cheese curl

Chris had his first success with eating cheese curls today! Most of them ended up next to him in the high chair, but he actually got some in his mouth and ate them.

revised expectations

As my year as a stay at home mom draws to an end, I find myself thinking about what I expected this year to be like and what my experiences have been. For one thing, I expected Chris to be physically doing a lot more by one year. I expected to see him roll, sit, crawl, pull up, cruise, walk, and say his first words. All we have gotten to are the first two. I know he will eventually master those skills within the next several months, but I might not be the first one to see them. It will probably happen at daycare. I'm disappointed that I won't be there to see it first. Sure, I'll probably see it the second time he does it. Lots of people have babies in daycare, and they all face that situation. It's just not what I expected. I used to read "What to Expect the First Year" every month to see what new things Chris might do that month. I have stopped reading it because he doesn't do the things he's supposed to.

not homeless

We have finally found a place to live. I found a nice 3 bedroom rental house in Highlands Ranch. I visited it, and we placed our application and just signed the lease. Our move in date is July 15.

a work day

speech therapy

Today Chris had a speech therapy evaluation. I made the appointment because Chris still isn't babbling yet. He makes consonant sounds including b, g, and d, but he doesn't string them together repetitively. The speech therapist went through an extensive questionnaire with me about the sounds Chris makes and how he interacts with people and how he plays. It turns out he does have a delay in his speech and language development. For example, I'm not sure he even knows his name. He certainly doesn't know the names of objects or toys (doesn't look at a ball when I say ball). Also, he doesn't make any gestures yet, such as lifting his arms to be picked up, or pointing at things. The speech therapist said we're doing all the right things talking to him throughout the day and reading him books. However, she did have several recommendations to help him learn language. They also did hearing tests on him, and he hears fine. He just doesn't understand or communicate much yet. The speech therapist described it to me as being similar to visiting a foreign country. You hear all the sounds, but you don't know what they mean. You don't know where words start and end, and don't know the syntax. She also said that just because Chris is behind in his language and speech right now, it doesn't mean he is always going to be behind. She also said that a language delay does not reflect his intelligence. He scored best in the play section, and she said that is most reflective of cognition. So, despite Chris's motor difficulties and his language delay, I still don't think he's a slow baby!

the rental market

We're having a hard time trying to find a house to rent in Highlands Ranch. There are very few houses for rent. Here's a little visual aid- a map of Highlands Ranch rentals, then for sale properties, then foreclosures. We figure that there are so few rentals despite people wanting to sell their homes because they're still living in them.

observations

Yesterday at PT, I asked Mike when he thought Chris will walk. He thinks at age 15 to 18 months. 15 months is the upper limit of the normal range for walking. No one has a crystal ball, but Mike is a pediatric physical therapist and has seen lots of kids with motor delays. He also commented that Chris is a thoughtful baby and seems like a little scientist.

Chris had a follow up appointment today with his pediatrician. He is pretty much back to normal. He is not wheezing any more and his oxygen saturation is good. We saw his regular doctor today, so I also updated her with his progress in PT. She said not to worry, and that Chris seems very bright. She also said that she walked at 18 months and turned out fine.