New Braces

After therapy yesterday, Davis had an appointment with his Orthotist to get fitted for new SMO's. I mentioned that his PT for Suit Therapy thought he'd benefit better from the Sure Steps, as they allow more ankle movement. She called his regular PT about it and they all agreed to try it. Minimizing the support he gets from these braces forces his muscles to work harder to compensate, but they all think they'll work great for him.

These are SMO's. They cover the entire length of the foot and fit snuggly around the ankle.

This is a Sure Step. They only cover about half of the bottom of the foot. They're open in the back to allow more ankle movement, but still provide the stable base he needs. He, of course, picked the skateboard design.

We're steadly seeing improvements from therapy. He's definitely standing taller and walking with his feet less scissored. His range is increasing, meaning the therapist can stretch him further and further each day.

Vision Board Update

Since the year is over halfway finished, I thought I'd give an update on the progress we've made with Davis' goals.

1. Stay healthy...I think he's only been sick once or twice this year and we've avoided medication both times.

2. Conductive Education...We're not going to Orlando for therapy this year since I'm pregnant, but the Suit Therapy we're doing in Lawrenceville is substituting wonderfully.

3. Potty trained...Grrrr...'nuff said.

4. Positivity and confidence...He still gets frustrated when he can't do something, but we're working hard to encourage him to 'keep trying'. Overall, he knows he's pretty bad ass.

5. Increase food variety...he's still really picky about what he'll eat, but he's willing to try new things. Still not many fruits and veggies in his diet, though.

6. Gain at least 5 pounds...So far, I think he's gained 1.

7. Learn daily life skills...he can undress himself, brush his own teeth, and he's become really great about cleaning up after meals, playtime, etc.

8. Run...Oh yeah! And he learned how to jump this week!!!

9. Increase verbal and receptive speech...This improves every day. He never stops talking. Still struggling with the 'l' and 'r' sounds.

10. Learn to ride his tricycle...Not really there yet.

11. Increase fine motor skills...He's improving, but still not age appropriately. This intensive OT is definitely helping, though.

Trip to the Museum

Justin went out of town with his dad and step-brother, so I took Davis to the Tellus Museum in Cartersville on Saturday. It wasn't nearly as nice as the one I took him to in Orlando, but we still enjoyed ourselves.

The Science in Motion exhibit displayed antique cars, bicycles, trains, etc. Davis desperately wanted to touch and sit on everything, which was obviously not allowed.

We went 'digging' for fossils and 'gem panning'.

I was fascinated by the 15-foot 'turtle' fossil. I can't remember what they called it or how old it was, of course.

I couldn't get Davis to stand in front of the 9-foot Megaladon (shark) jaw. He was, for some reason, scared of it.

I thought the children's area was really low budget. They had stuff that you could find at any daycare center.

Suit Therapy Week 1

In just a week, Davis is showing improvement with his balance, standing, and strength. His PT said that he's gained 30% range in his left hamstring and 20% in his right. The woman that did his evaluation a while back, saw him today and also thought he had improved since then.

His OT is working really hard on his finger and hand strength. She had him draw a bunch of squares on paper today and they actually look like squares! Go 'D'!

Holiday Weekend and Suit Therapy Day 1

Pride for his country...

Friday night...The Varsity and Braves Game with some new friends of ours, the Greens.

First Naked Dog.

Saturday morning...Fourth of July Parade in Cartersville, also with the Greens.


Saturday night...Fireworks show in Woodstock with Eva and her family.

Justin and Eva
Wes and Davis

Sunday...Out on the lake with the Prices. Afterwards, we headed over to Justin's aunt and uncle's house for their annual 4th cookout, which always involves extremely competitive volleyball, Polish beer, horseshoes, and great company. They own about 10 dogs and one of them had a litter of 8 puppies on Saturday, so Davis got to pet and love on one. It was the cutest thing in the world.

Day One of Suit Therapy...Davis' physical therapist seems really great so far. She's super enthusiastic and motivating. She worked on muscle building exercises and did a wonderful job of keeping him interested and engaged for 3 hours. She seems really hopeful that we'll see a lot of improvement with his balance, gait, and leg scissoring. Starting tomorrow, he'll also be receiving an hour of Occupational Therapy to work on his fine motor skills. I feel bad that he's going to be working so hard for the next 3 weeks, but he enjoyed it so much.

Check-ups

Hearing...great. Although, it's totally selective. He can't ever seem to hear the first 18 times I tell him to do something.

Vision...great. Definitely didn't get that from me.

Dental...great. He grinds his teeth, but the dentist said he hasn't reached any nerves...yet...so we're good there...for now.

So we're all set to start another school year!