A little piece of heaven

We had an excellent appointment at Reach Institute.

We got some excellent advice and information from Charlie and Consensao. Here is a summary:

* They talked to me a lot about behavioral issues. The fact that Nathan can’t move doesn’t mean he’s not smart enough to know to figure out how to get his way. He’s an expert at that. So we have to establish consistent discipline, revolving around a premise of teaching him that he doesn’t have to whine or cry to get his way. So we have to affirm him when he works hard and not pay as much attention when he complains. C & C think that much of Nathan’s resistance is behavioral because he simply doesn’t want to do things that are difficult for him.

* They modified his program. They took away patterning and incline plane and give him two different types of patterning. Tommorrow I will film the new program and show it. They also added basic tactile stimulation as he’s getting more curious and wanting to explore things with his hands.

* They asked us to give the program a fair trial. They asked if we temporarily drop some of the other programs that he’s doing and give their full program a try for a few weeks. That way we can see if the program can help Natha nor not. If we only do it half-way, Nathan may not be getting the proper frequency, intensity, and duration, so the program wouldn’t have the possibility of fully helping. I think it’s a very fair request and I am going to follow their advice 100%.

We start the program tommorrow. Here’s the new calendar:

Below are the exercises that each session will contain:

They also talked to us about nutrition. Here’s what we came up with:

Breakfeast
1 Fruit + Kefir + Crushed Almonds
2 Eggis + Tomatoes + Spinach + Mushrooms
3 Oatmeal with Stevia + Fruit
4 Shake with Rice Milk, Prunes, Oatmeal, Raisins, Banana, Almonds

Snack
1 Fruit
2 Hummus
3 Soy Pudding
4 Nutt butter with celery
5 Avocado
6 Tahini

Lunch
1 Vegetable (leafy greens, various)
1 Whole Grain (brown rice, qunoa, millet)
1 Protein (meat, chicken or fish)
2 Salad (blended, raw)

Snack
1 Fruit
2 Hummus
3 Soy Pudding
4 Nutt butter with celery
5 Avocado
6 Tahini

Dinner
1 Vegetable (leafy greens, various)
1 Whole Grain (brown rice, qunoa, millet)
1 Protein (meat, chicken or fish)

Notes
Lunch and dinner contain a protein, vegetable, and whole grain
Every meal should contain vegetables
Food should be as natural and organic as possible
Avoid dairy

I think this will give us a very good idea of whether or not this will help Nathan.

I promise to post some pictures and videos ASAP!

The last few days bring us some terrible and some excellent news.

Let’s start with the bad news first….we lost our camera. Tragic isn’t it. The good thing is, every material thing is replaceable. So we’re hoping to be able to find a good, comparable camera for a decent price.

Now for the good news. We had an amazingly wonderful few days last & this week. Our friends Amber & Brandon came to visit for Arkansas. Brandon is 1 day younger than Nathan and also has a neurological condition. Amber and I have been talking practically since the boys were born and have become the best of friends. Amber came to visit us on her way to Oregon to visit Charlie and Consensao at ReachInstitute.org

We had a lovely time together. We went to Universal Studios, Pasadena, and hung around the house. Then on Sunday of last week we all flew together and spent Sunday through Thurs morning in Oregon.

We noticed both boys seemed to fluorish from being in each other’s presence. They seemed to be more energetic and wanting to work hard to do new things. They behaved wonderfully and overall it was a great time.

Amber, Brandon – you guys are the best, and we love you and miss you!

Here are some awesome pictures:





Today was another good day. I liked it better than my day at universal studio yesterday. I really loved that part where there were balls shooting out of tubes everywhere and flying into things. I was so excited I even sat on my own and kept my head and trunk up. My mommy almost fainted when she saw how well I was holding my head up. I had to stop so I wouldn’t give her any ideas.

Yesterday was a good day, but today was better. By 5 am I was in the car and out of the house! I think it’s a record! I wish every day were like that. The only little problem was that mommy was driving to the wrong airport! Halfway into the drive my friend Brandon’s mommy asked if we were close to the Burbank Airport. I thought I saw my mommy’s hair stand on end. Burbank? She got off the freeway and turned right around. She started driving so fast that my car seat jumped in the air when she hit a little bump. It was so much fun! But I think she noticed she was going too fast so she slowed down. Bummer.

We made it to the Burbank airport on time and made it to the airplane smoothly. I was pretty hungry and ate a whole yogurt and half a banana. Lately all I want to do is eat eat eat. And watch TV of course. I saw a new movie on the plane that I really liked. It was about a disabled fish called Nemo. I think his daddy was a little too overprotective. Now if mommy would get the hint. I didn’t like the movies asmuch as Lilo and Stitch, but I am considering it for second favorite, after Elmo in Grouchland. But I don’t know, I love that little red furry beast. Hmmm I just want to hug him.

Towards the end of the flight I’d had it. I was tired, and very bored. So I let my mommy know, but she played with me so I gave her a little break.

Then we went to get our car to drive to Grants Pass to see Charlie and Consensao, but it didn’t work. The car rental place, where we’d reserved a car for $125, had gone out of business! Instead we had to pay $410 at a different car rental place. Mommy wasn’t happy, and Brandon’s mom Amber wasn’t either. But we got a cool car, it was red, my favorite color.

When we were finally all packed in I’d had it. I was hungry, tired, and grumpy. I started screaming my lungs out, fooooooooood, give me foooooooood. If only my mommy would get smart enough to understand me. I tell her things so clearly. She finally got the hint and stopped at McDonald’s. I was so hungry I ate an entire breakfast meal. I thought I was going to explode. So after some food and milk, I was happy to go to sleep for the entire 3.5 hours in the car. My buddy Brandon was pretty relaxed today, he didn’t sleep much but he was just awake and chilling.

By the time we got to Grants Pass I was really to just lay down my weary bones, cuddle with my mommy, and watch a good movie. But the people at the hotel had lost our reservation! They wanted us to go to the second floor, but mommy and Brandon’s mommy said, no way.

So they went to the motel next door and we got new rooms. Then, just when I was excited to lay down, another curve ball. Mommy decides the room smells like smoke! Deal with it, I wanted to tell her. But she made a big deal of it and tried to have them give us new rooms. After a lot of bla bla bla, the grown ups finally decided to clean out the air of the room and mommy said we could stay.

We went to one of my favorite places – walmart! I watched TV on many different screens and checked out all the babes. I smiled and had a bunch of suckers making fools of themselves over me. It was fun. Mommy got me lots of food and a new case for my DVD so it won’t fall from my lap in the car. That was probably my favorite part of the day.

Finally, after a few more misshaps (mommy thinking she lost her phone but it was right there behind my stroller seat, mommy getting a little lost, brandon getting so angry at his mommy he started turning blue), we came to the motel and settled in.

I watched Nemo again, ate an entire container of lasagna, drank so milk and water, and decided to call it a day.

But before I went to sleep I turned myself to the side and gave my mommy a big smile. It was a good day.

*** Note from Mommy: We are at Grants Pass, Oregon, getting ready for a follow up appointment with Charlie and Consensao of ReachInstitute.Org