REX IS WALKING!!!!!! My baby is walking!! Over the last week, Rex has turned a huge leaf! It's been a very busy week too. Without getting into detail, our cousins Elia, Alejandra and Aile moved to Houston over Easter weekend. Aile is 4 months older than Rex and they have always had this bond anytime we would get them together. Since they're staying with us, obviously Rex and Aile have been spending a lot more time together. I don't think it is coincidence at all that Rex really started moving this week with Aile being here.
Last Saturday, April 7 (the day before Easter), Corey and I took Rex to the park. We sat a good 15 yards away from each other on the playground and Rex walked between us perfectly! We knew then, for sure, that he was able to do it, he just needed the confidence to do it. Awhile back, Rex had gotten to the point that he would walk a good distance in the house if we would stand up and back up to make him go further. At that point, we thought it was just a matter of time til he started really walking on his own. We hit a roadblock when he fell one day at Corey's moms when Corey stepped back like that. Ever since that day, he would not move if we were standing up. We could stand and tell him to come, and he wouldn't. We could squat and tell him to come, and he wouldn't. As soon as we sat, he would come without hesitation!! Little stinker had gotten too smart and figured out our tricks! So that Saturday at the park, when he was going that far, we put him to the test. As he was on his way towards me from Corey, I stood up and he literally stopped in his tracks and sat down as soon as I was up! We got the biggest kick out of it but to be completely honest, it was also frustrating because we KNEW he was able to do it. He was just afraid. Elia, Alejandra and Aile got here Sunday and Rex has seen Aile, who has been walking around everywhere for awhile, everyday since. I noticed about Wednesday that he was starting to cruise a lot more around my mom's house. He was holding on to the walls and door frames to get around rather than only holding on to furniture and going back and forth between them. That is when I posted on Facebook that I could finally "officially" say that Rex was walking but still needed some work. He continued doing this over the weekend.
This last Sunday, April 15 was a rainy day here in Houston. Elia, Ale, Aile, Rex and I went to church that morning then ate breakfast at my mom's. At this point, Rex was still just cruising. I was feeling lazy when we got back home so I laid down to take a nap. By the time I woke up, we noticed that Rex was walking around without holding on to anything!! So literally from one hour to the next, he went from cruising but having to hold on to things to completely walking on his own! AMAZING!! We were so so so excited!! I really really think Rex seeing Aile gave him that extra push to walk. I'm so glad he finally got that confidence he needed. I think one of the most difficult things to deal with through all of this was knowing that he was able to do it, he was just afraid. We couldn't do much to "fix" that besides encourage him and praise him as much as possible.
We still have things to work on. Since Rex never crawled, he doesn't use his arms very well. When he falls, he doesn't use his arms to catch his fall and goes belly first or head first instead. Needless to say, when he falls, we typically have a mild meltdown so we definitely still need to work on teaching him to use his arms. Pulling up is still a challenge as well. He pulls up great on anything he can grip with his hands and fingers. For example, he pulls up great on our couch that has a thick thread on the edge and pulls up great on the edge of the bed where he can grasp the sides of it. He also has a toy basket that we weighted down so that he can pull up on that. He still struggles with pulling up on anything else. Again, because he never crawled, he didn't get accustomed to getting on his knees to pull up so that's another missing step. We're also working on standing up freely without having to pull up on anything. I know with continued hard work, all of these things will come with time, just as his walking did. We are so so proud of everything he has accomplished already!
After posting the video showing Rex's walking progression, I was amazed at all of the words of encouragement and loved seeing how excited everyone was along with us! Rex is a very lucky little boy to have so much love all around him. We're beyond thankful for the words of praise and encouragement! It means a lot!
Not going to lie, I'm a little anxious for someone random to ask or say "Oh I bet he's walking all over the place!" Now I can say "Yes! He sure is!!" :)
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Words of encouragement
So lots has gone on since my last post!
Lets start with Rex's therapy:
His biggest accomplishment to note is that he is now able to 100% sit up on his own! This was my main concern when I wanted to look into physical therapy and it was such a feeling of accomplishment for both him and us when he did it! It was very exciting! That happening made me feel even more so that we did the right thing with getting him physical therapy. He does it just the way his therapist taught him. He's also doing great with taking steps on his own. He cruises all around the living room with no problem. He pulls up great on his toy basket and is now pulling up on the couch with no problem. We're working more on generalizing pulling up, though. He has a hard time pulling up on anything other than those 2 pieces of furniture so that is our focus now. He also does great with walking from person to person but we're now going to work on boosting that confidence to go from objects that are further apart. If you're too far from him, he chickens out and sits. He's able to do quite a bit...he just needs that confidence. His walking is much more controlled now rather than flying forward on momentum without being able to slow down. He's still a booty scooter! I'm pretty sure he will never crawl as a way to get around, which is completely fine. To work on pulling up from sitting, we will have him reach for the object he is pulling up on to encourage the upward movement, then get him on his knees so that he can step up, one foot at a time, to standing. Getting on his knees is definitely his biggest challenge. He is not a fan of being on his knees at all!! I can tell he's getting the motions though. We just have to continue to encourage him!
Speaking of my booty scooter, Rex was in at baby crawling race at the Rockets game on March 2. We had an absolute blast!! From the get-go, Corey did not think Rex would even move for the race thinking he would be overcome with fear from the crowd and the noise. Our little man is quite the chicken when it comes to loud noises. He has never been a fan. So we got down to the service level where the court is and they had the mat laid out so that the babies could practice before actually going out on the court. Here is a picture:
Lets start with Rex's therapy:
His biggest accomplishment to note is that he is now able to 100% sit up on his own! This was my main concern when I wanted to look into physical therapy and it was such a feeling of accomplishment for both him and us when he did it! It was very exciting! That happening made me feel even more so that we did the right thing with getting him physical therapy. He does it just the way his therapist taught him. He's also doing great with taking steps on his own. He cruises all around the living room with no problem. He pulls up great on his toy basket and is now pulling up on the couch with no problem. We're working more on generalizing pulling up, though. He has a hard time pulling up on anything other than those 2 pieces of furniture so that is our focus now. He also does great with walking from person to person but we're now going to work on boosting that confidence to go from objects that are further apart. If you're too far from him, he chickens out and sits. He's able to do quite a bit...he just needs that confidence. His walking is much more controlled now rather than flying forward on momentum without being able to slow down. He's still a booty scooter! I'm pretty sure he will never crawl as a way to get around, which is completely fine. To work on pulling up from sitting, we will have him reach for the object he is pulling up on to encourage the upward movement, then get him on his knees so that he can step up, one foot at a time, to standing. Getting on his knees is definitely his biggest challenge. He is not a fan of being on his knees at all!! I can tell he's getting the motions though. We just have to continue to encourage him!
