...my Grant Man!
I am overwhelmed with emotion as I sit on my couch and look around my living room. In the disheveled room I look around and see all Matthew's toys (a football, some blocks, the t-ball T and some cars) and I look around and see Grant's toys (his piggy bank, baseball glove, lightening McQueen and milk jug). As much as I love seeing a clean house I love seeing the toys sitting around because I know it was a day well spent :)
When I look in the corner however I see all Grant's "special" toys (his gait trainer, kid kart, tumble form, and crawler) and realize how incredibly lucky I am to have these items in my living room. If someone would've told me 5 years ago that I would be sitting here looking at this with an amazing little 3 year old upstairs sleeping and an amazing little 19 month old upstairs sleeping I would have said absolutely. But had someone said that little 19 month old would have Cerebral Palsy and at 19 months would not be able to drink out of his own sippy, grab a puff and eat it, sit, crawl, stand on his own, walk, etc I would have said "Yea right" My life was perfect! And my life would always be perfect...it's funny how quickly your idea of perfect can change!
Perfect now is spending a day with my boys! Seeing Matthew working on writing letters and sitting behind Grant as he plays with toys. But perfect is about so much more than that!! Perfect is when Grant grabs a toy on his own or stands flat footed for a few seconds or now amazingly sits on his own for several minutes!
It's crazy to me how much people take for granted. And I was once one of those people! Did I rejoice when Matthew reached milestones, absolutely! But did I truly appreciate the fact that he reached those? Not like I do now! Every little thing Grant does just shows how truly amazing God is. Grant is the most determined little boy I've ever met. He doesn't let anything hold him back. That is so inspiring. I hope as he gets older he can touch other people's lives like he has mine! I love that little man more than anything!! And I'm pretty darn fond of his older brother :)
Monday, November 7, 2011
Not again!
Again my apologies life got insanely crazy! Lots to update on!! :)
We have had so much going on since my last update in September! That ABM session went great unfortunately we haven't been able to go back since then. First of all our month of September was insane! We not only had the Taking Strides to Make a Stand Walk but we had Matthew's 3rd Birthday, the Royal's Game Buck O'Neil seats, Matthew's birthday party and a couple other birthday parties. In the mix of all that we found a townhome and moved in :) Because of having to pay the deposit and rent and everything we are still trying to play catch up and hence haven't been able to get Grant's therapy in St. Louis :( But we will be going back this month and I'm so excited.
So has it affected Grant Man not doing ABM. Not negatively that's for sure! My little man is showing huge gains. He is standing flat footed more often then not, he is still eating great (unfortunately lost 4.5 oz in a month but that's what Croup, the flu and a cold all in three weeks will do to you), he is helping hold his cup (even getting it to his lips), drinking from a straw, doing great at opening his hands and he is biting off foods from sandwiches, pizza, anything he can bite off. He had a meeting with his service coordinator to go over goals and set new ones. Grant sat there listening very closely because one goal was that he start trying to hold his sippy cup and do it himself...check that off :) And another goal was that he will be sitting on his own. According to the wording of the goal that will happen when he is sitting 2-3 times a day for 5 min and reaching for/playing with toys unassisted...well guess what by April we will be checking that off the list, too! He has been sitting for 3-5 minutes a couple times a day over the last couple days! I can't tell you how incredibly proud I am of him!!
So that's what's been happening to us in the last couple of months. I promise I will get better at updating!! Happy Monday and I hope you all have a great Tuesday :)
We have had so much going on since my last update in September! That ABM session went great unfortunately we haven't been able to go back since then. First of all our month of September was insane! We not only had the Taking Strides to Make a Stand Walk but we had Matthew's 3rd Birthday, the Royal's Game Buck O'Neil seats, Matthew's birthday party and a couple other birthday parties. In the mix of all that we found a townhome and moved in :) Because of having to pay the deposit and rent and everything we are still trying to play catch up and hence haven't been able to get Grant's therapy in St. Louis :( But we will be going back this month and I'm so excited.
So has it affected Grant Man not doing ABM. Not negatively that's for sure! My little man is showing huge gains. He is standing flat footed more often then not, he is still eating great (unfortunately lost 4.5 oz in a month but that's what Croup, the flu and a cold all in three weeks will do to you), he is helping hold his cup (even getting it to his lips), drinking from a straw, doing great at opening his hands and he is biting off foods from sandwiches, pizza, anything he can bite off. He had a meeting with his service coordinator to go over goals and set new ones. Grant sat there listening very closely because one goal was that he start trying to hold his sippy cup and do it himself...check that off :) And another goal was that he will be sitting on his own. According to the wording of the goal that will happen when he is sitting 2-3 times a day for 5 min and reaching for/playing with toys unassisted...well guess what by April we will be checking that off the list, too! He has been sitting for 3-5 minutes a couple times a day over the last couple days! I can't tell you how incredibly proud I am of him!!
So that's what's been happening to us in the last couple of months. I promise I will get better at updating!! Happy Monday and I hope you all have a great Tuesday :)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
ABM Session Day 1 (9/7/2011)
So here we are today :) (do you like my short version of the last two months!)
We rented a car to get to St. Charles again this time because our van is still broken :( The car ride here sucked. I definitely got spoiled to my minivan! There is no room in a Cobalt! And the visors are pointless and block no sun. But I still managed to sleep and so did the boys. We ate breakfast at McDonald's. While Mattie and Dad were playing in the play place (totally disgusting) I was asking Grant where the light was. He kept looking up and forming his lips to say the "L" sound. Finally he said "li" and he said it three or four more times!! I was so excited!
Session 1: Grant did Ah-mazing!! He played with Chad the entire hour. Chad actually had to give him back at 5 til so he could work with his neck. He had him side sitting and going from sitting to all fours. He had him working on arching his back and sticking his tummy out. He was also sitting on his knees playing with me. Oh and we were playing catch rolling the ball back and forth! :)
Session 2: Grant didn't do so well at all this session. He only took about a 25 min nap which was no good. I pretty much held him the entire time. Chad still got to work with him but it was while I was holding him. He did have him pushing off the mirror which worked on being flat footed and bearing weight on his heal. Other than that it wasn't all that good. :( Oh well he's allowed a bad session every now and then!
After that we checked in at our hotel! Finally a great hotel for a great price and a friendly staff!! I'm so happy!! And they have an indoor poor open til 11pm so Matthew was happy :) And it's right down the road from Chad so we are happy too. We went to a car show with awesome older cards. Then we got dinner at Subway and had a picnic by the river then walked downtown. While there Grant Man saw a dog and said "dog" but without the "G" sound. Again he said it three or four times! We came back and went swimming in the freezing pool. Well Grant and I sat and watched Dad and Matthew swim. Ryan was freezing and so was Matthew but that didn't keep him from jumping in over and over again! :) Right now we are all cuddled up ready to hit the hay! Well Dad is trying to get the bib from Grant who is cracking up everytime he says "let go!" I love my life! Good night all!!
We rented a car to get to St. Charles again this time because our van is still broken :( The car ride here sucked. I definitely got spoiled to my minivan! There is no room in a Cobalt! And the visors are pointless and block no sun. But I still managed to sleep and so did the boys. We ate breakfast at McDonald's. While Mattie and Dad were playing in the play place (totally disgusting) I was asking Grant where the light was. He kept looking up and forming his lips to say the "L" sound. Finally he said "li" and he said it three or four more times!! I was so excited!
Session 1: Grant did Ah-mazing!! He played with Chad the entire hour. Chad actually had to give him back at 5 til so he could work with his neck. He had him side sitting and going from sitting to all fours. He had him working on arching his back and sticking his tummy out. He was also sitting on his knees playing with me. Oh and we were playing catch rolling the ball back and forth! :)
Session 2: Grant didn't do so well at all this session. He only took about a 25 min nap which was no good. I pretty much held him the entire time. Chad still got to work with him but it was while I was holding him. He did have him pushing off the mirror which worked on being flat footed and bearing weight on his heal. Other than that it wasn't all that good. :( Oh well he's allowed a bad session every now and then!
After that we checked in at our hotel! Finally a great hotel for a great price and a friendly staff!! I'm so happy!! And they have an indoor poor open til 11pm so Matthew was happy :) And it's right down the road from Chad so we are happy too. We went to a car show with awesome older cards. Then we got dinner at Subway and had a picnic by the river then walked downtown. While there Grant Man saw a dog and said "dog" but without the "G" sound. Again he said it three or four times! We came back and went swimming in the freezing pool. Well Grant and I sat and watched Dad and Matthew swim. Ryan was freezing and so was Matthew but that didn't keep him from jumping in over and over again! :) Right now we are all cuddled up ready to hit the hay! Well Dad is trying to get the bib from Grant who is cracking up everytime he says "let go!" I love my life! Good night all!!
We Have Amazing Friends!
One thing I absolutely have to share with you is how amazing our friends and Grant's Godparents are!!!
I got a phone call from my best friend, Teresa, asking if I had heard form the Royal's. I wonder if I sounded as confused as I felt. She said that Matt (her husband) had nominated me for the Buck O'Neil seats (again long story short a huge honor!). He nominated me because of everything I've done for Grant and for starting up Grant's Giving Hands.
So on September 20th if you get the Royal's games watch in the bottom of the 3rd to see my family and amazing friends as we not only celebrate Matthew's 3rd birthday but celebrate such a huge honor!!
Thanks Matt and Teresa you guys are awesome! :)
I got a phone call from my best friend, Teresa, asking if I had heard form the Royal's. I wonder if I sounded as confused as I felt. She said that Matt (her husband) had nominated me for the Buck O'Neil seats (again long story short a huge honor!). He nominated me because of everything I've done for Grant and for starting up Grant's Giving Hands.
So on September 20th if you get the Royal's games watch in the bottom of the 3rd to see my family and amazing friends as we not only celebrate Matthew's 3rd birthday but celebrate such a huge honor!!
Thanks Matt and Teresa you guys are awesome! :)
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Oh My!!
I want to extend a huge apology! There has been so so much going on that I complete forgot about updating this blog!!
There has been a lot going on since I last updated in June! Grant is doing great!! He gained 5 oz in June then lost 5 in July but then in August he gained 10 oz!!! Yes 10 oz! He is a growing boy!
On our trip in July for ABM our van broke down a little over half way there. Engine blew! That was a trip like no other. Needless to say Grant's sessions didn't go so great! :(
Fast forward to now Grant is doing amazing. He is working so hard at so much! His stranger anxiety is getting so much better!
Now that is a long story very short version of what's been going on with us. From now on I promise to at least update once a week :)
There has been a lot going on since I last updated in June! Grant is doing great!! He gained 5 oz in June then lost 5 in July but then in August he gained 10 oz!!! Yes 10 oz! He is a growing boy!
On our trip in July for ABM our van broke down a little over half way there. Engine blew! That was a trip like no other. Needless to say Grant's sessions didn't go so great! :(
Fast forward to now Grant is doing amazing. He is working so hard at so much! His stranger anxiety is getting so much better!
