Finally hit a goal of making it up to P-6 Farms! Sunflower picking and vegetable picking (sadly, the blackberry fields had closed right before we got there) was great fun!
Little Buddy was even happier that we found a small pie shop on the way home from the farm!
We got Daddy to come to the park with us and play soccer!
We've lucked out with an empty neighborhood pool every time we've gone!
Zipping along the zip line at 7 Acre Wood!
Getting out on the lake in the boat is always a good day too!
Adapting to life in the pandemic also means regular mask wearing. So of course we needed to get all fancy.
WILLPower masks for in-your-face advocacy!
And what did we need those masks for? Well, Little Buddy was accepted into his clinical trial and it was time to go to California for treatment!
California bound!
Although we were there for serious business, we also got to have some fun too! We got to see the D family, meaning Little Buddy got to have time with his best bud, J. Then we got to see Aunt A and Uncle C!
Here we go!
We began our first clinic day with some clinical measurements before we received the first dose of the medication. Giving him a daily injection isn't going to be our favorite thing, but we're willing to do anything to give him just the chance of a better quality of life. After his initial dose, we had to take vitals pretty often and monitor for a reaction. Little Buddy tried his best to be patient, but there are only so many books to read and iPad shows to watch before he got very agitated with being stuck in a tiny clinic room. Thankfully, they let us start taking him on walks outside, which helped a lot.
Keeping our busy boy occupied for 8 hours of clinic visit!
Quesadillas helped his mood too!
Cuddles with Momma after a successful first day! Our ritual of watching Big Bang Theory in a hotel during a clinical trial trip was reinstated.
Day 2 was a little shorter, which helped.
Enjoying his pillow nest prior to our flight home!
Actually made it half the flight with his mask on!
Height and Weight
Staying strong at 88 pounds and 57 1/4 inches!
Still rocking his pandemic hair!
Personality
Our pleasant, happy, and energetic boy is still doing well! He's very rarely been agitated, which is so nice.
Hello handsome!
Developmental Changes
All is still good! We had a few nights of odd sleep after returning from California, but hard to say if it was the new medicine or the travel that messed with him. Speaking of medicine, he's adapting decently to the new daily injection. He's not upset by the needle so much as by the need to sit still for the 10 seconds it takes to administer the drug. Momma and Daddy have been very courageous as we work through our own needle phobia!
I also realized this month how many vests we use to keep him active, especially in the summer: walking vests to keep him safe when we go on walks, cooling vest to help regulate his body temperature in the Texas heat, weighted vest to help him during hyperactive periods, and his life vest for swimming fun and safety! These vests help us keep his muscles strong and his joints limber, which are huge contributors to his quality of life!
The king of vests!
Fun Tidbits
I have to say, this may have been one of my favorite Independence Days, even though we couldn't go anywhere! We played outside, rolled our ice cream ball, watched Hamilton (!), and enjoyed the fireworks our neighborhood put off (in place of their normal food and play activities). Just a great day at home together.
Happy 4th!
So we've made it through another month and started a clinical trial! What a wild ride 2020 has been!
Good night,
LBM
Little Buddy's Momma