Speaking of my booty scooter, Rex was in at baby crawling race at the Rockets game on March 2. We had an absolute blast!! From the get-go, Corey did not think Rex would even move for the race thinking he would be overcome with fear from the crowd and the noise. Our little man is quite the chicken when it comes to loud noises. He has never been a fan. So we got down to the service level where the court is and they had the mat laid out so that the babies could practice before actually going out on the court. Here is a picture:
At first, Rex would not move! So we thought, well, Corey must've been right! Then he went about half way and there was a bump in the mat so he stopped at that bump. At that point we were thinking and hoping he would at least go half way so people would see him scoot and we knew the crowd would love that. We were totally ok with him doing just that. We were fine with anything, really! We were just excited to be there! There were two other babies: a little black girl, a little black boy, and a little asian girl. The Asian girl was going everywhere on the mat but straight! The two black babies were smoking him, especially the little girl! We just knew for sure she was going to win. We let Rex cruise on the mat with the other babies for the rest of the time it was out. He was starting to enjoy scooting on it and even shook his head "no" when we tried to pick him up! So our hopes were getting brighter! Then it was show time! I was ridiculously excited. Really, annoyingly excited if you ask Corey! haha! They took the mat out and the crowd starts cheering. They introduced all of the families (which I did not even hear, by the way! It all happened so fast!) I just remember them saying "On your mark, get set, Go!" I pulled out the secret cup I had in my pocket to try to get him to come to me. When Corey first set him down, he fussed a little but then saw the cup and started scooting away! The two little black babies completely froze and did not move at all!! They were waaaay too intrigued by the lights and noise in the crowd! So it was a race between Rex and the little Asian girl! It was a pretty close race but she ended up beating him! I can't remember who said this afterwards but they said Rex better get used to being beat by Asians on many aspects! haha! jk :) I didn't see what was being shown on the big screens at all but the lady in charge told us they zoomed in quite a bit on Rex because he was the only scooter!! Needless to say, Mommy and Daddy were VERY proud of Rex!! I cannot wait to see the video the Rockets is supposed to be sending us in a few days. I will post as soon as I get it! We had an absolute blast and it's something we will never forget!!
If you've made it this far, I really would appreciate any input you have on my next topic. I'm very seriously considering going back to school in the fall for a Masters degree in school counseling. I'm positive that that is the field that I want to pursue. I'm just very afraid to overload myself and more importantly, I'm afraid that achieving my goals of higher education will come at a high cost to my family in regards to losing time with them. I've always been the type to do 5 million things at one time. I've never been a calm person who had nothing going on, even as a kid. It has worked fine before but I also did not have a husband and baby before. While this is a personal goal of mine and something I am determined to do, I feel that it is also something that I am doing for my family because the end result will be a higher paying career which ultimately benefits my family. Is it a selfish thing to do, though? That is what I'm confused about. Ideally, I would have gotten my Masters degree before I had children. Obviously, that was not God's plan for me and I would not change it for the world. I plan to take it slow, in order to not overload myself and also to lessen the time spent away from my family. If it takes 5 years, it takes 5 years. I'm fortunate to have summers off to enable me to focus more on my studies at that time too. I'm blessed to have a husband who is encouraging me to go after it and I am even more blessed to have a mother who is willing to help me so much. Lord, what would I do without that woman? So I know that it can be done. I just have to work on not feeling so guilty about spending less time with my Corey and Rex. I know, though, that things are only going to get more difficult and more busy as time goes on which is another reason to push myself to just do it! I guess I just need words of encouragement...just like Rex does with walking! Interesting how we all need words of encouragement whether it be to continue taking those baby steps or taking those big education steps!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Baby steps, confidence and lessons learned
Eeeek! I'm kind of sucking at keeping up with this! But that's not anything new...
Rex is doing great with his PT. I'm definitely seeing improvement! I guess our biggest update is that he's pretty much walking! I picked him up from Ms. Anna's on Friday, February 3 and she showed me that she taught him to hold on to his shirt to make him think he's holding onto something. Since he felt that "security" he did great with taking multiple steps on his own! By that Sunday, he was going a good 6 feet or so by himself! Corey and I work with him together every night. On that note, I have to mention how much I love doing that together. Rex gets so excited walking between Mommy and Daddy and I just LOVE watching Rex and Corey together. Rex sure does love his Daddy! They have always had such an amazing bond, from day one. Typically when I lay Rex down for bed, he gives Daddy a kiss goodnight, I take him to his crib where he kisses Mommy goodnight, then when he lays down, I turn on the light-up mobile, cover him up and he goes to bed. Over the last week though, when he goes to give Daddy kisses, he doesn't want to come back with me, he wants to stay with Daddy. Absolutely melted our hearts!! It was so so sweet! So now it's a nightly thing for Rex and Daddy to hang together just before he goes to bed. That is definitely their snuggle time and I love watching it!
Back to walking...he's getting better and better! Now, he holds on to his shirt with his right hand and holds his left arm up in the air when he walks. There's a picture of me when I was a baby doing the same thing! I'm going to have to dig up the picture and take one of Rex to put side by side. He's also doing better with pulling up on his own. He does it great on a toy basket we have in the living room. I put a bunch of my old textbooks in there to weigh it down so that he's able to pull up on it. He's also getting braver with walking from the furniture to someone without holding on to something. And he's finally getting better about sitting down on his own. Most of what he struggles with is not that he's not able to do it but that he's been afraid to do it. Now that he's got those tubes in his ears and his balance and spatial awareness is getting better, I can definitely see his confidence growing.
