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.

KidWalk

Asher was able to get in it after all!

We would need to finagle the adjustments on it a bit more if he were to get one, but I liked what I saw today!  He made some walk-like movements and managed to propel himself backwards.  Hopefully we'll get to test it out some more in a couple of weeks (his PT is off next week, but the company that is letting her try it out is supposed to let her keep it through the following week).
Here are a couple of pics:

Playing with Ms. Ellen.

His knees are bent here because he was being pushed forward and he leaned on his tip-toes... it was positioned at an appropriate height.

I was reminded again today that the school system will require Asher to have "three positions" that they can have him in during the day, so this could very well be an option for us in the coming months.

let's accessorize!

Check out my adorable new bag!

My friend Jessica is a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts, so I recently snagged this bag from her.  It was hard to decide which product I wanted, but ultimately I went with this Organizing Shoulder Bag to supplement Asher's full-size diaper bag.

See, he has several medical supplies that I feel like I need to have with me if we drive somewhere; however, I don't necessarily feel like they need to be literally with me at all times - just within walking distance.  So the plan is to have the diaper bag packed and in the car at all times, but then to have this smaller bag to carry around in stores and whatnot.

This bag is the *perfect* solution.

It's small and stylish (you can't really see the design on the bag in this pic - it has printed swirly things on it), but plenty big enough for all the essentials (which, in my case, are three diapers, baby wipes, eczema cream, hand sanitizer, disposable changing pads, a pukey towel and extra outfit, a Tide-to-Go pen, two toys, and my keys.

:D

I'm so excited, because Asher is getting heavy, and I was ready to lighten the load in some way.  Carrying this bag with me and keeping his bigger one in the car is the perfect solution.

If you've been looking for something like this, check out her website - they have tons of stuff.   This particular bag is on pages 18 and 19 of the catalog.

Anyway, Asher had a good day today.  He threw up his morning feeding, which didn't thrill me, but he was happy as a lark after that.  We're seeing some progress on the "More" sign, as well as on saying the word "bubbles" (which, in Asher speak, is "buh buh buh buh buh").  He's not consistent yet, but both therapists think that the above two things were intentional.

Tomorrow we go back for PT, and they were supposed to get a new KidWalk walker in to try out for a few days.  I doubt we'll put Asher in it, but I'd like a chance to eyeball it in person.  The videos of it are pretty darn cool.  It's also the first day he has PT before early intervention, so we'll see how he does (he was kind of fussy on Tuesday with back-to-back feeding and PT... tomorrow has a bit longer break in between, though).

Oh, and an update on the stroller/wheelchair dilemma: we've decided to have our insurance buy a wheelchair and we'll just buy a stroller OOP.  There's even a small chance that a friend of mine will be able to give us her daughter's old one!  She gave it to her PT not too long ago, but if the PT hasn't found someone for it yet then she'll give it to us.  More than likely it's been passed on, but the gesture is awesome nonetheless.  If that doesn't work out, thanks to some friends I'm now aware that Maclaren and others actually have "regular" strollers that have a higher weight limit than what we're using now.  We're working on setting up an appointment with the Wheelchair Clinic at VCH to get Asher sized and see what our options are, which will hopefully happen over the summer (there's a bit of a wait to get in).

decisions

We're having to make a decision regarding equipment with Asher.  We were told today that, more than likely, our insurance will only pay for one mobility device every 3-5 years.  I really want to get Asher a Maclaren Major special needs stroller (shown to the left).  Frankly, he doesn't need all of the support that most wheelchairs offer because he has pretty good trunk and upper body control - intense positioning isn't needed.  I like the stroller option because it's light, portable, and very non-invasive.  It hardly even looks like special needs equipment.

That said, it's a stroller.  He wouldn't be able to manipulate it himself like he would a wheelchair.  Our hope, of course, is that that becomes a moot point because he will begin walking; however, if he doesn't, then we would be stuck with a stroller and not be able to obtain a wheelchair (which, by the way, can run well into the thousands).

I think the stroller he has now holds up to 35 pounds, so we've still got about 10 pounds of wiggle room.  And really, if we wanted the Maclaren that badly, we could afford it out-of-pocket.

The problem is that I don't want a wheelchair.

I know.  I suck.

But you see, it will be quite awhile before Asher would be able to direct himself anyway.  And I really, really think he'll walk.  But then you have that giant "IF" cloud hanging over you, and the last thing I want is for him to be in the first grade and not have a way to move himself from point A to point B without assistance, even though he would be capable if he had the right equipment.

Sigh.

There is one wheelchair by Convaid (shown here, though I think I prefer the version that has planar seating... it looks comfier to me) that I like because the big wheels come off and it converts to a stroller, so you kind of get the best of both worlds.  I could live with that... BUT - and you knew there'd be a "but" - the smallest one they have (12" seat) is meant for kids who weigh at least 44 lbs according to one retail website.  Maybe that's wrong??  The Convaid site has all the measurements on it, but I don't have the first clue how to translate all of that.

Another sigh.

Any experienced folks out there with advice?

TGIF

Fridays are always great, schedule-wise.  It's the one day a week that Asher has no therapy on the agenda.  Of course, we still do our own little home therapy regimen, but that's pretty much in the form of play and therefore no different than most moms' days at home with their non-walkers.
One of the skills that Asher has been working on is turning pages.  You can see him practicing in the picture here on his Roundabout (as I call it).  The pages switch the music style on the keyboard, so he'll flip and play, flip and play.  Each page has a little tab at the top which helps him get a grip on it.  He's getting quite good at turning them.
He also stood up in his Roundabout for about 7 seconds today!  I mean feet flat on the floor, completely vertical and upright, entirely supporting his own weight.  It was awesome!  I tried to snap a pic... but you know how that goes.  He refused to do it again.  He has "stood up" before, but never for that long.  It's usually just a couple seconds at a time.
I'm working on rearranging his room so that all of his medical supplies are stored away a little more compactly and discreetly.  I want his space to look just like any other little boy's room and not just a mini-hospital room with a crapload of toys in it.  I think I've found a pretty good solution.  Pics forthcoming.
Oh, and pool update!  The pool itself is about as clean as we're going to get it without filling it simply because of the way the vinyl folds over itself when there's no water in it.  The part that was missing has come in, so hopefully we'll be filling it up early next week once the weather clears up (bad storms coming in tonight).  That will give it time to a) have the saltwater system do its magic, and b) let the water warm up a little.  I can't wait to get together a water routine for Asher!  (Chrissy, if you have any good links or tips, feel free to pass 'em on!)

2 Year Well Visit

Doctor time!
Asher's expression is priceless.  I can only imagine him thinking, "Not on the internet, Mom!"  No man wants to be published in his skivvies.  But I'm cruel like that.  ;)
Everything went well at Asher's 2-year well checkup.  No ear infections, which was great since they've been a bit of a problem these past few months.  He also only had to get one shot - and he didn't even cry!  He did get this same look on his face then, though, so I'm thinking he was not a fan.
We got a new prescription for PT (since he's getting a new therapist), a script for a special needs stroller that has me excited as a squirrel in a nuthouse, and a script for sensory brushes for oral stimulation.  I can't remember what they're called, but they have white plastic handles with a little green sponge at the end.  I have to figure out where to get the last two scripts to... hopefully I'll figure it out before they expire in 30 days.
I would type more, but it's been such a long day.  Doctor, speed cleaning, early intervention, dinner, and Bible study... I haven't had much opportunity to pause. This day has made me tired before 11:00PM - unheard of!
Despite it being a long day for me, Asher seemed pretty happy and content all day long.  This pretty much sums up his attitude:

Life is good!