Big Things Are Happening!

We got a Walmart!!  Yup, that’s right, I’m writing on the blog about a Walmart opening in our town because that’s BIG, right?!  No more 1 hour trips to civilization…it has come to us and today was the big opening.  You could ask anyone in a 30 mile radius what day the Walmart was opening and every single person knew, I’m telling you, it’s a big deal.  So big that Me, Angela, CJ, Ryder, Maisy, and Callie made plans to meet there this morning.  Sorry, no pictures, we were too busy throwing random crap into our carts that we don’t need, because that’s what Walmart does to you.  But atleast we have one now!
In other big news…look at this:

Now look closer:

That would be TWO stickers on the #2 section!  Only one more poop on the potty and Ryder gets a potty prize!  He’s doing great with the pee thing, as you can see we’re on lap 2 around the Potty Chart for going #1.  Still not ready to be in underwear, but we’re getting there!
There’s more big news…lastnight Maisy slept from 9 – 5:15!!  That was soooo nice!  Of course I was up watching the clock wondering when she’d finally wake up, but maybe if she does it again tonight I’ll actually get some sleep.  I’ll throw a couple pictures of Ryder & Maisy laying in her bed in here because they’re just too cute:



We joined the YMCA!  I’m really excited about it and we’ve had fun this week trying out a bunch of different things they offer.  This evening Me & Ryder dropped Maisy off at their daycare and hit the pool.  I apologize that Ryder shuts his eyes in every single picture I take of him now, I guess he’s anticipating my flash.

I have to apologize for not elaborating on the brace that Ryder had on lefty a few posts back, I was so excited about our library trip that I didn’t give the proper explanation that I should have known would be required from our oh-so-faithful blog readers!
 
This is a new splint that Abby (his Occupational Therapist) ordered for Ryder.  It has a supination strap on it, I had to go look up a good explanation of its purpose: Helps decrease abnormal tone and increase joint range of motion in persons with neurological disorders. The strap supplies the dynamic force needed for forearm supination. Applies a prolonged, gentle pull that places the upper extremity. Got all that?  On that note, Ryder saw his Physiatrist (rehab doctor) the other day and we’ve decided to move forward with getting some Botox injections in his left arm and leg.  We’re going to schedule it in conjunction with his next casting, so sometime in the spring.  In the meantime I’ll be doing lots of research to make sure it’s definitely something I want to follow through with, they keep pushing it as a treatment that would be great for Ryder and I keep turning it down based on the fact that he would have to be put to sleep again.  Obviously they know what is best for Ryder, look how far he has come already, so I agreed to atleast schedule it.  The best explanation I can give for the botox is that it temporarily paralyzes nerves, so injecting it into his arm and leg would make those nerves stop being spastic, he would then loosen up and they would better be able to work with his arm and leg and get better signals to his brain about the correct way to move.  Currently the nerves aren’t getting the right signals so they just kind of freeze which makes him clench his fist and not be able to turn his arm over, etc.  I want to do more research on side effects and how well it really works, but for now that’s the big news.
And…that’s all I’ve got!