Here is a short 4 minute video from Ethan's birthday weekend at Sea Life and Legoland.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Cold & Flu Season is back already!?!?
Ethan continues his awesome progress in all 4 therapies. Just yesterday, we got an email from The Behavior Exchange. They were so excited about his progress, they sent his charts to us to show just how great he's been doing. We started Ethan on a new stronger anti fungal about a week ago. We are seeing some of the same reactions we saw a month ago when his yeast treatment first began. Fever, some aggression, rashes, picky eating, are some of the things we are seeing associated with this treatment. Ethan seems to be battling this cold bug for a bit now as well. It is exciting to see Ethan making such progress despite not being 100%.
This week, 2 of Ethan's behavior therapists, (the best 2 wink wink) told me how cute Ethan was and how all the therapists in the center just love him. It is sooooo nice to hear that people are actually liking him and enjoy working with Ethan. At this time last year, we were in the opposite position. Teachers and therapist did not really like Ethan (and he did not like them) and his progress was extremely slow.
What a difference a good ABA center can make!!
What can I say about Gavin? He is awesome. He is the sweetest, smartest, funniest little 3 year old on the planet. That he should be the benchmark for all kids. I took him to a new class on Monday. He did pretty well. After everything he did, he would look at me and flash a thumbs up to me. It was soo adorable.
Heather and I are rolling on. Heather is working hard, but seems to be finding her stride at school.
Some new happenings for me. After 3 interviews, a drug test, and a background check, I finally got offered a PT job at our new Costco today. I should be starting in a couple weeks.
I am also becoming a Live Green in Plano volunteer this year. Training for that started this evening. I enjoyed the training. I learned some new info and met some interesting people. I even won a "prize" for being the most "extreme" green person. It was really nice to get out of the house and mingle with other adults with similar environmental values.
The Borden's have started their winter ritual early this year. At least one of us have been sick the entire month. I have been sick on/off since mid August. We've just been catching one virus after another. I'd say about 4-5 different bugs since mid August. Heather almost made it through without getting hit, but she is sick now. She has a pretty nasty cold, and I am expecting Ethan will get hit within a day. Gavin and I are finally on the upswing though the road to health has been slow. Please send us lots of healthy antimicrobial positive vibes this week as we try to nurse ourselves back to 100% health.
This week, 2 of Ethan's behavior therapists, (the best 2 wink wink) told me how cute Ethan was and how all the therapists in the center just love him. It is sooooo nice to hear that people are actually liking him and enjoy working with Ethan. At this time last year, we were in the opposite position. Teachers and therapist did not really like Ethan (and he did not like them) and his progress was extremely slow.
What a difference a good ABA center can make!!
What can I say about Gavin? He is awesome. He is the sweetest, smartest, funniest little 3 year old on the planet. That he should be the benchmark for all kids. I took him to a new class on Monday. He did pretty well. After everything he did, he would look at me and flash a thumbs up to me. It was soo adorable.
Heather and I are rolling on. Heather is working hard, but seems to be finding her stride at school.
Some new happenings for me. After 3 interviews, a drug test, and a background check, I finally got offered a PT job at our new Costco today. I should be starting in a couple weeks.
I am also becoming a Live Green in Plano volunteer this year. Training for that started this evening. I enjoyed the training. I learned some new info and met some interesting people. I even won a "prize" for being the most "extreme" green person. It was really nice to get out of the house and mingle with other adults with similar environmental values.
The Borden's have started their winter ritual early this year. At least one of us have been sick the entire month. I have been sick on/off since mid August. We've just been catching one virus after another. I'd say about 4-5 different bugs since mid August. Heather almost made it through without getting hit, but she is sick now. She has a pretty nasty cold, and I am expecting Ethan will get hit within a day. Gavin and I are finally on the upswing though the road to health has been slow. Please send us lots of healthy antimicrobial positive vibes this week as we try to nurse ourselves back to 100% health.
Monday, September 19, 2011
You can't make this up!!
*******TMI*************TMI******************TMI**************TMI
I'm sitting at a stop light. Ethan is screaming and having a fit. I see in the rear view that Gavin begins to cough. Suddenly, I realize Gavin is not coughing. He is about to vomit. With the reflexes of Super Dad, I grab an empty tupperware bowl from Ethan's lunch box. I am half way turned around catching vomit in a bowl and catching backsplash in my hand. Meanwhile, Ethan is still screaming and begins to start swinging at poor vomiting Gavin because Gavin is crying and being loud. Gavin fills the bowl and finishes his projectile. Quickly, I put the lid on as the light turns green and I have to turn left. Turn left and begin to drive in a 55mph limit where 3 lanes merge into one. Oh wait, Gavin is not done yet. I grab another bowl from Ethan's lunch box. This time I am driving 50mph while merging with my arm bent back catching more vomit. Poor Gavin is crying and covered in his lunch. Ethan is crying because, of all things, he's hungry. Silver lining is we were minutes from home and luckily Heather got home at the same time to take care of Ethan while I cleaned up Gavin and the car. Spent an hour cleaning up. Oh the joys of parenting.
