Master Chef

Mark, a.k.a Dadda has earned the title of Master Chef , well in our house at least! I do try, but this Mama aint the best cook in the world, and as Mark tells me, i dont have enough patience to create the master pieces he does! I still try though....and will continue to....

Deqlans Gluten free, Wheat free, Soya free, yeast free, sugar free diet has been going very very very well! I dont know why i worried so much about what on earth would Deqlan eat ! I can honestly say there hasnt been one day where i have said , today wasnt a good eating day, like so many days before we started the diet!

We are INCREDIBLY PROUD of Deqlan for adjusting so well and easing so nicely into all the changes!

let me give you a hint of whats been on the menue:

Breakfast - french toast, made from gluten free yeast free bread of course, Deqlan loves this!
or he has been enjoying some banana muffins i managed to make ! We are going to give some carrot muffins a go this weekend, hold thumbs!

Lunch- vege and rice pasta ( there is a corn version with little animals as well, but Deqlan is not allowed corn on the baseline diet - which will last about another 2 weeks, then we can re introduce certain things and see if they have any effect on his behaviour - i believe corn can be a culprit!)
or Deqlan will enjoy some chicken or fish cakes from the night before

Dinner - Mark makes the most divine meat balls with hidden carrot and pumpkin or butternut - first time Deqlan has ever eaten these things, although he doesnt know he is eating them! Kids on the spectrum or very visual so thats perhaps why Deqlan didnt do vegies, he didnt like the look of them! We have made delicous fish cakes, roastie, rice and the most divine chips ( you would think they are deep fried , but actually baked in the oven!) We had the most delicous fish and chips last night - they tasted like they came out of a restaurant! We also enjoyed a chicken stirfry, although Deqlan is not keen on the vegies in this dish! Deqlan also wasnt to keen on the bolognaise , the meat part, as it was to much tomatoe, but he thoroughly enjoyed the spagetthi!

For drinks - a little water here and there, Deqlan must be very thirsty though for water.... he loves his pear juice and we have also started mixing pear and peach juice, but still diluted. Deqlan loves his rice milk in the morning and evening, and its either topped up with some calcium or his probiotic. Basically in every drink Deqlan has we sneak the vitamins and supplements and Diflucan into them as this is the easiest way for Deqlan to get them in.

We have two more days left of this round of diflucan, then two weeks break and we start on the second of three rounds again. We havent really had any side effects - only 1 day of 2 nappies, but otherwise no side effects, thank Our Lord!

We have seen great improvements in Deqlan though and we can honestly say the diet, the epsom salts, the supplements, the therapy are all puzzle pieces fitting so nicely into each other! The mysterious rash that kept appearing and disapearing is no longer! Eye contact is fantastic! No more stimming - no running around in circles , or lining us or objects up! When i ask what sound a Lion makes Deqlan looks and waits and listens for the sound then laughs! In the past he wouldnt look my way if i asked about a whale or a dolphin or anything for that matter! We are thrilled and if this is what only a few weeks can do, things can only get better!

Deqlan is no very happy at his new therapy centre in Irene. We went on Wednesday to meet our new speech therapist Tracy, who is lovely and did lots of homework on Deqlan to know exactly what he liked! The first thing that came out of the cupboard when we got there was a box of cars, and presto, she had Deqlan calm and relaxed! Deqlan actually enjoyed the therapy centre this time around, walking around inspecting everything, playing on the tyres and swings, but his favorite was walking on the ramp and stomping like a soldier! Tracey was able to get lots of information on our soldier and suggested that we have joint sessions with her as the speech therapist and Anneke our new occupational therapist on Monday mornings ! So we are excited about seeing how this new approach works with Deqlan

Deqlan continues to love , love, love sand and water. He relishes in playing in Nanna and Grandpa's water fountain, but they dont relish the sand he throws into it! So we have had to change the plants around the fountain to now display white pebbles. Deqlan loves this new idea and they to go straight into the water fountain! He loves the zen garden more every day and spends more and more time in there each time, which i am so happy about - that Deqlan is outside in the sunshine enjoying the fresh air and enjoying all the things he loves so much.

He still LOVES Thomas and we still watch Thomas and his Friends dvds a couple of times a day! He has also taken a great liking to soldiers marching on a Wheels on the bus Dvd, they bring lots of smiles and laughs and how ironic , our little soldier enjoying wathching the soldiers, he must know how many of you are in his prayer army!

I was so excited to find the entire party kit with the Thomas theme i think i might just buy it now and put it away for Sep. I did buy the paper plates and Deqlan was in his element ( still is) carrying the plates around displaying Thomas to us all!

We have a busy weekend ahead! The Shavathon tommorow morning, then my wonderful husband has booked me to have my hair did ( i mean done! ha ha ) and then we are off to a wedding in Johannesburg, while Nanna and Grandpa will be watching our very busy soldier!

Hope you can all make it tomorow , and please please please remember to send me photos if you do spray /shave your hair in honor of all our cancer survivors, fighters and angels.

Have a great weekend and thank you for always checking in on us and praying for Deqlan and all his friends around the world!

God Bless and lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD, PLANS TO PROSPER YOU, NOT TO HARM YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE
JEREMIAH 29;11