GRADUATION

August 2010.....Henri turned one and we thought we were on auto pilot. Well...we at least thought that we had dodged any of the big preemie bullets. Boy we couldn't have been more wrong. That was our first visit to Sensory Solutions. Henri was diagnosed then with Sensory Processing Disorder.

Enter this amazing woman....Miss Laura!


(Small side note here. Note how little hair Henri has here....hair growth is a direct reflection of how good a person is nourished)

We started seeing her three times a week so that she could teach Henri, his Dad, and I how to eat and feed him solid food. Fast forward to April 26th...some 70 visits, 8 months, 720 meals, a new sibling, and a lifetime later....HENRI HAS GRADUATED FROM THERAPY!!!!! Josh and I could not be more proud of all the work Henri has put in with us and his therapists. Henri is no longer struggling with different textures, or multiple textures in one sitting. He is exploring with more raw foods and eating better and better with utensils. I thought I would never say this, but we (Josh and I) are just so thrilled to be encountering a normal "picky" toddler at each meal. He is acting like a normal boy who is picky in terms of which meals he wants to eat at, but will eat what he is offered when he is hungry. When we eat dinner there is no more stress about whether he WILL eat, but how much food will end up on the floor and in his hair. I have learned the power of perseverance and advocacy. Josh and I both had to go to bat to get Henri seen at Sensory Solutions and had to fight the insurance company to continue to get coverage, and for that I am thankful. This lesson has taught me that there is not battle to big when it comes to getting your baby what they need to succeed at the little things in life....like having a meal and not being overwhelmed by food.

Enter this other amazing woman....Miss Sheree.




Sheree is the owner of Sensory Solutions and the therapist that took over when Laura went out on leave to have her little boy! The entire time we were in therapy Sheree empowered me to do whatever I needed to do to care for Henri. She encouraged me to stick with it and just overall was so inspiring to me during this journey. How do you possibly thank people like this? How do you possibly show your gratitude? I sincerely hope that for them, just seeing the progress Henri has made comes close to an appropriate thank you.

This last picture really sums up all the progress Henri has made in the past 8 months. Thanks doesn't seem nearly enough for these two women who have given Henri the chance for a normal toddlerhood.




Henri is "feeding" his Scout in the bumbo seat! It was so subtle when this happened, but soooo profound.