<Tre's Updates>

Friday, December 1, 2006

We have some catching up to do.

So, Tre` was evaluated by Early Intervention today. The meeting took about four hours as we went over all his delays. I knew he was behind but to hear her call him, mouth the words, 5 months (I’ll go into detail at the bottom because it gets worse.), was a little aggravating. However, me being me I quickly realized that he’s been a great. With all his surgeries and illnesses he’s far ahead than what a lot of babies in his situation would be able to do. That was no doctor’s script. No therapist recommendations. That was God and a little TLC from his mom.
We have a lot to work on for the next six months. His upper body strength, He needs to life his upper body, sit completely straight supported or unsupported, his leg/ foot strength, eat by mouth, roll from side to stomach, and more.

Area Evaluated, Current Development Age Level
1. Cognitive, 5 months
2. Communication, 2 months
3. Social/ Emotional, 5 months
4. Gross Motor, 2-3 months
5. Perceptual/ Fine Motor, 5 months
6. Adaptive Self-Help, 3-5 months

For his hardest levels I plan to take my own course of action for him. I don’t want to push him too much but I’d love to see how much I can help him. As far as the Communication, that’s probable hard for me because of his trach. I can give him 60 second trials on a speech valve until tolerated but I’ll see. I want to start teaching him basic sign language, too. He’s at the age where he should be able to mimic so I can each him mommy and food/ eat. The Gross Motor skills might be a little tricky as well. I think we can handle it as well. He HATES being on his stomach. He started to hate it once he got his G-Tube. I can slowly “trick him” on his belly by laying him on his side over my lap (slanted) or on a boppy. I still don’t know what I’ll do about the leg strength, though. I might consult with the therapist. His Adaptive Self-Help might be time consuming but ok. While I was in the store I seen something called a Dipper. I’ll allow him to play with it for a few days as a toy. Then I’ll dip a little Stage 2 baby food on it and allow him to taste it. I’ll only do it once a day or every other day, though. Them I’ll work myself up.

Some of these things I’d like to work on alone or with my husband. It’s hard to have strange people in your house (nurses) because too many times they like to overstep their boundaries and/ or invade personal mommy baby time. My son was in the hospital from birth till ten months, we have a lot of catching up to do and it’s still jaded because I will always have someone intervening. I still don’t understand how some people can’t sit back and see what they have going for themselves. You have a mother or a father talking about how their child acts up in a store. How about a mother like me would love to take her baby to the store but cannot. The things we take for granted. I feel as though I am very grateful for my son, but don’t get it wrong sometimes I break just as the next person with a human soul.

As for me well, I’ve been better. Nevertheless, I won’t complain. Things get hard and things get better. There are people in a worse situation than I am.

Dearest Collene,

Collene, tomorrow I will celebrate your life. Your existence was and will always be purposeful. Miss Collene, you were here to teach about life and its importance.

I never fathomed that I would be writing this. It so hard to find the words to say. I still can’t speak your name as past tense without feeling mistaken. I cry because you are asleep but I celebrate because you have lived. If I close my eyes, today, I can see you playing and laughing, singing and dancing, Collene you’re dancing. I can’t think or say what you could have been, sweetheart because I only know who you are, an angel in my eyes. I’m miss you honey.

posted by Tre's Mom @ 6:39 PM

1 Comments:

At December 2, 2006 at 9:15:00 AM EST, ~k~ said…

Dwana, my girl's skill levels stareted where Tre is. I remember thinking she isn't that far behind! But like Tre her communication level was 1-2mos (she was 5mos adjusted at the time) and her self-help skills were that of a 2mo old. She could barely roll, wasn't pushing up well, blah, blah...

The past 6mos have been amazing for her and I'm betting it will be the same for Tre! With a family like his, he'll be eating, running, playing, and signing in no time at all! I can't wait to see his first signs!

Good job, mommy! He's amazing and will continue to astound and amaze for a very long time to come!