Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 year in review

January
Photobucket
February
Photobucket
Happy 1st birthday Isabella
Photobucket
First magazine appearance!
Photobucket
Photobucket
March
Photobucket
April
Photobucket
May
Photobucket
June
Photobucket
Isabella’s first horse ride
Photobucket
Gabriel’s first horse ride
Photobucket
Gabriel gets Cankle support
2011-06-30_12-24-34_116.jpg, Uploaded by
DROIDâ<span style=
July
Photobucket
August
Photobucket
Happy 3rd Birthday Gabriel
Photobucket
Trip to Illinois with Grandma and Great-Grandma
Photobucket
September
Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!?!Gabriel’s first day of school
Photobucket
First trip to Michigan Adventure
Photobucket
Photobucket
October
Photobucket
Step Up for Down Syndrome walk (4th annual)
Photobucket
First official school (daycare) photo’s
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
November
Photobucket
Isabella’s first ER visit (104 temperature, ear infections, just sick)
2011-11-21_07-28-36_940
December
Photobucket
Photobucket
Ear tubes, adenoid scrape, sinus cleanse and sinus cultures – Gabriel
Photobucket
Intensive feeding therapy starts - Gabriel
Photobucket
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE – LOVE GABRIEL AND ISABELLA
Photobucket
Wow, what a year.  We have been very busy here at the Purdy house!  This year’s resolution is to have one full year without any surgeries.  We almost made it one full year but were days short.  Click here to see if I was able to keep last year’s resolution! I can't wait to see what our adventures will be in 2012.~Erin

Friday, December 30, 2011

Rocking out on Day 12!

Friday
I got a new chair today at therapy.  They keep trying to make me keep my feet down during feeding.  Mrs. Kate said that I am going to be the first student to use my feet to block food if they don't figure something out quickly!
Photobucket
8:45am-9:30am - Meal 1
 Photobucket
Today I was introduced to many new foods.  I had sausage and french toast puree!  I have never tried anything like this before.  I actually liked it!  Don't tell mom and dad, they dont know what I am doing in therapy, they sit in the great room while I am back working hard!
Photobucket
I also had my teeth brushed for 10 whole seconds on top and 10 whole seconds on bottom this feeding.
Photobucket
In addition to my sausage and french toast puree, I also ate: Yogurt, pear puree and fruit cocktail puree.
Photobucket
OOO and a wash cloth.
Photobucket
Ms. Jess is no fun sometimes, she told me I couldn't eat wash cloth...
Photobucket
She gave me my drink instead
Photobucket
and made me drink that, dang!
Photobucket
Between our first and second feedings we all tend to get a bit antsy!
Photobucket
We are up to six amazingly strong kids and their fun parents in a very small space
Photobucket
We learned the way to the "track" where we can have some space to move!
Photobucket
There is even a piano up there!
Photobucket
I love playing the piano, it sure helps pass the time!
Photobucket
11:45am-12:30pm - Meal 2
Here we go again... I had to let Ms. Jess brush my teeth for a full 15 seconds on top and 15 seconds on bottom this feeding.
Photobucket
I ate more sausage and french toast puree, pear puree and fruit cocktail puree.  I also got pudding this meal with my drink.
Photobucket
12:00pm-2:00pm
- Nap time
I am eating so good.  I think I should be able to skip my nap!
Photobucket
Maybe I can do yoga instead!
Photobucket
Dang mom wins again...
Photobucket
She is good at making me sleep, I don't know how she does it.  I try very hard to stay awake.
Photobucket
2:45pm-3:30pm
- Meal 3
So... I got some news today.  My bottle days at home are numbered.  I am not sure if that is a good idea, I love my bottle!
Photobucket
Mom and dad will be trained by next friday in how to use the bottle to give me drinks and then my beloved bottles are gone...
Photobucket
Oh ya, I did very well this feeding too.  I worked on how to chew in my stretches.
Photobucket
3:45pm - head home
So Gabriel, I hear you are losing your bottle by next weekend?
Photobucket
Mom and dad are sadly mistaking if they think it will be easy on them!  I am not losing my bottle without a fight, Sis.
Photobucket
We will see Bro-Ther, Mom and Dad tend to win!
Photobucket
*Mom's note - You read correctly, we are working  very hard to have Gabriel completely off the bottle by next weekend.  He is responding to therapy very well right now!  I am so excited to learn how to get him to drink without using the bottle!  We have several things going on right now.  I will try hard to break them down so that it is easier to understand.   We have had such a week of great leaps I bet it is hard to keep up.
If you will think back to day one and our three main goals for this program.
3. We want Gabriel to be off the bottle. Gabriel is currently completely off the bottle at therapy and will be off it by next weekend at home.  He will be using a 'squirt bottle' where we have to squirt the liquid into his mouth for each drink.  The liquid he is currently drinking is honey thick pediasure.  (basically pediasure thickened to the consistency of yogurt)  Once Gabriel is drinking from the squirt bottle at all times therapy will reduce the thickness of his drink as well as add different drinks into his diet.  Once they are sure he is safe (not aspirating) we will be taught how to do this at home.  The goal is to get Gabriel to drink his drinks from an open cup before he graduates therapy.
2. We want to be able to brush Gabriel's teeth. Keep your eyes on this kid!  He is allowing his therapists to use the finger brush.  We will eventually get Gabriel to tolerate two minutes (not sure if that is total or not) of brushing with a real toothbrush by graduation.  We are on our way.  Can't wait to see the continued progress!
1. We want Gabriel to eat.  We would like to work him off pediasure.  Gabriel is trying everything therapy is throwing his way.  I can't wait to see what the future brings with his eating!  The more calories he takes in from his food the more likely we are to get him off pediasure. 
The whole team is very excited with Gabriel's progress, he still has his moments but who doesn't.  The interventions they are putting in place are working for him!  We are only three weeks in and we are seeing major progress.  We will have bumps in the road but we will continue to walk just like everyone else, one step at a time!
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MONKEY!!!