Now that is a long story very short version of what's been going on with us. From now on I promise to at least update once a week :)
Thursday, June 30, 2011
ABM Day 3 for June
Ahh...well we are home at last! It's always hard to post day 3 at the end of day 3! Everyone is sleeping and I'm already watching kiddos! :) Welcome home, huh! Day 3 went as expected but I am still so pleased!
Session 1: went about the same as all the other sessions! Grant went right to Chad and played the hour away! Worked on all the same things. He is getting fast at getting those legs going! Chad said his hands will catch up. And I can already tell. We were playing with him last night and usually I have to rotate his butt to get his hands up and several times he did it right away on his own!
Session 2: not so great! But then again this session never is! By the 6th session in three days Grant Man is just exhausted! He last about 30-40 minutes and then was fussy from then on. We were still able to distract him and Chad was still able to work with him it just took a lot to do so!
I am so incredibly proud of my Grant Man! He continues to amaze me every time we go to his ABM!! It seems to take about a week or two to really start seeing the results and I can't wait! I have no doubt in my mind he will be getting around within a month or two and I have no doubt in my mind he will eventually walk!
Now we are left with a decision...Stay with the 3 days/6 sessions every 4-5 weeks or go to 2 days/4 sessions every 2-3 weeks. Hmm...guess we will see what Ryan's job has to say about that!
Session 1: went about the same as all the other sessions! Grant went right to Chad and played the hour away! Worked on all the same things. He is getting fast at getting those legs going! Chad said his hands will catch up. And I can already tell. We were playing with him last night and usually I have to rotate his butt to get his hands up and several times he did it right away on his own!
Session 2: not so great! But then again this session never is! By the 6th session in three days Grant Man is just exhausted! He last about 30-40 minutes and then was fussy from then on. We were still able to distract him and Chad was still able to work with him it just took a lot to do so!
I am so incredibly proud of my Grant Man! He continues to amaze me every time we go to his ABM!! It seems to take about a week or two to really start seeing the results and I can't wait! I have no doubt in my mind he will be getting around within a month or two and I have no doubt in my mind he will eventually walk!
Now we are left with a decision...Stay with the 3 days/6 sessions every 4-5 weeks or go to 2 days/4 sessions every 2-3 weeks. Hmm...guess we will see what Ryan's job has to say about that!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
ABM Day 2 for June
Another day done and we are all EXHAUSTED!! Day two went pretty good I guess...
Session 1: Went same as yesterday which I was so happy about! Grant went to Chad after about 5 minutes and was with him the entire time! He worked on everything he did yesterday and is already showing improvements! He is reaching and grabbing is so good. He's keeping his hand open and everything!
Session 2: Not as great! It didn't help Grant Man was so tired because he decided to only take a 20 minute nap. He went right to Chad as soon as we got in the room but he only lasted about 45 minutes before I had to take over. He still was able to get him down on the table and work with him which is great with me!
After the second session we went swimming which Grant LOVED! He was squealing and screeching like crazy! Matthew had a blast, too, jumping into Ryan and "swimming" :) Anxious to see what tomorrow brings!
Session 1: Went same as yesterday which I was so happy about! Grant went to Chad after about 5 minutes and was with him the entire time! He worked on everything he did yesterday and is already showing improvements! He is reaching and grabbing is so good. He's keeping his hand open and everything!
Session 2: Not as great! It didn't help Grant Man was so tired because he decided to only take a 20 minute nap. He went right to Chad as soon as we got in the room but he only lasted about 45 minutes before I had to take over. He still was able to get him down on the table and work with him which is great with me!
After the second session we went swimming which Grant LOVED! He was squealing and screeching like crazy! Matthew had a blast, too, jumping into Ryan and "swimming" :) Anxious to see what tomorrow brings!
Monday, June 27, 2011
ABM for June!
We should've known when the day started out with rain the entire drive that today would've turned into what it did! The boys slept the whole way which was a first. We went to the mall to kill time and get Grant Man a good breakfast before his 1st session.
Session 1: We walked in and there was hardly even any lip puckering! We went in the Chad and I held him for all of 5 minutes. Chad said "Grant do you want to play with toys?" Grant smiled his big smile and made his noise that sounds like "Yea". Chad said "Well you have to come with me and mom will get you some toys." So Chad took Grant and I got toys and Chad had him the rest of the time!!! He had Grant sitting then going from sitting to laying on his side to tummy to working on crawling!! HE HAD GRANT ON THE TABLE!!! This is a HUGE step! Grant doesn't lay anywhere unfamiliar he even cries sometimes on our floor changing his diaper. So to get Grant to lay on the table and work with him was amazing! I was in shock!!
Session 2: I never imagined this session could've gone as good or better but sure enough it did! Again it wasn't even 5 minutes of me holding him and off to Chad he went! It was the same thing this session only this time he did such an amazing job with what Chad was working on. When going from sitting to hands and knees he was putting his hand down every time to support himself. Chad had Grant on kneeling and kept saying "we are going to go down on your hands now" and Grant would put his hands down. He was grabbing toys like crazy. He even got up great on hands and knees and held it for about 15 seconds. Then when working on crawling his arms still did the same as always but instead of when brings his legs up underneath him they frog out he was actually bringing them up underneath him the way he should for crawling!
I couldn't have been happier with how today went. Afterwards Grant was talking so much and making so many more sounds than normal. BUT....
That's when it all went south. Not for Grant...he's still sitting here chatting away! No instead when we got to our hotel that we have been staying at (who helped us out a great deal and only charges us $30 per night) we find out that the owners have been putting people in rooms with mold and mildew so bad it's making them sick. So she said she refused to let us stay there because she has kids and she couldn't consciously let us do that! So she sent us down to the Super8 after calling them and asking for a king size bed and that they give us the same rate they were. Well we get here and they are charging us $60 for a queen bed for the four of us to sleep in and we can't discuss the rate until tomorrow morning when the property manager is in. Okay fine we will be finding somewhere else to stay tomorrow!! THEN...we go to Culver's to eat (because we now have no fridge or microwave for food) and there is a balloon artist doing balloon animals which was cute and Matthew loved but then this annoying lady and her annoying little boy decided to sit down at the table behind us and talk to us the entire time we tried to eat! Seriously just let eat!! Ugh...so hopefully we can find someone willing to work with us on price but I doubt it! But with Grant it was a great day and everything else not so much!
Session 1: We walked in and there was hardly even any lip puckering! We went in the Chad and I held him for all of 5 minutes. Chad said "Grant do you want to play with toys?" Grant smiled his big smile and made his noise that sounds like "Yea". Chad said "Well you have to come with me and mom will get you some toys." So Chad took Grant and I got toys and Chad had him the rest of the time!!! He had Grant sitting then going from sitting to laying on his side to tummy to working on crawling!! HE HAD GRANT ON THE TABLE!!! This is a HUGE step! Grant doesn't lay anywhere unfamiliar he even cries sometimes on our floor changing his diaper. So to get Grant to lay on the table and work with him was amazing! I was in shock!!
Session 2: I never imagined this session could've gone as good or better but sure enough it did! Again it wasn't even 5 minutes of me holding him and off to Chad he went! It was the same thing this session only this time he did such an amazing job with what Chad was working on. When going from sitting to hands and knees he was putting his hand down every time to support himself. Chad had Grant on kneeling and kept saying "we are going to go down on your hands now" and Grant would put his hands down. He was grabbing toys like crazy. He even got up great on hands and knees and held it for about 15 seconds. Then when working on crawling his arms still did the same as always but instead of when brings his legs up underneath him they frog out he was actually bringing them up underneath him the way he should for crawling!
I couldn't have been happier with how today went. Afterwards Grant was talking so much and making so many more sounds than normal. BUT....
That's when it all went south. Not for Grant...he's still sitting here chatting away! No instead when we got to our hotel that we have been staying at (who helped us out a great deal and only charges us $30 per night) we find out that the owners have been putting people in rooms with mold and mildew so bad it's making them sick. So she said she refused to let us stay there because she has kids and she couldn't consciously let us do that! So she sent us down to the Super8 after calling them and asking for a king size bed and that they give us the same rate they were. Well we get here and they are charging us $60 for a queen bed for the four of us to sleep in and we can't discuss the rate until tomorrow morning when the property manager is in. Okay fine we will be finding somewhere else to stay tomorrow!! THEN...we go to Culver's to eat (because we now have no fridge or microwave for food) and there is a balloon artist doing balloon animals which was cute and Matthew loved but then this annoying lady and her annoying little boy decided to sit down at the table behind us and talk to us the entire time we tried to eat! Seriously just let eat!! Ugh...so hopefully we can find someone willing to work with us on price but I doubt it! But with Grant it was a great day and everything else not so much!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Is It Ignorance Or Just Plain Rude?
I had my first moment of I could have kicked someone's butt over a comment made! I am usually pretty relaxed and understanding about comments or questions...even the dreaded "I'm so sorry" but there are some comments that even I can't handle!
We were at Ryan's (and my dad and my brother's :) ) softball game yesterday and I had Grant standing. His legs managed to get a little crossed and usually I fixed it but I didn't this time. Well this girl that comes (that talks about everyone!) was talking to another girl and said "That's how my dogs back legs are." At first I thought just ignore it. Well then she went on to say "That kid is just chilling but my dog can't uncross his legs."
My first thought then was did she really just compare my son to her DOG!! Really?!! I don't care if a child has a disability or not you don't compare any child to a dog!!!! Second was instant rage!!!!!!! My son is just chilling? JUST CHILLING!!! Oh listen here...how I would love for my son to just be chilling! I didn't know what to do so I got up and walked away! My mom was playing catch with my nephew so I went and told her. I was enraged to the point that I was shaking and about to cry (not sad tears...angry tears)!!! My mom was immediately enraged to. She went over to the girl and said "Before you compare a child to your dog maybe you should understand the circumstances. My grandson has cerebral palsy so no he wasn't just chilling he can't uncross his legs either!" To which the girl replied "Oh that's not what I meant." Not what you meant are you kidding me!!! If that's not what you meant then I would love to know what you did mean!! It wasn't long before she got up and left (trying to find any way out but to walk by us. Too bad that was the only way out!) But to not even come up and apologize is just inconsiderate!!!
But then after I got home I was mad at myself! I reason with myself saying that I didn't say anything to the girl because I was so mad I didn't want to say anything the boys shouldn't hear me say! I didn't want them to see me like that or to hear my say something that I would never want to hear them say. But then the more I thought about it the more my heart hurts because I didn't stand up for my son. Was I right to walk away and not say anything or should I have said something even if it came out nasty? I feel like in some way I have let Grant down! I know there are more comments in his lifetime that will be made and I hope next time I handle it with more confidence!
Needless to say if you see a child that is crossing his legs or yelling out or shaking or not holding his hands like he should...please watch what you say because you never know what is going on in that child or parent's life!
We were at Ryan's (and my dad and my brother's :) ) softball game yesterday and I had Grant standing. His legs managed to get a little crossed and usually I fixed it but I didn't this time. Well this girl that comes (that talks about everyone!) was talking to another girl and said "That's how my dogs back legs are." At first I thought just ignore it. Well then she went on to say "That kid is just chilling but my dog can't uncross his legs."
