Giving Thanks

So, since it's Thanksgiving tomorrow, I thought maybe I should focus on the positive things we have versus the gigantic negative of trying to convince Elise that it's worth it to interact and communicate with others.

First though I want to note that Elise has been continuing to have a lot of improvement lately. No miracles of course, but steady improvement. Today I picked her up from school and was able to observe circle time where they sing lots of songs. She sat without prompting and stayed put with no problem. She participated a bit, but mostly was somewhat disengaged to the songs & motions. She acted super tired. I couldn't figure out why she seemed so out of it, but then I saw that today was pizza day and she'd had two servings of pizza at lunch. This is the second instance recently where I've noticed odd behavior after eating pizza. I'll have to watch this closer, but pizza is really the only source of a lot of dairy product that she has. I'm really wanting to remove all casein from her diet, but I'll hang on until after January when she completes the program so that I'm not changing too many variables at one time.

Let's see, things to be thankful about: ELISE. She is an amazing little person. Her hugs and kisses are regular occurences now, yet special everytime. I'm super thankful that we were lucky enough to get a spot in the program at UCLA and that my insurance seems to be covering it really well. I'm thankful that Elise's brothers are excited that Elise is learning to play with them and get excited to hear her speak. I'm thankful that all 4 of her grandparents have taken the time to come help us survive the logistical nightmare of managing this program while caring for all 3 kids and working full-time. I'm thankful that we've been able to obtain the resources financially to provide the best care for Elise and best hope for her future. I'm thankful that her nanny has been so supportive and is so amazing at learning the techniques to help us teach Elise. I'm thankful for our friends and family that take the time to read this blog and let us know that they are thinking of us and wishing the best for Elise. I'm thankful for the network of parents with autistic children that are willing to share their experiences with us. I'm thankful for her team of specialists that are working so hard to unlock the key to teaching Elise and other children with autism. I'm also thankful for having a husband who is equally dedicated to providing Elise the opportunities for success in life. I'm sure there's more, but this is what I'm thinking about right now.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Hopefully next year we'll be able to share a holiday feast with many of you.