On The Horizon...

So, where were we?

Oh yes - we were talking about this gorgeous child of mine...

He really is. I don't at all feel rude for saying that he's gorgeous. It's rather undeniable, don't you think? And he's the real deal kind of gorgeous - inside and out. You don't get sweeter than Gavin.

Today he was sporting a faux-hawk. I've noticed some skin issues recently - a patch of "cradle cap" on his scalp and also little tiny bumps on his legs. With Gavin, I know that his skin is connected to his gut so my first instinct is never to medicate his scalp or put prescription cream on his legs. I bought Aloe skin gel and I've been combing it into his scalp - which not only gives him this cool hairdo, but works really well on his dry patches!

And I went back to giving him a teaspoon of George's Aloe water at each meal. This has really helped him in the past. It's so good for your digestive tract and as a bonus it helps your skin, too! I'm going to make some changes to his diet as well. I think Gavin is tiring of his usual choices so I looked up a list of foods from a "Low-Allergen Diet" for ideas. He should be back to normal in no time.

I know you're all waiting for the big Gavin news so here we go! Although it may seem like an oversell after the two day wait. When it happened, though, it was a HUGE deal. Gavin has regressed in the "eating solid foods" department over the last several months. But Tuesday, in feeding therapy, he ate Strawberries! First of all, he's only had strawberries once...pureed when he was very very little...and never since. Maggie gave him big chunks and he successfully ate each one!

Just to be sure, she'd use the NUK brush to get him to open his mouth. Sure enough, they were gone each time!!

We were all super excited - and hope that the trend continues. This really was - and is! - big news and to be honest, I'm feeling ashamed that I let ANYTHING overshadow that for even a second.

In other news... I have something so, incredibly adorable to share. I've written before about our wonderful "Miss Sara" (like HERE in this post!) - but she really outdid herself with a creative project for Brian. Yesterday, Gavin and I were at our weekly Dr. Trish appointment (more on that coming...) and while we were gone, Sara and Brian went on a Scavenger hunt around the neighborhood! She printed out THIS free printable with things for them to find and cross off...

They walked all around the development with paper and crayon in Brian's hands...and my camera in Miss Sara's hand...searching for flags and stop signs and bugs and more.

He stopped a few times to admire his shadow... a new fascination of his.

They walked and walked until they found everything but two items on their list. Brian took this very seriously, I was told!

They even met up with Miss Katja who was walking, too, and she joined the hunt! She still minds our neighbors' two boys and it's so nice to still have her "in the hood"!

And he was thrilled when he found an ant hill so he could cross "bug" off his list.

He came home exhausted and happy and slept until I had to wake him before dinner.

And last night as I tucked him in - he desperately tried to tell me more about his scavenger hunt. I feel so grateful to have someone here helping me each day. This way, Brian doesn't have to always be dragged to Gavin's therapy or doctor's appointments. And Gavin doesn't have to be dragged to drop Brian off at school or pick him up. Brian can go for long walks on a day that has a high pollen count...and I can stay back and play with Gavin. I really am so lucky...not only to have help - but to have Miss Sara. She is so creative and fun and just a joy to have around.

Gavin has had two sessions with Dr. Trish so far and is already making some progress!! After last week's session, we noticed he was doing a lot of arching and moving around - almost like he had ants on his skin. When I brought him to his appointment yesterday I mentioned this to Dr. Trish. She was thrilled and said this is great news! It's so hard to explain this, but I'll try. She said that her job is to "unwind" energetic patterns that happen in the body. Picture a bunch of twisted ropes that block your energy from moving in the body in a way that is normal and makes you feel good. In children, they can't express how this feels in their body as things unwind. Dr. Trish explained that there is tingling in the Dura - which surrounds your spinal cord - and kids often react by exhibiting behaviors just like Gavin has. Fascinating stuff, eh? So long story short - this means progress. And if you've been following Gavin's journey for a long time, you know that some of his greatest accomplishments came after being treated by Dr. Trish. Like remember this little miracle? I still cry EVERY.SINGLE.TIME I watch this...

I think great things are on the horizon for our Superhero.

But then again, I always think that.