I have been keeping a chart of the new foods Emma has tried these past six days. To date she has sampled: pear, banana, apple, blueberry, raspberry, watermelon, honeydew melon, papaya, raisin, dried apricot, homemade granola, oatmeal with banana and raisins, chicken, (catfish, kale – totally pushing my luck last night with those two) and the piece de resistance – vegetable frittata! To date her favorites are watermelon, pear, banana, apple, raisin, chicken and the frittata.
I am also reading the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) by Natasha Campbell-McBride. It is a diet created by Dr.Campbell-McBride who “healed” her own son diagnosed with autism. It is a daunting proposition, which requires one to forego almost all foods (saving a meat broth which one is suppose to consume every 30 minutes or so) for a few days to several weeks in order to allow the gut to heal before slowly introducing easily digested foods until eventually the child is able to eat a wide range of foods. This diet is so draconian in the beginning, it makes going gluten and casein free look like a picnic. Still I continue to do my research. I guess you either have to laugh or cry. I’m going with laughter at the moment. Tears to follow, I’m sure.
Over the long weekend we took the children to the New York Botanical Gardens. It was in the 80’s and gorgeous.
The Haunted Pumpkin Garden
The “Herb” Garden
As delightful and creative as these pumpkins were, Emma was much more concerned with getting on the tram that runs through the grounds of the Botanical Gardens.
“She loves various modes of transportation,” Richard observed when we finally secured four seats on the tram.
Yup. That’s our Emma.
For more on Emma’s journey through a childhood of autism, go to: www.EmmasHopeBook.com
