Saturday, May 14, 2011

Alexander's Low Tone

Babies are typically supposed to crawl by nine month, and Alexander wasn't.  So basically at his 9 month check-up, I asked for a referral for First Steps.  He wasn't even scooting fast at that point either.  He was evaluated by Indiana's program for developmental delays in the under 3 set.  Each state has a similar program, which is federally funded; they are just called different names elsewhere.  Here in Indiana, our program is called First Steps.  You can read more about the program on that site.  The evaluation is free.  If your child doesn't qualify, that's it.  However, you can have your child retested every 3 or 6 months (I can't remember which) to see if they then qualify.

There were 2 women that came and evaluated him: an OT (occupational therapist) and a PT.  They brought several toys and played with him for about an hour in our home to check for various things.  To qualify, the child needs to have a 25% delay in one area, or two 20% delays in different areas.  Alexander had a delay in Gross and in Fine Motor skills.  At his age he was still "palming" toys instead of using his finger tips to hold them, which would be a fine motor indicator.  They also checked his belly without clothes on (dipe still on), and could see he had low tone. 

Most people don't know very much about "low tone" so here is a link to read more about what it is, and some problems that can accompany it.  Basically, it means that he is a little floppy and loose.  :)  At 6 months he still couldn't sit like propped in a Boppy.  He can sit now, but I've seen a baby CRAWLING at 6 months before!  And ALL PTs will tell you that babies need to crawl before they walk.

Anyways, after he qualified, we started on weekly PT sessions before his first birthday.  To strengthen his core, we bounce him on a giant exercise ball.  We put him in the 4 point crawling position and try to help him crawl.  However, he gets physically tired very quickly.  Another thing we do is try to practice up the stairs, as it's great to help learn the coordination of crawling. 

Our PT does not want him to WALK before he crawls and so we aren't practicing walking, although there is no real "harm" in it.  He seems to now have all the strength he physically needs to crawl, but it's a coordination thing.  Miss Nikki, the PT lady, also said it's very hard to get scooters, like Alex, to start crawling because he's so used to what he's fast at.

Anyways, I do his exercises with him in the morning when he first wakes up, and then after he wakes up from his naps in the late afternoon as then he is the most rested.

Claire also had low muscle tone and did First Steps, which is why I knew of the program.  Sometimes I wish I would have had Alexander evaluated even earlier, but it is what it is.  Claire's low tone was oral aversion...she had a tough time with mixed textures and eating in general until she was around 18 months old.  She was evaluated at 15 months after the doctor had labeled her failure to thrive (FTT).  She had weighed 24 lbs. at 9 months and at 15 months she was 23.  She was only nursing and not interested in solids foods offered to her.  She was also very gaggy and had problems moving her lips right to pull the foods off a spoon offered at evaluation time.

So because Alexander was eating WAY better than Claire did at that age, I though things might be ok, but low tone is very genetic.  Some people think that PT doesn't help, and that kids will develop when ready.  However, a type of therapy that is very readily acceptable is speech therapy.  If Alex had a speech delay, I wouldn't hesitate to put him in speech therapy.  I would say it is very common when we are out and about for people to comment on his scooting.  They either think it's really cute and novel, or they have none a scooter themselves and advise PT!

There is a strong link in the coordination with hand writing and the crawling motion.  Luckily we did catch this early though!  Miss Nikki is confident that he will crawl, although sometimes scooters may actually walk before they crawl.  Usually she likes to see them crawl a good 2 months before walking.  There is also issues with the HIPS.  A lot of people think that his knees might be hurt from scooting, but actually the tightness occurs in the hips and lower back muscles.

Alex also does a lot of W sitting...a big BIG no-no in the PT world.  W sitting is just what it sounds like...the baby/toddler sits with his legs in a W position vs. the more preferred straight legged pose.  The W pose is very bad on the knees...good thing Alex's are soft because he sits like that. all. the. time.  Claire did to, and I think it's pretty typical of when babies are first getting mobile anyways.  I try to tell him to put his legs straight, but I usually have to move his legs and tell him.



Also of interest, is that recurrent ear infections are an indicator listed on the First Steps paper work for Developmental Delays.  I'm sure having fluid in his ears from September through January wasn't very helpful as far as helping him learn to balance and such.

