Saturday, October 17, 2009


I'm a Pumpkin!


Having a Good Time

I'm actually sitting on pumpkins!


Daddy & Me



Mommy & Me

Noah had a very busy Friday. This morning we made the drive to the Children's Hospital in Broomfield to meet with the rehab specialists for the first time. I really didn't know what to expect out of the appointment. We met with Kim, and then Pam Hill who are both rehab specialists. They both were very nice, and seemed pleased with the progress that Noah is making. They have decided at this time not to label Noah as having Cerebral Palsy (CP). It doesn't mean that he doesn't have it, or won't carry that diagnosis later on. It's still a possibility, but too early to tell since Noah is still developing and progressing. They say his hands to carry signs of maybe having CP, since he likes to close his fists tight when he's concentrating or focusing, his ankles can bend upwards so he's a little loser than maybe he should be, yet puts weight evenly on both feet. It's also very possible that Noah just needs time to grow into himself and is just going to be a delayed child. So for now Noah just carries the (HIE) diagnosis and will have to wait and see in a few months to a year if the signs of CP continue to present themselves or not. Either way it's still a brain injury no matter how it winds up being categorized.
After Noah's appointment he took a mini nap and we had lots of time before his afternoon therapy appointment so Chris and I decided to go on a family trip to the Rock Creek Pumpkin Patch. Noah loved it. He's an earth baby. He played in the hey, and got some stuck to his socks and he spent much time trying to think about how to pick it off himself. It was very amusing for us to watch. Noah thought very hard and focused with all his might to pull at each straw. It's wonderful to watch Noah think. He is very smart. The pumpkins had been hit by a hard freeze so they were not worth purchasing which was sad, so we'll have to buy some at the grocery store later on.
Noah got to see a small petting zoo that they had at the pumpkin patch. He got to see a Donkey, some ponies, pigs, goats, sheep and two baby calves. It's the closest thing to the zoo he's seen so far. But he spoke to each animal individually as if he was giving them a very important message. He spent an extra long time chatting it up with the donkey, who was all alone in his pen without a companion.
After the pumpkin patch we headed off to therapy so his daddy could see Noah in action. Chris really was excited to go and see what Noah does at thearpy. Noah is so very lucky to have a daddy that takes such tremendous interest in his well-being and development. His daddy is so proud that they couldn't possibly make a bumper sticker that big and he probably glows so bright people can see it written all over him.
We got to have our last therapy session with Nikki, our Friday therapist. I was worried it was going to feel like a good-bye that I didn't want to happen, but it didn't. Nikki will always be there for us and said she could even be a substitute if our other physical therapist was on vacation or ill. She mentioned it was probably a good idea to take the wheels off of Noah's new walker because he's so intelligent that if he were to figure out he was unintentionally moving himself backwards that he might make a habit of it. And we want to only help his brain navigate the good ways not the bad. She also put Noah in what I call the "crouching tiger position" (as I name everything). I hadn't thought to put Noah in an all four's position like that really, I've simulated crawling for him, but I don't think that's beneficial yet for him, he doesn't understand that he can take off in a crawl, but he does understand putting weight on all fours, and does quite great at it. So I'll have to practice that lots more with him as I think if I do all fours, the light bulb might eventually go off with him that he can take off from that position and move.
We also finally got the ducocal supplement to arrive. It came along with a long a large folder of documents that I need to read and sign. Noah weighed 15lbs 12 ounces at his appointment yesterday, so he is gaining just slowly, but Noah burns so many calories because it's like going to a baby gym for him all the time that I'm sure the extra calories might help him reach twenty pounds sooner so we can hit our goal of turning around that car seat. My gut instincts as a mommy tells me that Noah's car seat problem could be completely fixed if he were able to be turned around.
Although Noah had a very busy day, he remained happy, alert and full of life. We shared a beautiful day as a family and feel so blessed that God has given us all that he has.
Love,
Stacy, Chris & Noah
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