Off to a Good Start

2013 is already off to a great start!

Wednesday, we headed down to Boynton for Brandt's post-op appt. Everything seems to be healing quite nicely, though he's going to have two sizable scars. The doctor did mention to us that we needed to watch the little bubble he has at the end of his upper incision. The bubble is where the doctor tied the knot on Brandt's internal stitches, and it should go away, but if it starts to enlarge or discharge a fluid he would need an antibiotic. Of course, we do not anticipate this to be an issue, but we will continue to monitor. Brandt still has one more week of restrictions--and it can't come quick enough as he is in this crazy climbing phase! He will have to return to the pediatric urologist in three months, at which time they will better be able to determine if he lost function on that side--something I still can't believe that we have to think about at this age. Either way, the other side still functions normally so he should have a productive future! ;)

After returning from Boynton, Brandt got a quick bite of lunch before speech. Ms. Jo was able to come out to my house, since I was home for winter break. Ms. Jo started out be commending my new choice in childcare and complimenting my sitter. It made me feel good that she feels this is a better environment for Brandt. I definitely value the opinions of both Brandt's therapists because they see him interact in the environment, whereas I merely pickup and drop off. So, it was nice to hear that she feels so confident in our sitter, as we are as well.

And, so began therapy. It is always nice when I can sit in on a session so I can learn new activities to do with Brandt that will better enrich his language acquisition. Certainly, therapy is a key element in his development--but it is not a cure-all. Therapy is only one hour a week. If I am not reinforcing Ms. Jo's skills with continued practice, therapy would be useless. Early Steps is all about reinforcing skills in the natural environment, and I want to make sure I am always doing my part. So, I was able to observe some of her current techniques, address some of my concerns, and highlight some of Brandt's growth.

That last thought deserves it's own paragraph!

I am proud to report that Brandt is doing amazingly! He is acquiring new language skills every day, and he is so eager to learn new things. He loves books, and he constantly points to pictures in his book and shouts "ma ma," so as to ask what the picture is. He really wants to know what he is looking at and what the characters are doing. And, we have been working on our animal sounds--he can identify the noises of a dog, cow, and lion with an "woof, woof," "moooo," and "roarrrr!" It is so stinking cute! He can identify nose, belly button, hair, and ears. He is even picking up even more simple commands by putting trash in the garbage, placing dirty clothes in the washer, and placing dirty dishes in the sink. He loves to help shut doors and close the dishwasher. He will even alert me by screaming "doo doo" if the dog has an accident--which is just hilarious! He is such a little sponge, and I plan to fill him with knowledge to soak up!

Here is to a fresh start with better to come in 2013!