What a week it has been. After going 10 psychological rounds with myself, I decided I needed to be in Denver over the weekend to say goodbye to my Grandmother. We are having a bigger family memorial for her in the spring in Indiana, so most of the family will be attending that one and I didn't really need to feel obligated to go to Denver, but I still felt I needed to be there. I got to see some family I had not seen in years and likely will not see again for many, many more years. Before I left, I realized that I hadn't been away from Gabe for more than about 5-6 hours since he came home, so it was time. It was good for me to leave and acknowledge that the household would still run perfectly fine without me, which ofcourse it did. Josh did a great job, which I never doubted. The three pages of notes I left behind were more of an FYI, or guidelines if you will. ;) It was good to go, and it was good to come back home.

In other news - we have been derelict in announcing Gabe's accomplishnments. On December 30th he got his first tooth!! It looks like number 2 might be through by morning. We have been working on "B" sounds and saying "bye, bye" along with waving. He is getting the hang of the "B" sound (well, it comes across a little bit more like just spitting with sound, but I like to call it a "B") and just this evening, he began waving at us. The older two were downstairs and Josh and I were both on the kitchen floor waving and grinning like fools. Ofcourse Josh jumps up to videotape the little genius and he reverts to just grinning back at us. Then the tape ran out. Oh well, we'll get it on tape next time. In other "bragging reports" his therapists say they are observing weekly progress - he is better every time they are here. He is pretty much an "independent sitter", with a little spotting still required. He can roll around to get from point A to point B. He has accomplished the pincer pick up technique, so we cautiously have let him have some of the Gerber fruit puffs (they pretty much go to complete mush when they are slobbered on) outside of his mesh feeder. He is still a little wishy washy on the sipper cup - sometimes he loves it, sometimes he wants nothing to do with it - and some food textures are not readily accepted, but I think this is at least normal for a 7 month old, as in not necessarily a delay. Ginger has some suggestions for us to discuss with developmental peds that will help move him forward and onward with oral feeding, and hopefully less dependance on the tube. We will get the swallow study on the same day as that appointment (January 24th, I think - it is a Thursday) so hopefully we will know more than.

I was looking through my old calendar and we are about one year out from that first ultrasound. Everything changed after that day. If anyone happened to save any of those early emails (??) I would love to have copies. I don't know why I didn't save them. I save everything else! I am too tired to get mushy and sentimental tonight, and that is where I am headed with this if I continue, so I will sign off. Thanks again and again and again to all of you who have been here with us - ok really, I am done.