This past week was a transition for us. The previous week we had to say goodbye to Ms. Emmy. We miss her terribly and we stumbled through as best we could.
She is moving on and heading back to graduate school which we are thrilled for her about and wish her all the best! She is on her way to be wildly successful. We know this for sure.
We have no doubt that her brilliance will always be a little glimmer in Jacob's life. We were lucky to have had that brilliance as a big full time glimmer for the last 2.5 years and are so thankful for that.
These two have been best buddies through illnesses, surgery, medication changes, tube feeding, learning to eat, many many home therapy appointments, travel to extra art and therapy classes, a gazillion trips to the park to play and infinitely countless laughs and giggles.
And more laughs and more giggles. And more laughs and giggles...
The saving grace is that our summer substitute is familiar and wonderful so it eases the sting a bit. But we are going to be in a world of hurt when the fall rolls around and we have to find a Ms. Emmy replacement... we can't even think about it right now. Talk about big shoes to fill.
Jacob's team just wouldn't have been the same without her!
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Jacob turned three this week. We celebrated over the weekend with family. And a picnic. And Elmo.
It was fabulous.
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We haven't yet had a 'big' party for Jacob with a lot of other little people partly because Jacob's parents don't have the energy (or inclination) to plan that kind of thing but mostly because we don't think it's quite the time. Jacob gets overwhelmed with a lot of people and can retreat into quiet observer position pretty quickly. Not exactly how one might want to celebrate. As he gets older, he's gotten more rambunctious so who knows, maybe four will be the 'big' party year.
At three with all of his closest peeps around him, he was all about a party and celebrating... blowing out candles, digging into sugary stuff, ripping paper, getting absorbed in new toys.... and books and books and books...
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It's true we can't really believe he's three already. Time does seem to disappear in front of our eyes and as it does, Jacob seems to be growing at lightning speed.
At the same time it's been a kinda long three years in our family (for a multitude of reasons). So we can't exactly say it's flown by. Not exactly. Not sure how to resolve those two observations.... or even if we need to.
At the end of the day our amazing little man is still three.
Three? Three! Like a bonafide toddler. For realz.
Happy Birthday Jacob !!!!!
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We had a weight check this past week. To remind everyone, Jacob was 26.5 pounds when we started the eating odyssey and he dropped to 22, then has been hovering around 22 since.... February. So weight checks are a bit stressful around here, watching and hoping he gains weight.
Guess what?!? He gained a POUND. No weight gain since February and then a POUND in the last three weeks! Yay!
We are still supplementing a little at night but if the weight gain continues and he stays germ free, we will be in a much better place to reduce those supplements soon and get back to only eating by mouth. Fingers crossed and spoons full!
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It's birthday season around here. There are multiple people in Jacob's circle that celebrate birthdays in the spring, including Jacob himself and his parents. There are a cluster of celebrations as April turns to May and another cluster in early June.
And so we celebrate. Lots of things we celebrate.
Little hands that work so hard at fine motor movements and command over his fingers that can now help grandma put candles in a birthday brownie.
Bright eyes watching the magic of candles and learning how to blow them out.
The improved and hard fought for core strength, stability, and balance along with newfound confidence to sit on Dad's shoulders hands free... to feel the sensation of running down a hill at a family picnic with the boys.
There are some birthday presents you might never think to ask for, but trust us ....they are all joy to unwrap.
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If you are a curious reader and/or a new parent of a little person with a g-tube. You might have some image in your head of how traumatic it might be when the button pops out accidentally. We used to lose sleep over the possibility. I mean it's in his stomach, right? Surely there is pain, screaming and crying, stomach juice oozing, flailing panicking caretakers. Right? Well that's what we imagined... until it happened the first time. The first time it popped out as Jacob was being put in the crib for a nap and the tube extension got caught on the railing. He didn't even wake up. For real, slept through the whole thing.
This is a picture of the most recent incident which happened a several weeks ago. Jacob was crawling across the floor to get to a book. Grandma walked out of the room for merely seconds to get her glass of water. She came back to this scene. Yes, yes. That little thing in the foreground is supposed to be in his stomach and not on the floor.
This is exactly how much drama actually accompanies the g-tube coming out.
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So everyone can rest easy. Thought you'd like to know.
Time flies and flies and flies. Jacob is almost 3 (3!). In our world that means we are at a point where his therapy may change. The local programs can provide in home services until children are 5 but at 3 there is the option to move to a school based program. This would be our entry into the world of IEPs. We have a meeting this week with Jacob's 'team' to discuss which option we will take - extend home services another year (called an extended IFSP) or chose the IEP route.
I would be lying if I conveyed that this meeting was well planned and coordinated and that we feel prepared. Not exactly. It is coming together -well- mostly due to a lot of phone calls last week figuring it out and due to the good graces of Jacob's therapists who are providing their updates to the 'team' on short notice (so that we won't be having the mtg with assessments that are six months old) as well as giving us a lot of good advice, as are other parents and friends.
In either scenario, Jacob's therapy continues and he does such a great job - working so hard all the time. Sometimes there are tears and sometimes there are giggles but the progress is clear and when reading reports from just six months ago compared to the updates today it is all the more obvious.
Six months ago stacking three blocks was a goal that we we're working toward and hadn't yet met. Last week he stacked six by himself. And not the big ones, the little ones!
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(stacking the colored cups is a little more fun)
Six months ago we were working on pulling to stand *with* assistance. Now he can pull to stand on his own. Six months ago we were working on standing vertically at a support without leaning. Now not only can he stand without leaning but he can stand vertically with very minimal support while also doing a task!
Like drawing...
Or reaching (up high!) and pulling sticky strings off the wall and throwing them into a bucket...
(Elmo helps)
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I'd love to post a video of that last one but it's way too long. That end of the counter was covered and he picked those suckers off one by one like a pro and got every single one in the bucket.
Good good stuff.
If Spring doesn't come to you, go to Spring.
(Or a botanical garden in which Spring is happening regardless of the outdoor weather).
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Happy Friday!
This weekend is rainy misty rainy dreary (and did I mention rainy?) but the temperatures seem to be staying high enough to be convincing that spring is really coming. So we hold out hope.
Last weekend we had the sun in addition to the warmer temperature and Jacob and his cousin spent some good time outside enjoying it. Truth be told, the adults with them were loving the vitamin D probably just as much and so we lingered in the park longer than planned. Climbing on rocks, running around play equipment and watching ducks at the pond... and what's a sunny day without ice cream (?!) ...perfection.
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Jacob is now bravely but tentatively walking holding on to only one hand. (Huge deal).
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And as long as we are still trying to gain weight and ice cream is unlimited.... oh it's going to be a good summer.
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