Bittersweet

A couple weeks ago we had a routine appointment with Dr. Arndt. It went well, he's very happy with how Dominic is doing. He said that if Dominic's speech continues to improve and he is walking independently in the next couple months, he's pretty much back in that "normal" range. Granted, probably on the lower end of normal, but still NORMAL. Just amazing to hear that from the man who initially gave him such a poor prognosis. So, this was fantastic to hear. At the end of the appointment, he gave the news that he is leaving DeVos and taking a position at Beaumont Children's hospital across the state. I was crushed. Fortunately, Dominic is in such a good place that it's not going to be that big a deal to see someone else. But Dr. Arndt knows him so well and has been there from the beginning. Both Mike and I truly feel that God placed him in our lives at exactly the right time. He arrived one month before Dominic started having seizures, and is leaving a month after Dominic's one year anniversary of being seizure free. He did give us the option to continue to see him at Beaumont, but we haven't really decided what we want to do. It may not be a bad choice since he only sees him every 4-6 months anyway. We're over on the East side so often, it might be nice to stick with a doctor we know, trust and love. It's bittersweet.

Going to miss this guy!

 Today was also a pretty big day. After discussing it with his OT for weeks, Dominic was casted this morning as part of his CIMT (constraint-induced movement therapy). He'll have the cast on for the next 6-8 weeks. I have a few bottles of wine chilling in the fridge because I have a feeling it's going to be a long several weeks. He actually handled getting the cast on just fine, but lunch and nap time were a disaster today. He is really frustrated that he can't feed himself and REALLY pissed he can't suck his thumb. This child has gone to bed without a problem for most of his life. He lays right down, sucks his thumb and goes to sleep. Today, it took an hour of screaming before he finally passed out. I tried rocking him and sticking a pacifier in his mouth, but it did no good. I think not being able to suck his thumb is going to be the worst part of this process. I am hoping that this is worth it. It's bittersweet. Sarah said they've had success with a lot of other kiddos. He has been making some major progress the past few weeks at OT. Sarah would brace his arm and tie it to a high chair to force him to use his right hand. Each week he has made more gains. He attempts to pick up marbles and blocks. We're really not sure how much fine motor he can gain, but the goal is just have more bilateral use. Sometimes I think he has no idea he has a right arm. This should help with that. I'm hoping with his usual good spirits that within a few days he'll be okay with the cast and get used to the fact it's not coming off.

Trying to use silverware

Tied up and forced to work at OT

What am I getting myself into?

This sucks...I can't pick up my food!

I can't believe it's the end of September. I have no idea where the time has gone. It feels like we were just celebrating the 4th of July. School starting up again has made the weeks fly by. A couple weeks ago Mike, my friend Rachel and I competed in the Warrior Dash. It was such a blast!!! It was a 5K with 12 obstacles along the course including scaling walls, leaping over fire, cargo net climbs and climbing through mud under barbed wire. It was so much fun and reminded us of our Pull glory days back at Hope College. For those that don't know, The Pull is an intense century old tug-of-war tradition we competed in. It's actually how Mike and I first met :o) The Warrior Dash reminded us of Pull training and brought back some fun memories. Looking forward to doing it again next year!

Finished!

When you finish, you get a beer and giant turkey leg!

Oh to be 18 again!

Mitchell had his first soccer game this past Saturday. It was...interesting. I'm not sure soccer is his sport, but I think it's good for him to learn the sport and play on a team. He seems to enjoy hanging out with the other kids, but not sure he gets the game. I asked him what his favorite part of the game was and he said the snack afterwards. This could be a long season...

First soccer game!

If you can't tell, he's really into the game

This kid would give anything to be on the field

 We have a birthday coming up this weekend! Our little man turns two! It's weird, I can't believe my baby is already two years old, but at the same time it seems like he's been with us forever. My little old soul :o) My mom's birthday is the day before Dominic's so she is coming up here for a few days so we can celebrate both of them. It will be so nice to have her here a few days. The boys always love seeing their Grammy. Should be a fun weekend with lots to celebrate!!

My little buddy is almost two!