help.

We have been struggling with Dash's speech delay for almost a year now. Two Early Steps evaluations told us nothing except that he didn't qualify for their therapy. It didn't appear his speech issue was caused by another disorder so they couldn't help him. A week ago we had a speech evaluation at the Children's Hospital - the therapists agreed that he needed therapy, We start in July - 2 days a week until he doesn't need it anymore. There really is no timeframe. I am glad that he will finally be getting the help that he needs. I will be glad when I can understand him without having to guess what he is trying to tell me. I will be happy when the tantrums out of pure frustration taper off. I am glad that he doesn't have another disorder but I really wish the state funded program would have been able to help him. I know kids that recieve speech therapy through Early Steps who speak so much better than Dash - 2 of them even speak both English and Spanish and can be understood pretty easily in either language. I understand Dash maybe 20% of the time - other people probably understand maybe 5%. I guess I don't understand thier criteria or testing methods - he clearly needs help and other people that need help less than him in the area are getting it instead of him. It is frustrating. I am lucky we have good health insurance that will cover his therapy in the most part - but still wish I hadn't wait so long to get a second opinion. I knew he needed therapy - I should have trusted what I was feeling.

chaos

I posted a week ago about macks first steps and everyday he is getting better and taking more steps and a lot of those on his own with prompt from me but some how almost overnight a new chaos has taken over this house. when he is not slowly, caustiously walking - he is crawling at the speed of light or climbing like he is Sir Edmund Hillary (jeopardy fact for you - he was the first to climb mt. everest). seriously - the kid is going to be trouble. Nothing is safe from the Mackster - he will climb couches, coffee tables, pack-n-plays and a whole long list of dangerous things to get what he is after. i thought dash was "high energy" but this little skinny 10 month old is giving him a run for his money. I am kind of getting nervous that he is going to be climbing out of his crib soon - he is pretty close and he gets the most determined look on his face when he is trying. basically it is chaotic in this house - i am constantly chasing after him while he is chasing after dash and trying to imitate things he sees his big brother doing. im tired - part of me will be so glad when this phase is over but the other part of me loves his adventurous, no fear spirit and will miss it a little when he will lay on the couch and watch a movie without doign something that could break his neck. i haev a feeling i will have a while until i have to worry about  that.



trouble.



first steps

Mack took his first steps the other day, 2 days before he turned 10 months old and I was so proud and amazed and kind of nervous about the impending future. That night as I showed my friends and family the video and replayed it like 20 times, i really started to think about what has happening one year ago. I remember all those weeks on bedrest and meetings with doctors and specialists. The one that sticks in my mind the most is when I was 28 weeks and was admitted to the hospital in labor and they didn't know if they could stop it and a neonatologist from the All Children's NICU came over to talk to us about to expect. He went through a list of issues premature babies can have, he went through common procedures and what our stay in the NICU would possibly be like. we were scared. we wanted a healthy baby. we wanted a baby we could take home with us. luckily they got my labor stopped that night and mack waited almost 4 more weeks before he was welcomed into this world. After about a month in the NICU, Mack joined us at home, all 4lbs of him. I was told to use his adjusted birthdate when looking at his milestones he was or wasn't meeting and to expect delays. Mackey must not have gotten that memo : )

It just amazes me to think about how far he has come in such a short period of time. I feel so blessed to have such a healthy and happy little man especially when I think back to that hospital stay in July. Things could have been so different. While first steps are always a huge milestone for all babies - it seems even bigger for a baby that has surpassed such odds. i just love that little man.