Update Number Twenty-seven Zillion

Okay, not really, but it's been awhile since I posted an update on all of our various endeavors, so, here you go!

It has been 278 days since we moved, and, drum roll please........ I finally managed to hang pictures on the walls in Sky's room! The quality of these photos isn't great because it turns out that "midnight blue," or whatever the heck that color on the walls is called, doesn't work well when sunlit and then auto-smart-fixed on Photoshop. But you should definitely ignore all that and admire my wall-hanging skills.

You should also know that Sky cleaned his room just so I could take and post these pictures. He hopes you like his staging.

Second, after much pain and suffering (and approximately a bajillion phone calls), we may have finally managed to get Sky hooked up with some OT and behavioral therapy. It. Was. Not. Easy. And, it's way too early to see how it will go, but it's a (desperately delayed to the point of being ridiculous) start.

Did I mention that the new OT is hippotherapy? It's pretty awesome because it forces Sky to (naturally and willingly) keep tight control over his various impulses and sensory responses.

And the behavioral therapist is a play therapist--also something we didn't have access to before we moved. Again, the jury's still out on the effectiveness of this, but if nothing else, they all love the sand table. (Sorry for the fuzzy picture--this is what happens when I try to photo under cover).

Finally, it has been 498 days since we went gluten free. I've written about the ups and downs of going gluten free here, here, and here. But what I haven't told you is that since we went GFCF, Pink has not had to go to the hospital for her asthma even once. She has also backed off the serious meds she used to take. Now she's just on a mild maintenance medication and only taking half of the usual dose. Plus, she's needed her emergency inhaler only 6 times in the last year. Pre-gluten free, Pink was hospitalized twice a year and on steroids at least once every three months. She needed her emergency inhaler almost daily. The post-GFCF change is nothing short of miraculous.

Gratuitous bento shot.

Gratuitous bento shot. (These two, I made).

Stow, meanwhile, no longer sports a bloated gut, and Sky no longer randomly vomits. There are behavioral and developmental changes going on here, too, but, to be honest, even without that, the reduction of asthma emergencies and random yet persistent stomach issues has improved the quality of life at our house tremendously. Gluten free is a hassle, and it's expensive, but I am sure it has paid for itself many times over just in the number of averted trips to the pediatrician or ER.

Gratuitous bento shot.

Gratuitous bento shot (and these two were made by Ren, a.k.a. Mr. Overachiever)