Our next big challenge is going from laying down to sitting up. His Physical Therapist showed us this last week how to get him to do it. He struggles with it but I can see the progress he's making with that. As long as we're making progress, that's all I care about! She also taught us how to work with him on standing up from sitting down. That will probably take a bit longer. One thing that I've discovered is hard about this is that we're kind of having to take steps back because Rex skipped the transitions between the larger milestones, i.e transitioning from laying to sitting down and transitioning from sitting to standing up. Those are things I take a lot of blame for because if he fussed, I typically knew he wanted to change positions so I would do it for him. So all of you new momma's out there: don't cave into those poor little whimpers! Make em work for it!! Lesson learned for this mommy.
Everything else is great :) Can't believe we only have two more six-weeks left of school! Let the count down to Spring Break begin!! Ashley and I will be the Cheer sponsors at school next year and I'm really excited about it! We'll be getting everything rolling with that in the next few weeks so I have a busy couple of weeks up ahead.
Corey and I are stronger than ever! We marked 3 years of being together last Monday. I can't believe it's only been 3 years...seems like a lot longer, probably because we've done so much in those 3 years. Another lesson learned over the last month is this: fighting is sometimes one of the best things for a relationship...as long as you really listen to each other. Shocker! :) I've come to believe that when you fight, it presents opportunity to get to know each other better and work out those "kinks". I pray that Corey and I continue to grow and learn together through every happy moment as well as every not-so-happy moment. I'm very lucky to have him!
Lent starts this week...I hope to get better about going to church every week to give Thanks to Him for all we are blessed with. Not sure yet what I plan to give up...gotta think about that one!
Rex is doing great with his PT. I'm definitely seeing improvement! I guess our biggest update is that he's pretty much walking! I picked him up from Ms. Anna's on Friday, February 3 and she showed me that she taught him to hold on to his shirt to make him think he's holding onto something. Since he felt that "security" he did great with taking multiple steps on his own! By that Sunday, he was going a good 6 feet or so by himself! Corey and I work with him together every night. On that note, I have to mention how much I love doing that together. Rex gets so excited walking between Mommy and Daddy and I just LOVE watching Rex and Corey together. Rex sure does love his Daddy! They have always had such an amazing bond, from day one. Typically when I lay Rex down for bed, he gives Daddy a kiss goodnight, I take him to his crib where he kisses Mommy goodnight, then when he lays down, I turn on the light-up mobile, cover him up and he goes to bed. Over the last week though, when he goes to give Daddy kisses, he doesn't want to come back with me, he wants to stay with Daddy. Absolutely melted our hearts!! It was so so sweet! So now it's a nightly thing for Rex and Daddy to hang together just before he goes to bed. That is definitely their snuggle time and I love watching it!
Back to walking...he's getting better and better! Now, he holds on to his shirt with his right hand and holds his left arm up in the air when he walks. There's a picture of me when I was a baby doing the same thing! I'm going to have to dig up the picture and take one of Rex to put side by side. He's also doing better with pulling up on his own. He does it great on a toy basket we have in the living room. I put a bunch of my old textbooks in there to weigh it down so that he's able to pull up on it. He's also getting braver with walking from the furniture to someone without holding on to something. And he's finally getting better about sitting down on his own. Most of what he struggles with is not that he's not able to do it but that he's been afraid to do it. Now that he's got those tubes in his ears and his balance and spatial awareness is getting better, I can definitely see his confidence growing.
Our next big challenge is going from laying down to sitting up. His Physical Therapist showed us this last week how to get him to do it. He struggles with it but I can see the progress he's making with that. As long as we're making progress, that's all I care about! She also taught us how to work with him on standing up from sitting down. That will probably take a bit longer. One thing that I've discovered is hard about this is that we're kind of having to take steps back because Rex skipped the transitions between the larger milestones, i.e transitioning from laying to sitting down and transitioning from sitting to standing up. Those are things I take a lot of blame for because if he fussed, I typically knew he wanted to change positions so I would do it for him. So all of you new momma's out there: don't cave into those poor little whimpers! Make em work for it!! Lesson learned for this mommy.
Everything else is great :) Can't believe we only have two more six-weeks left of school! Let the count down to Spring Break begin!! Ashley and I will be the Cheer sponsors at school next year and I'm really excited about it! We'll be getting everything rolling with that in the next few weeks so I have a busy couple of weeks up ahead.
Corey and I are stronger than ever! We marked 3 years of being together last Monday. I can't believe it's only been 3 years...seems like a lot longer, probably because we've done so much in those 3 years. Another lesson learned over the last month is this: fighting is sometimes one of the best things for a relationship...as long as you really listen to each other. Shocker! :) I've come to believe that when you fight, it presents opportunity to get to know each other better and work out those "kinks". I pray that Corey and I continue to grow and learn together through every happy moment as well as every not-so-happy moment. I'm very lucky to have him!
Lent starts this week...I hope to get better about going to church every week to give Thanks to Him for all we are blessed with. Not sure yet what I plan to give up...gotta think about that one!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Progress already!!
I'm a couple of days late in updating but I'm kind of glad I waited a few days...I have more to update!
Last Monday, Rex had tubes put in his ears. I am still amazed at how fast the procedure was! We went in at 8:00, they actually took him back around 8:50 and the doctor was out to let us know it all went well by 9:10! When he said it would be a 10-15 minute procedure, he wasn't kidding! (And boy, do they make a hell of a lot of money in those 10-15 minutes!) The toughest part was definitely when he was coming out of the anesthesia. He was just very out of it. Sort of drunk-like. We stayed in the recovery room until 9:45 then went home. Every time he burped, his little ears would pop and my poor baby would scream in pain because it hurt. We got home, snuggled and he fell asleep again after a bit. When he woke up a little before noon, he was completely back to normal! He never had any other side effects or anything. Easy peasy! We even went to Brandon and Ashley's that night for taco night!
Thursday he had his first therapy session here at our house. My mom picked him up early from Ms. Anna's to be here by 3:30 when the therapist (Angela) was coming. I ran out of work when the bell rang so I wouldn't miss too much of his first session. She gave us 3 things to focus on: 1) when we sit and read or play together, to have him sit on the edge of my knee with his knees at a 90 degree angle rather than leaning on me to build his balance better. 2) place him in the kneeling position while looking into his toy basket. 3) encourage him to round the corners on the coffee table by moving his foot over then lightly pushing his hip to shift the weight and move the other foot over.