My first thought then was did she really just compare my son to her DOG!! Really?!! I don't care if a child has a disability or not you don't compare any child to a dog!!!! Second was instant rage!!!!!!! My son is just chilling? JUST CHILLING!!! Oh listen here...how I would love for my son to just be chilling! I didn't know what to do so I got up and walked away! My mom was playing catch with my nephew so I went and told her. I was enraged to the point that I was shaking and about to cry (not sad tears...angry tears)!!! My mom was immediately enraged to. She went over to the girl and said "Before you compare a child to your dog maybe you should understand the circumstances. My grandson has cerebral palsy so no he wasn't just chilling he can't uncross his legs either!" To which the girl replied "Oh that's not what I meant." Not what you meant are you kidding me!!! If that's not what you meant then I would love to know what you did mean!! It wasn't long before she got up and left (trying to find any way out but to walk by us. Too bad that was the only way out!) But to not even come up and apologize is just inconsiderate!!!
But then after I got home I was mad at myself! I reason with myself saying that I didn't say anything to the girl because I was so mad I didn't want to say anything the boys shouldn't hear me say! I didn't want them to see me like that or to hear my say something that I would never want to hear them say. But then the more I thought about it the more my heart hurts because I didn't stand up for my son. Was I right to walk away and not say anything or should I have said something even if it came out nasty? I feel like in some way I have let Grant down! I know there are more comments in his lifetime that will be made and I hope next time I handle it with more confidence!
Needless to say if you see a child that is crossing his legs or yelling out or shaking or not holding his hands like he should...please watch what you say because you never know what is going on in that child or parent's life!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
He Didn't Ask For This!
Here lately I have had several people remind me on a daily basis of what a great and inspiration person I am as a mother. They tell me how strong I am and admire my determination and support I give my boys. I think I've figured out why I do everything I can for these two little princes in my life...
I have come to the realization that I give everything in my being physically, mentally and emotionally to give Grant the best life possible because it's not his fault. HE DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS!! I'm not saying it's my fault or Ryan's fault or even God's fault...Grant is the way he is for a reason and I know he will do amazing things. But if he had been given the choice to be "normal" or have CP he wouldn't have chosen a life with CP...no one would!! So because we were given this special gift and God placed such a special little boy in our lives I feel that I need to give him everything I can to make him have the best life possible. I know he is capable of great things because he was given an obstacle to overcome and that makes any person capable of great things! I want him to be able to be the boy that he knows so well he is! I want him to be able to say...Look what I've done...Look at all that I have accomplished! My hope is that one day he will be able to tell his story and inspire other children and parents!
I know my Grant Man is amazing because he shows me everyday! Whether it's through accomplishing a huge milestone, getting that look on his face when he knows he's pestering Matthew or just giving me that simple smile that says "I love you Mom" without saying the words. He is so smart! He knows what he should be doing and he tries so hard to do it! He wants to run and jump and play in the dirt and I know one day he will! It's funny because while I use the term "normal" very lightly anytime I say it around my dad he reminds me that Grant is the "normal" one and it's all of use that aren't :)
I'm so happy to know that Grant (and Matthew) have such amazing people in their lives that love and support them the way all of you have! I love you all! Now I hear the Grant Man in there so I gotta go!
I have come to the realization that I give everything in my being physically, mentally and emotionally to give Grant the best life possible because it's not his fault. HE DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS!! I'm not saying it's my fault or Ryan's fault or even God's fault...Grant is the way he is for a reason and I know he will do amazing things. But if he had been given the choice to be "normal" or have CP he wouldn't have chosen a life with CP...no one would!! So because we were given this special gift and God placed such a special little boy in our lives I feel that I need to give him everything I can to make him have the best life possible. I know he is capable of great things because he was given an obstacle to overcome and that makes any person capable of great things! I want him to be able to be the boy that he knows so well he is! I want him to be able to say...Look what I've done...Look at all that I have accomplished! My hope is that one day he will be able to tell his story and inspire other children and parents!
I know my Grant Man is amazing because he shows me everyday! Whether it's through accomplishing a huge milestone, getting that look on his face when he knows he's pestering Matthew or just giving me that simple smile that says "I love you Mom" without saying the words. He is so smart! He knows what he should be doing and he tries so hard to do it! He wants to run and jump and play in the dirt and I know one day he will! It's funny because while I use the term "normal" very lightly anytime I say it around my dad he reminds me that Grant is the "normal" one and it's all of use that aren't :)
I'm so happy to know that Grant (and Matthew) have such amazing people in their lives that love and support them the way all of you have! I love you all! Now I hear the Grant Man in there so I gotta go!
What An Amazing Day!
Grant had a great great day yesterday!! In fact it was better than great...it was AMAZING!! This little boy never ceases to amaze me :)
He has been trying to help me feed him by reaching for the fork. Sometimes I would put it in his hand but his tone would get in the way when I would try to help him and he would tighten up. Well yesterday it was the same thing. He was reaching for the fork so I gave it to him and he let me help him put it in his mouth. I helped him two or three times. Then when I put it the fork in his hand the next time he immediately put it in his mouth!!! I was so shocked, surprised and happy!! Then when we sat down for lunch he did it again! He ate his entire dinner with him feeding himself with some help from me! (see video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0A5u3hvDLU)
Then not only did he work on feeding himself but he has also been working hard with a sippy cup. We got him a cup with handles and he has been trying to get ahold of the handles and help himself but again his tone gets in the way and it just gets pulled in tight under his chin. Well yesterday he grabbed the cup with both hands (he's never done that before) and pulled it right to his mouth!! He didn't lift it up to get a drink but getting it to his mouth without assistance is a huge feat in and of itself!! :)
As if that wasn't enough...Matthew, Grant and I went outside and to play. I put Grant in his gait trainer by the garage door and started walking down the driveway to put Matthew's T for T-ball at the end of the driveway. I turned around and Grant Man was half way down the driveway!! Where did this come from? He's never walked in it with his shoes on and here is was trying to follow me. He walked the length of the driveway twice!!! (see video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOPo0-jNFvo)
And in addition to all that he also worked on sitting yesterday! I am now able to bend his legs and cross them so that he is sitting criss cross applesauce. He sat like that and played with his toys in a way that he has never been able to play with them. Usually he has to either reach out extremely far or I have to put the toys beside him. He was loving it!!
He is also working hard on getting an army crawl! He gets in his tummy and gets his hands up (with my help but he's so close to not needing help), he will then either push up on hands and knees or go ahead and push with his feet. Then he will move one arm up but he gets stuck on the other hand once his weight shifts. He is so close. He can get going enough to somewhat bug his brother. I never imagined I would want to hear Matthew say "Grant stop it" But it's a great sound to hear!!
So my Grant Man has made me a proud Momma once again and he has once again made me realize his true strength and determination!!! He continues to amaze me every day and I'm sure this isn't going to stop anytime soon!!
"Your gonna make it
Yea I know you can make it
Cause I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
And you can’t cope
And I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I wont let go"
He has been trying to help me feed him by reaching for the fork. Sometimes I would put it in his hand but his tone would get in the way when I would try to help him and he would tighten up. Well yesterday it was the same thing. He was reaching for the fork so I gave it to him and he let me help him put it in his mouth. I helped him two or three times. Then when I put it the fork in his hand the next time he immediately put it in his mouth!!! I was so shocked, surprised and happy!! Then when we sat down for lunch he did it again! He ate his entire dinner with him feeding himself with some help from me! (see video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0A5u3hvDLU)
Then not only did he work on feeding himself but he has also been working hard with a sippy cup. We got him a cup with handles and he has been trying to get ahold of the handles and help himself but again his tone gets in the way and it just gets pulled in tight under his chin. Well yesterday he grabbed the cup with both hands (he's never done that before) and pulled it right to his mouth!! He didn't lift it up to get a drink but getting it to his mouth without assistance is a huge feat in and of itself!! :)
As if that wasn't enough...Matthew, Grant and I went outside and to play. I put Grant in his gait trainer by the garage door and started walking down the driveway to put Matthew's T for T-ball at the end of the driveway. I turned around and Grant Man was half way down the driveway!! Where did this come from? He's never walked in it with his shoes on and here is was trying to follow me. He walked the length of the driveway twice!!! (see video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOPo0-jNFvo)
And in addition to all that he also worked on sitting yesterday! I am now able to bend his legs and cross them so that he is sitting criss cross applesauce. He sat like that and played with his toys in a way that he has never been able to play with them. Usually he has to either reach out extremely far or I have to put the toys beside him. He was loving it!!
He is also working hard on getting an army crawl! He gets in his tummy and gets his hands up (with my help but he's so close to not needing help), he will then either push up on hands and knees or go ahead and push with his feet. Then he will move one arm up but he gets stuck on the other hand once his weight shifts. He is so close. He can get going enough to somewhat bug his brother. I never imagined I would want to hear Matthew say "Grant stop it" But it's a great sound to hear!!
So my Grant Man has made me a proud Momma once again and he has once again made me realize his true strength and determination!!! He continues to amaze me every day and I'm sure this isn't going to stop anytime soon!!
"Your gonna make it
Yea I know you can make it
Cause I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
And you can’t cope
And I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I wont let go"
Thursday, June 2, 2011
ABM Session for the May
Whew what a crazy few days we had. I wanted to update every night with Grant's ABM Sessions but we had too much fun this week and I wasn't able to before everyone crashed for the night :) So here is a breakdown of how Grant's 3 days went:
Day 1:
- Session 1: I have to be honest and say I was completely dreading this!! Last time was miserable and I felt Grant didn't get as much out of it as I knew he could. Not because of Chad but because Grant wouldn't listen. Not to mention he was awake the entire 3.5 hr drive. We got there in time to stop by the mall and get Grant about an hour nap in but I didn't think it would be good enough. So we get to the studio and as soon as we walk in the door Grant started fussing. I thought great here we go ready for my ear drums to hurt from him crying. We got in the room and he cried for about 5 minutes and then was done and ready to play. I held him for about 10 min and then Chad took him. Grant played on the table with Chad for about 25-30 min!! I was absolutely amazed!!! He was able to work with his legs and arms a great deal. Once we hit the 45 min mark Grant usually looses it so I had to take over but Chad was still able to work with him. I was so proud of him and only hoping that each session went that good.
- Session 2: I was hoping session 1 wasn't just a fluke and we were about to find out. Grant was a little more fussy this time because he never gets a good nap in-between sessions so I was ready for it this time. He still eventually let Chad take him for about 20 min and work with him. Then it was back in mom's arms. After about 45 min Grant wouldn't even let Chad touch him. It kind of made me laugh because he would be fine if Chad was in front of him playing but as soon as he reached around to touch his back Grant tightened up and screamed like Chad was hurting him. Silly boy! Not as great of a session as the first but still 10 times better than any session last month!
DAY 2:
- Session 1: Went pretty much the same as the day before! He played with Chad for about 30-35 min this time! He had Grant working on side sitting and then Grant pushed off and started towards his toys. Of course with a little help from Chad. But he was able to work with him and see how he does on his tummy. Chad said that if his arms could keep up with his legs Grant would be all over the place! Towards the end of the session Chad even stood up with Grant to let me clean up the toys and Grant didn't cry so Chad walked away to the mirror to play with Grant. Instead of watching himself Grant was looking at me and smiling so I stepped behind Chad where he couldn't see me and he was just fine! Who is this boy was my thought! He was such a big boy and again I was so proud of him!!!
