Baby Steps...

Asher had an awesome day in therapy!  He stood all by himself for about three minutes and took nine steps all by himself.  He only went a couple of feet but it was so exciting to see and such a big achievement!  He was also able to squat down a couple of times and stand back up without falling.  His therapist and I were both so excited and I couldn't wait to call Mark and tell him all about it.  He hated that he missed it and that we didn't get it on video but we are going to see if we can record Asher in action this evening.  That is the thing with therapy and cerebral palsy in general.  Some days are really great and Asher is just in a groove and other times he may be having an off day.  I know we're all like that but it is definitely amplified in toddlers and especially in toddlers with cp.  Some days he is just so tight and I can't understand why.  His spacticity can get worse from a fever, the weather, or even if he's just tired or fussy.   I know Asher still has a long way to go but he is doing really well.

Mark ordered some knee pads yesterday ( http://www.babykneez.ca/) to see if it will help Asher's little knees from getting so red and calloused from crawling around all day.  It isn't really a problem inside but we have noticed that his little knees are getting sore from crawling outside and with it being shorts weather we thought it may help.  They're coming from Canada so it may take a while for them to get there but we did some research and they seem to be the best option out there for this purpose.  I'll write how it goes after we use them for a little while.

We also went strawberry picking this weekend and Asher did really well.  I was worried how it would go but I guess I worried for nothing.  It has been a little challenging lately taking Asher out because he hates being in the stroller or cart but we don't feel comfortable letting him crawl around just anywhere.  He had plenty of room to crawl in the rows of strawberries and had a ball squishing them in his hands and making a complete mess.  He was covered in pink goo in no time flat.  He also went in the moon bounce at the farm.  I was worried he would be scared with all the other kids bouncing around him but he was laughing hysterically.  He thought it was the best thing ever.  I had Parker go in and stay right with Asher so he didn't get jumped on and I have to say that I feel so lucky that Asher has such a great big brother to look out for him.  Parker picked Asher up and jumped him all around the moon bounce.  It was really cute to see my two boys bouncing and laughing together. 

family pic in the strawberry field

Parker and Asher in the moon bounce

Parker's finger is looking better now if I could just get him to do all his finger/hand exercises.  The orthopedic hand specialist said that it looks like Parker cut a tendon in his finger that has healed nicely but the subsequent scar tissue has built up around his knuckle making it unable for Parker to bend his finger and causing the finger to look crooked.  He is supposed to do special finger/hand exercises three times a day and follow up with specialist. We met with a special hand therapist who showed him what exercised to do.  I think if he is diligent and does his therapy it will be better before long.

Day to Day

A few people have asked me to explain exactly what Asher's challenges are and what his condition is like currently.  Asher has muscle tightness (spasticity) in his entire body but his right side seems to be the most effected.  For a long time Asher would only belly crawl but now he is able to crawl on hands and knees and is doing a lot of knee walking (I think it makes him feel like a big boy).  Asher is able to cruise along furniture but is not able to stand on his own or walk yet.  Because of the tightness he stands/walks up on his toes and needs to wear ankle/foot braces to correct this and to correct his left foot from rolling in or pronating.  Now that Asher is working on walking in his gait trainer we are also noticing that his is turning his left leg inward at the hip.  We are in the process of trying to correct this and are still trying to decide on the best solution.  Asher primarily uses his left hand to play, eat, and hold his sippy cup but he can use his right hand to some extent.  He can't fully extend his right arm but doesn't ignore that hand/arm altogether which can be the case for some children with cerebral palsy.  He has a hand and elbow splint that we are using to help with these issues.

The overall muscle tightness in Asher's body also affects the muscles used for eating and speech.  Children with cerebral palsy tend to also have difficulties with breath control which can make speaking more difficult and seem more choppy.  Asher is showing progress in both these areas but we still have a ways to go.  Because of the lack of verbal communication we started working on signing with Asher pretty early on.  He does great with his signs and picks them up very quickly.  He has even started to combine his signs. 

Now that I've gotten everyone up to date on Asher's challenges let me tell you a little bit about what a joy he is.  He is a happy almost two year old with a great little personality.  He laughs, cries, throws fits and gets into whatever trouble he can.  He can be mischievous and is very strong willed but is also super sweet.  He's sharp as a tac and is a little ball of constant energy that I struggle to keep up with.  Our days aren't filled with sadness or dread.  This is our normal and even though it can be challenging at times I feel so lucky and blessed to have such a wonderful child.  He fills our home and our hearts with so much love and laughter that  I can't even express it in words.  I can't imagine our lives without him and I feel so grateful that he made it through those touch and go first days in the NICU.