It's only been 3 days since we started and he has already mastered the kneeling thing! The first time she put him in the position, he HATED it! Cried a river of tears breaking my moms heart! She's such a softie! After a couple of minutes though, he settled down though. When she showed us that, she mentioned that later we would build up to him picking one foot up then the other to stand up. By Saturday morning he was doing that on his own! Corey and I said "Wow!! These people really know what they're doing!" I so wish I would've learned some of these things earlier on. As soon as I position him on his knees, he's picking his foot up to stand up. YAY!! And no more crying! Hopefully as we do this more, he'll get better at getting onto his knees then to standing.
He balances pretty well when we sit him on the edge of a knee. I'll put the laptop out in front of him and play Elmo songs so he wants to sit there for a little bit and so that he doesn't have my arms to grab on to (as they would be if I were reading him a book). That will be a continued practice though to continue building his balance skills.
And I guess therapy on Thursday was just enough work to build his confidence to walk around the coffee table. Before therapy, he could go up and down the sides but did not like to round the corners. By Saturday night, he was going all around the table! There were even a couple of times he would go back and forth around the corner as if he was saying "see! I can do this!"
I've always known Rex is completely capable of doing all of the things he's not doing. He has the strength to do it. I believe whole heartedly that his balance has been the missing piece of the puzzle which was thrown off because of the fluid he had in his ears. He struggles most with the transitioning part of moving around. Once he gets to the position, he's good to go. It's just getting there! I have to admit, I feel responsible as well. I usually know what Rex wants to do (sit and play, stand up and walk, etc) and I would just get him to that position myself. So in his mind, he was probably saying "If momma's going to do it, I don't have to!" If there's anything I've figured out for sure, it's that he's a smart little boy so I'm sure it didn't take him long to figure that out! He's catching on to the new things quickly though so I'm feeling very optimistic about this whole process!
Like I said before, I know in a few short months, we'll look back on this as a little bump in the road. My baby's just taking his time and needs a boost!
I heard this on Modern Family the other day: What's the difference between try and triumph? A little "umph!" We're getting that extra umph!!
Last Monday, Rex had tubes put in his ears. I am still amazed at how fast the procedure was! We went in at 8:00, they actually took him back around 8:50 and the doctor was out to let us know it all went well by 9:10! When he said it would be a 10-15 minute procedure, he wasn't kidding! (And boy, do they make a hell of a lot of money in those 10-15 minutes!) The toughest part was definitely when he was coming out of the anesthesia. He was just very out of it. Sort of drunk-like. We stayed in the recovery room until 9:45 then went home. Every time he burped, his little ears would pop and my poor baby would scream in pain because it hurt. We got home, snuggled and he fell asleep again after a bit. When he woke up a little before noon, he was completely back to normal! He never had any other side effects or anything. Easy peasy! We even went to Brandon and Ashley's that night for taco night!
Thursday he had his first therapy session here at our house. My mom picked him up early from Ms. Anna's to be here by 3:30 when the therapist (Angela) was coming. I ran out of work when the bell rang so I wouldn't miss too much of his first session. She gave us 3 things to focus on: 1) when we sit and read or play together, to have him sit on the edge of my knee with his knees at a 90 degree angle rather than leaning on me to build his balance better. 2) place him in the kneeling position while looking into his toy basket. 3) encourage him to round the corners on the coffee table by moving his foot over then lightly pushing his hip to shift the weight and move the other foot over.
It's only been 3 days since we started and he has already mastered the kneeling thing! The first time she put him in the position, he HATED it! Cried a river of tears breaking my moms heart! She's such a softie! After a couple of minutes though, he settled down though. When she showed us that, she mentioned that later we would build up to him picking one foot up then the other to stand up. By Saturday morning he was doing that on his own! Corey and I said "Wow!! These people really know what they're doing!" I so wish I would've learned some of these things earlier on. As soon as I position him on his knees, he's picking his foot up to stand up. YAY!! And no more crying! Hopefully as we do this more, he'll get better at getting onto his knees then to standing.
He balances pretty well when we sit him on the edge of a knee. I'll put the laptop out in front of him and play Elmo songs so he wants to sit there for a little bit and so that he doesn't have my arms to grab on to (as they would be if I were reading him a book). That will be a continued practice though to continue building his balance skills.
And I guess therapy on Thursday was just enough work to build his confidence to walk around the coffee table. Before therapy, he could go up and down the sides but did not like to round the corners. By Saturday night, he was going all around the table! There were even a couple of times he would go back and forth around the corner as if he was saying "see! I can do this!"
I've always known Rex is completely capable of doing all of the things he's not doing. He has the strength to do it. I believe whole heartedly that his balance has been the missing piece of the puzzle which was thrown off because of the fluid he had in his ears. He struggles most with the transitioning part of moving around. Once he gets to the position, he's good to go. It's just getting there! I have to admit, I feel responsible as well. I usually know what Rex wants to do (sit and play, stand up and walk, etc) and I would just get him to that position myself. So in his mind, he was probably saying "If momma's going to do it, I don't have to!" If there's anything I've figured out for sure, it's that he's a smart little boy so I'm sure it didn't take him long to figure that out! He's catching on to the new things quickly though so I'm feeling very optimistic about this whole process!
Like I said before, I know in a few short months, we'll look back on this as a little bump in the road. My baby's just taking his time and needs a boost!
I heard this on Modern Family the other day: What's the difference between try and triumph? A little "umph!" We're getting that extra umph!!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The link between ears and gross motor development
I'm not very good at getting-to-the-point in a story. Corey always teases me because I never leave out an unnecessary detail that leads to the point of a story! But I will try to get-to-the-point:
Rex has a gross motor development delay.
I remember when I was getting ready to be home last summer, I was excited because I would get to be home when Rex would start crawling so I wouldn't miss it. He didn't start sitting up well on his own til around 7 months (July 2010). Then the end of July came, no crawling... no biggie...he was only 7 months. Then August rolled around...still no crawling...and it was time for me to go back to work. In the mean time, everyone is asking/saying "Oh! I bet he's crawling all over the place!" I would get a little sad every time someone would ask me if he was crawling yet because I had to say "Nope, not yet." But! I also completely understand because I would probably ask the same thing, even now. I went back to work and he still wasn't crawling. September rolled around and so did October. Still no crawling. At one point for a little while, he would scoot backwards on his belly. But still no crawling and no pulling up. Then I realized that he also wasn't pulling up and was not able to go from laying down to sitting up. There were times he would get on his knees from his belly but he never lifted his head up at the same time he was on his knees. Obviously, I began to worry. I didn't know if I was being an over-worried mommy or if something could really be wrong. I would mention it to his doctor when we would go in and he insisted Rex was fine and that I needed to sort of push him more to do things on his own. I kept giving myself (and Rex, I guess) new "goal dates..." I would think "By Halloween he'll be crawling!" That didn't happen so then I would shoot for Thanksgiving. That didn't happen so I just "knew" he would be all over the place by his birthday. But still, no crawling, no pulling up and no sitting from laying down. I was worried before but now, I was really worried.
