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.

Easter

This post is going to be a bit out of order. We recently had a big trip home and I have much to post about that...however, I am having new camera difficulties while the hubby is out of town. So Easter around here was a lot like most of the holidays have been since Henri was born...momma noticeably absent :( However, I do know that Josh made the best of it. Henri got his Easter basket (which Dad totally dropped the ball on getting any pictures of) and they went to a dear friends house for Easter lunch. Really it is our Saint Louis Family. From what I was told the food was great and my friends daughter was totally trying to pick Henri up. And I certainly don't mean hold lift him off the ground! I was able to get a photo shoot in with Graham for Easter, but Henri was definitely not in the mood for eggs nor bunny ears. I will include a picture or two of him from that day...but he was so not interested. My goal for next Easter, get myself and the boys to church and attend that Easter lunch myself. I do hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday.




Baby tootsis are some of the most delicious delicacies this world has to offer!



Just going to take a quick moment here and point out those big old fat roles!!!!









Henri cooperated in the shoot in his own way. Little does he know, in this photo he is honing his hunting skills for next year! Although I think he was really hunting dandelions.

I know, I know it's late.....

Things have been incredibly hectic around here recently so we ask for your forgiveness with the tardy nature of the next several posts. Graham turned five months old this past week....already. So I know you are asking where the four month old pictures are. Fear not, the pictures were taken on time...and they were the last pictures taken with our old camera. We just invested in the best camera we have ever had and I will be posting plenty of pictures from that camera very soon. As you can see we are doing Graham's monthly pictures with his frog. He is just growing to fast. I weighed him the other day at almost 15 pounds...just three shy of his big brother. He is a happy little guy who has a giggle that could make the whole wide world smile. His five month picture will be right behind this post, so keep your eyes open...he will look bigger than you expect.

Playdates!!!

So today proved to me an All-American Byrge day. We took a stroller ride to the library this morning and Henri made some fantastic choices for this next week! Lunch was nothing short of amazing, simply because Henri at his lunch. Not only did he eat it, he asked for what he had. It went something like this....

Momma: "Henri, what would you like to eat for lunch today?"

Henri: "Passa" (translated - pasta)

Momma: "What would you like to drink son?"

Henri: "MILK, pees" (translated - milk please)

And thus it was..pasta with chicken and carrots and he killed it. Henri continues to make amazing strides with his eating and it is so amazing to witness. After lunch it was nap time for both boys and momma cleaned the house. Then off to the butterfly house and playground at Faust Park with my dear friend Tara and her two beautiful children. It was a playdate with George and JoJo and Henri had a blast. Graham was along in the baby bjorn and he really seemed to be watching the butterflies like he knew exactly what they were. George was such a nice guy hanging with Henri in the butterfly house and Jojo kept him on his toes. After the butterfly house we went to the adjacent park and momma even had some fun with the boys. All in all the boys are great and we are certainly looking forward to some warm spring weather. Enjoy these shots. To keep you coming back for more...I have started the Easter shoots with the boys.




A rare shot of momma with her beautiful babes!



A fledgling attempt to get all three of those cuties in one shot.



George trying to keep Henri on the path...such a good friend!



My baby blues!!!



Ladies...careful....I have some beautiful browns on my hands too!

Toddlers really DO eat!

There is much to update on since our last post. Primarily...HENRI IS EATING! For those who have never had a baby that won't eat, you couldn't possibly understand the toil and stress Josh and I have been under trying to help Henri overcome his aversion to food. Now, let's not get carried away here...by eating, I simply mean he is eating more consistently at therapy, at school, and for his Dad. He is also starting to have glimpses of greatness when I feed him which is the biggest accomplishment yet. Henri is starting to eat more fruits and vegetables and is initiating the meals with enthusiasm. WE are so proud of how hard Henri has worked, but understand this...if it were not for Sensory Solutions and his therapists Laura and Sheree...we would still be lost. I am so grateful for these two women Simply put, another day at the office for them has changed our lives forever...namely Henri's.

Henri is also stepping up as a big brother a little bit more now...starting to love on Graham and be a bit more sensitive to his needs. Henri took Graham to the zoo for the first time every yesterday and told him everything he knows about all the animals...it was great to get out with both the boys in some sunlight.

Graham certainly has news of his own! He is coming into his own...and QUICKLY. That boy is getting huge..and is a lot to lug around! A select few of you will understand how exciting that is. Graham goes for his four month check up on Monday and we are anxiously awaiting his numbers on the scale. He is working hard in the bumbo seat and is very close to holding his head up. This baby is one of the happies I have ever seen. He loves to talk and anytime he looks at Henri he smiles. He giggles like a big boy and brings all three of us so much joy. He is starting to grab at toys and is on the cusp of starting to whip up on Henri.

We are looking forward to a trip home in mid April to do the March of Dimes walk for Henri...we are going to do it as a family. Look for more updates soon. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Our Baby Graham

Graham gets a little time to shine on his own. Here are some of our other favorite shots of him!

Milestones

WE HAVE OFFICIALLY SURVIVED THE FIRST THREE MONTHS!!! Having said that, it sure has had plenty of ups and downs, but we wouldn't change a thing. Henri continues to struggle with his ears but truly is a brave boy. Graham had his first admission to the hospital for RSV and scared mom and dad pretty good. Mom is in full swing back to work, and Dad is getting some great one on one time with the boys. We took the boys to have their pictures taken today...so we hope you enjoy. Short and sweet update, we have a febrile boy and two exhausted parents.