Christmas parties pre Christmas

This month has included some really fun events for Nate......a couple of fun Christmas parties with his developmental playgroup, and also at conductive education. It's really just so great to see him enjoying other kiddies and being more interactive and engaged!

Here he is at the playgroup session, where there were also bubbles....(not mummy's sort!).

And here he is at the Conductive Education party, where they also had balloons and a clown that Nate took a real fancy to :-)

Waving blanky at Santa. Unfortunately Santa didn't know you had to play and seek with it :-)

We also braved the crowds and the queues at Smith and Caughey, to meet Santa for the first time this year. For an hour long wait, it was a short meander through the 'enchanted forest' and an even shorter visit with Santa! In fact no sooner had we made it in to Santa's grotto, and Nate was waving him goodbye and blowing kisses so we could leave.....oh well maybe he'll be in it more next year!

 

 

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A Nate progress update at 21months

Well it's been awhile since we posted an update, the year just got away on us somewhat! However Nate continues to do really well on the health, growth, and physical front. We are really very lucky!

We have had no major illnesses of bugs that have required any recent stints back in Starship - although to be fair, we are still pretty vigilant about keeping him healthy. We did have a few chesty coughs over the course of winter and those are always more challenging for Nate, as not only does he find it hard to clear any mucous, but they also tend to linger for a couple of weeks at a time. But all in all, he fared pretty well overall, as you can see from some of the recent shots....

We have still had a few Starship appointments though....ongoing hearing checks as he adjusts to his new hearing aid in his right ear (mild to moderate hearing loss in this ear), respiratory as part of the ongoing checks on his sleep apnea (he still uses an Airvo with nasal prongs airflow to help him sleep), and he still has some future appointments to come early in the new year.

At 21months, he is still sitting at 50.5cm diameter on his head (which is still on the 91st percentile), and weighs in at 12.7kg which is now on the 75th percentile for his age, given a recent growth spurt. He has a height of 84.5cm, which has slipped back a bit to the 40th percentile for his adjusted age. However given the recent weight increase, Anna (our district nurse) now expects a height growth spurt to come - we certainly hope so!

He also continues to get stronger with his physical therapy - he still attend weekly sessions with Ildi his conductor at conductive education, a variety of different playgroups such as wiggle and rhyme, jumping beans, and also a fortnightly developmental group. He is a lot more confident with his walking and getting around, loves to show off his stamping, and will squeal and merrily chase who ever will run around the kitchen with him. He especially likes to double back around the kitchen island to surprise whoever he is chasing! Especially Grandaddy!

We think the combination of different physical activities has really helped him here. It's also really helped socially, and he interacts a lot more with other kiddies when he is around them which is pleasing. Next year in January we also start weekly swimming lessons for the summer, so we are hoping that that will help even more with his low muscle tone (hypotonia). It's really great to see all the progress here!

Nate at Jumping Beans

Nate at Conductive

Speech remains our main challenge now, as at 21months Nate doesn't speak beyond 1-2 words. Inspite of almost weekly speech sessions, we haven't seem a heap of progress here, although we have heard a wider range of sounds, the occasional randomly spoken word, but a greater use of makaton and ASL signs to communicate. I really hope we are going to hear him speak clearly one day, but it's hard to know whether that will happen. We know of some T9Ms who speak, while we know of others who don't. There is no real way of knowing whether that is on the cards for Nate or not. However on the upside, he can communicate (sign language) when he wants to eat, drink, have a nappy change, a shower, bottle, bed,/nap, wants his dummy, sees a cat or a baby, watch TV, play ball with one of us, open a toy or a lid for him, bounce a ball, throw a ball, or chase us around the kitchen. He can also indicate when he wants one of us to come and play on his mat with him (no words, but lots of sounds and grunts!), and makes great car brrmm brrmm sounds, the occasional moo, and ooh ahh monkey sound. So really what else is there in life?!

Helping unpack the groceries!

Lastly, his personality and mood continues to delight us all. He really is a happy little chap, in fact a real cheeky monkey at times, and we all just delight in his company. He has a new Nanny with Auntie Helen (his half sisters' mummy) and he just adores her! It's wonderful to have someone as special in Helen in his life, as the bonds are just so much stronger for everyone in this modern blended family of ours. We feel very fortunate to have so many who love him - and knowing that he has more connections in life than just Robin and I, helps to ease some of our concerns and fears that we have for his future. It doesn't take all of them, but it's a start! X

 

 

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More photos from Grandy's 90th

More photos from Grandy's 90th, courtesy of Mike and Claire and wee Sophie...fun with bubbles, and hide and seek.....

 

 

 

 

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October road trip to celebrate Grandy's 90th!

Robin and I took a few days off in October for a LONGER long Labour Weekend, to get a quick break in before the busy Christmas time, and get some rest from what has been a busy couple of months for the both of us at work.

First up, we went to Tauranga with Granny and Grandaddy, to celebrate Grandy's 90th Birthday (Grandaddy's Dad). We stayed at a little motel in Bethlehem, where Nate took great joy in entertaining us all! Jen also found another toy shop with a fabulous range, and a few more purchases were made for the at-home collection - we're thinking we could open a private kindy....:-)

On the Sunday, all of the Ryan / Clarks / Tait clan (well at least those who were in the country) gathered at Millsreef for a celebration birthday lunch and a bit of a chin wag. It was great to to see everyone, and to celebrate Grandy's birthday and his impending move to Te Awamutu to live with one of my aunts. We were initially a bit worried about how Nate would cope with 30-40 people in close proximity, but he managed really well, even wandering around and playing on his own after awhile. Unfortunately no photos of that :-(

And the next day, hanging out at Grandy's place....

Our cheeky monkey!

Four generations of Ryan's!

Then we spent the next few days hanging out in Auckland with our wee man....it was really lovely to have the opportunity to take him to the park, take him to Conductive Education, and to get along to his Developmental Playgroup to meet the therapists and a few of the parents. We have even managed to get a few visits into some different kindy options that we are looking at for next year sometime.

Here are some of the pics and videos from this weeks conductive session (plus the first one, which is from an earlier session)...

Musical Nate, like Grandad Roy!

We also treated him to a trip to Kelly Tarltons to see the fish. He especially liked the tunnel walkway with the revolving tunnel around it (lots of squealing over that!), and seemed to enjoy the penguin feeding too. We have come home with our own stuffed Nemo, and a few fish and penguin magnets for the fridge. Great fun and a real treat to get some quality time with our wee man :-)

Fisherman Nate, like Grandad David!

And lastly, some fun times at home.....lots of laughter :-)

 

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