this n that

So it seems I haven't updated in ages.  Yikes.

You see, I THOUGHT we would be moving and I would pick the blog back up after we moved, but the contract we had on the house fell through, so that won't be happening.  Might as well give an update then, right?

As far as house stuff goes, our listing expires in March.  If the house sells by then... hooray!  We'll move into a larger place and settle in there.  If it doesn't sell by then... hooray!  We'll be making some fun updates to this house and enjoying our stay for a few more years.  I'm honestly okay with whatever direction the Lord has for us at this juncture.  Each avenue has its pros and cons, and He ultimately knows what is best.  Chad might not have such peace about it right now - and not that I blame him, as he is the handyman when things go wrong in our little 1950s cottage - but he'll come around.

Asher is doing great.  He's been practicing in the walker at PT and is doing quite well.  Still settling in, but definitely taking some legit steps.  The other therapies are kinda at a standstill.  Or maybe I should say the progress isn't as consistent.  He has good days and bad.  He is getting quite a bit better about accepting different textures and flavors in his mouth without gagging, which is huge.  Eating is still a long way off, I think, but getting that gag under control is a big step.  He uses a few signs intentionally - "more," "play/music," and "all done" are some that we've seen.  He also waves bye-bye when he's in the mood (sometimes with prompting, and sometimes without).

He's also slowly learning to use his chair.  One thing that gives him trouble is that when he's sitting on the floor, he uses his core to scoot across the floor, and he tries to use that same technique in the chair vs. using his arms to propel the wheels.  He does the same thing in the walker (using his core instead of his legs).  He'll figure it out.

One thing he's figured out lately is how to sit up on his own!  He's been able to sit for awhile, of course, but if he was lying down he couldn't get into the sitting position.  Now he can roll to his belly, push up on "big arms," and swing his legs around into a sitting position.  Not technically the way he's supposed to sit up, but it works for him.  I'm really proud of him for figuring it out all on his own.

Anyway, there you have it.  If you don't hear from me again before then, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

busy times

The blog is now hosted by Blogger.  Some of the images went missing on posts, but other than that everything is intact.  :)

Asher has been doing all kinds of fun things in therapy: getting covered in pudding, practicing identification, trying out a new walker... he's a busy little man.  As I said a few posts back, we condensed a couple of therapies so that Fridays would be open once again.  The five day a week schedule was grueling with all of this house stuff going on.  It's really nice to have a weekday to just focus on things at home.

The house process is going well.  We're under contract and should be closing in less than 3 weeks!  The only hurdle that's left is the FHA appraisal on the house we're selling, which is a big hurdle in such an old house.  Please pray it would go well and that we can close here and settle into the new place.  Did you know it has a handicap-accessible bathroom?  I KNOW!  Too awesome, and definitely meant to be.

Halloween is coming up this weekend... we have a special costume in mind for Asher.  I hope it comes to fruition and we have time to make it!  You'll love it.

I will try to be a better blogger once we get settled in.  :)

Moving platforms

I'm moving everything from Typepad to Blogger this evening (for a handful of rather boring reasons).  Pardon the dust!

worth 1000 words

MIA

I've been missing in action for quite awhile.  Sorry about that.  It's just gogogo around here.

Next week we pick up Asher's wheelchair at Vanderbilt.  I'm really excited!  It will be soooo awesome for him to be able to get where he wants to be on his own and explore the house in a totally new way.

Speaking of houses, that is all still on.  Ours is on the market (less than a week in), and we've already put in one offer on another.  It was rejected, but that's quite alright.  God has a plan.  We've looked at several others and just haven't found the right one yet.  There are four more on the list, three of which we haven't been inside of yet.  It's nice to not be in a hurry during this process.

As of next week, we're back down to four days a week of therapy.  The 5-day schedule, with everything else we have going on, was just grueling.  It will be nice to have that day "off" again.

let the good times roll!

Asher's wheelchair is in!

We won't be able to pick it up until mid-October because the clinic is so backed up, but I'm just excited to know that it's there waiting for us.

Watch out, world!

Asher's on the honor roll

For PT, that is!

