November brought about the next EI evaluation. Josiah's two year evaluation. I remember last year being very excited about that very thing. I couldn't wait to see 'the numbers' and see how great he was doing. Sometimes, when you excitedly await something.....the end result is disappointment. Last year, I think I wanted the numbers to prove something. I wanted them to confirm how great my son is. When the numbers didn't match my expectations, I was disappointed.
This year, as the evaluation day approached, I had a different attitude. I didn't care about the numbers. I knew this much was true....Ten months earlier (January 2013), Josiah could roll over. That is all. It was a huge accomplishment for him. He was 15 months old and could roll over like no-one's business. I couldn't believe how far he had come in 10 short months.
He had become a sitting expert. He became a crawling expert. He began pulling himself up....then became an expert at that. He starting standing in the middle of the room - pulling to stand without support. Then, he mastered that. He began walking with his toy walker....then became a semi-expert. As the evaluation day approached, numbers were not important. My son had accomplished amazing things in ten months. I could not be more proud.
For those wondering about numbers, he performed highest in "social." Yes, Josiah is a social little boy. He loves people. He loves to play and interact. Yes, socially, he almost doesn't qualify for services. In most other categories, he performs at a lower level than most children his age. In almost every instance, low muscle tone can be blamed.
We went from rolling over to the cusp of walking. These have been ten great months.
Life is good.
Showing posts with label crawling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crawling. Show all posts
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Thursday, April 4, 2013
March Madness
For the first time ever, a month slipped away without me writing. It's funny how often I think to myself, "I need to write in the blog; I haven't written in a while." As fast as that thought enters my mine, it's gone. Dinner needs to be cooked. The kids need to be tucked in. On and on the chores seem to stretch. At the end of the day, my need for sleep supersedes the desire to write. Each morning comes too early, greets me with the leftover chores of yesterday, and new necessities that lie in wait. How I dream of having the time to write. How I dream....
If this blog could only capture one tenth of what I think about....
I used to think that I was born in the wrong time. "I was born for Vaudeville; I was born too late." Decades passed with those thoughts in mind. Of course, being a believer, I've always known that I was born exactly when He wanted. However, what seems like a lifetime later, I see great reasoning.....Josiah. Imagine if he had been born during Vaudeville time. He might have ended up in an institution. Perhaps, he would idled away his time hidden at home - a secret, kept hidden from the world. His secret life would have been short. The holes in his heart would have assured his brief solitude existence, on this earth.
I think a lot about my brother, who died at 50. I was eight months pregnant when I lost him. Addiction stole him from me, from us. It's ironic that he died one month before Josiah was born. Scott always had a special place in his heart for the downtrodden, the gentle ones, the ones who may need a helping hand. Scott knew that Josiah had Down Syndrome, but was never allowed to share in the miracle of this little boy. I wish Scott could see him. I wish Scott could be the Uncle he always dreamed of being (his addiction was always an obstacle). Instead, he left us. I like to think that Josiah needed a guardian angel so much that God gave Scott a special place in Heaven to look after Josiah. In the first 4 months of life, how Josiah needed his guardian angel. How I miss my brother....I want to start a foundation in his name. I want to write a book about him. Someday, both will happen.
The month of March celebrates "World Down Syndrome Awareness." It occurs on the 21st of March. 3/21. Three copies of chromosome #21. That's the significance of the date. This year, there was a campaign to wear crazy socks that day. It was all in an effort to raise awareness. Someone sees your crazy, mismatched socks & asks why. You tell them all about DS. Well, I didn't go anywhere that day (to speak of). None the less, I was sporting great, crazy, colorful socks. I took a picture of my feet & posted them to facebook. I shall do that every year. Won't you do it too?
I often think to myself, "I didn't know I wanted a child with Down Syndrome." If you don't have a child with Down Syndrome, you may not understand that statement. If I could take away Josiah's Down Syndrome, would I? No, because he wouldn't be Josiah anymore. Josiah is a beautiful boy who happens to have an extra chromosome. He has blue eyes and blond hair (so blond that he has been called 'towhead'). He has a smile that radiates through the darkest of moments. His laughter is contagious. I wouldn't take away any of his traits. I wouldn't change any thing about him. He is pure delight. He is miracle. He is a true gift from God. It's just that simple.
