Monday

Yesterday's shopping yielded more gluten free, casin free food, and we are easing into our diet this week. We travel again at the end of this week, just for the weekend, and I don't expect to keep to the diet for this trip. It will be another week before we fully embrace this diet. David is not that crazy about going wheat and milk free. I figure that we'll plan to do it for a month and see if it produces any change in anyone of us. Of course, I am more concerned about any change in Julia but I wonder about David and I.

The reality of this change is interesting. The soy yogurt I had this morning was nothing like my favorite greek yogurt, and Julia did not eat the glutten free toast with her egg. We are lucky that we are trying this during this time of year -- so many fruits and vegies are fresh. And truth be told, we eat a pretty unprocessed diet most of the time. Good bread, pasta, and cookies are the worst offenders for us and I bought a few kinds of replacement pasta and see how that goes.

Julia's OT this morning was good to see. Julia was not immediately ready to sit down and work but she was willing to power a scooter with her arms laying on her tummy. She scooted around the hall (on rugs which gave her much resistance) picking up little animals. She was willing to do all of this even though it was hard for her at times to move. Then she went back in the therapy room and put together small shapes acording to pictures to make bigger shapes. She was not competent at this but she was willing to accept help and stayed with it for the entire time that Annie allowed for it. Then she did some matching and although she was somewhat impulsive wanting to turn over more squares than was her turn, she also stuck with this activity for the entire short game.

This represents an incredible change from last year when it was almost impossible to get her to stay with any activity that became difficult, or which was hard for her to understand.

Tonight, I wanted to read The Cat in the Hat to Julia, but she wanted to read it herself. And so, I think that is our next book. She tried a few pages and she is recognizing words that she has had in her two other books. The kid is learning to read!

Julia is taking a long time to fall asleep these days and we wonder if it is time to stop laying with her until she is asleep. I am wondering whether we are keeping her awake or helping her fall asleep. I've been noticing, however, as I lay beside her and listen to her talking before she gets serious about falling alseep, that her talking is more real now. Not as much talk about who she is or what some movie character said. Instead, she asks real questions. Tonight, she said, "Mommy, do you like me?"

Yes, my dear, I do.