- Session 2: Again a lot like the day before. We made the mistake of not going somewhere cool for the in-between time. he did get a nap but we walked around historical downtown in the 90+ degree weather then got in the car with no AC! So he was a bit hot and cranky but still did about the same as the day before.
DAY 3:
- Session 1: Again about the same only he let Chad play with him for about 40-45 min! Chad was even able to lay him on his on his back for about 2 min :) Again if you know Grant at all that's a huge deal. He has issues with lying on his back on anything but our floor at home or Ma's floor. He especially has a problem if it's like an exam table which is a lot like the table Chad uses so this again was a huge deal!! He was able to see how close Grant is to rolling over. If only he would have been able to work with him a tad bit more like that but we will take what we can get!
- Session 2: This was the worst session of all which was expected since it was his last session. He still let Chad take him for a bit but not for long. He didn't take a nap between sessions so he was running on nothing :) We still managed to get a full hour out of him so that was good.
I feel like Grant learned so much this time. He listened to Chad so well. When Chad would tell him to push with his legs or bend his knees Grant would listen and do it. Chad was having Grant reach out and grab things and at first he helped him open his hand all the way but after the first day Grant was doing it on his own. Sometimes he would forget about his thumb and Chad would say where is that thumb and what do you have to do with it and Grant would open all 5 fingers big and wide before he grabbed something. I am so blessed that he is so amazingly smart!! He wants to do it and he knows how to do it he just can't get his body to understand. Hopefully it won't be long :)
Day 1:
- Session 1: I have to be honest and say I was completely dreading this!! Last time was miserable and I felt Grant didn't get as much out of it as I knew he could. Not because of Chad but because Grant wouldn't listen. Not to mention he was awake the entire 3.5 hr drive. We got there in time to stop by the mall and get Grant about an hour nap in but I didn't think it would be good enough. So we get to the studio and as soon as we walk in the door Grant started fussing. I thought great here we go ready for my ear drums to hurt from him crying. We got in the room and he cried for about 5 minutes and then was done and ready to play. I held him for about 10 min and then Chad took him. Grant played on the table with Chad for about 25-30 min!! I was absolutely amazed!!! He was able to work with his legs and arms a great deal. Once we hit the 45 min mark Grant usually looses it so I had to take over but Chad was still able to work with him. I was so proud of him and only hoping that each session went that good.
- Session 2: I was hoping session 1 wasn't just a fluke and we were about to find out. Grant was a little more fussy this time because he never gets a good nap in-between sessions so I was ready for it this time. He still eventually let Chad take him for about 20 min and work with him. Then it was back in mom's arms. After about 45 min Grant wouldn't even let Chad touch him. It kind of made me laugh because he would be fine if Chad was in front of him playing but as soon as he reached around to touch his back Grant tightened up and screamed like Chad was hurting him. Silly boy! Not as great of a session as the first but still 10 times better than any session last month!
DAY 2:
- Session 1: Went pretty much the same as the day before! He played with Chad for about 30-35 min this time! He had Grant working on side sitting and then Grant pushed off and started towards his toys. Of course with a little help from Chad. But he was able to work with him and see how he does on his tummy. Chad said that if his arms could keep up with his legs Grant would be all over the place! Towards the end of the session Chad even stood up with Grant to let me clean up the toys and Grant didn't cry so Chad walked away to the mirror to play with Grant. Instead of watching himself Grant was looking at me and smiling so I stepped behind Chad where he couldn't see me and he was just fine! Who is this boy was my thought! He was such a big boy and again I was so proud of him!!!
- Session 2: Again a lot like the day before. We made the mistake of not going somewhere cool for the in-between time. he did get a nap but we walked around historical downtown in the 90+ degree weather then got in the car with no AC! So he was a bit hot and cranky but still did about the same as the day before.
DAY 3:
- Session 1: Again about the same only he let Chad play with him for about 40-45 min! Chad was even able to lay him on his on his back for about 2 min :) Again if you know Grant at all that's a huge deal. He has issues with lying on his back on anything but our floor at home or Ma's floor. He especially has a problem if it's like an exam table which is a lot like the table Chad uses so this again was a huge deal!! He was able to see how close Grant is to rolling over. If only he would have been able to work with him a tad bit more like that but we will take what we can get!
- Session 2: This was the worst session of all which was expected since it was his last session. He still let Chad take him for a bit but not for long. He didn't take a nap between sessions so he was running on nothing :) We still managed to get a full hour out of him so that was good.
I feel like Grant learned so much this time. He listened to Chad so well. When Chad would tell him to push with his legs or bend his knees Grant would listen and do it. Chad was having Grant reach out and grab things and at first he helped him open his hand all the way but after the first day Grant was doing it on his own. Sometimes he would forget about his thumb and Chad would say where is that thumb and what do you have to do with it and Grant would open all 5 fingers big and wide before he grabbed something. I am so blessed that he is so amazingly smart!! He wants to do it and he knows how to do it he just can't get his body to understand. Hopefully it won't be long :)
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Had a Freak Out Moment!
So we got the letter that Dr. Hoffman always sends to Grant's regular pediatrician. I am reading it so proud and with a smile on my face because of all the great things he is saying about my little boy. Then it comes to the part that he says that he is confirming that Grant has Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy...okay that's fine I'm glad to know that diagnosis didn't change! Then the next line immediately crushed me...he has microcephaly. Wait he has what? Re-read it...yep it says microcephaly. What is that? What does that mean? How is that going to change my precious baby boy? So silly me goes online to check out what microcephaly means...BIG mistake and I knew that!!!
So what does Microcephaly mean? You look it up online and it might as well say "doom" but with some help and advice from some great momma's it basically means "small head". We have been told since the day Grant was born that he has a small head. It's always been small but not one person has mentioned the word microcephaly! I have had a couple people respond to me with mostly good and one not so good response. Of the three, two gave me great words of advice and wisdom and said both their children have Microcephaly and it has not affected them at all. The other woman said that her child's head has grown only a cm each year since he's been born and he is 13. He has problem's associated with it and it broke my heart to hear what she had to say. One of the mom's explained that there are two types of Microcephaly...one caused by an injury during birth or early after birth and the type caused by a genetic abnormality. From what I understand it's the type caused by a genetic abnormality is the one that causes problems so I hope that we are in the clear.
Grant is such an amazingly smart little boy that I don't think this will be a problem! But yet again I did have a freak out moment! I went in the bathroom and bawled my eyes out for about 2 minutes. I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom and my day went on! :) I think for me it's a matter of we knew about the CP before we even knew for sure he had CP. We expected that diagnosis...but no one has ever said anything about any other diagnoses so to hear that just crushed me because Grant has gone through so much already I don't want him to have to fight any harder or go through anything else! I also had a hard time because the Dr didn't mention anything about this to me while I was in his office and it was hard to read it in black and white and not know what the heck it meant and I wasn't able to ask questions and that was hard. But I'm okay now and no matter what happens and what the dr.'s tell us Grant is who he is and I wouldn't have him any other way!!!
"And I wont let you fall
Don’t be afraid to fall
I’m right here to catch you
I wont let you down
It wont get you down
Your gonna make it
Yea I know you can make it"
I love you baby boy!!
So what does Microcephaly mean? You look it up online and it might as well say "doom" but with some help and advice from some great momma's it basically means "small head". We have been told since the day Grant was born that he has a small head. It's always been small but not one person has mentioned the word microcephaly! I have had a couple people respond to me with mostly good and one not so good response. Of the three, two gave me great words of advice and wisdom and said both their children have Microcephaly and it has not affected them at all. The other woman said that her child's head has grown only a cm each year since he's been born and he is 13. He has problem's associated with it and it broke my heart to hear what she had to say. One of the mom's explained that there are two types of Microcephaly...one caused by an injury during birth or early after birth and the type caused by a genetic abnormality. From what I understand it's the type caused by a genetic abnormality is the one that causes problems so I hope that we are in the clear.
Grant is such an amazingly smart little boy that I don't think this will be a problem! But yet again I did have a freak out moment! I went in the bathroom and bawled my eyes out for about 2 minutes. I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom and my day went on! :) I think for me it's a matter of we knew about the CP before we even knew for sure he had CP. We expected that diagnosis...but no one has ever said anything about any other diagnoses so to hear that just crushed me because Grant has gone through so much already I don't want him to have to fight any harder or go through anything else! I also had a hard time because the Dr didn't mention anything about this to me while I was in his office and it was hard to read it in black and white and not know what the heck it meant and I wasn't able to ask questions and that was hard. But I'm okay now and no matter what happens and what the dr.'s tell us Grant is who he is and I wouldn't have him any other way!!!
"And I wont let you fall
Don’t be afraid to fall
I’m right here to catch you
I wont let you down
It wont get you down
Your gonna make it
Yea I know you can make it"
I love you baby boy!!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Developmental Pediatrician Follow-Up
Well I know it's been awhile but there hasn't really been much to update on and I've been super busy editing photos for photography.
Grant had his development follow-up with his developmental pediatrician, Dr. Hoffman. I was really excited about this appointment because I really like Dr. Hoffman and I like having an outsiders input who doesn't see Grant every week. I was dreading it at the same time because I knew it would be a lot of crying and I was afraid the Dr. would think Grant does nothing.
Dr. Hoffman walked in and for a bit stayed away. He sat across the room and asked me questions. He had asked about the botox appointment because he is the one who referred us to Dr. Gupta. I told him I really liked Gupta but we were saving botox for a last ditch effort and explained to him about ABM. He had never heard of it and right then pulled out his laptop. He said he wanted to see what it was about and make sure that it wasn't a scam to us. I thought that was great that he did that. Most doctor's wouldn't care. So we got his approval :) and he even asked if he could get ahold of the guy and tell him that we referred him!
After all the questions he tried to play with Grant. Well of course that didn't work so he back up across the room again and had me play with him. Grant did great!! He was so super impressed with Grant and all that he could do. He asked at one point if he was eating baby food yet and I just kind of chuckled and told him what he is eating. Dr. Hoffman was shocked!!! He said most kiddos with CP aren't eating that great at such a young age...so we are very thankful for that.
Usually before he leaves Dr. Hoffman gives us ideas or suggestions of things to work on and he told me he had no suggestions. He said "I don't know what you are doing but you are doing it right."
Hearing that made me feel so good! I give everything I can to Matthew and Grant and I try my hardest to give them both the best life possible. This is a little harder for Grant but he is so happy and besides the obvious CP he is very healthy and to hear someone say I am doing it right makes me feel great!
Our next update will be about our ABM Session on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and I'm really anxious to see what he gets out of it this time around. I just wish he would listen because everyone comments on what a bright, smart boy he is and if he would just get over his crying and listen to Chad he could get so much out of it!! Oh well we will work with what we are given at this point :)
Grant had his development follow-up with his developmental pediatrician, Dr. Hoffman. I was really excited about this appointment because I really like Dr. Hoffman and I like having an outsiders input who doesn't see Grant every week. I was dreading it at the same time because I knew it would be a lot of crying and I was afraid the Dr. would think Grant does nothing.