March's schedule continued uninterrupted. Josiah has his weekly meeting with his EI (early intervention) child care specialist (K). He meets weekly with his physical therapist (D). He meets every other week with occupational therapy (C) and with speech therapy (P) in between. He did, however, start group at EI....movers and cruisers. I just love the name. It's a bunch of kids crawling, moving, and toddling around a great space. We're only a couple of weeks in, but it proves to be a great group. It's run by a physical therapist at the EI center (unlike his individual sessions which are at home).
Josiah is now crawling like a maniac. He can disappear from a room before you realize he's moved. He is grasping toys very well. He now enjoys throwing objects lol....it's too cute. His purposeful release is getting better and he truly enjoys playing. He eats nilla wafers like they are going out of style lol. We are slowly introducing him to new things. He will stand and hold onto me. When D tries this each week, he screams bloody murder - he's a manipulative little boy (hahaha). He's quickly approaching 18 months. In May, he'll have his next assessment with EI. I can't wait to see the results of the new assessment.
I am happy that April has ushered it's way through winter. The snow has become a nuisance. I am ready for warm weather, sunshine, playgrounds, and sitting outside. Josiah starts another playgroup (non EI-related) this morning. Unfortunately, that means this Mama needs to get a little boy ready for the day. I'll update again soon.
Be well, my friends!
If this blog could only capture one tenth of what I think about....
I used to think that I was born in the wrong time. "I was born for Vaudeville; I was born too late." Decades passed with those thoughts in mind. Of course, being a believer, I've always known that I was born exactly when He wanted. However, what seems like a lifetime later, I see great reasoning.....Josiah. Imagine if he had been born during Vaudeville time. He might have ended up in an institution. Perhaps, he would idled away his time hidden at home - a secret, kept hidden from the world. His secret life would have been short. The holes in his heart would have assured his brief solitude existence, on this earth.
I think a lot about my brother, who died at 50. I was eight months pregnant when I lost him. Addiction stole him from me, from us. It's ironic that he died one month before Josiah was born. Scott always had a special place in his heart for the downtrodden, the gentle ones, the ones who may need a helping hand. Scott knew that Josiah had Down Syndrome, but was never allowed to share in the miracle of this little boy. I wish Scott could see him. I wish Scott could be the Uncle he always dreamed of being (his addiction was always an obstacle). Instead, he left us. I like to think that Josiah needed a guardian angel so much that God gave Scott a special place in Heaven to look after Josiah. In the first 4 months of life, how Josiah needed his guardian angel. How I miss my brother....I want to start a foundation in his name. I want to write a book about him. Someday, both will happen.
The month of March celebrates "World Down Syndrome Awareness." It occurs on the 21st of March. 3/21. Three copies of chromosome #21. That's the significance of the date. This year, there was a campaign to wear crazy socks that day. It was all in an effort to raise awareness. Someone sees your crazy, mismatched socks & asks why. You tell them all about DS. Well, I didn't go anywhere that day (to speak of). None the less, I was sporting great, crazy, colorful socks. I took a picture of my feet & posted them to facebook. I shall do that every year. Won't you do it too?
I often think to myself, "I didn't know I wanted a child with Down Syndrome." If you don't have a child with Down Syndrome, you may not understand that statement. If I could take away Josiah's Down Syndrome, would I? No, because he wouldn't be Josiah anymore. Josiah is a beautiful boy who happens to have an extra chromosome. He has blue eyes and blond hair (so blond that he has been called 'towhead'). He has a smile that radiates through the darkest of moments. His laughter is contagious. I wouldn't take away any of his traits. I wouldn't change any thing about him. He is pure delight. He is miracle. He is a true gift from God. It's just that simple.
March's schedule continued uninterrupted. Josiah has his weekly meeting with his EI (early intervention) child care specialist (K). He meets weekly with his physical therapist (D). He meets every other week with occupational therapy (C) and with speech therapy (P) in between. He did, however, start group at EI....movers and cruisers. I just love the name. It's a bunch of kids crawling, moving, and toddling around a great space. We're only a couple of weeks in, but it proves to be a great group. It's run by a physical therapist at the EI center (unlike his individual sessions which are at home).