I'm sitting at a stop light. Ethan is screaming and having a fit. I see in the rear view that Gavin begins to cough. Suddenly, I realize Gavin is not coughing. He is about to vomit. With the reflexes of Super Dad, I grab an empty tupperware bowl from Ethan's lunch box. I am half way turned around catching vomit in a bowl and catching backsplash in my hand. Meanwhile, Ethan is still screaming and begins to start swinging at poor vomiting Gavin because Gavin is crying and being loud. Gavin fills the bowl and finishes his projectile. Quickly, I put the lid on as the light turns green and I have to turn left. Turn left and begin to drive in a 55mph limit where 3 lanes merge into one. Oh wait, Gavin is not done yet. I grab another bowl from Ethan's lunch box. This time I am driving 50mph while merging with my arm bent back catching more vomit. Poor Gavin is crying and covered in his lunch. Ethan is crying because, of all things, he's hungry. Silver lining is we were minutes from home and luckily Heather got home at the same time to take care of Ethan while I cleaned up Gavin and the car. Spent an hour cleaning up. Oh the joys of parenting.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
My boy is 5 years old today!!!!!!
I can't believe Ethan is 5 years old. I still remember the day he came into our lives. I was up all night worrying about his fluctuating heart beat. Finally, around 6AM, Ethan David was born. Little did we know, that was the latest he would ever sleep in. He was born just a little guy at 5 pounds 14 ounces. He was the most precious perfect little baby. Challenges started right away for the little dude. He was jaundiced and dropped to just 5 pounds. Ethan spent 3 of the first 4 weeks of life in the hospital. He underwent over 10 tests and procedures including lumbar puncture, head CT scan, ultrasound on his brain, and a course of antibiotics within his first few weeks. Once home, Ethan thrived as an infant. He hit all his major milestones. At age 1, he had over 150 words.
However, at age 2, we stopped noticing a lot of progress. At age 3, Ethan began his journey against autism. Ethan began an extremely restrictive diet. No wheat, dairy, soy, preservatives, or artificial ingredients were allowed. In addition to the diet, Ethan began taking supplements to heal his ailing body and correct his deficiencies and broken cycles and systems. In addition to the nutritional interventions, Ethan works hard every day at his 4 therapies; speech, OT, PT, and ABA. He has made huge leaps in communication, behavior, and temperament. He continues to improve with every passing day, and we are filled with pride every time we see him.
While autism is something Ethan lives with, it certainly does not define him. He is the happiest little boy with a smile as bright as the sun. When he smiles at you, it warms your heart. Ethan is a playful little boy. Just like his Daddy, he loves to play in the yard everyday. Basketball is his favorite sport. He shoots baskets when ever he can. He loves to swing, climb, and jump. He loves water. Whether it's sprinklers, pools, water tables, or baths, Ethan has a blast splish splashing. Ethan loves nature and being outside. He's so happy just to run outside. He loves animals. As a tot, he loved the cheetahs. " Cheetah running fast," he used to say.
Like his Momma, Ethan loves to create. Painting, coloring, and play do are favored activities with Mom.
Another trait he got from his Momma, stubbornness. Although, he gets a smidge from Dad too.
Ethan is your average Borden male. We all love to play and joke around with people in a manner that sometimes annoys the other person. For instance, Ethan will take something from you and run away cracking up laughing, or pretend to start dumping out a cup of water onto the floor just to get a rise out of you. Yep! That's my boy.
One of the best things about Ethan is his heart. He shows his love for you everyday in his own little way.
Whether by saying Daddy pick me up, then following it with a punch in the nose and a huge smile, or running to Mom with arms wide open when she gets home from work. Ethan has the heart of an angel.
He perseveres through all life's challenges with the strength and courage of a lion. He is such a great kid, and I am lucky to have him as my son. I wish him a Happy Happy Birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!
Slideshow: Ethan: The first 5 years.
However, at age 2, we stopped noticing a lot of progress. At age 3, Ethan began his journey against autism. Ethan began an extremely restrictive diet. No wheat, dairy, soy, preservatives, or artificial ingredients were allowed. In addition to the diet, Ethan began taking supplements to heal his ailing body and correct his deficiencies and broken cycles and systems. In addition to the nutritional interventions, Ethan works hard every day at his 4 therapies; speech, OT, PT, and ABA. He has made huge leaps in communication, behavior, and temperament. He continues to improve with every passing day, and we are filled with pride every time we see him.
