Uniqueness

Friends, believe me, our dryer is indeed the only thing in this house which can be associated with the word normal. Even this beloved appliance can at times exert what seems to be a mind of it's own.

There are alot of things that make this family unique. Today I want to show you some things in our home which you may not find in the typical house you visit. :) Thanks to our very own little celebrity boy (It began to seem that our K was a bit of a celebrity when my identity changed. At some point, around 5 years ago people began approaching me with "You are K's mom aren't you?!" I love it!) we have some pretty cool fixtures in our home

This is the fancy schmancy chair that Mr. K gets to eat in. He has some tone issues which make it difficult for him to multitask. He has some muscles which have lower than normal tone, and some which are tight with high tone. With these issues it is hard for him to do the work of sitting up straight, keeping his body at the angle it needs to be, and think about all of the muscular tasks that go into feeding himself. This chair does alot of the gross motor work for him. It keeps him very supported from his feet, through out his hips, and up to his shoulders so that he doesn't have to concentrate on those things and can focus on eating. This has been really helpful as we have struggled with eating issues (getting him to eat enough) ever since he was born. Other than the frequent toe stubbing adversary that this chair has often become due to it's large size and no where to conveniently store it, we have really appreciated it. :)

This is K's wheelchair. Even just typing the word brings up an immediate reaction. Wheelchair - *shudder*. :) Once K learned to walk with his walker, and some on his own, I was so encouraged. We got the wheelchair a year ago and I felt like it was a bit of a reversal in progress. It was recommended by his teachers last year, as they were not all that pleased to be carrying him around for those times when the walker was not usable. We actually haven't used it yet, but will likely put it to some use this year as he will be going on a few field trips with his preschool class. For long distances it may be more practical. I'm just not a big fan of it. Maybe I'm being weird about it, but I think I have the right to be weird if I want to. :) It has been fun for the boys to give each other rides in though. This is Jay in the wheelchair. He harbors none of mommy's wheelchair stigma issues. He just thinks it's about the coolest thing ever to enter this house.

These are K's DAFO's, Dynamic Ankle and Foot Orthodics. You can see that the right one is higher than the left. That is due to his right side being more affected by his cerebral palsy than his left. When he was 3 days old he suffered from an interventricular hemorrhage (bleeding on the brain). It was on the left side of his brain, therefore affecting the right side of his body. Some doctors label him as having hemi-cerebral palsy, which means it really only affects half of his body. These braces put his feet in the correct position to walk. He only wears them when he walks. He has so much fun picking out the colors and designs (he is definitely his mommy's boy!) each time we have to get new ones. We are getting new ones quite often these days as he insists on growing. Crazy kid!

This is his G-tube extension, a syringe from the abundant stash that inhabits a drawer in my kitchen, and his high calorie formula. Although he is eating better and better, he still needs a boost in the calories and this helps so much! This gets him 250 calories in 8 ounces. Must be nice to have that problem eh? :) Some days he just refuses to drink, so we have to resort to putting it directly into his tummy via G-tube. That is a God send! It was a difficult surgery for me to agree to, but has been a great decision!

K's walker. I love it! I remember the first time he used one of these. He hadn't been walking at all previous to his try at this. It gave him just the security and support he needed. I think he was around 3 when he was able to do it well. Oh man! We were at a physical therapy session and watching him stand in the walker for the first time and take those first assisted steps was a phenomenal moment for me. I cried (Ooh! Big surprise!)

Pretty cool stuff! :) My little buddy K is one of my heros. His determination is inspirational. I love that kid. I have witnessed so many miracles as his mommy. A couple of weeks ago Sarah@ Life At the Parsonage took this photo, which I just adore! I didn't know this moment had been captured until she e-mailed it to me. This is my K dancing with no assistance at a Kutless concert. :)

I watch you dance and I can't wait to see you fly. You show me often that there is no end to your potential.

You make me rethink what I have set as my own boundaries - the ways I have needlessly limited myself.

There is nothing we can't do with God as our strength.

So dance baby. Dance!