Robbie is a Swinging along

Below is a three picture sequence of Robbie after two weeks twice a week. Robbie before starting the therapy was unable able to extend his arm or open his hand to the extent that he is in the first picture. He is fully supporting his weight I am only preventing his right hand from slipping from the bar. Robbie does a one on one session with Stephanie and Yuji and they have adjusted their program due to Robbie not being able to stay in one place very long. For Robbie they have stations set up around the space where he does different exercises at each exercise. They work on Robbie at different times during the hour start/middle/end to relax the right side tension and get a free movement in his arm/ (what they are focussing on) and his right leg (less work needed). Robbie has been able to do several basic yoga poses, cat, table, plank, downward dog for short durations under his own power. Grip strength in his right hand is almost no existent but it gets a little better each session and his motor control is also getting better. Since starting his toilet training has started on a path towards success. I do not want to oversell the program however this is proving to be the right program for Robbie, so far.

Where does the time go?

Robbie has been busy since the arrival of his little brother. Trips to the cottage, field trips at daycare, doctor appointments, Saturday morning trip to the dump and the hardware store. he has handled every new challenge with a smile and cheerful disposition. the road this summer has not been without its challenges. his behaviour towards other kids has had his parents at their wits end, though a reward system for.good behaviour seems to have dramatically curbed the bad behaviour. Robbie had started senior kindergarten at at new school. there were the first day jitters for him a his parents, however he seems seems really like his new class. there are only 8 in the room, all with additional support requirements. it is hoped that a year in this class will help get Robbie over th hump developmentally with regards to social skills and independence physically. then we'll be back at his home school, which we really love. Bussing has been an initial challenge, however in true Robbie fashion he has risen to the challenge and seems to b excited about his daily bus ride.

Welcome Morgan!

It has been ages since we have posted about our Munchkin's adventures here.  Life seems to have gotten very busy and we have been lax in posting about how our Munchkin is doing.  But we do have big news.  Our Munchkin became a big brother at the beginning of July to wee Mr. Morgan.

He loves his new little brother and is super excited that he is home with us.

My little Sunshine

I have quite often since our Munchkin was born, sung to him the You are My Sunshine song.  Especially when he was so little in the hospital and I was so worried about him.

Our little Munchkin has been singing for awhile now, often missing parts of songs but still singing.  Last night at bedtime he asked me to sing Sunshine!.  So I started and to my surprise, he joined me and sang all the words.  He never sings along with me, especially the whole song.  It was so super sweet and melted my heart.  We sang it a couple of more times.

Look Ma - No more drugs!

Today is a day that we have been waiting a very long time for.  Today is the first day since our Munchkin was seven months old that he hasn't had to take an anti-seizure drug.  We've been weaning him off his last anti seizure drug for the past few months and yesterday was his last dose.   This is cause for celebration!!

There is also so much more that has been happening in out little guy's life since we last posted.  I'll have to make a catch up post.  But amongst other things, out little boy has started kindergarten and has made leaps and bounds with speaking.  More to follow.

Robbie knows how to do cute.

Here are a couple of videos from this past week showing just how far Robbie has come in such a short time.

At bed time we read robbie a couple of different books. Goodnight Moon and one called Doggies. Doggies has become the new favourite  and when we are done reading stories he wiggles his way to the bottom of the bed where Tabitha the cat is curled up sleeping and he reads to her. Usually the doggies book. This night he read two books to her, though her patience was not all there tonight.

This evening when we came home I showed Robbie how the cat toy was used and then handed it to him. He and Tabitha began to play and he goggled madly at her antics as she lunged repeatedly for the mouse at the end of the string. Unfortunately this is just the tail end of the playing that i was able to capture.

A Very Happy New Year to Everyone!

I've been bad about keeping up with writing down the adventures of our wee Munchkin.  So much happens all the time and the pace of life can get in the way of post everything our little man has been up to.

I'll promise I will write a catch up post soon all about his birthday and Christmas and his progress with learning how to talk.  But for now I just wanted to share that tonight at dinner Munchkin tried really really hard to use his right hand to grab ahold of the two handled cup he was drinking his yogurt drink out of.  We were so impressed and proud.   He did such a good job.  We did end up helping him get his fingers around the handle but he tried to use both hands to bring the cup up to his face.

I can't tell you how much love and pride I feel because of how hard he tries at doing things even when we don't ask him too.  He has come so far with all of the challenges presented to him and I know he's going to push himself even farther.

Halloween (Part1)

This is Robbie's 3rd Halloween and second at the day care. This time last year Robbie had just learnt to cruise the furniture and was very unsteady on his feat. A year later he is ready for trick or treat time. This year his daycare costume is that of people that we hold very dear to us and without whom Robbie's life would not be a great as it is. So thank you to all the Surgeons and staff at Sick Kids and Happy Halloween!!!

It's Big Boy Bed Time

Today has been a big day here.  We've finally finished pre-schooler proofing our wee boy's bedroom and got a gate for the door so we decided it was time.  Starting with Munchkin's nap we took the side off of his crib.  He did really well except for being super excited he could sit on the bed directly now and he didn't particularly want to go to sleep.

And so far so good tonight.  He went to bed and we haven't heard a peep from him.  It's kind of exciting to see him grow up like this.  

Our wee Scottish Lad

This past weekend we attended the wedding of some dear friends.  This meant that our wee Munchkin needed to dress up a little bit.  He doesn't have any dress up clothes so we decided that he was  of the age that he needed a proper kilt.

So here are some photos of our sweet boy in his first kilt.  We think he had a blast running around in his kilt flirting with all the girls.

