Miracle Cookies on Memorial Day

We have been working for so many months on teaching Lily to feed herself.  This would give her so much independence on what and how much she eats, and it would also free up more time for us, as it takes sometimes more than 4 hours a day to feed her.  But we did not want to get a g-tube...we believed that Lily would feed herself and since she was able to maintain a healthy weight with us feeding her, and we felt like it would slow down her ability to eat and feed herself---it turned out to be the best choice for her and our family. A few weeks ago, we stopped doing most other therapies and just focused on eating, using her hands, sensory integration with her hands etc.  Well, on Memorial Day we went to dinner with our neighbors (who are astoundingly good cooks)! Since we were having a holiday cheat on our diet, Becky made some scrumptious chocolate chip cookies.  I gave Lily a bite of the cookie and placed it on the highchair tray and resumed talking to Becky & Garth.  When I looked over, Lily had picked up the cookie and was attempting to eat it.  She wasn't able to get the bite in the first two times, but then she picked up the cookie again and took a bite.  You know when you're on a roller coaster and the you lose your stomach and feel like you're outside of your body for a second? This is the feeling that washed over me.  I put my face in my hands and tried to steady myself.  This was the happiest feeling I have felt in a very long time...hope coming to fruition. Lily was also wearing a brand-new $40 dress and was smearing chocolate chips all in the white and light pink design and all I could think was GO ON LILY--SMASH IT!!!! She got up this morning and is continuing to feed herself (of course, she's unable to do the whole meal since she's still learning).  I was up until 2am watching the video of her taking a bite over and over and over, and I still cannot remove the goofy grin off my face!!! I'm over the moon!!!