While autism is something Ethan lives with, it certainly does not define him. He is the happiest little boy with a smile as bright as the sun. When he smiles at you, it warms your heart. Ethan is a playful little boy. Just like his Daddy, he loves to play in the yard everyday. Basketball is his favorite sport. He shoots baskets when ever he can. He loves to swing, climb, and jump. He loves water. Whether it's sprinklers, pools, water tables, or baths, Ethan has a blast splish splashing. Ethan loves nature and being outside. He's so happy just to run outside. He loves animals. As a tot, he loved the cheetahs. " Cheetah running fast," he used to say.
Like his Momma, Ethan loves to create. Painting, coloring, and play do are favored activities with Mom.
Another trait he got from his Momma, stubbornness. Although, he gets a smidge from Dad too.
Ethan is your average Borden male. We all love to play and joke around with people in a manner that sometimes annoys the other person. For instance, Ethan will take something from you and run away cracking up laughing, or pretend to start dumping out a cup of water onto the floor just to get a rise out of you. Yep! That's my boy.
One of the best things about Ethan is his heart. He shows his love for you everyday in his own little way.
Whether by saying Daddy pick me up, then following it with a punch in the nose and a huge smile, or running to Mom with arms wide open when she gets home from work. Ethan has the heart of an angel.
He perseveres through all life's challenges with the strength and courage of a lion. He is such a great kid, and I am lucky to have him as my son. I wish him a Happy Happy Birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!
Slideshow: Ethan: The first 5 years.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Light at the end of a rough couple weeks
The end of summer brought some challenging times for the Bordens. Heather started school a couple weeks ago. Her first weeks of school have been hard. She is adjusting to a new job with new coworkers including helping along a new teacher. She is the teacher in the behavior unit at her school. Her class has been going okay, but a reorganizing and new programs are proving to be challenging. Unfortunately, I was unable to ease Heather's stress at home due to me being sick. I had all sorts of things going on from a sore throat to a yellow tongue to horrible tooth pain. Basically, my mouth was so inflamed that I couldn't distinguish the pain until I started to feel better about 8 days later.
Additionally, it's been a rough several days at our house. All summer, Ethan has been up around 430 in the morning. This week was even worse. Ethan has woke up between 3-4am this week. No matter how hard we tried, we just couldn't get him back to sleep. Once he was awake, he would just cry and cry. The only thing we could get out of him was watch Mickey watch Mickey over and over and over again. It was emotionally draining for Heather and I because we just couldn't figure out what was wrong. We certainly knew something was off, but couldn't figure it out. We thought he was just tired from waking up at 3am, or maybe he was getting sick. Early Sunday morning, we were awakened by horrible screams and loud bangs. It was Ethan. He was in what could only be described as an "autistic fit". He was crying, screaming, and kicking the door. He began flailing his arms and throwing himself against the wall. A few hours later, we found our answer. Turns out, Ethan was extremely constipated. Once he relieved himself of a major traffic jam, he was fine. It was like a switch was flipped. Today, he was initiating play, shooting basketballs, and smiles all around. He even played catch with Heather for about 3 minutes. It's just another example of how what's going on inside our kids definitely has an effect on behavior, mood, mental state, and ability to function. It really is remarkable the change we've seen in just a few hours.
We did introduce dairy just a day before Ethan started having troubles. We are not convinced the yogurt was responsible, but we will certainly remember this the next time we give him dairy.
Ethan has finished his antifungal prescription for his yeast treatment. We will continue the natural anti fungal, grape fruit seed extract, for another couple weeks. We've seen great improvements in all aspects. He's been in a better mood, looks healthier, and his therapies are going great.
No school for Ethan this year. He is currently going to therapy 40 hours a week. He has OT and PT once a week, and speech twice a week. He is in ABA therapy all week for about 35 hours. We finally have Ethan in a good position with all his therapies. We really like all of his therapist. This is his 3rd OT, and I think he is going to be great. He is a veteran in the OT game specializing in sensory integration therapy. He's got a great energy and Ethan has responded well to him. Ms Jenny is his longest running therapist. We've been seeing her for speech for about a year and a half. Ethan has had some ups and downs with Ms. Jenny. She's seen first hand just how different Ethan can be when his biology is off. She sticks with us and remains positive through all the cranky days. Ms Jenny had a really nice moment with Ethan this week. On Wednesday, Ethan ran into the OT gym and wanted to swing. It was not time for swinging, so as Ms Jenny was trying to get him back into her room, Ethan began to get really frustrated. In the past, Ethan has hit, scratched, or even attempted to bite Ms Jenny. However, this time his frustration made him wrap his arms around Ms Jenny seeking comfort from his long time therapist. It was great to hear Ms Jenny tell the story, and I think she really appreciated the hug from Ethan. I am now proof reading this, and reading the story is bringing a couple tears to my eyes.