Dr. Hoffman walked in and for a bit stayed away. He sat across the room and asked me questions. He had asked about the botox appointment because he is the one who referred us to Dr. Gupta. I told him I really liked Gupta but we were saving botox for a last ditch effort and explained to him about ABM. He had never heard of it and right then pulled out his laptop. He said he wanted to see what it was about and make sure that it wasn't a scam to us. I thought that was great that he did that. Most doctor's wouldn't care. So we got his approval :) and he even asked if he could get ahold of the guy and tell him that we referred him!
After all the questions he tried to play with Grant. Well of course that didn't work so he back up across the room again and had me play with him. Grant did great!! He was so super impressed with Grant and all that he could do. He asked at one point if he was eating baby food yet and I just kind of chuckled and told him what he is eating. Dr. Hoffman was shocked!!! He said most kiddos with CP aren't eating that great at such a young age...so we are very thankful for that.
Usually before he leaves Dr. Hoffman gives us ideas or suggestions of things to work on and he told me he had no suggestions. He said "I don't know what you are doing but you are doing it right."
Hearing that made me feel so good! I give everything I can to Matthew and Grant and I try my hardest to give them both the best life possible. This is a little harder for Grant but he is so happy and besides the obvious CP he is very healthy and to hear someone say I am doing it right makes me feel great!
Our next update will be about our ABM Session on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and I'm really anxious to see what he gets out of it this time around. I just wish he would listen because everyone comments on what a bright, smart boy he is and if he would just get over his crying and listen to Chad he could get so much out of it!! Oh well we will work with what we are given at this point :)
Friday, May 6, 2011
I'm Allowed a Day Every Now and Then!
For some reason last night was a rough night for me! I had a moment of sadness and a little bit of anger! I know that Grant is going to do great things one day. I know he will walk even if it isn't until he is 3-4 years old that doesn't matter. I know he will do it!
That doesn't keep me from feeling a little resentment every now and then that he can't do it right now! I am almost always just fine! It doesn't bug me knowing that Matthew was doing so much at 13 almost 14 months. It doesn't bother me when I see all my April 2010 mommas on facebook and see their babies walking and eating and running around! I'm so happy for them. I had a quick breakdown the other day though.
I started watching a new little girl who is a couple weeks younger than Grant. It again didn't really bother me seeing her walking around and playing but for some reason when she sat down in the high chair to eat it broke down for about 30 seconds and then snapped out of it. I remember when Matthew was doing that and eating was my favorite time. It was my chance for him and I to sit down and enjoy each other! This little girl was giving me high fives and we were just playing and then she would put a bite in her mouth. It just made me a little sad that I don't have that yet with Grant! Then I realized that I do...when Grant is in his tumble form eating he plays with me. He smiles at me and "talks" to me!
I also had a bit of a rough time last night. My newest nephew Kayden will be 5 months old this month. My brother sat him down in front of Grant (who I was helping sit) and he actually let go of Kayden and he held it longer than Grant. I wanted to burst out in tears. Again I am so happy for Kayden and Kyle and Alora but why can't that be Grant! He wants to sit and be a big boy so bad and it's just not fair that a baby 9 months younger than him can almost do it better!
I woke up this morning feeling much better! Again I think it's healthy to have those moments of anger, frustration, sadness and resentment. As long as you don't dwell on that I think it actually makes you a stronger person! Grant is an amazing little human being and he inspires me so much! He makes me realize to not take ANYTHING for granted! Even little things that Mattie does mean so much to me! There are so many times during the day I thank God for giving me these two amazing little boys who are so full of love!! :)
That doesn't keep me from feeling a little resentment every now and then that he can't do it right now! I am almost always just fine! It doesn't bug me knowing that Matthew was doing so much at 13 almost 14 months. It doesn't bother me when I see all my April 2010 mommas on facebook and see their babies walking and eating and running around! I'm so happy for them. I had a quick breakdown the other day though.
I started watching a new little girl who is a couple weeks younger than Grant. It again didn't really bother me seeing her walking around and playing but for some reason when she sat down in the high chair to eat it broke down for about 30 seconds and then snapped out of it. I remember when Matthew was doing that and eating was my favorite time. It was my chance for him and I to sit down and enjoy each other! This little girl was giving me high fives and we were just playing and then she would put a bite in her mouth. It just made me a little sad that I don't have that yet with Grant! Then I realized that I do...when Grant is in his tumble form eating he plays with me. He smiles at me and "talks" to me!I also had a bit of a rough time last night. My newest nephew Kayden will be 5 months old this month. My brother sat him down in front of Grant (who I was helping sit) and he actually let go of Kayden and he held it longer than Grant. I wanted to burst out in tears. Again I am so happy for Kayden and Kyle and Alora but why can't that be Grant! He wants to sit and be a big boy so bad and it's just not fair that a baby 9 months younger than him can almost do it better!
I woke up this morning feeling much better! Again I think it's healthy to have those moments of anger, frustration, sadness and resentment. As long as you don't dwell on that I think it actually makes you a stronger person! Grant is an amazing little human being and he inspires me so much! He makes me realize to not take ANYTHING for granted! Even little things that Mattie does mean so much to me! There are so many times during the day I thank God for giving me these two amazing little boys who are so full of love!! :)
Update on Grant after ABM
I realized I haven't posted a new update about how Grant is doing after his ABM!
I really have noticed small changes that will begin to make a huge difference! He barely needs any help rolling from back to tummy and is getting pretty good at actually rolling from tummy to back instead of just rolling because his arms are crossed. When he is on his tummy he holds himself up longer without rolling over and he is very slowly learning how to creep forward!
When holding him we had to watch very closely and be ready for him to fall backwards but now I can hold him further on my hip and as long as I put one arm behind me he holds himself up there! There is not as much supporting that needs to be done. He is reaching out and grabbing at everything with open hands! He never did a whole lot with his left hand but he has been grabbing at a lot with his left hand equally as he does with his right! He even gets whatever he has grabbed to his mouth!
He is extremely vocal!! We never heard a whole lot out of him. He would make noises now and then but that would be it. Not now! He "talks" constantly! If we are eating in front of him he gets our attention, if the kids are playing he is trying to get their attention. I swear the other day in the car he said Mom twice trying to get my attention!
So again it's just little things that are so big! :) I'm so proud of all that he has accomplished and how hard he works. Now if we can get him not to cry when we go back at the end of the month that would be perfect!! :)
I really have noticed small changes that will begin to make a huge difference! He barely needs any help rolling from back to tummy and is getting pretty good at actually rolling from tummy to back instead of just rolling because his arms are crossed. When he is on his tummy he holds himself up longer without rolling over and he is very slowly learning how to creep forward!
When holding him we had to watch very closely and be ready for him to fall backwards but now I can hold him further on my hip and as long as I put one arm behind me he holds himself up there! There is not as much supporting that needs to be done. He is reaching out and grabbing at everything with open hands! He never did a whole lot with his left hand but he has been grabbing at a lot with his left hand equally as he does with his right! He even gets whatever he has grabbed to his mouth!
He is extremely vocal!! We never heard a whole lot out of him. He would make noises now and then but that would be it. Not now! He "talks" constantly! If we are eating in front of him he gets our attention, if the kids are playing he is trying to get their attention. I swear the other day in the car he said Mom twice trying to get my attention!
So again it's just little things that are so big! :) I'm so proud of all that he has accomplished and how hard he works. Now if we can get him not to cry when we go back at the end of the month that would be perfect!! :)
Eat Boy Eat!!
So it seems like immediately after Grant's first round of ABM his swallowing and eating has improved greatly! I used to grind everything up for him in a hand grinder and then mix something in with it to make it smooth. For example I would fix chicken nuggets and mix in ketchup and ranch until it was a smoother consistency. As of this week I don't have to do that anymore!! I have been able to fix sandwiches, french toast sticks, mini waffles, etc and just break them into little pieces and he eats them up! He also never really got fruit because you can't really grind up fruit but he can now! He has had strawberries, oranges, bananas, peaches, pears, pineapple! He loves it all! I'm so proud of him and he loves that he gets to eat big boy food!!!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
"I'm So Sorry"
"I'm so sorry" is becoming a phrase I am beginning to despise! I'm starting to hear it all too often.
We have this grocery cart chair for Grant that his amazing PT gave us. He LOVES it! He sits up like a big boy and talks the entire time we walk through the store :) Although it's just another part of our daily lives, other people look at it like it's some sort of foreign object!
I have had several people ask about Grant's big boy chair. The first thing I always say is "My son has Cerebral Palsy..." and it never fails before I can get the rest of the phrase out the person is saying "Oh I'm so sorry" like it's the worst thing they have ever heard. I want so badly to ask why are you sorry? Why do you say it with such a tone that his life is doomed? You don't know Grant!! You don't know the smile on his face when we go in his room in the morning. You don't know the way he gets my attention when he wants something. You don't know the determination in this little body. You don't know all that he has accomplished that we were told he would never do! Don't be sorry...don't look at the me with those sad eyes! This boy has brought more to my life than you could ever imagine!
I just wish that more people, instead of looking at me with pathetic eyes, would ask questions. I had one cashier at walmart that asked question after question. She said she's heard of it but never knew what it was. I also had an older woman stop me in the parking lot as I was getting Grant in the car and ask about the chair. She then went on to carry on about a 5 minute conversation with me. That means the world to me when people ask and are actually interested! So the next time you see a special chair in a grocery cart, or a child walking with braces, or a child in a wheelchair please don't stand and stare! Please don't get those sad eyes and feel sorry for the parent, instead ask about it. It means more than you know!!
We have this grocery cart chair for Grant that his amazing PT gave us. He LOVES it! He sits up like a big boy and talks the entire time we walk through the store :) Although it's just another part of our daily lives, other people look at it like it's some sort of foreign object!I have had several people ask about Grant's big boy chair. The first thing I always say is "My son has Cerebral Palsy..." and it never fails before I can get the rest of the phrase out the person is saying "Oh I'm so sorry" like it's the worst thing they have ever heard. I want so badly to ask why are you sorry? Why do you say it with such a tone that his life is doomed? You don't know Grant!! You don't know the smile on his face when we go in his room in the morning. You don't know the way he gets my attention when he wants something. You don't know the determination in this little body. You don't know all that he has accomplished that we were told he would never do! Don't be sorry...don't look at the me with those sad eyes! This boy has brought more to my life than you could ever imagine!
I just wish that more people, instead of looking at me with pathetic eyes, would ask questions. I had one cashier at walmart that asked question after question. She said she's heard of it but never knew what it was. I also had an older woman stop me in the parking lot as I was getting Grant in the car and ask about the chair. She then went on to carry on about a 5 minute conversation with me. That means the world to me when people ask and are actually interested! So the next time you see a special chair in a grocery cart, or a child walking with braces, or a child in a wheelchair please don't stand and stare! Please don't get those sad eyes and feel sorry for the parent, instead ask about it. It means more than you know!!
