Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Keeping up with the Jones' and Preschool Madness

My offices close at 3 pm today until January 4, so hardly anyone is here today, and the ones that are are blowing off real work, like me! I haven't posted in a long time, not because there is nothing to write about, but because I have been so busy with the end of the year madness that I have hardly had time to breathe.

We are not going away for the holiday break and I am so excited about that. Usually we travel to the East coast to see my parents, but now that the twins are 2 and cost two extra seats AND flying across the country with them is about as fun as sticking a needle in your eye AND it's always a nightmare to travel to and around the East in winter anyway, we opted to stay home. I am a tiny bit sad about not seeing my family and wondering how it will be on Christmas Eve with just my hubby and I, but am planning on making a yummy dinner and got a nice bottle of champers, so it won't be all bad! The twins love our Christmas tree (our first one since they were born) and get really excited when we turn the lights on in the evening. We have been opening the doors of the advent calendar each morning and they have fun identifying santa and horses (reindeer) and mamas (any woman pictured) and trees. It's cute.

Other than the upcoming holiday break, my mind has been filled with thoughts about walkers and preschools. I had a mini breakdown about Drake and (his lack of) a walker a few weeks ago. It seems all my bloggy friends kiddos and kiddos his age at CCS are starting to use a walker. None of this therapists have even mentioned a walker to me. So I finally asked, and his PT told me he wasn't ready. But I pushed and wanted to see if he could do it. So she got him all strapped into his AFOs and stood him in a reverse walker. He stood there for a minute or so, then slowly kinda sank down onto his knees. It was a little heartbreaking to see, but I saw what she meant about not being ready. I just get impatient. Everyone always says how functional Drake is and how his CP is mild/moderate and how well he is progressing. But then I see him at 2 years old and barely able to stand for a minute in his walker and I get confused by the mixed messages. He also steps with a scissor gait (mostly at the ankles), which I get concerned about, but his PTs don't seem so worried about it.

So, I finally gave in and borrowed a stander from CCS and we've been putting him in that 30 minutes twice a day. Standing. Yes, it does come before walking! He does great in the stander actually. It's a very basic type, with pads around the front of the thighs to lean into and a belt around the butt/lower hips. There is no support for the upper body. He stands in it in front of a table and draws or plays or eats.

I have also been thinking about how Drake has very few doctors. Believe me, I am happy about that, but it also makes me think I may be missing something? He sees his pediatrician and a developmental pediatrician. And an eye doctor for his lazy eye. That's it. No neurology. No physiatrists. He's never had an MRI. He's on zero medication. Again, bloggy friends kiddos and other kiddos his age at CCS are starting to get botox and serial casting, etc. None of this therapists has mentioned these things to me. So, I finally just up and made an appointment with a great physiatrist at Children's Hospital Oakland who is practically impossible to see, but somehow I got in.

Will have to add my preschool drama later...