In the mean time, Rex kept getting ear infections, which I know is very typical in little ones. His pedi referred us to an ENT who we went to see in December, just before his birthday. He decided it was best for him to get tubes because his hearing was beginning to be effected and there was fluid in his ears. We set the surgery for January 23. Over the month of December, Rex got more mobile...Rex style! He army crawls when he's on his belly and scoots on his butt when he's sitting down. Still no crawling, no pulling up on his own and not moving from laying to sitting. At Rex's one year check up, I mentioned everything that I was observing. What caught Dr. Azim's attention was the fact that he did not go from laying to sitting, so he referred us to ECI (Early Childhood Intervention Services). Finally! Some answers! I was so anxious to get them out here to assess Rex to see just what was going on. ECI is one of those things that you don't want to encounter but when you need them, you're so happy they're there!
Three ladies came to the house yesterday to evaluate Rex. They did a series of assessments that I am so interested in, by the way, because early childhood special education was my primary focus in college. The watched him do all kinds of things and asked me lots of questions. Just as I thought, they confirmed my concern that there is in fact a gross development delay. They also confirmed my thoughts that in every other area, he's doing great! In fact, he is above his age level in most areas. Woohoo! Go Rex! It's just that gross motor development that he's having a hard time with. So, starting next week, he will be working with a physical therapist here at the house so we can work on getting him "up-to-par." At this point, he has a 33% delay meaning he is at about an 8 month level in gross motor development. I asked the occupational therapist what her thoughts were as to why he had a delay. She was aware of his constant ear infections and she attributed a lot of it to the fact that there's fluid in his ears. She explained that there are receptors in your ears that make you aware of your surroundings and motions. It seems like those receptors are being impaired by the infections and fluids which could be a big part of Rex's delay.
Bottom line: I'm writing all of this because I don't want to forget it. I really want to document his progress so that I can look back on it to see how far we go and the amount of time it took. I know that within a few months, we probably will not even notice he had a "delay." I'm trying not to set anymore "goal-dates." As a mom, it's hard not to be hard on myself about it. I'm sure I'm not the only mom (especially new mom) who takes blame anytime anything is "wrong" with their baby. I would start to wonder what I did wrong? What could I have done better or different? It's been especially hard for me because of the fact that I've worked around and been around kids so much that I know what he should and should not be doing. I'm anxious to see how things change after he gets the tubes in on Monday.
I will keep updating with his progress-for myself and for anyone who's interested in reading! I can't wait to see how this goes! Like I said before, ECI is one of those things you don't necessarily want but you sure love when you need them and they're there!
Stay Tuned for updates!
Monday, December 26, 2011
One!
Wowzers, I have a one year old! I have a one year old! Do I really have a one year old?? Crazyness! This last year has gone by so quick. Yesterday (Christmas Day), I spent the whole day thinking back to Christmas Day 2010 when I went into labor. I don't think I ever documented it so, I want to write as much of it here as I remember before I really forget. And by all means, please do not feel the need to read this whole thing! I'm sure it will be lengthy!
I remember Corey and I had my bag in the car for a couple of days just in case I went into labor, especially since we would be out and about so much for Christmas. That morning, I don't remember feeling any different. My plug had already come out so I knew it would be any day but I certainly did not think it would be that day! Btw, sorry if this is TMI for some of you :) I don't remember what the schedule of house visits was supposed to be that day except that we had breakfast at Corey's Dads and then were going to head to Corey's moms. Beyond that, I have no idea what the plan was! We were having breakfast at Corey's dads. I was feeling fine. A little crampy but nothing worse than menstrual cramps. I did start to notice though, that they were starting to happen in a rhythm, a few minutes apart each time. The whole time, I was sitting on the couch watching TV. I got up to go to the restroom and as I stood up, there was a bit of an extra trickle that I couldn't control! I sat back down, thinking it was more of my plug because it was just a little trickle. So I walked out of the restroom and Corey was on the computer with his dad. I very casually mentioned to him what happened and he remembered right away from our childbirth classes that a lot of times when a woman's water breaks, it starts as a trickle. I, on the other hand, don't remember anything! So he immediately got nervous, had to smoke a cigarette and called his mom to tell her. I, on the other hand, was very calm, and decided I was going to just sit down and see if I still felt those cramps. I sat for about another 30 minutes and then it was time to go to Rhonda's to visit for Christmas. We were saying our goodbye's (fortunately in the TILED kitchen!) and as I went in to hug Jerry (Corey's dad), I felt the much bigger gush that was completely uncontrollable! Weirdest feeling ever!!!! At that moment I said "Whoa! Uh-oh! Ok, this is definitely my water breaking!" I was definitely in shock! I'm not even sure what Corey or everyone else was thinking! I just couldn't believe that my water actually broke in the middle of Jerry's kitchen! So corey ran down to the car to get the bag so I could change out of my now wet clothes then we headed to the hospital. All the while, I still felt fine! It was nothing like the movies where everyone goes insane and you're in awful pain the minute you realize you're in labor! I think I was more calm than everyone else! I called my mom and very calmly asked what she was doing, she said she was making potatoes and asked what I was doing. So I told her my water broke and that I was on my way to the hospital! She said "WHAT?!?!" and pretty much immediately headed up to the hospital herself.
