Less appointments

Connor has been doing AMAZING! 

Its been a while since I wrote so a lot has been going on.  Two weeks ago we saw Dr. Evans (the pysiatrist) and Dr. Carpenter (Connor's Neurologist). It was such a great appointment.  The whole family went and Thomas helped by cheering Connor on.  The Dr.s had Connor walking up and down the hallways without his shoes on.  We inflated the plastic gloves and used these "balloons" to entice Connor to walk around.  He would collect them, one in each hand, and smile at us all.  They were duly impressed. As was Connor's fan club.

T.J. hadn't been to Children's Hospital with us in a while. He comes to the doctor appointments with us while I bring Connor to his therapy sessions there as well.  So T.J. and Thomas had no idea what a rock star Connor had become!  Everyone in the Physical Medicine Department loves him.  He visits everyone at the reception desks and has quite a few of the ladies come fawn all over him.  So the doctors were so impressed Dr. Evans didn't think he needs another round of botox on July 30th which was already scheduled.  She loved how he was walking and squatting to pick things up.  He was opening his hand to pick up the balloons and stretching his arms to grab them.  He was even picking up his foot to try to squish the balloons.  So YAY Connor! 

This is not to say that botox won't be necessary in the future but it is great that it is not needed now. Both doctor's said we could cut back on our PT/OT visits to Childrens so we are now only going to ee the PT once a month as needed.  Dr. Carpenter said she is ok with seeing us only once a year since he is doing so well and also knowing that Dr. Evans is following him closer then that.  And best of all she said that there is no great need for Connor to go back to the Developmental Psycologist Dr. Penny Glass.  I actually cancelled his 15 or 18 month appointment and totally "forgot" to reschedule.  Connor has been doing amazing especially conginitively and language wise and I didn't think the Glass's negativity would be a benefit so we missed a few.  Carpenter agreed there was no need to go back to her after hearing Connor talk and sing and answer questions.  And also ask questions.  Periodically he would pipe into our conversating with the doctor's with "Why?"  She did tell us that around age 4 or 5 kids usually move from seeing a developmental psychologist to a neuropsyc. So we are going to wait till then.

Summer has been great for Connor and Thomas we have been getting lots of swimming in and I have been coming up with ways for Connor to stretch and extend his arms and use his hands bimanually that both kids have been having fun with. 

I usually test new ideas I have out on Thomas, to see how hard it is or if they might be age appropriate for Connor.  We have such random stuff in our living room our latest toys:

A multicolored IKEA coat rack houses multicolored rings and varying heights from a baby stacker toy - this lures Connor into reaching and stretching his arm and turning his wrist to get the rings off the hooks  + added benefit you can match the ring color to the peg colors

and inflated elephant seat serves as a leg strenghtening toy when Connor sits on hit and bounces.

and a bar on the kitchen wall to hang toys and buckets of chalk for the chalk board.  Now he has to reach for all his stuff.

Love IKEA!