How do I put into words how good it feels to let Gabriel go play in another room and not feel fear?
He is doing so well right now. The diet wean was such a hard but great decision. It has been nothing but good! I feel like he finally has the correct amount of energy for a boy his age. His physical therapist has made several comments lately on how much better he is doing! We totally agree! If you just saw him moving around you might think he is a little unsteady or uncoordinated but compared to a year ago-WOW! What a difference. I don’t feel like I have to hover over him like a baby just learning how to walk anymore.

He is loving every new food we let him try! At this moment he cannot get enough cheese sticks or peanut butter. I am sure it will be something new tomorrow 🙂

We still have a long way to go in a lot of areas but today I am basking in and thankful for how far we have come!

Today is Veterans Day. I have always admired and respected our country’s service people. Strangely enough Gabriel’s illness has made it even more so for me. I think because I understand battle in a whole new way. I understand having to follow the orders from above, I understand moving forward through fatigue, I understand villigance towards a task. These are all things that were dumped in my lap and even though I don’t like them, I plow through because my son. My most precious baby boy needs me to do it. I can’t imagine signing up to protect and serve strangers, to leave my own family to save others. Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Thank you Armed service members, past, present and future.

With the diet wean going so well, Chuck and I decided to break the rules a bit last night and let Gabriel have some french fries. ‘Frenchies” were one of Gabriel’s favorite foods before the diet. I still marvel at how well he has handled hearing NO to so many foods for so long.  We asked Gabriel if he wanted to eat French Fries. He immediately replied YES! I reminded him that he is getting to eat new foods now but we still have to be very careful and he can only eat what mommy and daddy give him. I was worried that he would want to eat everything he saw at the restaurant because until now he was only allowed to eat food from home when we went out to eat (which was not very often maybe once every 2 or 3 months).

We Headed to one of his old favorites RED ROBIN. Gabriel has running full speed ahead into the restaurant.

He jumped out of his seat and started grabbing as the fries hit the table. (I am sure he wanted to get them before we changed out minds !)

We had him dip them in Mayo to get extra fat in his meal (since we are still working off of ratios). –I couldn’t get the crop to work on the computer so you will see me on the side of all these shots trying to order and pay attention to G at the same time–our server didn’t understand what a huge moment this was 🙂

Let the SHOVELING! I mean eating begin!

He loved them and chomped down tons of fries!

Chuck and I were totally nervous the whole time and all night…but it went fine. Everytime we add a new food into the mix it feels like we are feeding a baby for the first time. All of the excitement, wonder and anxiety pumps through our veins.

There are so many good things about weaning the diet but one of the biggest is that I don’t feel TERRIFIED around food all the time. We are still very careful to monitor him but it isn’t as hard going out in public and fearing he will get something he shouldn’t. With the exception of french fries we are only adding real foods. He is now getting to have bananas, oranges, apples, cheese, popcorn and ham! (all with a side of cream or butter)