As we were getting to the hospital, Corey said he would drop me off at the emergency entrance. I insisted that I was fine and could walk from the garage. Mind you, it was a verrrry long walk. So against Corey's better judgement, we did. As soon as I got out of the car, the uncontrollable gush of water continued! I was so embarassed!! It's seriously like peeing 20 gallons and not having any control! So then I kind of panicked! What in the world was I going to do leaking with every step with super wet pants! Fortunately there was a wheel chair as soon as we got to the elevator. So Corey wheeled me up to Labor and delivery and we told the nurse my water broke. So she pulled me in and said, well we just have to make sure it did in fact break. I showed her my pants and how wet they were and mentioned that I did not pee in my pants! And she said "Oh ok! Your water definitely broke!" So they got me all set up and into a room. My mom arrived then Corey's mom and family. Corey and I had decided that when the baby was born, he and both of our mothers would be in there to see Rex come out. I think that is a very special moment to share with both mothers. But before the actual pushing time, I was totally open to any and all visitors! And boy did we have a bunch! During the intense labor, my best friends Jenny and Ashley, Corey's sister Blair and our moms were there. My TEAM!!! What would I have done without my team!!?? Ashley even rushed home from her mom's in Georgetown on Christmas day to be there!
Labor started off easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!! It was great! Hardly any pain! The worse pain at that point was the giant IV they put in my hand. Fortunately I had a super nice and gently nurse who took very good care of me. I got the epidural around 3:30 just in time before the contractions got more intense.Then we waited...and waited...and waited!! Hours went by and nothing was happening. I was moving verrrrrrry slowly. And it was getting later! We had hoped that since I went into labor Christmas day that Rex would go ahead and come that day not only to make it extra special but also so that I wouldn't be in labor over a two day period! I remember around 10:30 PM, Aunt Pam, Uncle (Paul) Buddy, Lacey and maybe Casey (I don't remember!), were in my room visiting me when I started to feel a twinge of pain on my left side. My right side was super numb though. I remember thinking it was just getting more intense and that this was normal. But it kept getting worse and worse. Before I knew it, the pain was pretty intense but only on the left. They tried everything, I got a cocktail mix of drugs, that didn't help. Finally I ended up getting a second epidural and it still didn't help! And the pain was intense! But only on one side! And remember, I had been in labor since noon and been awake since the morning and it was getting very late and I was still progressing slowly. So, I was in horrible pain on one side and I was exhausted from being in labor and being up so long. My team of girls stuck by me the whole time. ALLLLL NIGHT!!! I owe them so much, even now! How they managed to stay awake is beyond me! I honestly don't remember much once it got to be super late into the night. I just remember being exhausted and hurting. I remember some people coming in and out of the room but I was so uncomfortable that I didn't really pay attention. I also remember the room being very dark and very quiet.
Finally around 6 AM it was time to push! YES FINALLY!! I was still so exhausted but I was so excited to finally be pushing! At this point, my team of girls had been so amazing and so devoted, I hated asking them to leave and miss the birth. So I asked Corey if they could stay and he said yes. I think he was so mentally and physically exhausted himself, he welcomed all help! And to think, when we first talked about it, he wanted it to be just me and him! HA!! That went out the window REAL quick! Little did I know I would push for nearly 2 hours!!! Did you read that?? TWO HOURS OF PUSHING!!!! I don't remember what I felt during the pushing phase, but I do remember being so tired that I would try to sleep in between contractions! My team was AMAZING! They took turns holding my leg, holding my hands and literally screamed and counted every time I pushed! I bet if there was anyone in the hall, they must have been thinking I was deaf or something! Little man apparently was the only one not hearing! If I remember correctly he was face up, making it more difficult and I was also a little on the small side. They tried vacuuming but it did not work. Eventually, Rex went into distress and we had to do an emergency C-section. I was so extremely exhausted that hearing the words c-section was an absolute relief! I just wanted it to be over! They took us back, me first then Corey. I later found out that my team of girls just sobbed when they took me away!! In the room as they were prepping me, I remember I was FREEZING cold laying on the bed. And I was shaking uncontrollably I'm guessing from being cold and from all of the medication I had been given. It seemed like it took forever but I think that whole process actually went pretty quickly.
Finally, my baby boy arrived at 7:59 AM on Sunday, December 26, 2010. They showed him to me over the curtain then I literally knocked out!!! I was out like a light! My work was done! They tried waking me to take a picture with Corey and Rex but I was not having it! I stayed asleep! When I was in recovery, I was still knocked out. Everyone got to hold my baby before me, which still makes me a little sad but I also wouldn't have it any other way. He got so much love the second he came out. I finally woke up around 11 AM, I think! My mom was there, Corey was asleep. And that's when I held my baby for the first time! It was so surreal. I was holding MY baby boy! This little person was inside me just a few hours before and had been living in me for 9 months and he was finally here! Little stinker cried the first time I held him and I couldn't do much to soothe him because I was fresh out of surgery. My mom calmed him down then I held him again and he was just fine. My favorite moments by far were holding him skin on skin. Those were special Mommy and Rex moments that only he and I have. I will cherish them forever. He was a little jaundiced so he had to be in the baby tanning bed for a day or two. Looking back, that was my first sign that he would be such a calm, easy going baby. He just hung out in there and never really cried. And that's exactly who he is still. My calm, easygoing baby. We stayed in the hospital a few days and were discharged on December 29.
The last year has been pure joy. The best moments for me are those little moments between me and him that no one else catches. The moments when he gives momma kisses after I eskimo kiss him and the moments when we lay in bed in the mornings on the weekend. Rex sleeps in his crib but sometimes wakes up around 5:30 or 6 so I'll get him and put him in bed with me. He wakes up around 8 each morning and wakes up happy and talking, just like me. I absolutely love watching Corey be a Daddy. What an amazing Daddy he has become and will continue to be. and Rex sure does love his Daddy! Lately, he has started talking with his hands a lot and his facial expressions are starting to show more. I can't wait to see more and more of his personality coming out. I know the real fun is just beginning.
If you made it through this looooooooong entry, I applaud you and also thank you for reading my special story! Looking back, I'm so thankful that I got to experience my water breaking because I likely will never have that experience again. Any future babies will be delivered via scheduled c-section since Rex was a c-section. I wouldn't trade my experience for the world. It is me and Rex's special story and he was my special present on Christmas 2010.
Happy Birthday Rex Adrian! Mommy and Daddy love you more than words can say!
