Something Silly & Something Sad

Aunt Jig-Jig bought Ryder this plate that we think is so funny.  Remember those little magnetic boards we used to have as kids where you could give the bald man hair and a beard?  Well now we get to do that with Ryder’s food every night, it’s pretty entertaining!

I’m glad there are little things like this that can make me laugh because I have been so sad since we left therapy yesterday.  Ryder’s therapist, Miss Erin, told me yesterday that she was going to be moving at the end of June and would no longer be there to see Ryder anymore.  This instantly brought tears to my eyes and I haven’t been able to stop crying since.  She has seen Ryder every Thursday for this past year and they have become so close.  In the beginning, she had to take a complete hands-off approach with Ryder because he didn’t trust her and would not tolerate her picking him up or placing him somewhere.  That changed right before our eyes though to the point where now when she comes out to the waiting room he runs to her to give her the biggest hug and sometimes tell her “Ryder missed you”, he prays for her every night, and talks about her on a daily basis.  She has been the most influential person in Ryder’s recovery this far.  When we first started seeing her, he was pretty far behind in his motor skills…was barely crawling on his hands and knees, wasn’t walking, climbing, jumping, nothing that kids his age had been accomplishing for months.  She figured out the best ways to get him to work hard and has helped him achieve all of these goals and MORE!  She is so good for him so to think about him not seeing her anymore breaks my heart, on a personal level and a professional level.  I keep trying to think of how I will tell him when the time comes that he won’t see Miss Erin anymore, I know he’ll never forget her, this child doesn’t forget anything!  It’s coming right at the time the new baby will be born, I can’t stand the thought of him having to go through so many transitions at once, and that I might not be able to be with him when he meets a new therapist or has to say goodbye to Miss Erin.  It’s just so much to think about and it would probably be easier if I could get my emotions under control, but for now…I’m just sad.  Happy for Erin and her family!  But sad that we’re losing one of the best people we’ve met along this crazy journey!