~JadenGrace is four!~

Jaden's 4th birthday was on July 29th. We had a 'small' party here at the house with family and friends. (Family and friends means a lot of people. :o) Jaden still was not too interested in the gifts and opening them. We had to encourage her but she got frustrated pretty quickly. It's a good thing she had some small people here to 'help' her enjoy what she received. She loved the balloons, the cool shredded paper that was in the bottom of a giftbag and her very own chocolate gluten-free cake and soy ice cream! And swimming--she always enjoys the pool. One of the gifts she really likes now that things have settled down is the piano mat that plays songs. You lay it on the floor and step on the keys and it plays tunes. Jaden loves music and loves to dance. Great way to get her engaged.
After close to two years of treating her gut with diet, enzymes, pro-biotics, Nystatin, and several other prescription anti-fungals, the Grace was still not completely healed. So Dr Julie started her on Pentasa, a med for gut issues--colitus, Crohn's, etc. We have seen amazing things since starting this medicine. We started slowly--she is up to 3 capsules daily now--and poops are now starting to be 'normal'--brown and firm instead of yellow and loose--(details are important)--and she has started asking one of the "W" qestions: "what?" "where?" "when?" "who?". Several times in the last few days she has asked, "Where is....?" Just last week when Dr Julie asked me if she was doing this yet, I had to say no. But this week she is. She is also very, very happy. Very pleasant to be with. Loving books and learning and the computer. Loving to be with us, laughing and trying to stay engaged. Sleeping all night but slowing down on the naps. Loves to swim and did I mention dance? She keeps this older Mama in shape! She answers to her name (by turning and looking at who is calling) about 7 times out of 10. Redirection is easy now--very few 'fits'. In fact, I tell Jaden, "no fits!" and you can hear her repeating that every once in a while. She is a pleasure to take to the store, probably easier than most 4 year olds since she hasn't learned to bug for goodies in every aisle. She does ask for turkey at the deli and potato chips if she sees them. Very little stimming--if she begins to spin we gently stop her, and she is ok with that. Some loud noises still bother her--like the blender and juicer. She still has the whole 'arm-thrown-out' movements (you can see them in the video I put in the last post) and sometimes drives us crazy with her babbling. But the good outweigh the bad, thank God!
Another praise! Jaden has been placed in the classroom that we had been asking God for! She attended this class for summer school and I believe it is a perfect fit for her. I can't believe that after this year is over she will be in Kindergarten! The days are long but the years are short.
I am so grateful that God created JadenGrace. 'God has heard; given unmerited favor'.