our trip to Lynchburg

Hi all! Well, we took a day trip to Lynchburg, VA with our Robug. We went to see Dr. Mumper at the Rimand Center, (www.rimlandcenter.com) where we were hoping to get lots of encouragement and hope for treating Rowan and helping him come out of his fog. We were not disappointed! Here's a summary of the day:

We got up at 6, ate breakfast, and got on the road. Thanks Deb and Ed for letting us borrow your car, it was such a blessing! A very smoothe drive. It took us 3.5 hours to get there, but there was a suprising amount of grace on the trip. Rowan barely whined at all and we only had to use the DVD player for less than half the trip. Joel and I had some excellent conversation and quality time. I love car trips but only for that reason. Most of the time, travelling with young children doesn't feel worth it unless there's some good conversation!
We got there around 10:30 and had to wait 40 minutes to get in, but that was fine, because they have a little pond and a playground out back that we enjoyed until it was our turn. When we met with Dr. Mumper, she got to spend some time with Ro and see what she thought we might need to do next. She then ordered some tests to be done to specifically tailor his treatment plan to his particular needs. That was so great to hear! She doesn't want to just do general treatments that 'most kids on the spectrum respond to' but rather find out exactly how his body is working, what vitamins he needs, etc, and then work on that so that we are sure to see results. So coming up, we'll be doing urine, stool, and blood tests, and hopefully sometime next month we'll find out the results. Our prayers right now are that the tests would clearly point out what we need to fix and that it will be obvious and quick and easy.
Very exciting! It was well worth the 8 hours in the car. My friend Danni watched Bella all day and Ashton, my sweet housemate, watched Asher until we got home, which was around 5. All in all, a great trip that renewed our hope again that Rowan can come out of this.
That evening, we had a family dinner at Ben and Bek's house, with the added bonus of Deb and Ed being there to enjoy italien sausage that they brought from Oswego. So good! After that, we all hung out here at our house for ice cream and good talks, until Joel and I crashed around 9:30 and had to go to bed. Man, i remember the days when i could stay up until 1:30 AM and still get up early and not be dead the next day. Those days are just memories now. :-)

On another note, last week Rowan had his screening with the school district to see if he qualified for special needs pre-school services. Good news! he does! Rowan will be starting pre-school next month for 3 hours a day, 4 days a week, about 1/2 mile from our home! What a blessing. I'm excited for him to be with other kids his age.

I love the Lord! I love that He is going to heal my son, and even though most days I dont want to admit it, I am glad that He is working on my heart, even if it feels like He's killing me.

:-)

Love to all,
Jenn

5 things I love today!

1. Praise report! Medicaid ended up covering Ro's clinic appointment last week! I love surprises like that!

2. walnut-garlic pesto. if you haven't eaten it, you need to try joels' recipe!

3. when friends bring me random treats :-) Thanks for the frosty, Lora!!

4. The Office. My latest interest. I think Dwight Schrute is the funniest tv character EVER. I love that show.

5. watching my baby play quietly by herself in her bed after a nap. her sounds make my heart happy.

colds stink

The past few days, me and Bella have had a cold. Bella's wasn't too bad but I got it somethin' nasty! Haven't been sleeping well, which makes it hard to get better. So needless to say (but I will anyway), my house is a mess. I thank God for my girls in my house and for my hubby, they all know how to make me happy by cleaning when I can't.

Rowans allergy test came back all negative for food and respiratory allergies, which is good AND not so good news. It's good because that means that he doesn't have any bad allergies. It's bad because I know that he has food sensitivities and now I dont know how to find out which ones. I was hoping they'd show up on this test. I know this because when we took away milk, his rosy cheeks went away and he started napping better, and his eye contact actually improved too. But milk didnt come up positive on the test, so I am skeptical. Might see an allergist to see if they can do anything more comprehensive. Food sensitivities can affect sleep, poop, behavior, attention, pretty much everything, and is magnified in an autistic child. So we're hoping to learn more about this when we see our doc in Lynchburg next month!

I am really blessed to live where I live. The people around me are the most supportive group I've ever known. These people are believing that Rowan can be healed and are really praying with us. Just the other day, my sweet friend Lora brought over someone she knows from her church who has been burdened to pray for my Ro. I love my friends and I am so glad I'm not alone in this.

A very bright thing in my life lately is my new little neice, hannah! Here is a picture of this little miracle baby:
She's amazing! Congratulations to Mark and Lauren! I love you guys and your family!