“You did so good, baby. Look at you.”
Because this? This was a win.
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Not Every Victory Is Loud
There’s no applause when a feed goes smoothly.
No parade when your kid doesn’t gag or pull away.
No trophy for managing the timing just right — not too fast, not too slow, not too full.
But these quiet victories?
They are everything.
They’re what we fight for on the hard days.
They’re what we hold onto when we’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and questioning if we’re doing any of it right.
Progress Isn’t Always Pretty
AJ still has days where he pushes me away.
Days where feeds spill, tempers flare, and I cry behind the bathroom door.
But today, he let me feed him.
He trusted
He trusted me....
And for five whole minutes, we were a team.
So I’m counting this one.
Writing it down.
Tucking it away for the days when things feel impossible.
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To Every Parent in the Mess of It
If today was rough, I see you.
If today was gentle, I celebrate with you.
If today were somewhere in between — messy, beautiful, complicated —
Welcome to the club.
We measure success in milliliters and moments.
And we keep showing up.
🍼💙
— Chelsea
Aj at 1 years old