So, summer has ended with a bang. After all that has happened, now little Gavin has a pretty good cold. Although, he is taking it pretty well. As you can see from the photo, he is still up for a good sword fight. A little more whiney and bossy, but nothing we can't handle. Hopefully, we can nurse him back to good health before Ethan's birthday on Wednesday. Grandma Penny and Grandpa Bill are coming in town for Ethan's birthday this week. (shot out to Gma Penny and Gpa Bill who spent their Labor Day helping in Joplin with tornado relief) We are all very excited to have them. I think everyone is a little home sick. It will be nice to see some familiar faces from back home. Heather and I plan to take full advantage of the babysitting while we have it available. I can't wait for a couple of much deserved, and much needed, date nights with the Mrs.
Additionally, it's been a rough several days at our house. All summer, Ethan has been up around 430 in the morning. This week was even worse. Ethan has woke up between 3-4am this week. No matter how hard we tried, we just couldn't get him back to sleep. Once he was awake, he would just cry and cry. The only thing we could get out of him was watch Mickey watch Mickey over and over and over again. It was emotionally draining for Heather and I because we just couldn't figure out what was wrong. We certainly knew something was off, but couldn't figure it out. We thought he was just tired from waking up at 3am, or maybe he was getting sick. Early Sunday morning, we were awakened by horrible screams and loud bangs. It was Ethan. He was in what could only be described as an "autistic fit". He was crying, screaming, and kicking the door. He began flailing his arms and throwing himself against the wall. A few hours later, we found our answer. Turns out, Ethan was extremely constipated. Once he relieved himself of a major traffic jam, he was fine. It was like a switch was flipped. Today, he was initiating play, shooting basketballs, and smiles all around. He even played catch with Heather for about 3 minutes. It's just another example of how what's going on inside our kids definitely has an effect on behavior, mood, mental state, and ability to function. It really is remarkable the change we've seen in just a few hours.
We did introduce dairy just a day before Ethan started having troubles. We are not convinced the yogurt was responsible, but we will certainly remember this the next time we give him dairy.
Ethan has finished his antifungal prescription for his yeast treatment. We will continue the natural anti fungal, grape fruit seed extract, for another couple weeks. We've seen great improvements in all aspects. He's been in a better mood, looks healthier, and his therapies are going great.
No school for Ethan this year. He is currently going to therapy 40 hours a week. He has OT and PT once a week, and speech twice a week. He is in ABA therapy all week for about 35 hours. We finally have Ethan in a good position with all his therapies. We really like all of his therapist. This is his 3rd OT, and I think he is going to be great. He is a veteran in the OT game specializing in sensory integration therapy. He's got a great energy and Ethan has responded well to him. Ms Jenny is his longest running therapist. We've been seeing her for speech for about a year and a half. Ethan has had some ups and downs with Ms. Jenny. She's seen first hand just how different Ethan can be when his biology is off. She sticks with us and remains positive through all the cranky days. Ms Jenny had a really nice moment with Ethan this week. On Wednesday, Ethan ran into the OT gym and wanted to swing. It was not time for swinging, so as Ms Jenny was trying to get him back into her room, Ethan began to get really frustrated. In the past, Ethan has hit, scratched, or even attempted to bite Ms Jenny. However, this time his frustration made him wrap his arms around Ms Jenny seeking comfort from his long time therapist. It was great to hear Ms Jenny tell the story, and I think she really appreciated the hug from Ethan. I am now proof reading this, and reading the story is bringing a couple tears to my eyes.
So, summer has ended with a bang. After all that has happened, now little Gavin has a pretty good cold. Although, he is taking it pretty well. As you can see from the photo, he is still up for a good sword fight. A little more whiney and bossy, but nothing we can't handle. Hopefully, we can nurse him back to good health before Ethan's birthday on Wednesday. Grandma Penny and Grandpa Bill are coming in town for Ethan's birthday this week. (shot out to Gma Penny and Gpa Bill who spent their Labor Day helping in Joplin with tornado relief) We are all very excited to have them. I think everyone is a little home sick. It will be nice to see some familiar faces from back home. Heather and I plan to take full advantage of the babysitting while we have it available. I can't wait for a couple of much deserved, and much needed, date nights with the Mrs.
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