Showing posts with label foot and ankle orthotics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label foot and ankle orthotics. Show all posts

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Snot

Are you running low on snot? Isaac would be happy to share some of his. He's not feeling well, and when Isaac isn't feeling well, we all pay the price. Walter and I have been trading time laying in bed with Isaac and reading books to him. Of course we went over to my parent's house and he played for the first time since Friday. Kids, they make us out to be liars.

Last week felt long and tedious, hence my first post in several days.


Isaac wanted me to open a "na" (banana) for him. I dared him to take a bite. He preferred waving it around. You've probably noticed that Isaac spends a fair amount of time sitting on our kitchen counter. That's his happy place if I actually want to accomplish anything in the kitchen.


Wednesday we had his Craniofacial Team appointment. Isaac was amazing during the three hours we were in this room. Unfortunately, nothing productive came of the appointment. The ENT did call yesterday, and said we may push up the date for orthodontics (who knows when. I'm sure it will still be a few years.) and we will probably try a CPAP for sleep.



Practicing running...




Also, we got Isaac's orthotics, which is a drawn out drama that I'll try not to complain about too much. Finding shoes to fit these darn things in was nearly impossible. Isaac refuses to stand while wearing them, and until Friday, refused to even scoot while wearing them. This is especially frustrating because he just started walking and I feel like we are going to go backward until he gets used to them. I think we'll just take it slowly, and still enjoy the fact that he is walking, but hopefully get enough use out of them before his foot grows and he has to be casted again for a new pair.

Isabella has been the best big sister. She cheers for Isaac when he has his braces on, and tells him how cool he is. He has yet to agree with her.

We have so much to look forward to this week! My grandma is coming for Thanksgiving, and my brother is coming home from college, and my parents are getting their new dog. It should be a great week! Next time, I'll share Isabella's list of things she is thankful for.

Goodnight,

Sierra

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Exercising with a five year old.

First of all, exercising with a five year old is definitely not a good idea. I've been trying to figure out how to exercise during the day, so that I have don't have to do it at nine o'clock each night when I'm already exhausted. Since Isaac cries when I pee, it seemed a far fetched plan that he would contentedly play while I spent an hour exercising. Well, as it turns out, he wasn't the problem. My little sports commentator was, and I heard each of these phrases, at least two times: 

She's better than you.
Why aren't you doing it. 
Look, I'm doing it better than you. 
She has her leg up higher. 
Why are just laying there. 
I'm hungry. 
Why can't I have the weights? 
I really wanted the weights!
I'm starving. 
She's doing it way faster. 
I'm sooo hungry. I'm starving. I need something to eat right now!
You need to do it faster, like her. 
Are you done yet? 
When can I eat? 

I'm seriously considering re-joining the gym. 


Isaac thought it was hilarious that he could put his pacifier on this toy and then put it in his mouth.

We are also working very hard at getting him to agreeably sit with us for dinner, and have a tube feeding at the same time (that's the tricky part). The last two nights it has worked perfectly. In his mind, tube feeding + high chair = DVD player, or else I'll scream forever. So we are very grateful for a couple peaceful meals.

If I'd kept track of the hours Isabella spent cleaning the chalk board over the past few days, you would assume I was running a child labor camp. It's clean. And I never asked her to do it. Obviously. If I'd ask she would have thought I was torturing her.

Isaac's Occupational Therapist is amazing. First of all, she's the polar opposite of me. This means that she is always super peppy and when she sees Isaac she says, "HIIIGH FRIEND!" in a really loud high pitched voice, and has so much energy, that I wish I could bring her home with me. She dressed up as a ladybug on Halloween, which totally freaked Isaac out, but he got over it and agreed to work with her that day. I reserve my high pitched happy voice for Stella and our nighttime cuddle, which always make Walter roll his eyes. It goes something like this: Well there's my puppy daaawwg. Oh what a cute Stella Bella. You're my poopsie poopsie puppy do...okay, that's probably enough. Please don't stop reading my blog now. It's our moment, okay?
She tried to get Isaac to pretend he was eating the rice. He gave her an intense look of disgust and refused to touch the spoon.

Another mom at OT was commenting on how angelic Isaac always looks..."does he ever scream?" Does he ever! The kid has lungs of steel. Don't let his blonde curly hair and big blue eyes fool you! Just hang out at my house for a day and a night.




Isaac has started using a few new signs lately: outside, like, stuck, train (correctly, instead of his own variation), sit (which has only increased his bossiness), diaper, out, open, shoes, socks. He is always saying some new sounds, and makes verbal approximations to the words: Woody (essential), help, house, home, Mario (another important one), Wii (can you tell what he likes yet?), Luigi (yep), Isabella (ba), Oma, Opa, Papa, and I'm sure a few others.

In OT he is working on some fine motor skills such as, zipping a jacket (we practiced about thirty times during ballet today, so he's pretty good at that one now), and also everyday tasks like helping to put his pants on (now if I can get him to stand, and ask him to show me a leg, he will help put his leg in his pants), taking on and off socks and shoes (which we're actually going to stop working on since he is getting his braces next week, and he will have to work up to wearing those all day), recognizing that he needs a diaper change, telling us what he wants without throwing a tantrum, touching food, transitioning from playing with one toy to playing with another (agreeably), and about a million other things. We're a very long way from these everyday tasks, but he is making progress in baby steps, and we'll take it!

My lesson learned for the day: don't put hummus in Isaac's blend. He's been smelling like garlic for several hours. I like garlic, but when it's burped up...totally gross. I hope you enjoyed that little tidbit of information.

Goodbye!







Friday, October 26, 2012

What are you going to be for Halloween?

I'm going to be a mom. Let's just get that out of the way. Totally creative, right? Just so you know, I completely fail in the Halloween department. If society didn't create all of this build up over the holiday (is it really a holiday? I don't know), my kids probably wouldn't know it even existed. So when Isabella announced in the car what she wanted to be for Halloween, I was shocked, because we never even mentioned it. She wants to be a ballerina fairy. This is the best costume ever. I don't have to do anything! She already has her ballet performance leotard and she has wings. Check and check. Done. 

I was with Isaac at his appointment for his orthotics, and the orthotist asked what my kids are going to be for Halloween and I said, "Well, we're not really into to Halloween." He said he was surprised because apparently, I look like the kind of mom who spend a lot of time making costumes. Hmmm. It looks like I'm unintentionally giving off a crafty mom vibe. That is so not me. Alas. 

On the other hand, I have a daughter who is very creative in the clothing department. Exhibit A: 

I have a dog who is creative at fitting in spaces that are much too small for her. Exhibit B:

I have a husband and small child who make very creative sounds when snoring. Exhibit C:


I mentioned taking Isaac to get measured for his orthotics. He did amazingly well. Mainly because he slept almost the entire time, including the casting of one foot, which meant casting the second foot was a bit unpleasant. In about two weeks his AFOs should be ready and we should be on our way to even stronger legs and proper foot and ankle alignment.

Playing in the leaves...
 Please notice, if you can, the giant snot bubble and steady stream of snot...



Stella wanted to play too, which meant she practically pounced on Isaac, and as a result, Isaac had this face...





 Walter has on some pretty cool pants, right? 

And, as promised, a picture of our new furniture. I'm working on new prints to hang over the chair, and after a lot of deliberation at TJ Maxx, Isabella and I chose the blue lamps and the throw pillows.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sierra