Educating Risa

Today’s is Gareth’s 5th birthday. He’s come a long way from his struggles with eczema, asthma and allergies as an infant. He’s healthier and happier at 5 then I ever could have imagined back then. Here’s some pics of Gareth first 5 years:

 

Newborn, then eczema baby in his jolly jumper at 6 months. The jolly jumper was one of the few places we could take the mitts (really socks) off his hands as he couldn’t get at his skin to scratch.

Sitting at just shy of 1 year. His head was huge, but his body still tiny at 1 year—too busy clearing the eczema, and managing allergies and asthma in our view. He was 8 lbs 4 ounces at birth, and only 16-ish pounds at 1 year. With Hoppy his grasshopper finger puppet on vacation in Edmonton, age 18 months. His skin was much better—he could now safely wear T-Shirts, but shorts had to wait one more summer.

Eating a homemade raspberry ‘ice cream’, age 2 years. It was so messy and stain-producing, we put him in the tub.

Jumping for joy, age 2.5 years, at his brother’s 5th birthday party.

Playing in the snow, age 3 years. This was the point at which his growth started catching up to what Daegan was at the same ages, after we tried NAET, an allergy elimination technique. Gareth’s life realities had Jim and I trying alternative therapies that we never, EVER, would have considered otherwise. Steroid creams are fine as a back up plan, but given their side effects we weren’t comfortable using them on him, daily, and head-to-toe, as a first line of treatment. And he can eat lots of foods he couldn’t when younger (tomatoes, berries, citrus, among others)..

Age 3.5 years, after eating a blue candy at a neighbour’s party.

Showing off his Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs pajamas. Age 4.

At the butterfly gardens of Ellis Bird farm for the Bug Jamboree, something of a summer tradition for the boys, who’ve been 3 years running now. Age 4.5 years.

Just shy of 5 years, with his balloon animal T Rex, at ARC’s Kids’ Christmas Party.