I remember Corey and I had my bag in the car for a couple of days just in case I went into labor, especially since we would be out and about so much for Christmas. That morning, I don't remember feeling any different. My plug had already come out so I knew it would be any day but I certainly did not think it would be that day! Btw, sorry if this is TMI for some of you :) I don't remember what the schedule of house visits was supposed to be that day except that we had breakfast at Corey's Dads and then were going to head to Corey's moms. Beyond that, I have no idea what the plan was! We were having breakfast at Corey's dads. I was feeling fine. A little crampy but nothing worse than menstrual cramps. I did start to notice though, that they were starting to happen in a rhythm, a few minutes apart each time. The whole time, I was sitting on the couch watching TV. I got up to go to the restroom and as I stood up, there was a bit of an extra trickle that I couldn't control! I sat back down, thinking it was more of my plug because it was just a little trickle. So I walked out of the restroom and Corey was on the computer with his dad. I very casually mentioned to him what happened and he remembered right away from our childbirth classes that a lot of times when a woman's water breaks, it starts as a trickle. I, on the other hand, don't remember anything! So he immediately got nervous, had to smoke a cigarette and called his mom to tell her. I, on the other hand, was very calm, and decided I was going to just sit down and see if I still felt those cramps. I sat for about another 30 minutes and then it was time to go to Rhonda's to visit for Christmas. We were saying our goodbye's (fortunately in the TILED kitchen!) and as I went in to hug Jerry (Corey's dad), I felt the much bigger gush that was completely uncontrollable! Weirdest feeling ever!!!! At that moment I said "Whoa! Uh-oh! Ok, this is definitely my water breaking!" I was definitely in shock! I'm not even sure what Corey or everyone else was thinking! I just couldn't believe that my water actually broke in the middle of Jerry's kitchen! So corey ran down to the car to get the bag so I could change out of my now wet clothes then we headed to the hospital. All the while, I still felt fine! It was nothing like the movies where everyone goes insane and you're in awful pain the minute you realize you're in labor! I think I was more calm than everyone else! I called my mom and very calmly asked what she was doing, she said she was making potatoes and asked what I was doing. So I told her my water broke and that I was on my way to the hospital! She said "WHAT?!?!" and pretty much immediately headed up to the hospital herself.
As we were getting to the hospital, Corey said he would drop me off at the emergency entrance. I insisted that I was fine and could walk from the garage. Mind you, it was a verrrry long walk. So against Corey's better judgement, we did. As soon as I got out of the car, the uncontrollable gush of water continued! I was so embarassed!! It's seriously like peeing 20 gallons and not having any control! So then I kind of panicked! What in the world was I going to do leaking with every step with super wet pants! Fortunately there was a wheel chair as soon as we got to the elevator. So Corey wheeled me up to Labor and delivery and we told the nurse my water broke. So she pulled me in and said, well we just have to make sure it did in fact break. I showed her my pants and how wet they were and mentioned that I did not pee in my pants! And she said "Oh ok! Your water definitely broke!" So they got me all set up and into a room. My mom arrived then Corey's mom and family. Corey and I had decided that when the baby was born, he and both of our mothers would be in there to see Rex come out. I think that is a very special moment to share with both mothers. But before the actual pushing time, I was totally open to any and all visitors! And boy did we have a bunch! During the intense labor, my best friends Jenny and Ashley, Corey's sister Blair and our moms were there. My TEAM!!! What would I have done without my team!!?? Ashley even rushed home from her mom's in Georgetown on Christmas day to be there!
Labor started off easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!! It was great! Hardly any pain! The worse pain at that point was the giant IV they put in my hand. Fortunately I had a super nice and gently nurse who took very good care of me. I got the epidural around 3:30 just in time before the contractions got more intense.Then we waited...and waited...and waited!! Hours went by and nothing was happening. I was moving verrrrrrry slowly. And it was getting later! We had hoped that since I went into labor Christmas day that Rex would go ahead and come that day not only to make it extra special but also so that I wouldn't be in labor over a two day period! I remember around 10:30 PM, Aunt Pam, Uncle (Paul) Buddy, Lacey and maybe Casey (I don't remember!), were in my room visiting me when I started to feel a twinge of pain on my left side. My right side was super numb though. I remember thinking it was just getting more intense and that this was normal. But it kept getting worse and worse. Before I knew it, the pain was pretty intense but only on the left. They tried everything, I got a cocktail mix of drugs, that didn't help. Finally I ended up getting a second epidural and it still didn't help! And the pain was intense! But only on one side! And remember, I had been in labor since noon and been awake since the morning and it was getting very late and I was still progressing slowly. So, I was in horrible pain on one side and I was exhausted from being in labor and being up so long. My team of girls stuck by me the whole time. ALLLLL NIGHT!!! I owe them so much, even now! How they managed to stay awake is beyond me! I honestly don't remember much once it got to be super late into the night. I just remember being exhausted and hurting. I remember some people coming in and out of the room but I was so uncomfortable that I didn't really pay attention. I also remember the room being very dark and very quiet.
Finally around 6 AM it was time to push! YES FINALLY!! I was still so exhausted but I was so excited to finally be pushing! At this point, my team of girls had been so amazing and so devoted, I hated asking them to leave and miss the birth. So I asked Corey if they could stay and he said yes. I think he was so mentally and physically exhausted himself, he welcomed all help! And to think, when we first talked about it, he wanted it to be just me and him! HA!! That went out the window REAL quick! Little did I know I would push for nearly 2 hours!!! Did you read that?? TWO HOURS OF PUSHING!!!! I don't remember what I felt during the pushing phase, but I do remember being so tired that I would try to sleep in between contractions! My team was AMAZING! They took turns holding my leg, holding my hands and literally screamed and counted every time I pushed! I bet if there was anyone in the hall, they must have been thinking I was deaf or something! Little man apparently was the only one not hearing! If I remember correctly he was face up, making it more difficult and I was also a little on the small side. They tried vacuuming but it did not work. Eventually, Rex went into distress and we had to do an emergency C-section. I was so extremely exhausted that hearing the words c-section was an absolute relief! I just wanted it to be over! They took us back, me first then Corey. I later found out that my team of girls just sobbed when they took me away!! In the room as they were prepping me, I remember I was FREEZING cold laying on the bed. And I was shaking uncontrollably I'm guessing from being cold and from all of the medication I had been given. It seemed like it took forever but I think that whole process actually went pretty quickly.