I won't Let Go!!
So for both of my boys I have a song. For Matthew it is Rascal Flatts "My Wish". I've been trying to trying to find one for Grant that is equally as great! Well I found it listening to the radio the other day. Rascal Flatts (seeing a theme here) "I Won't Let Go" came on. I've heard the song before but never really listened to the words until the other day and I was in tears! My little man is so strong and so determined already at a mere 13 months! So this is my song to him:
It’s like a storm
That cuts a path
It’s breaks your will
It feels like that
You think your lost
But your not loston your own
Your not alone
I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
If you can’t cope
I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I wont let go
It hurts my heart
To see you cry
I know it’s dark
This part of life
Oh it finds us all
And we’re too small
To stop the rain
Oh but when it rains
I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
And you can’t cope
I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
Don’t be afraid to fall
I’m right here to catch you
I wont let you down
It wont get you down
Your gonna make it
Yea I know you can make it
Cause I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
And you can’t cope
And I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I wont let go
Oh I’m gonna hold you
And I wont let go
Wont let you go
No I wont
I love you Grant!!
We Got His Gait Trainer!!
So I just realized I never posted about getting Grant Man's gait trainer! We got it almost two weeks ago! Even though it still doesn't have it completely figured out...he LOVES it! He feels like such a big boy standing up in it and trying to take steps. He did walk all over the kitchen yesterday for his PT but of course nothing for me :)
I must say seeing this piece of equipment in my house and lugging it with us to my parents every night is sometimes an emotional reminder of Grant's struggles! I sometimes find myself looking at it with sadness but immediately sweep those feelings away and think of it as another step in getting Grant mobile. I never expected to have a special chair for eating, a special chair for bathing, and a special piece of equipment for walking to be consuming my house. It's so funny how you take so much for granted until you are faced with something like this.
That being said we are going to get Grant moving around like crazy in it and hopefully posting a video soon of my little man! For now a picture will have to do :)
I must say seeing this piece of equipment in my house and lugging it with us to my parents every night is sometimes an emotional reminder of Grant's struggles! I sometimes find myself looking at it with sadness but immediately sweep those feelings away and think of it as another step in getting Grant mobile. I never expected to have a special chair for eating, a special chair for bathing, and a special piece of equipment for walking to be consuming my house. It's so funny how you take so much for granted until you are faced with something like this.
That being said we are going to get Grant moving around like crazy in it and hopefully posting a video soon of my little man! For now a picture will have to do :)
Thursday, April 28, 2011
ABM: Day 3
Sorry for the late update! We left right after Grant's second session yesterday and we were non-stop until we went to bed at 11:30 last night!
Session 1: Went much like session 2 yesterday! I held Grant the entire time and he did great! Chad had his hips/pelvis area rotating and moving all around! He had Grant reaching out for his cup with an open hand and Grant was listening so closely to what Chad was saying! It felt like a very productive session.
Session 2: My sweet baby turned into Mr. Crabs!! He was very much a krabby patty! He wouldn't let Chad touch him (which of course he did anyway) :) We had to keep moving around to keep him happy. He did have Grant giving me "hugs" and wrapping his arms around my neck! Chad said for children as young as Grant usually by the very last session they are just done!
He did send us home with some homework! We are supposed to lay him on different surfaces and make him start feeling okay with it. If we lay him down on the floor and he starts to cry we are supposed to tell him that "mom is going to walk away until you stop crying because there is no need to cry. When you quiet down I will come back in". In addition to that we are supposed to start trying to get him used to people by starting out with group hug and then playing games with me, him and the other person so that he can learn that it is safe! Hopefully these methods work and we can get him better about that before his next set of sessions!! :)
Session 1: Went much like session 2 yesterday! I held Grant the entire time and he did great! Chad had his hips/pelvis area rotating and moving all around! He had Grant reaching out for his cup with an open hand and Grant was listening so closely to what Chad was saying! It felt like a very productive session.
Session 2: My sweet baby turned into Mr. Crabs!! He was very much a krabby patty! He wouldn't let Chad touch him (which of course he did anyway) :) We had to keep moving around to keep him happy. He did have Grant giving me "hugs" and wrapping his arms around my neck! Chad said for children as young as Grant usually by the very last session they are just done!
He did send us home with some homework! We are supposed to lay him on different surfaces and make him start feeling okay with it. If we lay him down on the floor and he starts to cry we are supposed to tell him that "mom is going to walk away until you stop crying because there is no need to cry. When you quiet down I will come back in". In addition to that we are supposed to start trying to get him used to people by starting out with group hug and then playing games with me, him and the other person so that he can learn that it is safe! Hopefully these methods work and we can get him better about that before his next set of sessions!! :)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
ABM: Day 2
Well Day 2 had fewer tears! :)
Session 1: Again Grant cried the entire hour! :( Luckily Ryan took over the hour for me and I played with Matthew! But Chad worked with Grant again on rolling over and crawling and he really seems to be getting the hang of it! I'm really impressed and so excited to see what he starts trying to do over the next couple of days!
Session 2: In between sessions Chad had talked to another practitioner, Karen, who we met at the free children's clinic last month. She works out of Philadelphia and travels to New York several times a month to work with Maureen who is Anat Baniel's (ABM - Anat Baniel Method) right hand man. So Karen is very trained in this method. He was asking for different ways to try working with Grant to make it even more effective. She said maybe Grant's crying isn't all stemming from manipulation but maybe it's a little bit of a separation issue and not wanting to be separated from me and Ryan. So he had me hold Grant the entire session and it was great!! He worked a lot with his spine and his legs and arms! Grant didn't cry at all...he started to fuss towards the end but no crying! So it was a very good session!
We just got back to the hotel and got Grant down on the floor and we can already see some small improvements!! When he's on his belly he gets both arms up very quickly and bears a lot of weight on his arms. He even army crawled forward and moved his left arm up before his right arm. It's usually his left arm that lags behind!! :) So we are feeling really confident that good things are coming for Grant! God is amazing and works in great ways!
Session 1: Again Grant cried the entire hour! :( Luckily Ryan took over the hour for me and I played with Matthew! But Chad worked with Grant again on rolling over and crawling and he really seems to be getting the hang of it! I'm really impressed and so excited to see what he starts trying to do over the next couple of days!
Session 2: In between sessions Chad had talked to another practitioner, Karen, who we met at the free children's clinic last month. She works out of Philadelphia and travels to New York several times a month to work with Maureen who is Anat Baniel's (ABM - Anat Baniel Method) right hand man. So Karen is very trained in this method. He was asking for different ways to try working with Grant to make it even more effective. She said maybe Grant's crying isn't all stemming from manipulation but maybe it's a little bit of a separation issue and not wanting to be separated from me and Ryan. So he had me hold Grant the entire session and it was great!! He worked a lot with his spine and his legs and arms! Grant didn't cry at all...he started to fuss towards the end but no crying! So it was a very good session!
We just got back to the hotel and got Grant down on the floor and we can already see some small improvements!! When he's on his belly he gets both arms up very quickly and bears a lot of weight on his arms. He even army crawled forward and moved his left arm up before his right arm. It's usually his left arm that lags behind!! :) So we are feeling really confident that good things are coming for Grant! God is amazing and works in great ways!
Monday, April 25, 2011
ABM: Day 1
Well Day 1 would prove to be somewhat successful even through the tears and crying! No sooner than Grant saw Chad (ABM Practitioner) he started whimpering. Then when he laid Grant down on the table the fun was over!! :(
Session 1: Grant cried the whole time...yes the full hour!! BUT...he wasn't resisting movement. He was actually working really good with Chad. Grant was letting Chad move him all over the place! He had him rolling from back to tummy and tummy to back by just barely holding the back of his pants. I was pretty impressed. Chad had asked if I thought his crying was fear or manipulation. We both agreed it was a little bit of both. When the hour was up he had me grab Grant. As soon as I picked him up he immediately stopped crying looked at Chad and smiled the biggest smile as if to say "Ha I got my mom!" Chad said he thinks it's manipulation :)
Session 2: Same ole, same ole...he cried the entire hour. This time he tried something with Grant. He would try to tell him that he had to be quiet so mom would stay in the room with him. When Grant got loud he made me leave the room until Grant quieted down. Needless to say I spent a lot of the hour and 15 minutes watching through the window but I think he was starting to get the hang of things! This time he not only worked hard on rolling over which Grant has almost got all on his own already but he was working on crawling. Grant is becoming an expert at getting his hands up in front of him when he gets on his belly!
So like I said I feel like today was pretty successful! I can't wait to see what the next two days bring...hopefully less tears!! :)
Session 1: Grant cried the whole time...yes the full hour!! BUT...he wasn't resisting movement. He was actually working really good with Chad. Grant was letting Chad move him all over the place! He had him rolling from back to tummy and tummy to back by just barely holding the back of his pants. I was pretty impressed. Chad had asked if I thought his crying was fear or manipulation. We both agreed it was a little bit of both. When the hour was up he had me grab Grant. As soon as I picked him up he immediately stopped crying looked at Chad and smiled the biggest smile as if to say "Ha I got my mom!" Chad said he thinks it's manipulation :)
Session 2: Same ole, same ole...he cried the entire hour. This time he tried something with Grant. He would try to tell him that he had to be quiet so mom would stay in the room with him. When Grant got loud he made me leave the room until Grant quieted down. Needless to say I spent a lot of the hour and 15 minutes watching through the window but I think he was starting to get the hang of things! This time he not only worked hard on rolling over which Grant has almost got all on his own already but he was working on crawling. Grant is becoming an expert at getting his hands up in front of him when he gets on his belly!
So like I said I feel like today was pretty successful! I can't wait to see what the next two days bring...hopefully less tears!! :)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
So Much Excitement Around Here!
Wow...I know it's been a bit since I've last posted but there hasn't been a whole lot to post! Until now that is!
So the ABM practitioner in St. Charles called and we are scheduled to go for Grant's first session next week! It will be a three day session with two sessions per day! I cannot wait to see what this does for my baby boy! Since he rolled over after just a 45 min visit I can't image what 2 hours a day for three days will do for him! He is so close to doing so much! He can sit for about 10-15 seconds on his own and he is trying so so hard to start crawling! I know the results won't be instantaneous but they will happen I just know it!
We also get Grant's gait trainer tomorrow! I cannot wait for that. We went to watch Ryan and Kyle play softball Sunday and all this little boy wanted to do was stand! And he would stand on my lap. He wanted down on the ground with his big brother!! :) So for the entire two hours I was either sitting leaning over holding under his arms or standing leaning over holding his arms! Needless to say my back was broken by the end of the 2 hours but he loved it so it was definitely worth it!
So there are a lot of exciting things getting ready to happen for Grant! I can't wait to see how he responds to each!! I will keep you posted! :)
(Grant propped up and sitting like a big boy! He was playing monster trucks with Matthew!)
(Grant laughing at Toy Story! That boy cracks me up!)
(Mini Spidey!)