So if you want to be helpful rather than hurtful, read up on the topic and ask about "what new movements is he doing lately?" rather than "Is he walking yet?"  Nope...he's not crawling yet, either.  He has now pulled to standing on his own a total of 4 times in the past week!!!  All on different days. 

Alex also seems very vocal when moving his bowels, with lots of grunting and straining.  I do think this is related to his poor core muscles.  He has a much easier time going #2 when I put him on the Baby Bjorn potty.  That potty is supposedly the most "ergonomic" baby potty.  Claire thinks it's so funny he essentially poops in a bowl and has no recollection of pooping or peeing on it!

I even have had someone tell me that it's my "fault" for not working with him more on crawling.  Really?  That's like telling someone with vision or hearing loss that it's their fault. 

I was really cautious with starting solids with Alexander.  I was afraid he'd have the same oral aversions as Claire did.  But he is a magnificent eater!  He also popped out 4 teeth between month 6 and 7 which helped immensely with the biting of little bits of food.  He LOVES all food and is a great eater!  I have to cut him off most of the time.   When he was a little younger, sometimes I would over-do the feedings and he'd spit up later...his way of delayed self-regulation ;)

Well thanks for listening!  I hope you have a great weekend!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Busy Days!

Today:

6:30am - both kids wake up. ugh. I get them dressed. Well, I get Alex dressed. I put Alex in a cloth diaper! I still haven't tried an overnight with cloth, but I will soon. I know that tons of people do. I also dress myself. I shower at night as well as bathe the kids at night 99% of the time because it's so much easier! Claire dresses herself. I just check to make sure she matches and is wearing panties. I noticed a decrease in the panties in the wash and realized she had decided to boycott them for about a week. I'm not quite sure why. I guess they are easy to forget. I do brush her hair and teeth in the mornings.

7:30 - I'm brushing Claire's teeth, and Alex decides to pull up on the side of the bathtub! COMPLETELY! TO STANDING! WITH BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR! :) AND he managed to lower himself without hurting himself! YAY!

8 - Starbucks. It's a caffeine type of morning. And we have no milk. So Claire gets a lucky breakfast ;)

8:15 - Pick up dry cleaning. Why I am doing this with 2 kids? Because I love to torture myself.

8:30 - Go into Walgreens to buy milk. Why I am doing this with Claire? Because I love to stop 42 bajillion times while we walk to get the milk. They. always. put. the. milk. in. the. back. of. the. store. and. I. hate. that!

8:50 - In line for drop-off time at preschool! I check Claire's folder while we talk about the day, month, etc and what's on her calendar for that day.

9 - Doors open, cars move!

9:10 - I speed out of the parking lot with Glee.

9:20 - I lay down to nurse Alex to sleep because he's been up a few hours and is totally tired. I get back up for awhile and do some stuff around the house and talk to my older brother David on the phone for a bit.

11 - My alarm goes off to pick up Claire from school. Really? And Alex is still sleeping. He stays asleep in my arms until I put him into his cold carseat in the car.

11:10- Claire is in the car telling me all about how they got to play on the playground today. AND THERE WERE BEES! Ack! I don't want to hear that!

11:15 - Home and I put Alex in his SECOND cloth diaper for the day. I put the other ones in a 5 gallon bucket by the washer/dryer. It has a lid that snaps shut and only cost about $4 total. Diaper genies are a waste of money, apparently...although I do have one!

11:30 - We eat some leftovers for lunch. Alex is in a huge throwing stuff on the floor stage, and I SOOOO can't wait for this to be over.

11:45 - I quickly clean up lunch and sort 2 baskets of laundry on the dining room table...it's perfect for folding!

NOON! Alex's PT time - Miss Nicki arrives and works with Alex on the ball first since he loves it. I play with Claire at my computer with some games so she won't bug distract interfere with Alex's physical therapy time. I am happy to give Miss Nicki a good report that Alex pulled up to standing this morning! We also go outside for a bit. They work on the slide/step combo we have while I try to get Claire to roll down the hill and run around the trees so she's not hogging the slide too much!

1 - Miss Nicki leaves and Claire and Alex have both been a little whiny so I decide to leave early for a dentist appt.

1:15 - Both the kids have fallen asleep in the car about the second I hit the exit ramp for the interstate. I punch the Cruise Control and drive 50 while semi trucks repeatedly creep up on my butt and then blare past me. REALLY! I only have a little ways to go and I am milking the smooth driving without stop lights.

