Delicious

I am totally loving this book. I have been known to hide healthy foods to what I am cooking and this book gives me even more ideas how to hide food. Elizabeth still has a really hard time with constipation so I often make her muffins and cookies with flax seed and coconut oils. Now following these recipes I am adding carrots, applesauce and lots of other veggies that are full of fiber. For Elizabeth one of my muffins a day keeps the laxative away.
Check out this book the chocolate chip chickpea cookies are yummy.

Tradition Continues

One of our many favorite pastimes has come along with the cooler weather, Apple Picking. I have taken Elizabeth apple picking every year since she was a baby in the her baby carrier. We go to the same farm every year as it is has so much for the kids to do; from petting the animals, corn mazes, a giant sandbox, a field of outdoor toys and so many yummy sweets in the bakery. Each year we meet up with our friends and family, enjoy the outdoors and eat lots of apples. I also use the apple picking time to get Elizabeth to walk as she requires a bit of distraction to keep her walking distances. We have gone through 2 rounds of apples and they will definitely be used to make a yummy warm apple crisp on a cold fall day.

It's Back......

The brush is back, we hope just for a short time but for now it is needed. I don't know the reason maybe beginning school, her new medication, less time in the pool and a busier schedule but Elizabeth has been a bit 'off' lately. Her anxious behaviors are creeping up, she is humming a lot and clapping her hands, she is really needing tactile stimulation and is finding it in inappropriate ways (pebbles at the park, rubbing food on her face, rolling on her mega blocks and squishing her food). We have tried to give her extra time the bath and the sandbox but it did not meet her needs, her father thinks that not even a bed of nails would meet her current needs. We in the past have tried the 'wilbarger brushing technique' and found it kept Elizabeth calmer, less sensory seeking and less overexcited (and at school it kept her out of trouble). Elizabeth giggled when she saw the brush and savors every moment of the brushing and asks for more on her hands and feet. It is a bit of a time consuming method and we are only doing it in the morning to help her get through school but hopefully it will help her get over this rough patch.

Exciting News

I don't want to jinx this but Elizabeth has been off her stomach meds for 2 weeks. Since she came home from the hospital she has been on meds to control her reflux and I dreaded that she inherited my awful stomach and is succumbed to a life of reflux. We have had a couple of gags when she is hungry but that is pretty normal. We are still keeping the head of her bed up and I have have not heard one gag at night. I hope this will be the end of the reflux chapter and it is something we can cross off her list of diagnoses.
The exciting news for Elizabeth is that it was cold enough tonight for her to wear her new dinosaur pajama's. I have not let her wear them yet as it has been too warm. Each morning Elizabeth comes into our room naked (getting undressed is a new skill as well) dragging her pajama's stating 'Mom, brr it's cold in here I think I need my dinosaur pajama's'. I am sure there will be shrieks in the morning when she wakes up wearing her coveted pj's.

Goodbye Summer

Summer once again has flown by. We feel quite cheated with the horrible weather we had as most of the summer it was rainy and cold leaving us only 2 weeks of real summer weather. We did manage to get in as much as we could; Elizabeth spent every spare second in her pool swimming, we went to a couple of amusement parks and Elizabeth being fearless loved every second of the thrilling rides, we spent 2 weeks at my parents trailer, Elizabeth played in her sandbox, she attended 2 weeks of performing art camp and we had a couple of pool parties with her friends from school.
Elizabeth over the summer has mastered bike riding and now can ride to our nearest park with her Dad or I chasing close behind. Elizabeth also is walking more in her regular runners and is needing her AFO's less for stability. Elizabeth's endurance has really increased as well and she can walk for longer periods now. Elizabeth now is also eating and occasional potato and banana without barfing which is really cool. After tons of work and playing 'go fish' Elizabeth is now able to make an 'f' sound without prompts.
Elizabeth and I were talking about our the bad weather this summer and she declared to me that soon we will have to go to Florida and this time we need to stay 10 days not 7, I am in full agreement.

Back to school

Elizabeth has started school and Mommy is a little excited (I am really excited about cleaning my house, I have great thoughts about a clean pantry, shiny floors and decluttered closets). She is still going to be at the same school as the last 2 years but this year will be in their JK program. We are sticking hard to our plans t hold her back as per her birth date she should be in SK. We feel very strongly for many reasons that she should be in JK and the additional year will give her some opportunities to keep up with her peers. There will be 8-10 kids in her class which I love.
She still will have her Resource Consultant with her to keep her on track and monitor her progress. We are waiting for a new OT to come and provide her with a special chair for her table top activities and a chair for the floor as well.
Elizabeth was pretty happy to go back to school and settled immediately to her new teacher and new peers. She chose her outfit for the first day as well and seeing she does not have any dinosaur clothes she chose butterfly's.