Caleb
It turns out that the all of the therapists who evaluated him agreed with me: Caleb needs speech therapy. And so he'll be getting it, beginning this September, in half-hour sessions twice a week. Through the course of all the testing they also determined that he, like his older brother, has some sensory issues, particularly in regards to how he deals with touch. (Ah, sweet validation for the daily morning tantrums when he has to put on such essentials and underwear and socks that never seem to feel right against his skin.) And so he will also, beginning in September and in half-hour sessions twice a week, start receiving occupational therapy to hopefully correct that. We're still not sure where he will be receiving these services, except that they are not offered at the pre-k he is registered for. My fingers are crossed that they'll have room for him at the one clinic in the neighborhood that is contracted to take the cases from the school district.
Garrett
At his six-year well check-up, Garrett checked out healthy and strong. Here's how he's measuring up:
Height: 45 1/2 inches
Weight: 41.8 lbs
The only aspect of the visit in which he did not excel was the vision screening, which he mostly failed, particularly in one eye, so it's off to the eye doctor for a more precise exam. I knew this day was coming eventually, since all of our children have been doomed with nearly blind parents. I just wasn't expecting it so soon. He may not actually need glasses quite yet, but if he does, I'm sure he'll look adorable sporting them.
Matthew
Matthew didn't fare quite as well as Garrett did at his check-up. The doctor was highly concerned that he is not walking yet. He told me that 16 months was the cut-off for normal, which took me by surprise since I was under the impression that 15 months was the average age at which children learned to walk. Part of his concern stemmed from the fact that he points his feet outward at a very wide angle, suggesting, I guess, a possible problem with his hip alignment (or something) and a potential reason why he's not walking yet. At any rate, he wants me to take him to see an orthopedic surgeon ---- which, while I'm not ruling it out completely, I am very hesitant to do at this point. From where I stand, Matthew's inability to walk yet is not too much of a peculiarity; Garrett didn't learn to walk until he was 16 months old, and my adorable niece, Chloe, didn't catch on until, I believe, the very day she started nursery at age 18 months. As for the wide angle positioning of his feet, this appears to be pretty normal, especially for one whose vertical movements have mostly only been side-to-side as he cruises along furniture, and should eventually correct itself with time. And finally, every time our pediatrician urges us, with a tone of immediacy, to see a specialist, it all turns out to be nothing abnormal, so we end up forking over a lot of money for nothing. So my plan for the time being is to take things one step at a time (pun intended). We've taken our encouragement up a notch, and even take him and his push wagon out for walks around the block for practice. He really is so close to getting it (another reason why I'm hesitant to rush him to a specialist); as soon as he can let go of his fear, I'm sure he'll let go of my hand on our walks.
But the fun for Matthew didn't end there. Unlike Garrett, who is now completely currant on his vaccinations until age 10, Matthew received two painful shots in the thigh that left his legs sore and tender for a few days. (And I probably aggravated it by my heightened encouragement to walk.) He was pretty pitiful until the pain went away -- as in, whimpering when it hurt too much to bend over a few inches to reach a toy he wanted, and waking repeatedly the first night in fits of pained sobbing.
Aside from all that, however, Matthew is doing just great. He's a happy boy who, except for the toddling, is turning into a thriving toddler, extreme mealtime pickiness and all. Here's how he's measuring up:
Height: 31 1/2 inches (50th percentile)
Weight: 23 lbs 11 oz (30th percentile) -- much lighter than I thought he'd weigh!
All things considered, I have three healthy, strapping little boys. A little quirky, perhaps, but that's to be expected.
2 comments:
I think sometimes it's the doctor's job to make the parents worry. We were to worry about Connor's weight, that is until the pediatrician saw Peter and I at the same time...sorry folks we have skinny genes. Then it was that he wasn't talking. Yes I admit I was getting worried, but he understood everything so perfectly, it was just a matter of time for him to finally form the words and now he talks in full blown sentences. He'll probably still need speech therapy as there are some word blends that he can't say, but he's making progress. Matthew is probably just a late bloomer. He'll catch on to the walking soon enough. I do see the feet turned out quite a bit, but that might correct itself once he gets to walk on his own. And if it doesn't, then sure go see the specialist, he might have a hip problem that can be fixed with using a brace or something...generally doctors will see hip problems very early on, so why they haven't said anything until now seems a bit odd.
I agree with Mandy. They check for hip problems at every well check, so I'd think that they would have figured that out before now. I'd just take it with a grain of salt (as you already have) and keep encouraging him. Maybe set a goal date and then, if he hasn't made progress by then, take him to the specialist. But you know your kids. And, like you said, Garrett didn't walk until 16 months. Maybe you could try what worked for Hannah (one of those really annoying popcorn poppers. They are push toys, but don't really support them. So it's really just a mental thing that they are willing to do because they think that they're being supported the same.) All that being said, you know your kids. The pediatricians are just going by the statistics they are taught and they don't know your kids' personalities individually (I can vouch for that even more after being through all of this with David :). ) Good luck with it all! He'll catch on :).
And, I agree you have 2 healthy, handsome, quirky boys :)! We sure love y'all!
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