Hurdles and Progress

Five and a half years ago sweet hubby and I brought this little bundle of joy home from the hospital to join our family.   We knew it would be a long and hard road but we were willing to take that road.   We knew that because of the birth mother's addiction to drugs that Caleb would face many obstacles in his life. 

The first hurdle came that first couple of weeks....I had this wonderful little baby who was not a crier, not a complainer, and slept throughout the night....I mean how lucky can a mom get????   Well, on the first visit back to  the pediatrician for his check up they realized that Caleb wasn't getting enough nourishment...he had underdeveloped muscle tone in his mouth and jaw....he couldn't suck very well....therefore he wasn't drinking enough formula and because he wasn't crying or fretting I had no idea.    So after that my instructions were to awake him every 3 hours and feed him whether he asked for it or not...this would help develop the muscle tone for feeding.   Wow!!! What a wake up call for me.   Hurdle jumped and progress made....he learned to suck and became a very chubby little guy.

Next hurdle came in the form of underdeveloped lungs.... he had respiratory problems.   By the time he was two months old we had been to the pediatrician several times due to a heavy rasping sorta rattling chest thing....and it wouldn't clear up.   So we were given this little machine to help clear the lungs.   We had to do this about every 3 to 4 hours -around the clock.  We did this for him until he was about 2 years old and had stronger lungs.     

Caleb getting a treatment with mom and dad holding the tubes for him.

As he got older we taught him to hold it for himself - he hated this treatment and didn't want to do it so we ended up making it a game for him so that we could get him through it. 

Eventually hurdle jumped....progress made.

Another hurdle was his eyes.   He had one eye that turned outward away.  Again, this was due to weak muslce tone.   He wore the patch for about 6 months.  The patch did not correct the problem and he needed an MRI to see the problem with the eye and to determine how much damage was done to his brain from the birth mother's drug addiction.   Double Hurdle.....couldn't do the MRI because he would have to have anesthesia .... given anesthesia would compromise the already compromised lungs.  So we were told we must wait until his lungs were stronger.....finally a year and a half later we could get the MRI to determine the best route to correcting the eye problem.   He would have to have surgery on the eye to repair the muscles.  He was almost two when they decided it would be safe enough to do the surgery....

and he came through just fine.

Next hurdle.....couldn't sit up or crawl at appropriate time, again lack of muscle tone.   So the pediatrician sent us to be tested for development delay.   After being diagnosed with the developmental delay he was sent to a therapeutic day clinic....I wanted him to get the treatment he needed but I also wanted him to be home with me.   Within a month of therapy he could sit up by himself and then he began to crawl and finally he walked at 15 months.   I was so happy the day he tested out of the program and could be home with me all day.

While getting the physical therapy he was also supposed to get speech therapy but they had put it on hold so when he was allittle over 2 years old I decided he needed to be around other kids his own age and put him in a preschool parttime so he could learn to play with others.   Within a month....he was talking, then putting sentences together and we could understand completely what he said.  Hurdle jump.  Progress made.

When he turned 4 I agonized over whether to send him to public preschool.... was he ready, would he be so behind...would he be able to catch up...would it be the right thing for him.....I agonized about this decision trying to make a decision and then on the first day of preK I decided to enroll him in public preK.  Yes, he was behind.  He didn't know his alphabet.  He didn't know his numbers.  He didn't know how to write his name.  He didn't even know how to hold a pencil correctly. He didn't know how to color very well. 

 BUT, he could use 4-tier words!!!  He was developmentally delayed in everything but language use...

So we struggled through preK.  We had a WONDERFUL teacher who worked constantly with him. By the end of the year....he knew some of the alphabet, some of his letters, and he could write his name....but, he still couldn't hold the pencil correctly.  He also couldn't color very well.

At the end of preK we decided to sign him up for soccer.  He was the smallest person on his team.  He struggled with it at first.  He lacked the coordination needed to kick the ball.  By the end of his season...he was running the field and kicking the ball.   He wasn't the best player but he had come A LONG way from not crawling or walking.   Hurdle jumped....progress made.

Caleb is the small one in the back of the pack!!

Throughout this past summer we worked hard on those letters, numbers and writing.  Still no progress.  Then I began to notice he had a severe lack of concentration and absolutely non-existent recall.   BIG hurdle.  MAJOR hurdle.   How was he ever going to learn his numbers or the alphabet if he couldn't recall things.  Then Kindergarten started.   He didn't want to go.  He didn't want to sit.  He had no desire to learn.   AND, he became very stubborn about taking directions from adults.   Again, we visited the pediatrician after talking with the teacher (actually being called into a conference with the teacher).  Luckily for teacher, we are parents who are on top of things with Caleb.  We were very aware of the problems he was having and causing at school.   The pediatrician prescribed meds for attention deficit disorder immediately.  Actually, I had already done the research and KNEW what needed to be done.  So, the teacher, the pediatrician, and myself were on the same page here.

Caleb has been on the medication for about 3 weeks now.  Within a couple of days we (teacher included) noticed progress.   Caleb wants to learn.  He particpates in class.  He knows most of his alphabet now.  He knows a lot more numbers now.   He PRACTICES his writing tons now.   He has the desire to learn and has become a little sponge soaking up knowledge.  AND, the best part....he now has recall.   He recognizes letters and stories we discussed.   He comes home from school with happy faces.  He comes home from school and pulls out workbooks to write his letters and numbers.  On Saturday he spends hours working on projects.   He was sick for about three days and the entire time was spent working on workbooks and coloring.   He had never done this before!!!!

Hurdle jumped....progress made.

We have gone from not knowing the alphabet, numbers, writing his name, and not coloring to this:

Using markers, scissors, and glue.

Pen ink coloring - he spent several hours on a Saturday working on this.

I bought him some drawing paper and on the cover is a space ship.  He used that as his guide to draw his own spaceship..

Working on the spaceship. 

We are still not where we should be.  But we have come a long way in just a short time.  I think we will get there eventually.  We still have problems with muscle tone.  We still have allergy problems that knock him down quite a bit.  But I think the hurdles in front of him are small and I think he will be able to finish the race....not necessarily in first or second place....but he will cross the finish line...

Until next time, the doctor is out.....watching a little boy practice his letters and his name... and knowing that a little  boy is beaming with pride because his mom laminated his art work and hung it in her office.