Josiah is now crawling like a maniac. He can disappear from a room before you realize he's moved. He is grasping toys very well. He now enjoys throwing objects lol....it's too cute. His purposeful release is getting better and he truly enjoys playing. He eats nilla wafers like they are going out of style lol. We are slowly introducing him to new things. He will stand and hold onto me. When D tries this each week, he screams bloody murder - he's a manipulative little boy (hahaha). He's quickly approaching 18 months. In May, he'll have his next assessment with EI. I can't wait to see the results of the new assessment.
I am happy that April has ushered it's way through winter. The snow has become a nuisance. I am ready for warm weather, sunshine, playgrounds, and sitting outside. Josiah starts another playgroup (non EI-related) this morning. Unfortunately, that means this Mama needs to get a little boy ready for the day. I'll update again soon.
Be well, my friends!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday's Huge Stride
February vacation began on Saturday, three days post-moving-home (from Blizzard displacement). I taught on Saturday, visited with my Aunt, and accomplished things around the house. Sunday and Monday (the holiday) - I did nothing. I stayed in my pajamas, fed the kids, bathed the boys, and otherwise sat on my behind....a much needed break.
This morning started as usual. The three year old whom we now refer to as the human alarm clock arose at 6:06am. We call him the human alarm clock because he awakes, without fail, between 6:00-6:30 (usually between 6:05 and 6:20). We managed to get him ready for preschool and C left with him, running, at 7:48. At 7:52, around the corner, they determined that they must have missed the bus. C drove him to school, arriving there at 8:10. As it turns out, the bus isn't running this week due to vacation week.
Meanwhile at home, C (occupational therapist) arrived at 8:15 for her scheduled appointment with Josiah. He was up, changed, dressed, nursed, and ready to play. C came with a friend today. It was twice the fun, twice the attention. Josiah loved it. While D (physical therapist) continues to work with Josiah on gross motor, C focuses more of her attention on fine motor (grasping small object, gripping, eating, etc). Josiah is making good progress in this area. He laughed, flirted, and worked hard for C today. He did very well.
By 9:30, the session was over. Josiah was exhausted. He ate his cereal (baby oatmeal & fruit), the six yr old got ready, and we were out the door. Our adventure was one of many small accomplishments. We paid bills, dropped paperwork off, picked up a few items for Josiah, kidnapped my Mom (who returned home this past weekend), visited my aunt, returned my Mom, and made our way to preschool. We got there at 3:45. We had a busy day but felt good about all we had done.
We arrived home at 4:15. We were home for the night. To satisfy a six year old's desire, we ordered pizza for dinner (meatball sub for the 3 yr old 'cause someone doesn't like pizza lol). We had a fun night at home. Everyone was in a good mood. Things were fairly mellow. We even watched a movie together. Then it was time for the 3 yr old to go to bed. It was about 7:30pm.
As he brushed his teeth in the bathroom, with C supervising, I sat in the living room with the six yr old, and Josiah. Josiah was on the floor, his oldest brother a short distance away. As we've seen him do before, Josiah got up on all fours and began rocking. Something was different. There was a determination in his eyes that was not to be missed. I grabbed my phone and frantically opened up the video app. This is what I captured:
This morning started as usual. The three year old whom we now refer to as the human alarm clock arose at 6:06am. We call him the human alarm clock because he awakes, without fail, between 6:00-6:30 (usually between 6:05 and 6:20). We managed to get him ready for preschool and C left with him, running, at 7:48. At 7:52, around the corner, they determined that they must have missed the bus. C drove him to school, arriving there at 8:10. As it turns out, the bus isn't running this week due to vacation week.
Meanwhile at home, C (occupational therapist) arrived at 8:15 for her scheduled appointment with Josiah. He was up, changed, dressed, nursed, and ready to play. C came with a friend today. It was twice the fun, twice the attention. Josiah loved it. While D (physical therapist) continues to work with Josiah on gross motor, C focuses more of her attention on fine motor (grasping small object, gripping, eating, etc). Josiah is making good progress in this area. He laughed, flirted, and worked hard for C today. He did very well.
By 9:30, the session was over. Josiah was exhausted. He ate his cereal (baby oatmeal & fruit), the six yr old got ready, and we were out the door. Our adventure was one of many small accomplishments. We paid bills, dropped paperwork off, picked up a few items for Josiah, kidnapped my Mom (who returned home this past weekend), visited my aunt, returned my Mom, and made our way to preschool. We got there at 3:45. We had a busy day but felt good about all we had done.
