2.5 Years Old

 

Long time without an update on my little man.  He is doing awesome. Since his birthday in April he has only had a few colds.  The worst was when we did mommy/me swim lessons which I loved.  He got sick a lot and I am wondering if he was aspirating the water because he drank a lot during lessons.  He did awesome and it was fun, but we stopped in September and will try again next Spring.

 

 

And since I posted in June about his beginning to walk he pretty much walked non-stop ever since that first video.  He is trying to master opening doors and thankfully he cannot.  Unlike Zac who would never leave our side, David will just take off.  He is starting a fast walk and it is not the most elegant gait, but it gets him everywhere.  We are working on walking on different surfaces, kicking, and jumping which are still difficult for him.  He rarely butt scoots anymore and will almost crawl under my legs like a tunnel, but still really hates crawling.

 

He is still a climber and falls off of the arms of chairs periodically.  He climbs up the step stool.  He climbs into the stroller.  He has no fear of heights, unlike my dear Zac who at 6 is still afraid of heights.



 

The two pictures above he is signing"color" "writing" which means "crayons". He now has over 100 signs.  We began signing last Christmas.  He is really good.  Sometimes you don't know he knows a word until he is listening to your conversation and signs a word you just said.  You might also notice he is left handed, he signs with his dominant hand.  So both of my kids and my husband are left handed.  I am right handed which makes teaching things a little difficult.

 

Just recently his speaking has begun to take off.  He will mimic everything.  He also will sign and speak the word at the same time.  We had a brief period where he would only speak words he didn't know the sign for.  I was considering stopping the sign language, but within two weeks he started saying the words he signs.  He will parrot most things you ask him to say.  I can understand most of his words, others may not be so fortunate. We are going to try Kaufman cards for speech therapy.  It is a method for kids who have apraxia (word approximations) the therapist thinks it might help him speak more clearly.

 

Books, books, books...his favorite activity by far.  Give him a toy and he will use it as a bat or throw it across the room.  Give him a book and he will go through each page or sign for you to read it to him.  He points to all the pictures and signs the pictures he knows.  We read every day.  I do flash cards with him once a week.  He watches a signing video every morning while I get ready for work.  I foresee an IPAD in our Christmas/Chanukah future most likely this winter.  I am not an apple fan, but when it comes to apps for special needs apple wins hands down (frown).

 

He loves balls.  Especially football.  Zac was exactly the same.  They love to play catch.  And I might encourage it a little as it is one of the few toys your are supposed to throw.

 

David attends a typical daycare, he is in the 2 year class room.  He loves it and the teachers and parents and kids love him.  He went through a biting phase for a week.  He was getting another tooth and it was really bothering him.  Tooth count is 4 molars, 3 top front teeth, and 2 bottom front/side teeth.  His teeth look weird, but he won't let me get a picture.

 

Eating is not happening. 100 percent tube fed, and lately doesn't even want to try food for me. We are increasing tube feeding to gain some weights (he needs to gain 4 pounds he is only 23 pounds). We need to then evaluate what is going on with his swallow. More testing may be in our future and possibly a therapy called vital stim. Until his weight is where it should be no aggressive weaning is happening. I keep hoping he will just start eating like the walking and the talking (maybe I am crazy).

Heart is perfect at the last appointment. No visit for 1 year. No holes and the pressure is in the normal range. 

 



 

My sweet 1st grader, Zac.  He can't even get his own picture with his favorite dog shadow without David sneaking in.  David loves his big brother.  Unfortunately, he like to throw Zac's toys and hit Zac with a bat.  Zac has endless patience and loves David to pieces.  He loves to read him books and wrestle with him on the couch.  He is an endless worrier and David's climbing gives him a heart attack.  The acceptance of a sibling is a good lesson for grown ups.  David is the only brother he has and he doesn't hang out with other 2 year olds so this is all he knows.  Zac thinks David is awesome and he is quite proud of him.  I am raising some good people for this world we live in.....

 

I love me some Zachary, as he likes to be called.  He is in 1st grade and he is doing awesome.  He is on track to great things.  He loves school, everything about it.  And he has just started his first sport, flag football.  He is not very athletic, but he is having a blast.  I think he is absolutely adorable, he is in that awkward stage of losing teeth every month.  He is 90 percent good kid and 10 percent annoying kid.  I am truly blessed.