Daddy and his little cart 
Strolling through Wal-mart
Wondering why mom needs lettuce
The New Carts at Wal-martNoah had a great weekend. We got out to try some new shopping carts at Wal-mart. I love how some of these shopping centers are moving in the right direction with five-point-harness sitting options for older children. Target also has a version of this. I wish that all grocery stores would implement them. Granted Noah still has balance issues so on slick surfaces he wants to slide - even in a five point harness, but if I have his head rest behind him I can give him a sense of balance. I probably need to make something to sit inside the five-point harness seats that would be soft fabric with foam to help him not slide to the left or the right. But we are super close with these types of shopping carts since I can't just put him in any cart and go like other mommies can.
I also had a chance to go to Whole Foods this weekend, which is a bit of a drive for me since our local Whole Foods is so miniature it carries hardly anything I ever need. I was on a quest to pick up some of the meltables on Noah's OT eating list. I got him Pirate's Veggie Booty and these bite size vanilla wafer cookies called Loacker Quadratini. Those little cookies are so good I could eat the whole bag, but I keep telling myself they are Noah's. I of course can't stick the whole thing in his mouth. He naws at little corners of them and he does bite off baby pieces with his front teeth - sometimes pieces a bit bigger that I'd like to see him go at, but he's doing amazing with it. He's got good jaw action and manipulates those meltables quite good. We're still not even close to the next step in food. This is going to be a very long and slow process. I suspect that having a feeding tube down his throat for fifteen days and being gagged intentionally multiple times a day to determine of course that he'd never be able to gag ever in his life has also contributed to our eating problems, advancements and oral hypersensitivity. You always hope that everything they did to your child was necessary for survival, but I'll never know a lot of what was done to either of us starting with his birth.
Noah's also been starting this new squeal with excitement - it's a familiar sound that I've heard many babies make. I think it's the cutest little sound, and each day I see him getting a bit closer to new developments whether it be vocal or physical.
Sadly I've tried for a few days to take Noah on walks unsuccessfully. He starts crying as soon as I start to buckle him and by the time we get to the end of the driveway it's a full scream with tears and snot. He used to love stroller rides. I could walk miles with him last summer without a peep. Now I can't even walk five steps. I remember having this problem last spring too, but Noah quickly got over it all on his own. I'm hoping eventually with more practice he'll like taking long walks with me again.
Noah's always has had a tendency for seeing things that I can't see. He'll even almost carry on a babble conversation with things I can't see. Usually it never really bothered me that much until today and I got an uneasy feeling as I watched his eyes track something from one end of the room to the other. Thankfully whatever he was watching did make itself visible to me which happened to be a flying wasp in the kitchen. It's the sixth wasp in the house in less than three days and I cannot figure out how they are getting in. We of course have two different kinds of wasp traps outside with nothing being caught in them. I'm fine if Noah wants to call the birds and squirrels to the kitchen but I wish he'd not invite the wasps.
I've had an inspiring week of speaking with new people that have left me feeling empowered. Slowly I'm learning to become more assertive especially when it comes to grabbing onto opportunities that will help Noah. It's still finding that good balance though of being nice and friendly which is true to my nature, but firm and determined at the same time.
I stumbled on a neat site today called Innovative Piano. It's piano teachers that teach special needs children how to play. http://www.innovativepiano.com/index.html I've always been a believer in the power of music to heal.
I've had a week when I've learned of a lot of other families' losses or are even facing the death of their ailing child. Even though I have never met them personally, my heart aches for them none the less. Our daily challenges are nothing in comparison. Our blessings are many as we have been gifted to still have Noah in our lives. And I love him every second of every day. It makes his physical challenges pale in comparison to the thought of ever losing him. We really have been blessed with such a miracle. And I give my thanks to God every day that he made that rainbow promise with our Noah that December morning of his birth.
I've attached some pictures of Noah's shopping cart adventures, and a picture of his daddy and a little cart. Chris and I are always laughing and I think it is so very important to keep our sense of humor about everything. "Mirth is God's medicine. Everybody ought to bathe in it. " ~Henry Ward Beecher
Love,
Stacy, Chris & Noah
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