We arrived home at 4:15. We were home for the night. To satisfy a six year old's desire, we ordered pizza for dinner (meatball sub for the 3 yr old 'cause someone doesn't like pizza lol). We had a fun night at home. Everyone was in a good mood. Things were fairly mellow. We even watched a movie together. Then it was time for the 3 yr old to go to bed. It was about 7:30pm.
As he brushed his teeth in the bathroom, with C supervising, I sat in the living room with the six yr old, and Josiah. Josiah was on the floor, his oldest brother a short distance away. As we've seen him do before, Josiah got up on all fours and began rocking. Something was different. There was a determination in his eyes that was not to be missed. I grabbed my phone and frantically opened up the video app. This is what I captured:
Even as I type this, I am in awe of an amazing little boy. He's sixteen months old and crawled for the first time tonight. I couldn't be any prouder. It's not about age. It's about a little boy who demonstrates more strength, determination, resiliency, and spirit than anyone I have ever met. Josiah is my hero and my life has been blessed, tenfold, because he is here <3
The most important moments lie neither at the beginning nor the end,
but rather in the journey getting from one to another.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
31 for 21 Blog Challenge: DAY ELEVEN: PT Strides
Josiah had physical therapy this morning. As usual (for a Thursday), we were up at 6:30, changed, dressed, fed, and ready at 8. D arrived at 7:59 - as prompt as usual. She was immediately met with smiles, coos, and giggles.
Josiah has been doing well. Despite my best intention of allowing him to utilize his new vest, I must say it fell by the wayside. The vest still sat where I had laid it last week. The hip helpers remained there too. After my confession, and brief apology, D and Josiah were on to their session.
The vest was on little man, almost immediately. My goodness, it does make a difference!!! Josiah enjoyed sitting today. The support has become less and less. It is now minimal. At times, Josiah was sitting without any support. Of course, D was ready to catch him when he tipped over (which inevitably happens every time).
We brought the music block out today. It's quite tall which proved helpful. While sitting, it forced Josiah to bring his arms up quite high to reach the top. Then, D tried standing. With a bit of a jackknife shape, Josiah stood hanging on to the block. How dapper he looked sporting his vest. He demonstrating his weight-bearing abilities like a pro. He even maneuvered toys while doing so.
He was happy to show D how he gets into the 'all four' position and rocks (often using his head for stabilization). I don't know if he realizes how close to crawling he actually is....
All the while, he is babbling up a storm. Just in the past three days, he's added 'lala' and 'dada' to his verbal repertoire. He talks in conversation. He talks to get attention. He talks to be funny. (and, yes, he knows exactly the context every time).
I remain in awe at this little boy. I dream the world for him. Every day, he proves he can attain it :)
Thank you, God, for my piece of Heaven on earth.
Josiah has been doing well. Despite my best intention of allowing him to utilize his new vest, I must say it fell by the wayside. The vest still sat where I had laid it last week. The hip helpers remained there too. After my confession, and brief apology, D and Josiah were on to their session.
The vest was on little man, almost immediately. My goodness, it does make a difference!!! Josiah enjoyed sitting today. The support has become less and less. It is now minimal. At times, Josiah was sitting without any support. Of course, D was ready to catch him when he tipped over (which inevitably happens every time).
We brought the music block out today. It's quite tall which proved helpful. While sitting, it forced Josiah to bring his arms up quite high to reach the top. Then, D tried standing. With a bit of a jackknife shape, Josiah stood hanging on to the block. How dapper he looked sporting his vest. He demonstrating his weight-bearing abilities like a pro. He even maneuvered toys while doing so.
He was happy to show D how he gets into the 'all four' position and rocks (often using his head for stabilization). I don't know if he realizes how close to crawling he actually is....
All the while, he is babbling up a storm. Just in the past three days, he's added 'lala' and 'dada' to his verbal repertoire. He talks in conversation. He talks to get attention. He talks to be funny. (and, yes, he knows exactly the context every time).
I remain in awe at this little boy. I dream the world for him. Every day, he proves he can attain it :)
Thank you, God, for my piece of Heaven on earth.
"If you can dream it, you can do it."
- Walt Disney
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