Walker...

Jack has been doing so much walking with his walker at school. There, he uses a Reverse Kaye He can go 70+ feet at a time! He uses it on the playground and in the classroom. At home he uses the Crocodile Walker. It's a little harder to turn than the Kaye, but it's other features are important too...I am glad he is learning to walk with both.

I took a small video clip of Jack about an hour ago pulling to stand at his walker. I wish I could express how HUGE of a milestone he's accomplished. We've been working on this for over a year and he does it now with speed and without help. When we first started teaching him how to get up into the walker you could tell he really didn't have the motor planning sequence at all...now it's just a matter of becoming more confident.

(Waiting on the video to upload 25% finished...lol)

I have been thinking a lot lately about the day Jack takes his first independent step. I wonder when it will happen...where he'll be...where I'll be (This boy had BETTER walk for the first time in front of ME! lol) It feels so far away even though he's so far from where he was last year at this time. It will be one sweet day, that's for sure.

(Okay, video is 32% complete...)

FINALLY, here's THE MOMENT you've been waiting for!

Tag, you're it!

I've been tagged by Heesun to tell 8 random things about myself...can I think of 8?

1. When I was 10 or 11 I read almost a book a day the entire summer break. I read books like Baby Island, Mandy, The Forgotten Door, and the entire series of Girl Talk books...all 45 of them.

2. In high school I had the lead role in the Musical "Oklahoma!" I have fond memories of being involved in drama, music, choir, and show choir. I also twirled flags in color guard...how I'd love to get my hands on a flag and do some drop spins or double time, perhaps a toss or two?

3. My middle name is Starr.

4. I dropped out of college at Millersville University -- only to work 3 jobs, realize I wanted to go back to school and graduated from our local community college.

5. I HATE, HATE, HATE black olives.

6. I find writing about myself is hard.

7. I used to work as an administrative assistant in an office for a group of engineers. My last day of work was the day I delivered Jack.

8. I am NOT a morning person! It takes lots of coffee to get me going every morning. Right now I am obsessed with Dunkin Donuts coffee...mmmm!

I tag Lisa, and Rural Felicity -- you're it!

I've been a BAD blogger...

One word -- Reflux..poor Morgan can't be put down much lately at all. The Zantac isn't working one bit, so the dr. called in an rx for Prilosec which we're going to pick up as soon as Jack gets on the bus.

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions on my previous reflux post. The rice cereal is helping with the not spitting up, but I can hear it rise in her throat and can tell it's burning. Her voice is getting raspy again -- I hope the Prilosec helps more than the Zantac did.

He started riding the bus again last week. It's a lift van and he rides in his wheelchair. I had a lot of anxiety at first, but now it's getting more routine. He has a nurse that meets us here, rides the bus to and from school with him and is at the house about an hour after school. You would think that would be a relief and helpful, but it's actually stressing me out. Since Jack doesn't require full time care it's hard to get a steady nurse, so I am always training or orienting a new person. I feel kind of like I don't know what they're supposed to be doing. They sit with him during snack time, work on flash cards and some can do range of motion and stretching with him. The nurse we have today took care of someone with Quadriplegia for several years so she'll be able to stretch Jack with no problems.

Jack's behavior has improved (knock on wood PLEASE) since we tweaked his dose a little more after our neuro appointment last week. We were also given Clonazepam for the uncontrollable, huge meltdowns. Hopefully we won't have to use it but we have it just in case.

We are going on a mini vacation to visit my friend Kris and her family this coming weekend!!!!!!!!! I am soooo looking forward to it. We'll take tons of pics I am sure! We're staying in a hotel with an indoor pool, so even if the weather doesn't cooperate we can always hang out at the pool.

I haven't been getting any sleep...I am up holding Morgan most of the night...I've been able to watch a few good movies and shows. I really like the real estate shows, especially the ones where they buy up an old beat up house and flip it and sell it for a major profit!!

Anyway, Jack's really fussy now because he hasn't napped, Morgan's crying and the bus will be here in less than an hour.

I hope everyone is doing well! I am sorry I haven't been around much.

Broons!!

I was in Morgan's room and I hear Jack start saying "Oh, oh, I wan, I wan" (want) "Help, helpa" then he starts whining..."Broons, Broons" it took me a moment to process what he could want and I remembered we got a balloon at the grocery store a few days ago. I thought maybe it was out of his reach or stuck somewhere. When I walked into the room this is what I saw!




We have a DVR cable box and sometimes when I am rocking Morgan I watch my soap -- usually end up getting 10 mintues here and there -- but I still know what's going on in Pine Valley. Before I got up, I happened to pause right on this part of an underwear commercial (Fruit of the Loom)...I cracked up and grabbed my camera. TOO FUNNY!!!!

Reflux Lives Here...Again...Sigh

Morgan had her two month check up yesterday. She's 10.5 lbs!!! OMG -- chunky monkey!!!!! lol and I believe she said it was in the 50th % age NOT ADJUSTED!!

She's developmentally on target, again age NOT ADJUSTED!!

Unfortunately, she suspects Morgan has reflux. I admit, I've seen the signs but didn't really know for sure even though Jack had pretty severe reflux for the first 10 months and was on Reglan and Zantac. Anyway, she gave us an rx for Zantac and told us to thicken her feeds with rice cereal 1 tsp per 2 oz of formula. We never did this with Jack -- does anyone know of a good cereal feeding bottle? I really want to get a new bottle vs. cutting the nipples we have because I don't like that one could be different than the other plus, I am afraid a piece would break off...any advice on cereal feeding through a bottle would be appreciated! I remember reading that putting the cereal flakes in a food processor helps to make it smoother -- any truth to that? Makes sense to me.

I filled her rx last night and she had her second dose this morning. I hope it kicks in soon so she can get some relief. I did not start the cereal yet -- since it was late when I got home with the supplies and didn't want to make such a major change at night. I purchased the avent bottle with a fast flow nipple -- just one incase she hates it, don't want to go buying a bunch until I know which one works.

I swear at one point we had Jack at the ped every week for a zantac weight check! Our ped is new (as of 2007 our old one retired) and she calls Morgan "our baby" and is very attached to her! She said she joked with the ladies in the office and said she wanted Morgan to come for weekly check ups so they could all ooh and ahh over her! lol -- I declined with a smile, now it looks like we may be in more frequently anyway.

Thanks again and I will keep you all posted!