the way to her heart...

we've learned that the way to em's heart is food, and we use that in therapy and at home of course. she thinks about, talks about, and worries about food so much, although it's been much better since we realized the issue and now always have a snack available (apples or raisins) anytime she wants.
with neglect, it makes sense of course. sometimes you'd think 3 years of always having plenty and never missing a meal would make that fear go away, but then you would be using logic, silly head. it's interesting that her favorite food in the world is apple sauce (aka baby food) and she really enjoys baby food time more than baby bottle time. she's still not super comfortable, but she's getting there.
in therapy, she was asked to draw a pic of something about me that made her feel love. after the usual "aw, i don't want to talk about love" complaining, she drew this. just interesting. and a good reminder to me that i need to keep using food in a playful (babyish) positive way and not overdo the table manners reminders!