Okay, so there's not really an Honor Roll.  I made that up.  But, Asher did receive the following progress report the other day:

Progress to date: Asher has made excellent progress with his physical therapy program.  He now sits independently for indefinite periods of time, pivots in sitting, reaches for and obtains a toy and plays with it in upright sitting for indefinite periods.  He can transition to standing from short sitting with hands at an anterior support surface.  He can stand with two hands held.  He will stand in parallel bars and has been observed to take two steps with minimal assistance.  He can transition from floor sitting to supine independently.

Look at all those things our boy can do!  We're very proud of him, and eternally grateful for his two wonderful physical therapists.

One step at a time...

Why not start today?  :)

where has August gone?

I can't believe it's the 17th already.  Eep.

On the update front:
-therapy continues on 5 days a week
-presently there is no OT because of BCBS paperwork issues... this should be all worked out soon
-Asher's wheelchair is not in yet, which is not uncommon
-on the other hand, he has made quite a bit of progress with his standing, so we're temporarily holding off on ordering the walker (woohoo!)
-temper tantrums now involve hurling things to the ground :/
-^he must get that from his daddy because I never had tantrums (okay, that might be is a lie)
-we're attempting to sell our house and upgrade to one with more bedrooms and a bonus room - oh my!

An Interesting Discovery

Transition

We had Asher's Transition meeting with the school system the other day.  The lady who typically runs it was out, so another person stepped in.  We went over our rights, which Chad and I are already both familiar with due to our teaching backgrounds.  Then we talked about specific questions related to Asher.

One of the main ones I've had is where he would be going to school.  We literally live right on a zoning line.  The school we're zoned to (St. B) doesn't have a special needs preschool classroom, so all kids zoned there go to Rossview.  I prefer for Asher to go to the elementary school that's right around the corner, Glenellen.  It's MUCH closer to us than Rossview is, and I'm going to be driving him anyway.  It's looking like it will be possible through Chad's contract, which states:

Teachers may enroll children for whom they are legal guardian in the
school nearest to their respective schools of employment, subject to
the following conditions: The teacher will submit a written plan for
having the child dropped off and picked up at the appropriate times.
This report will be submitted to the principal of the school where
the child is enrolled at the time of enrollment for his or her approval.
No child will be left unattended; and no school employee will assume
responsibility for teacher's child either before or after school. The
principal of the school in which the teacher wishes to enroll the child
will be the approving authority for enrollment. Principals will be
held responsible for enforcing the provision at their respective
schools.
Article XXVI, Memorandum of Agreement, section D (emphasis added)

The closest school to Chad's place of employment is Northeast, which doesn't have a special needs preschool.  The next closest is Hazelwood - also no SN preschool.  The NEXT closest is - you guessed it - Glenellen.
So we shall see.
p.s. a friend pointed out the other day that Glenellen's mascot is a Turtle... how perfect is that!?  Slow and steady wins the race!

Elmo... with a twist

http://www.youtube.com/v/0bMzhgdp5hM&hl=en_US&fs=1

First Bible Study

One thing that is important to us around here is our relationship with God.  Not only is it important... it's the most important aspect of our lives.  As Christian parents, one of our prime responsibilities to Asher is to nurture his own spiritual life.  I realize that it's not quite PC in the age of moral relativism and universal spirituality to take that approach, but it's our view nonetheless.  Asher will, of course, ultimately have to come into that relationship on his own, but we can help to lay the foundation.

I found this devotional Bible the other day and ordered it off of Amazon using some of our Coinstar gift card (did you know that a jar of spare change can add up to $130?  I didn't either!).

I really liked it because there are questions in the margin of each page to encourage active reading, which is so fundamental.  We live in the South - we know all about going to church and believing in God because... well... that's what you do.  We don't want that for Asher.  We want him to develop a genuine desire to learn about God and to grow in a relationship with Christ.  At the end of each story there's a section called Think Pray Live - the applicational part that asks kids to think about what they've read, pray about the topic/issue at hand, and practical ways to live out that principle in their lives.

Needless to say, I really fell in love with it, and I think it's a great choice for Asher's first "big boy" Bible.

Today when we were at Books-a-Million, I came across a companion book called The My First Message Bible Search: Discovering Answers in God's Word.


