I am waiting for my husband to have his wisdom teeth pulled out and was told I can’t leave until he’s done. So now is the perfect time for an update on my favorite little boy.

Henry is now a year and a half old. I’m constantly looking back through pictures of him and can’t help but realize how much he looks like a little boy instead of a baby. He’s still got those chubby thighs, but his torso is longer and his neck rolls are gone:( Before I know it he’ll be two!

Health-wise, he’s been doing pretty well over the past several months. He’s had bronchitis in November, got ear tubes put in December and had hand, foot and mouth in January. He recovered from all quickly and we are hoping that once the weather improves, so will the germs. Daycare sure is prepping his immune system for the real world!

His seizure patterns fluctuate. Some months he’ll only have a few, some months he has over a dozen, but comparatively speaking, his epilepsy is pretty well controlled. We switched him from Topomax to Depacote in the fall. I’m not sure if one really works better than the other, but I believe he had built up a tolerance to the Topomax. So for now, we are on a path of trying different meds once or twice a year. I have been looking into CBD oil as an option, but have yet to find a suitable product that we can afford. I think medical marijuana will pass in Florida one day soon, but I’m not so sure how quickly it will become available to us. So … we wait and pray on that one. We were just able to raise enough money on indiegogo to purchase an Empatica Embrace band, that is supposed to detect and alert us to any events. We’re hoping this may help us collect some data that we can use to find a better medicine.

Developmentally, Henry has made some improvements. He’s sitting much better.  His head and trunk control are stronger so he can sit in a chair with little support. However,  he has a tendency to throw himself backwards, so it isn’t yet safe for him to sit on the floor independently.  Because the above mentioned fundraiser was such a success (thanks to our amazing family and friends) we may also be able to purchase an Upsee. I’ve always wanted one for him, and now he’s big enough to use it. I’m just going to check with his PT to make sure it’s okay.

Feedings are getting better. He’s tolerating the spoon more, but not quite  enough for that to be his only method of eating. My goal is for him to be off the bottle by his second birthday.  Until then, we add supplements to his meals and ensure he has a variety of fruits, veggies and proteins. I haven’t been able to find a recipe to make pureed chicken taste good, so he gets his protein from beans, avocados, dairy and oils we add to his food. Two of his favorite mixes are banana, mango, avocado and sweet potato,  apple, white bean.

Hopefully, by the next post I will have good news to report on those fronts. As always we are grateful to God for allowing Henry to be in our lives and to all our friends and family for their constant love and support. ♡