So the ABM practitioner in St. Charles called and we are scheduled to go for Grant's first session next week! It will be a three day session with two sessions per day! I cannot wait to see what this does for my baby boy! Since he rolled over after just a 45 min visit I can't image what 2 hours a day for three days will do for him! He is so close to doing so much! He can sit for about 10-15 seconds on his own and he is trying so so hard to start crawling! I know the results won't be instantaneous but they will happen I just know it!
We also get Grant's gait trainer tomorrow! I cannot wait for that. We went to watch Ryan and Kyle play softball Sunday and all this little boy wanted to do was stand! And he would stand on my lap. He wanted down on the ground with his big brother!! :) So for the entire two hours I was either sitting leaning over holding under his arms or standing leaning over holding his arms! Needless to say my back was broken by the end of the 2 hours but he loved it so it was definitely worth it!
So there are a lot of exciting things getting ready to happen for Grant! I can't wait to see how he responds to each!! I will keep you posted! :)
(Grant propped up and sitting like a big boy! He was playing monster trucks with Matthew!)
(Grant laughing at Toy Story! That boy cracks me up!)
(Mini Spidey!)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Anxiety and Excitement!
Well there is a lot going on to be excited about!!
We are anxiously awaiting Grant's gait trainer!! It should be here any day and everytime I hear anything that sounds like a UPS truck I got running to the door!!He is so excited to get moving. This gait trainer is going to make him so incredibly happy!! I can't wait to put him in it when the kids are playing outside and watch him have fun.
That being said with the anticipation of the gait trainer we are hoping that he won't need it very long due to starting ABM at the end of the month! We got a call from the ABM practitioner in St. Charles and we are going out there at the end of the month for 3 days and 6 sessions! I really think this is going to do great things for Grant! It seems like since his last visit when they worked with him for only 30 minutes he has been more aware of his body. I can't imagine what 6 sessions will do for him.
So we sit and wait for all this new exciting stuff to happen! I have a feeling this is going to be the longest two weeks of my life!!
We are anxiously awaiting Grant's gait trainer!! It should be here any day and everytime I hear anything that sounds like a UPS truck I got running to the door!!He is so excited to get moving. This gait trainer is going to make him so incredibly happy!! I can't wait to put him in it when the kids are playing outside and watch him have fun.
That being said with the anticipation of the gait trainer we are hoping that he won't need it very long due to starting ABM at the end of the month! We got a call from the ABM practitioner in St. Charles and we are going out there at the end of the month for 3 days and 6 sessions! I really think this is going to do great things for Grant! It seems like since his last visit when they worked with him for only 30 minutes he has been more aware of his body. I can't imagine what 6 sessions will do for him.
So we sit and wait for all this new exciting stuff to happen! I have a feeling this is going to be the longest two weeks of my life!!
Monday, April 4, 2011
What a week!
Sorry for the lack of updates for the past week! My computer crashed and I haven't been able to get online...and there hasn't really been too much to update on! Unfortunately Grant hasn't rolled over again since last Monday but Ryan and I truly believe that it was the ABM he had that Saturday that caused him to roll over. I just can't help but think if 45 minutes will get him rolling over what will one hour twice a day for five days do for him? I'm really excited to get the ball rolling on this now if everyone else involved would be too.
I did get an update on Grant's gait trainer. It has been ordered and hopefully we will be getting it this week. I can't wait! It's going to make him so incredibly happy to be so independent! I can't wait to see the smile on his face when he really gets the hang of it.
Bath time has turned into a complete nightmare! Grant recently got a bath chair to help him sit upright when he takes a bath. The first time we tried it he LOVED it! But he hasn't since then. I put him in the chair to take a bath and he screams until I'm done. I don't know what to do about that but I'm sure he will get it worked out soon.
So that's about all the excitement I have to share this week! :) Hope you all have a wonderful week!
I did get an update on Grant's gait trainer. It has been ordered and hopefully we will be getting it this week. I can't wait! It's going to make him so incredibly happy to be so independent! I can't wait to see the smile on his face when he really gets the hang of it.
Bath time has turned into a complete nightmare! Grant recently got a bath chair to help him sit upright when he takes a bath. The first time we tried it he LOVED it! But he hasn't since then. I put him in the chair to take a bath and he screams until I'm done. I don't know what to do about that but I'm sure he will get it worked out soon.
So that's about all the excitement I have to share this week! :) Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Oh yea...Botox Appointment
So we went yesterday to meet Dr. Gupta and talk about Botox! Thank goodness Grant's PT Amelia went with us because she helped a lot! Of course anytime I had to lay Grant down or the doctor tried to touch him he screamed :)
I really liked the doctor himself! He was very informative and knew his stuff. He quoted a lot of studies and statistics even from years ago. He quoted studies and publications and made me feel like he really knew what he was talking about! But when he started talking about what all he wanted to do to my itty bitty one year old I was not too thrilled.
He said Grant would benefit most from getting botox in the back of the neck, in his peck muscles, in two spots on his arms for his hands, in his lower back, in his upper legs and in his calves. I think that was it! Really...you want to stick needles into my son that many times!
Not only that but his criteria is that he sees a child for a minimum of 2-3 years and some he could see longer! Grant would get the botox, come back in 6-8 weeks to see how well it worked, schedule to come back three months later for more botox and so on! So every 3-5 months he would be getting botox. It would cause muscles that are already weak, like his neck, to become even more weak which I was not happy about either! When you have a kid that can only hold his head up for a couple minutes at a time I don't want it to get worse. He did say Grant would learn how to build up those neck muscles but how long will that take? Will he get them built up just in time to mess it all up again for the next round of botox?
I have been iffy about botox since I heard about it and it put another check on the con side when the doctor told me that using botox for children with disabilities has not been approved by the FDA! I want something that has been given permission to be used! I just don't feel like there is a reason to put poison into my child's body if it's not necessary. That being said Ryan and I have come to the decision that we are going to hold off on botox and try this ABM first! We will save botox as a very last, have no other options, option!
I really liked the doctor himself! He was very informative and knew his stuff. He quoted a lot of studies and statistics even from years ago. He quoted studies and publications and made me feel like he really knew what he was talking about! But when he started talking about what all he wanted to do to my itty bitty one year old I was not too thrilled.
He said Grant would benefit most from getting botox in the back of the neck, in his peck muscles, in two spots on his arms for his hands, in his lower back, in his upper legs and in his calves. I think that was it! Really...you want to stick needles into my son that many times!
Not only that but his criteria is that he sees a child for a minimum of 2-3 years and some he could see longer! Grant would get the botox, come back in 6-8 weeks to see how well it worked, schedule to come back three months later for more botox and so on! So every 3-5 months he would be getting botox. It would cause muscles that are already weak, like his neck, to become even more weak which I was not happy about either! When you have a kid that can only hold his head up for a couple minutes at a time I don't want it to get worse. He did say Grant would learn how to build up those neck muscles but how long will that take? Will he get them built up just in time to mess it all up again for the next round of botox?
I have been iffy about botox since I heard about it and it put another check on the con side when the doctor told me that using botox for children with disabilities has not been approved by the FDA! I want something that has been given permission to be used! I just don't feel like there is a reason to put poison into my child's body if it's not necessary. That being said Ryan and I have come to the decision that we are going to hold off on botox and try this ABM first! We will save botox as a very last, have no other options, option!
OMG!!
We had a very busy weekend. We took our trip to St. Charles on Saturday then Sunday was full of bowling, grocery shopping, Toy Story 3 on Ice and driving a lot in snow and yuckiness!! Monday brought great things, though!
First of all it was my amazing Mom's birthday! She is the best Ma I could ever ask for my boys to have! She loves all 5 of her Grandson's (nope no granddaughter yet) with all her heart! She so great with all of them and you can see her joy when they are all together!
So after celebrating and eating Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake which is Grant's favorite we got home really late! It's 11pm and we are just getting Grant and Matthew's jammies on :) I had just taken Grant's diaper off and was letting him air out for a second. I looked up at Matthew and looked back down at Grant and he was rolled on his side all by himself! He has never done that before but not only was he on his side I could tell he was trying his hardest to keep going! So I yelled at Ryan and we spent the next 10 minutes trying to get him to roll over! He almost had it at one point but Matthew ran by and distracted him. Finally about about 10 minutes he did it!!! GRANT ROLLED OVER FROM HIS BACK TO TUMMY FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! I was in tears! Ryan and I really think it was due to the little bit of ABM that he had done! We will see if he does it again today :) Happy Tuesday everyone!
First of all it was my amazing Mom's birthday! She is the best Ma I could ever ask for my boys to have! She loves all 5 of her Grandson's (nope no granddaughter yet) with all her heart! She so great with all of them and you can see her joy when they are all together!
So after celebrating and eating Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake which is Grant's favorite we got home really late! It's 11pm and we are just getting Grant and Matthew's jammies on :) I had just taken Grant's diaper off and was letting him air out for a second. I looked up at Matthew and looked back down at Grant and he was rolled on his side all by himself! He has never done that before but not only was he on his side I could tell he was trying his hardest to keep going! So I yelled at Ryan and we spent the next 10 minutes trying to get him to roll over! He almost had it at one point but Matthew ran by and distracted him. Finally about about 10 minutes he did it!!! GRANT ROLLED OVER FROM HIS BACK TO TUMMY FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! I was in tears! Ryan and I really think it was due to the little bit of ABM that he had done! We will see if he does it again today :) Happy Tuesday everyone!
Our Trip To St. Charles!
We made a 4 hour drive yesterday with the Grant Man to attend a free children's clinic to see what this ABM is all about. The guy took an hour with us to work with Grant and talk to us about ABM. Grant only lasted 45 min (he was exhausted) but in just that 45 min I saw Grant's body move in ways I've never seen it move before! He had Grant's legs twisting and moving in all directions very freely and fluidly. He had Grant's upper body twisting to see an object! I was amazed!! Needless to say this is most definitely something we are going to be doing!
The man told us that he started seeing an 18 month old that could not roll, sit, crawl, stand or walk. He had not been diagnosed with anything. After a year of treating the boy for 5 days once a month he was walking!!!! Amazing, right! I could go on and on with the stories he told me. When I asked him what the percentage of success is he said they don't base it on a success rate...if the brain is able to learn then the kid will do it! Then he went on to talk about how smart Grant is and how he knows Grant will learn great things from this!
So on my drive home I was filled with emotion and as I sit and type this I have tears streaming down my face! I've always known deep down that he will walk. It may be with assistance, it may not be the prettiest thing and he may no be able to go long distances but my boy will do it...eventually. Now all I can think is how possible it is that in a year or less my baby boy might be walking! WALKING!! Not only that but we will get to see him sit for the first time and watch him learn to crawl which he so wants to do!! Amazing!! I can't even put into words how filled with emotion I am. Maybe my boys will both be playing in the yard next summer! Or wrestling around in the living room. Or maybe in about 3-4 years I will get to see Grant play t-ball for the first time! It's funny all the little things you take for granted when they come so naturally and easily. When we had Matthew I never imagined that I would ever wait so long to see results from my 2nd child. Now here I sit with a new found hope and new found inspiration! Through faith and lots of prayers not only from us but from all of you my boy has been given an amazing opportunity! Through Him all things are possible!
"Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us." Romans 5:1-5
ABM
A few months back I joined an online support group and I am so thankful I did. One of the mom's on there suggested something about ABM and how it has been working great for her child.
ABM, I thought! What is this and how can it help my child? I was intrigued so I started yahoo-ing like crazy! I wanted to find anything and everything I could about ABM. I found out that it stands for Anat Baniel Method. Anat Baniel is a women who developed this method that uses gentle, innovative techniques to help the brain of the special needs child form new neural connections and patterns that take the child beyond their current limitations. While it is a process, the changes begin happening right away and are often quite dramatic. While she is based in California I knew that I had to look for someone close by that does this method. I found someone...in St. Charles!
I started watching any and all videos about ABM and how it has helped children with all disabilities. I found myself crying watching how miraculously these children learned to walk! I knew this is what I had to do for Grant. I contacted the practitioner in St. Charles (which is just outside of St. Louis which is about a 3-4 hour drive from here). He answered any and all of my questions and told me about a free clinic he was offering on March 26th. So of course we decided we were going to do it! I figured what can it hurt!
I am going to share the link with you to the information about ABM and I hope that you take the time to watch some videos! It's truly amazing to watch a miracle! I hope you all have a blessed day! :)
http://www.anatbanielmethod.com/cerebral-palsy-treatment.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm3D1-Q4E34
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S1cGOcmAYE
ABM, I thought! What is this and how can it help my child? I was intrigued so I started yahoo-ing like crazy! I wanted to find anything and everything I could about ABM. I found out that it stands for Anat Baniel Method. Anat Baniel is a women who developed this method that uses gentle, innovative techniques to help the brain of the special needs child form new neural connections and patterns that take the child beyond their current limitations. While it is a process, the changes begin happening right away and are often quite dramatic. While she is based in California I knew that I had to look for someone close by that does this method. I found someone...in St. Charles!
I started watching any and all videos about ABM and how it has helped children with all disabilities. I found myself crying watching how miraculously these children learned to walk! I knew this is what I had to do for Grant. I contacted the practitioner in St. Charles (which is just outside of St. Louis which is about a 3-4 hour drive from here). He answered any and all of my questions and told me about a free clinic he was offering on March 26th. So of course we decided we were going to do it! I figured what can it hurt!
I am going to share the link with you to the information about ABM and I hope that you take the time to watch some videos! It's truly amazing to watch a miracle! I hope you all have a blessed day! :)
http://www.anatbanielmethod.com/cerebral-palsy-treatment.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm3D1-Q4E34
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S1cGOcmAYE
How Grant's Journey Began
I feel like before I post anything I need to give a little back history of the last year and then some!
So here we go:
We found out we were expecting another baby in August 2009! We were so excited!! The pregnancy started out rough from the beginning. I didn't have any sickness or any of that but a couple weeks after I found out I started having bad pains. I went to the doctor and they drew some blood. The pains turned out to be nothing but what they found when they got my blood results back changed our lives forever!
They found out that I was Kell Sensitized. What does that mean? Well I have Kell antibodies on my blood and Ryan has Kell antigens on his. When I was pregnant with Matthew he got Ryan's blood and had the Kell antigens on his blood. When I had him a little of his blood mixed with mine and my Kell antibodies started fighting of the Kell antigens recognizing them as foreign objects. When we got pregnant with Grant we figured out that he too had the Kell antigen. Since my blood had built up a defense against Kell antigens my blood starting destroying Grant's blood causing him to become anemic. I had to go in 6 times for a PUBS Procedure (blood transfusion for Grant). When I went in the 6th time the doctor told me I set a new record...no one had ever had to have 6 PUBS!
When I went in for one of the MCA Doppler scans to check Grant's blood flow they found him to be extremely anemic. I had to be rushed down for an immediate transfusion. They think it was at that time that the cysts formed on Grant's brain. They kept a close eye on the cyst and it stayed the same...never got bigger or smaller. At first they didn't tell us what this meant for sure. It wasn't until a week before my c-section that they sat us down and explained that there was a good chance that my sweet baby boy could have Cerebral Palsy.
Grant was born March 10, 2010 at 36 weeks. He weighed 5lbs 13oz and was 17 in long. He stayed in the NICU for 18 days due mostly to eating complications. We found out we had to feed him formula at a honey consistency. I still don't understand how he managed to drink that stuff! They did an MRI just hours after he was born. The Neonatalogist came in 2 hours after I had him (keep in mind I hadn't even seen my precious new prince yet) and told us he will have CP, he will do nothing, he will be nothing. We need to start thinking about how we will take care of him being in a wheelchair his entire life. I was appalled! How dare you come in here and say that about my baby!
March 28, 2010 he finally got to come home! Best day of my life besides having him! He was sent home with a sleep apnea monitor which was a huge pain in the butt but a huge relief knowing that I didn't have to worry about him not breathing when he was asleep. He got the monitor taken off on May 24, 2010! We finally got to take home our baby without wires attached.
From then to now has been a whirl wind of events! We had to put him on Zantac for reflux. He would take a bottle and within 5 minutes throw up the entire thing! It was horrible. He is now reflux and Zantac free. In May 2010 we started with his amazing Physical Therapist, Amelia, through First Steps. She is amazing. She has been working with Grant for a little over 10 months now and I couldn't have asked for a better person to help work with my child.
Grant started out wonderful! He rolled from tummy to back right on target and was so alert! But as he got a little older we noticed that when he got excited he didn't kick his legs like most babies. And he didn't reach to grab things like he should have been. And he had poor neck control. It was then that we realized...yes he does have CP! In October he went to see his Pediatric Specialist and he officially diagnosed Grant with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy! My amazing little 7 month old baby boy was officially diagnosed with CP. It was a very bittersweet moment...it was great to have a diagnosis but at the same time it was words no mother wanted to her about their child.
Grant has made great progress. He started Occupational Therapist with his other amazing therapist, Katie, in October 2010. I could not ask for two more wonderful women to be helping with Grant! Grant has been so close to accomplishing so much! He almost sits on his own and he is trying so hard to crawl! They have already ordered him a mini pacer so that he can start cruising around :) I can't wait until we get it! He also just started Speech Therapy with Mallory. We can't wait to get to know her better. He just recently go him off of thickened feedings and he is on whole milk. He still has to have food ground up. He has a very strong tongue thrust and has a hard time with chunks. He is getting better with Puffs and Cheerios and anything that dissolves in the mouth! He does however love food. If you are holding him (which is highly unlikely because of his extreme stranger danger) he will try his hardest to get the food into his mouth somehow! He LOVES ice cream :) Yep that's definitely the Hays blood in him!
Grant is truly my inspiration! He is so bright and smart and he is going to do amazing things I just know it! Everyday it's something new that he has done or is trying to do that gives me a whole new reason to wake up in the morning. His bright smile and addicting laugh brightens my day! He has so many people that love and support him and that warms my heart. I hope you enjoy going through this journey with us!
So here we go:
We found out we were expecting another baby in August 2009! We were so excited!! The pregnancy started out rough from the beginning. I didn't have any sickness or any of that but a couple weeks after I found out I started having bad pains. I went to the doctor and they drew some blood. The pains turned out to be nothing but what they found when they got my blood results back changed our lives forever!
They found out that I was Kell Sensitized. What does that mean? Well I have Kell antibodies on my blood and Ryan has Kell antigens on his. When I was pregnant with Matthew he got Ryan's blood and had the Kell antigens on his blood. When I had him a little of his blood mixed with mine and my Kell antibodies started fighting of the Kell antigens recognizing them as foreign objects. When we got pregnant with Grant we figured out that he too had the Kell antigen. Since my blood had built up a defense against Kell antigens my blood starting destroying Grant's blood causing him to become anemic. I had to go in 6 times for a PUBS Procedure (blood transfusion for Grant). When I went in the 6th time the doctor told me I set a new record...no one had ever had to have 6 PUBS!When I went in for one of the MCA Doppler scans to check Grant's blood flow they found him to be extremely anemic. I had to be rushed down for an immediate transfusion. They think it was at that time that the cysts formed on Grant's brain. They kept a close eye on the cyst and it stayed the same...never got bigger or smaller. At first they didn't tell us what this meant for sure. It wasn't until a week before my c-section that they sat us down and explained that there was a good chance that my sweet baby boy could have Cerebral Palsy.
Grant was born March 10, 2010 at 36 weeks. He weighed 5lbs 13oz and was 17 in long. He stayed in the NICU for 18 days due mostly to eating complications. We found out we had to feed him formula at a honey consistency. I still don't understand how he managed to drink that stuff! They did an MRI just hours after he was born. The Neonatalogist came in 2 hours after I had him (keep in mind I hadn't even seen my precious new prince yet) and told us he will have CP, he will do nothing, he will be nothing. We need to start thinking about how we will take care of him being in a wheelchair his entire life. I was appalled! How dare you come in here and say that about my baby!March 28, 2010 he finally got to come home! Best day of my life besides having him! He was sent home with a sleep apnea monitor which was a huge pain in the butt but a huge relief knowing that I didn't have to worry about him not breathing when he was asleep. He got the monitor taken off on May 24, 2010! We finally got to take home our baby without wires attached.
From then to now has been a whirl wind of events! We had to put him on Zantac for reflux. He would take a bottle and within 5 minutes throw up the entire thing! It was horrible. He is now reflux and Zantac free. In May 2010 we started with his amazing Physical Therapist, Amelia, through First Steps. She is amazing. She has been working with Grant for a little over 10 months now and I couldn't have asked for a better person to help work with my child.
Grant started out wonderful! He rolled from tummy to back right on target and was so alert! But as he got a little older we noticed that when he got excited he didn't kick his legs like most babies. And he didn't reach to grab things like he should have been. And he had poor neck control. It was then that we realized...yes he does have CP! In October he went to see his Pediatric Specialist and he officially diagnosed Grant with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy! My amazing little 7 month old baby boy was officially diagnosed with CP. It was a very bittersweet moment...it was great to have a diagnosis but at the same time it was words no mother wanted to her about their child.
Grant has made great progress. He started Occupational Therapist with his other amazing therapist, Katie, in October 2010. I could not ask for two more wonderful women to be helping with Grant! Grant has been so close to accomplishing so much! He almost sits on his own and he is trying so hard to crawl! They have already ordered him a mini pacer so that he can start cruising around :) I can't wait until we get it! He also just started Speech Therapy with Mallory. We can't wait to get to know her better. He just recently go him off of thickened feedings and he is on whole milk. He still has to have food ground up. He has a very strong tongue thrust and has a hard time with chunks. He is getting better with Puffs and Cheerios and anything that dissolves in the mouth! He does however love food. If you are holding him (which is highly unlikely because of his extreme stranger danger) he will try his hardest to get the food into his mouth somehow! He LOVES ice cream :) Yep that's definitely the Hays blood in him!
Grant is truly my inspiration! He is so bright and smart and he is going to do amazing things I just know it! Everyday it's something new that he has done or is trying to do that gives me a whole new reason to wake up in the morning. His bright smile and addicting laugh brightens my day! He has so many people that love and support him and that warms my heart. I hope you enjoy going through this journey with us!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)