I almost didn't pick it up because I saw "Bible Search" and pictured a word search book with a Bible theme.  I'm glad I took a glance!  It's actually a Bible study that goes along with Asher's new Bible.  It addresses real life issues for young kids ("When I Don't Want to Go to Bed," "When I Always Want to Get My Way," etc) in a biblical context and breaks it down into little pieces.  It's a perfect resource for early Bible lessons.  Asher is still too young for it right now, but that's okay.  I'm happy to have it waiting in the wings.  To be honest, there are probably plenty of nuggets of truth that I could use for my own life!
Here's a sample of one of the studies if you're interested:

Check out this tall dude!

Gotta love seeing years of therapy paying off!

discipline vs. exploring

As you can see, Asher is mastering the art of "getting into crap."  In fact, he's so good at it that he can actually scoot his roundabout (the thing he's sitting in here... not just the seat, but the ENTIRE thing) all the way from the couch to the entertainment center just so he can grab at stuff and... well... make a mess.
He pulls the baskets he can reach out of the storage cube, then he proceeds to grab each of the DVDs/Wii games, examine them, and then toss them down.

Don't worry - we don't intend to let our Kini run rampant for the rest of his life.  There will come a time when we teach him what is and is not okay to touch.  But for now, this is such great learning for him.  He can't move freely and independently yet, so he's limited on what he can "get into."  I'm not going to deny him the opportunity to learn and explore.  Yes, for now it's lots of stuff to pick up and put away when he's done (ahhhhh!  Type A!), but I can live with that.  :)

not really a hiatus

Just enjoying the summer... in the meantime, happy 4th of July!

Used=Awesome

We have a store here in town called Once Upon A Child that sells used children's clothing and toys.  Awhile back I won a $25 gift card in a drawing (that NEVER happens to me!), so I went today to spend what was left on the card.  I got this epically awesome wooden toy for just $15!  The trolley on the top (zoo theme) is detachable and can be played with separately, and the four sides have an abacus, a peg maze, a xylophone, and a whiteboard.  It's so cool!  I imagine it was rather expensive new.  Asher started playing with the abacus beads right away, as well as flicking the little blocks on the trolley on top.

The other toy I got for Asher was this alligator xylophone.  One of the skills he is working on in OT is holding a drumstick in his hand and banging on something.  He has drum toys at home, but they're all hand drums.  The xylophone on the wooden toy didn't come with a stick, so it didn't really help in working on that goal.  The alligator fits the bill.  He was only $5.50, too.
All in all, it was a good shopping day!

If there was ever any doubt that Asher's an Elmo guy

 

It can now be removed.  ;)

(this is his early interventionist, Susie - lots more fun pics of this session to come!)

the time has come

For the handicap placard.

We probably could have gotten it awhile back, but I wanted to wait until Asher was at least 2 before getting one.  Now that his wheelchair is on the way, it was time.
I guess the coveted parking space is one of the "perks" of living with a physical disability.  Don't get me wrong - I'd make everything better and walk from the back of the lot every time - but as Monty Python said, always look on the bright side of life.  :)

They see him rollin'

Today was our appointment with the Wheelchair Clinic at Vandy.  I wasn't completely certain what to expect, but it turned out really well!  Both the therapist and vendor were really nice and presented us with our different options (which, frankly, are few and far between with a tot like Asher).

He's getting a Quickie/Zippie Kidz wheelchair.  I was hesitant to post the picture here, because it really doesn't do it justice.  Asher was so adorable in it, and he started to figure out how to propel himself almost immediately!  It was like it was somehow intuitive for him.  The chair is really, really small, too, and anything in miniature is just plain cute. ;)

We're getting some pretty swanky bonus items.  For instance, the little wheels on the back will light up like kids' sneakers!  How cool is that?  The frame is going to be Toxic Green, and it's going to have a detachable tray and armrests.  That way we can switch between having a wheelchair he can propel himself (as shown above) and having a space where he can play and we can just push him.  It comes with a handle for us to push him around, but it's not shown in the picture.

We also got a special, breathable seat for him that will help keep him from getting too hot.  It has a meshy foam in it that was originally developed by NASA (what's up with NASA and foam, anyway??), and the entire pad is machine washable.  Can I get a hallelujah?!