A Photo from awhile ago

I've been a bit remiss with downloading my camera and posting photos.  There is one a took a little while ago that should be posted.  It's one of Munchkin with his daycare teacher from the toddler room.  They love each other so much.  She gave me permission to post it on the blog so I've updated the post about his transition to the pre-school room, but I thought I would put it here too.

Today was a pretty cool day development wise for our little Munchkin.  As many of you know one of our longer term goals with our wee man is to get him using his right arm.  Today he impressed us.  Twice we asked him to use his right arm and twice he actually tried to use it.  He wasn't able to use his arm completely but he tried and when he couldn't he would grab his right arm with his left hand and make it do what he wanted.  It was pretty darn cool.

A Sentence

I have been very lax this past while with posting.  This is sad because my little guy seems to do new and exciting things all the time now but I've been to busy to keep up the documentation.

But just now was a super cool milestone.  He said his first sentence.  Well we consider it a sentence.  He just asked for "More Elmo Please".  I think that counts and it makes me very very happy.

Saying Mommy

So our sweet little boy seems to be picking language up at quite a rapid
rate.  This weekend he started calling me Mommy.  He's been saying Daddy
for awhile, but not Mommy.  Well, he has been calling me Mom which is
awesome and fantastic, but it kind of sounded like a zombie calling me.  I
found it super cute and I"m hoping to get that as a sound bite before he
stops doing it.

But he's now calling out for Mommy and it is super sweet and awesome.

Slides are fun!

Yesterday on my way to the grocery store with Mr. Munchkin I passed a couple pushing a stroller with a little girl about a year younger than my wee man.  As we passed by I noticed that this sweet little girl had a nose tube in.  It struck me right then that exactly one year ago I was pushing Munchkin down the same bit of street with his nose tube in while we were on a weekend pass between Sick Kids and Bloorview.  My eyes welled up a little as I remembered how worried I was for him and so hopeful that the surgery seemed to have worked so well.   I wanted to stop that family and tell them that I hoped their little girl would be doing super well this time next year just like Munchkin. 

So to brighten your Canada Day, I bring you my little man doing the slide all by himself.  He still often needs a little bit of support getting up the stairs but he can do the rest of it all by himself!

My Little Boy Continues to Surprise Me!

This little boy of mine continues to surprise and delight me with all of the new things he is learning.   From learning how to drink out of a cup to figuring out a bit of the stairs on his own.  He's getting more and more words and I'm sure is going to be communicating like crazy soon.  He is such a wee little bundle of joy and energy.

What a difference a year makes

I've got this post one day late, but that is life with a busy pre-schooler.  

One  year ago on the 12th of June we sat in the surgical waiting room at Sick Kids for what was probably one of the scariest days of our lives.  Our Munchkin was in for drastic brain surgery to disconnect the left side of his brain.   Even though our surgeon and neurologists were all very positive about the outcome it's pretty scary stuff.  His Dad and I were so terrified for him.

Thankfully our boy came through it wonderfully and has made great leaps and bounds since then.  He went from begin barely able to sit up  an not eery wanting to eat because of side effects of one of the drugs to our little boy who is running around and learning new things every day.  We are so blessed that it all went so well.  He is such a trooper and dealt with all the adversity so well. 

Munchkin a few days before the surgery

Robbie Now

Ride for Heart Experience 2013

Today was the big day!  It was Ride for Heart time.  We happily had a last minute addition to our Ride of Munchkin's Dad.  So we were able to do the ride as a family for the first time.

The ride was pretty good.  We only did the 25k due to having Munchkin with us.  Munchkin was rather unhappy about the whole bike helmet thing and was quite vocal about it.  But we think in the end he had a pretty good time.

He had a great time back at the Better Living Centre where he ran amok amongst all the VIPs and Corporate Challenge riders.  He made friends all over the place.

We would like to thank everyone who sponsored us.  It's an event near and dear to our hearts and we can't thank you enough.

Our Ride for Heart Page

Our team did really well and we came in 3rd in our industry

I don't like this helmet thing

Hanging Out

Yay I'm freeeeeeee!!!!!

I'm going places with Daddy

Chillin out after the ride

Mr. Beep Beep & Bubbles

It seems that our little Munchkin likes to do things in a big way.  This weekend he decided that some words were in order.

On Sunday while we were at the cottage I was playing "Beep Beep" with him.  This is just a made up game where I poke his belly button gently and say "Beep Beep".  It makes him giggle a bit.  So I was doing this and all of a sudden he looked at me and said quite clearly "Beep Beep!".  It was really cool.  He did it again a couple of times that night.  And now (not on command of course) if I say "Munchkin Go Beep Beep" he will point at his belly button and say Beep Beep.  It's really rather exciting if I do say so myself.

And then on Sunday he was playing with bubbles with his dad and he said "Bubbles".

This makes us very excited and we're hoping that we will get a barrage of words over the next little while.  He seems to be working on B Words right now.  Mind you I think he might also be starting to say "more" as well.

We shall see what he comes up with next.

Our Little Boy is Growing Up

Today was the day that our wee Munchkin was slated to move officially from the toddler room to the Pre-School room at his daycare.  He's hanging with the big kids now.

It's a happy and a sad thing.  It is absolutely fantastic that he's moving up with his peers and everyone feels he can keep up with the big kids.  The sad thing is that he's leaving his favorite teacher in the daycare.  I know she is just as sad too.  She has through her positive energy and encouragement done wonders in helping him with his development and learning all the skills he's been learning.  I know Munchkin is going to miss being in her class every day.   

How has the time flown.  I can't believe that we are the parents of a pre-schooler already.  Next thing you know he'll be graduating from High School.

Robbie and his favorite Daycare teacher