Lately

Wow!  Has it really been almost 20 days since I last posted?  That's an all time record (not the kind of record I like, mind you.)  It's not for a lack of topics - quite the opposite - there's so much going on all of the time that rarely have the opportunity to put it into words.

Although we've only been out and about with Samuel for barely a month, it seems like a lifetime.  I was telling someone the other day how strangely natural it feels to take him into public spaces...almost like we've never known anything different.  We've been to birthday parties, malls, indoor playgrounds, restaurants, and playgroups.  Splashpads, farmers markets, and stores.  Excluding the initial transition a few weeks ago (public meltdowns!!!), he is handling it all with increasing ease.  In fact, he gets a bit demanding when we aren't out of the house by 9am!

He is talking more than ever now that we are around people frequently.  I can't tell you how many times I've laughed about something he's said.  With his new word, "apologize", he's helping me break my bad habit of saying, "I'm sorry" too much.  (Every time I say "I'm sorry" he says, "Apologize!")
Along with "apologize", he is also saying,

"Sidewalk"

"Parking lot"

"Happy birthday (insert name)"

"Birthday party"
"Wal-Mart"

...all gained from recent experiences.

I worried that our busier schedule would affect his eating, but surprisingly he's eating better than ever.  I can't remember the last time he ate a puree, refused to eat, or spit food out of his mouth.  Yesterday morning I made him toast - fully expecting to have to make him something else - only for him to keep saying "Annuny bite" [another bite] until he had eaten it all.

Although I was skeptical that cutting the Pediasure out of his diet would improve his eating, I am not afraid to admit that I was REALLY WRONG.  It made a world of difference.  In addition, we learned that the Pediasure was the cause of his digestive problems and have since been able to ween him off his daily dose of Miralax.  Two birds with one stone.  Nice.  In it's place, we usually give him water...but he has surprised us by accepting milk at a few meals.

Therapy seems to be going well.  His speech and occupational therapists feed him breakfast, which makes the other two meals of the day much easier.  Beginning next week, his physical therapist wants to tape his legs a certain way to encourage him to use a neglected muscle group in his legs.  I'll post more about that when it happens.

There's much more to say, but I'm afraid naptime (also known as 'mommy's free time') is coming to an end.  I'll leave you with a few of my favorite photos of the last week.
PS - I may or may not be obsessed with trying to figure out this complicated camera that I'm using...