1:45 - We arrive at our destination. I park in the shade and tip my seat back for a bit. :) I play on my phone. I love love love Scrabble on there! It's called WORDS WITH FRIENDS. Don't start. You'll get addicted. You've been warned.

2 - Kids wake up! We go to Once Upon a Child, which is on the way to the dentist! I score a double stroller that actually pushes and turns for a mere $40 with a 20% off coupon! I nurse Alex while Claire plays with their germy toys in the play area. I think I can see the germs crawling around. (No, that's my OCD.)

3 - Dentist appt. for Claire - I browse the trashy tabloid that poses as a magazine. You know it. It's called "PEOPLE" -- there are pictures of the Royal Wedding in there. SCORE! Claire is back there alone a good 30 minutes. I'm sure she's just sitting in a fancy chair watching some DISNEY movie for 29 of those minutes. I change Alex in the waiting room. DIAPER THREE! I'm proud of myself for remembering my "wet bag" so I don't even have to waste a plastic bag.

3:30 - I get called back to see the dentist for approximately 30 seconds in which he tells me that, yes, that spot in her tooth, is indeed a cavity, and that she'll have to actually COME BACK to get it filled. Awesome. It was totally worth reading PEOPLE for "FREE."

3:45 - Claire is still pulling trinkets and stickers and plastic crap out of the bag the dentist gave her. She wants me to look at every. single. one. REALLY? I thought you only got a prize if you had no cavities. Oh well. IT WAS ALL "FREE." And did I mention the first opening to get her tooth filled is at the end of June. WHAT? JUNE? Yup. (Aside: I have already thrown away 3/4 of the crap. Bad, Mommy! Dear Claire, It's called clutter-control/I don't want to end-up-on-an-episode-of-Hoarders-one-day.)

4 - We are driving home, and I stop at a local nursery to pick up some hanging baskets for my front porch. I know. I previously blogged that I wasn't going to do this again. BUT...I got a type of flower that is very drought resistant and doesn't need much water. Because I really don't feel like watering them twice a day when it's hot out! We walk around the nursery WAAAY too long. I look at all the cool trees and stuff I would love to get. Japanese Maples starting at $129. I want a birdbath! I want a fountain! I want a gazing ball on a little stand! I want a hummingbird feeder and bunches of plants that attract hummingbirds! And I have room for NOTHING with that double stroller that takes up the. entire.trunk. I didn't buy all that, by the way...it's just fun to look! I got two hanging baskets. One sat next to me on the passenger seat. The other sat on the floorboard of the passenger seat. You really didn't believe me when I said that there was no room in my trunk? Well, I just may have to post a picture!

5 pm - We get home. Claire asks to play in the sprinkler since it's hot and sunny. WHY NOT!?! It's 76! AHAHA...the water was ICY cold. But she had fun, and it was fun! I blew some bubbles. Claire asks, "Why are the bubbles allowed to cross the street without you, Mommy." That just made me laugh! I put Alex in his suit mostly because I wanted to try it on him, but he just splashed in a little puddle that had formed. He wasn't interested in creeping closer. Some neighbors came over for a bit to chat and dance in the water too!

6ish - We put away the 42 bajillion toys we pulled out of the garage. I gave the kids a nice warm bath and tried out my new sprayer. I. LOVE. IT! Claire pees in the tub. I drain the water. She asks why. I said, well, would Mommy give Alex a bath in the peed in toilet? NO! So don't pee in the tub. I can't even remember the last time she did that. Josh gets home to start the grill!!! He has picked up steak! ROCK ON!

6:30ish - We eat a nice dinner!!! My hubbie can grill some good steaks! :) Claire eats some bites of steak. She asks repeatedly Where does steak come from? Cows. Where does bacon come from? Pigs. Where does hamburger come from? Cows. Where do chicken eggs come from? chickens! She does specify because of the dino eggs at the museum we see all the time. (All this and we've barely sat down.) Where do shrimps come from? Shrimp.

7 - I decide to take the kids on a quick walk to try the stroller out around the neighborhood. They go in their jammies. Awesome. :)

8 - We are back, and I brush their teeth. I nurse Alex to sleep while Claire hangs out with Daddy for a bit watching some cartoons. Then I lay down with Claire and nurse her to sleep too. <3 What a lovely way to end their days!

9 on - clean up the kitchen, pick up a little, play some WORDS, talk on the phone...get on Facebook, etc...

And what did you do today?