Finally, my baby boy arrived at 7:59 AM on Sunday, December 26, 2010. They showed him to me over the curtain then I literally knocked out!!! I was out like a light! My work was done! They tried waking me to take a picture with Corey and Rex but I was not having it! I stayed asleep! When I was in recovery, I was still knocked out. Everyone got to hold my baby before me, which still makes me a little sad but I also wouldn't have it any other way. He got so much love the second he came out. I finally woke up around 11 AM, I think! My mom was there, Corey was asleep. And that's when I held my baby for the first time! It was so surreal. I was holding MY baby boy! This little person was inside me just a few hours before and had been living in me for 9 months and he was finally here! Little stinker cried the first time I held him and I couldn't do much to soothe him because I was fresh out of surgery. My mom calmed him down then I held him again and he was just fine. My favorite moments by far were holding him skin on skin. Those were special Mommy and Rex moments that only he and I have. I will cherish them forever. He was a little jaundiced so he had to be in the baby tanning bed for a day or two. Looking back, that was my first sign that he would be such a calm, easy going baby. He just hung out in there and never really cried. And that's exactly who he is still. My calm, easygoing baby. We stayed in the hospital a few days and were discharged on December 29.
The last year has been pure joy. The best moments for me are those little moments between me and him that no one else catches. The moments when he gives momma kisses after I eskimo kiss him and the moments when we lay in bed in the mornings on the weekend. Rex sleeps in his crib but sometimes wakes up around 5:30 or 6 so I'll get him and put him in bed with me. He wakes up around 8 each morning and wakes up happy and talking, just like me. I absolutely love watching Corey be a Daddy. What an amazing Daddy he has become and will continue to be. and Rex sure does love his Daddy! Lately, he has started talking with his hands a lot and his facial expressions are starting to show more. I can't wait to see more and more of his personality coming out. I know the real fun is just beginning.
If you made it through this looooooooong entry, I applaud you and also thank you for reading my special story! Looking back, I'm so thankful that I got to experience my water breaking because I likely will never have that experience again. Any future babies will be delivered via scheduled c-section since Rex was a c-section. I wouldn't trade my experience for the world. It is me and Rex's special story and he was my special present on Christmas 2010.
Happy Birthday Rex Adrian! Mommy and Daddy love you more than words can say!
Monday, November 28, 2011
T-minus one month to 1 year!
Rex is 11 months old. No way, 11 months?? As in one month to a year?? I can't believe my baby is 11 months old! Insane!! How time flies! I was thinking today about our Christmas last year and how it all played out with me going into labor. It brought smiles to my face!
Lots and lots has gone on since I last posted. First and foremost, my sweet husband is working down in Corpus. It has definitely been a challenge but has also shown me some strengths as a mom and as a woman. Before he left, I thought for sure I would want to go stay with my mom or have someone come stay with me because I've always been such a chicken. What I've discovered instead is that there is no place I love being more than my own home. This is where I am comfortable and more importantly this is where Rex is comfortable. It's amazing how a baby knows his home. He is definitely at his happiest at home. Corey being away has also made me appreciate him more and really realize just how much I love him. We started Skype-ing every night recently and I got super excited and giddy getting to see his face. That was one of those moments I was reminded of how lucky I am to be married to my best friend!
Rex has grown so much! He's not gaining much weight but he's definitely growing in length. We went to the doctor today to do a follow up after his nasty ear infection last week. He weighs 18 pounds, 13 ounces and is back to being his happy self after a rough week last week. Thank God!
He still is not crawling so I asked the doctor about it today because I'm realllllly worried about it. He told me to have him on the floor as much as possible, even if he gets mad and frustrated. Needless to say, this is tough because I hate to see my baby cry. But tonight I toughed it out and let him get frustrated. It definitely will be a work in progress but I'm hoping it will happen soon.
Between being in elevators at the airport and doctor over the last week, I've discovered Rex does not like elevators at all! When he sees the door shuts, he begins to whimper a little then when it moves, he holds on tight to either me or the stroller. Today I tried facing him to the back so he wouldn't see the door close and that seemed to help so I wondering if he just doesn't like confined spaces. Interesting!
I'm amazed at how much more and more I fall in love with this boy! Last week we had a Mommy and Rex moment that still melts my heart! We locked eyes then put our heads together and he, by himself without me asking, leaned in and gave Momma a kiss! So so sweet!! And today he gave me 4 kisses all on his own! I can't wait to continue to share these Momma and Rex moments!
Wow...I just looked at how much I wrote and I'm sorry if I've bored you! More next time...I'll save your eyes this time :)
Lots and lots has gone on since I last posted. First and foremost, my sweet husband is working down in Corpus. It has definitely been a challenge but has also shown me some strengths as a mom and as a woman. Before he left, I thought for sure I would want to go stay with my mom or have someone come stay with me because I've always been such a chicken. What I've discovered instead is that there is no place I love being more than my own home. This is where I am comfortable and more importantly this is where Rex is comfortable. It's amazing how a baby knows his home. He is definitely at his happiest at home. Corey being away has also made me appreciate him more and really realize just how much I love him. We started Skype-ing every night recently and I got super excited and giddy getting to see his face. That was one of those moments I was reminded of how lucky I am to be married to my best friend!
Rex has grown so much! He's not gaining much weight but he's definitely growing in length. We went to the doctor today to do a follow up after his nasty ear infection last week. He weighs 18 pounds, 13 ounces and is back to being his happy self after a rough week last week. Thank God!
He still is not crawling so I asked the doctor about it today because I'm realllllly worried about it. He told me to have him on the floor as much as possible, even if he gets mad and frustrated. Needless to say, this is tough because I hate to see my baby cry. But tonight I toughed it out and let him get frustrated. It definitely will be a work in progress but I'm hoping it will happen soon.
Between being in elevators at the airport and doctor over the last week, I've discovered Rex does not like elevators at all! When he sees the door shuts, he begins to whimper a little then when it moves, he holds on tight to either me or the stroller. Today I tried facing him to the back so he wouldn't see the door close and that seemed to help so I wondering if he just doesn't like confined spaces. Interesting!
I'm amazed at how much more and more I fall in love with this boy! Last week we had a Mommy and Rex moment that still melts my heart! We locked eyes then put our heads together and he, by himself without me asking, leaned in and gave Momma a kiss! So so sweet!! And today he gave me 4 kisses all on his own! I can't wait to continue to share these Momma and Rex moments!
Wow...I just looked at how much I wrote and I'm sorry if I've bored you! More next time...I'll save your eyes this time :)
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