I have to admit that I was unsure at first.  I mean, let's be honest: it looks like a wheelchair.  Until now we've just used a regular stroller with Asher, so nothing about it has appeared any different than any other kid's equipment.  He will most definitely stand out in this.  But in a way, that's a good thing.  It gets hard feeling obligated to explain that he has a disability to people when he does his gagging thing or we're feeding him through his tube or he starts shaking his head back and forth in a strange way.  The wheelchair kind of explains it for us.  Does that make sense?  Maybe not... I dunno.

All in all, we're pleased.  It will take anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months for it to come in because we have to do the insurance dance, but our insurances have been very good to us in the past and have a good track record in general.

More finds!

EDIT: Lost the pics in the transfer from Typepad - sorry!

Lotsa pics - you've been warned!

Target had these Elmo plates and bowls in their bargain aisles up front for $1 each.  Too cute!  The tray came from Hobby Lobby and was $6.99, I think.

This DVD isn't a deal, per se, but it has tons of awesome Elmo segments that are fun for both Asher and mommy - folks like Jason Mraz and Feist make guest appearances!  It also has the Elmo's Ducks segment, which is my favorite Elmo skit of all time.

WARNING: gallery of boring homeschool finds below!
(click a thumbnail to enlarge)

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 List of items

Dr. Seuss flip chart ($11.88)
Giant flip chart ($9.99)
The Complete Book of Arts and Crafts ($6.88)
Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills (preschool edition) ($7.86)
Scholastic Alphabet Mats ($10.04)
Write, Slide, and Learn Phonics ($9.99)
Basic Skills box set (1st) ($5.99)
Getting Your Preschooler Ready to Read ($3.99)
Getting Your Preschooler Ready for Math ($3.99)

rainy Thursday

Rain, rain, go away.

Like, forever.

Okay, not forever.  But come back only at night, okay?  Summer is meant for the outdoors!

After a lunch out and some Targeting (finds to come!), we're chilling at home and inside because it's raining buckets out there.

Our light-sensitive Kini is totally cool with that, though. ;)

Upsy Daisy

One of the skills Asher is working on in PT and EI is going from lying down to sitting.  He needs some guidance, but he's really doing a lot of this muscle work on his own.  This was yesterday in PT:

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=12249294&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

Let's Practice Sitting Up! from Cayla Wilkerson on Vimeo.

I hate to break your heart, Tennessee...

...but I think we have a UK fan on our hands.

reading is fun

Just ask Asher.

The Homeschool Library

To answer your first question, no, we haven't decided to homeschool Asher.  ;)

That said, there have been some things happening within our school system lately in relation to the special ed department that make me somewhat uncomfortable.  I'm not one of those people who believes that just because something happens to one person it will automatically happen to me, but I'm also not one of those people who thinks it can't.

Asher will enter into the special ed pre-k program in March (after his 3rd birthday).  I truly think it will be good for him to be around other kids and other adults in a new environment.  The question is, what will we do when he's older (K, 1st, 2nd?).  I want Asher to receive the best education possible, and unfortunately, sometimes that doesn't happen in the public school system.

To be clear, I am not dogging on public school in general.  My husband is a teacher, I used to be a teacher, and both of us were educated entirely as public school students.  The problem is that far too often schools are understaffed and underfunded, and when you have a student with high needs such as Asher, sometimes those needs are set aside simply for lack of resources.  And we're not even there yet.  This is entirely theoretical.  I just want to be prepared for whatever comes my way, so I'm starting to build up a homeschool library.  Some of the stuff won't be used till later, but if it's on sale, why not?  ;)  These are my finds from yesterday:

Counting 1-20 and Tell the Time (w/ wall charts and write-n-wipe pages)

Write & Slide Math (w/ write-n-wipe pages)

Peter Rabbit connect-the-dots book

Scholastic First Dictionary


Now I'm Reading phonics book sets (1, 2, and 4... they were out of 3)

And there you have it.  Like I said, I'm not really limiting myself by difficulty level if I see a bargain deal, so it's a mish-mash of pre-k to 1 stuff.  Ideally, Asher will receive a wonderful education at school and these can just be supplementary materials for practice at home.  It's win-win the way I see it.

Oh, and as far as your second question: will Asher even be able to do some of these things?  I don't know - but I have no reason to think he can't, so he will be presented with every opportunity.