Crawling on the horizon at 31 months??

Andy was rolling around a lot on his bedroom floor today, and pushed his butt up then moved forward on his elbows. It was so exciting to see. I hope that he will continue this, and believe me there will be plenty of tummy time tomorrow. I'm hoping it isn't something that we aren't going to see again for a while, that has happened way to many times. It would be so great to finally see my son exploring the house.

Stepping up the Omega-3 supplements for Developmental Delays

Andy started out taking the Lil Critter Omega-3 gummy vitamins, and I am still giving them to his sister because we bought such a huge bottle, but the dosage of fish oil is a little low (200mg or so). He's taken them for around 4 weeks now, and I have noticed minor improvements more so than his usual snails pace improvements. So, now we're ready to move up to something more packed with omega-3 (2000 mg). I take a squeeze pack, and put it directly in my mouth, but the taste is a little too "citrusy" for Andy. He doesn't care for orange juice, so I needed to find a food item. I didn't want to mess with his morning oatmeal, because I didn't want him to start disliking it, but it mixed okay in the peach flavored oatmeal. So instead, I've been mixing the oil in a bowl for him with an orange creamsicle. It tastes great, I just smash it all up together, and he eats a whole squeeze pack now, once a day. I started out with a pea size on my finger, and would put it on the roof of his mouth, but he showed me by crying that he didn't like that.

I am seeing a nice developmental progression in Andy, and I am so happy! He will now hold his toothbrush with both hands and actually brush his teeth himself. Lately I will only brush his teeth using a hand over hand method, where his hands MUST be on the toothbrush every time we brush twice a day. I've tried this a few times before, and have given up, but this time maybe with the help of the fish oil, he will hold the brush and help. I can even let go, and he will do it himself. I have to have him sitting on the floor, I think it helps him concentrate the best.

Next, he loves hearing pat-a-cake, and has recently started clapping, but has never clapped along with the song. Now, he claps for me, while I sing. This is just so awesome. And I tell him, "come on you've got to clap while I sing", and he starts clapping. He will also say "yay" and clap at the end.

I really think the fish oil is helping, because I take it daily as well, and it seems to help my memory and cognition.

I've stopped the l-carnitine, just for the time being, because he is still SO immobile. The problem is that it gives him energy, so when he doesn't move around at all, he isn't burning up the energy he already has. So, it backfired on me, and he wouldn't nap for me, he wasn't tired enough. He was also starting to really protest going to bed at night, so I've cut it out for now. However, I will give it to him if I start to see him crawl. He will be able to use the extra energy boost then, but right now he doesn't burn off enough of the energy he already has. I've read about people with CP taking it, and they feel it greatly helps them with their walking and endurance to walk or even jog. So, I'll keep it around for when needed.

We are trying supplements for developmental delays

The last few months, I've been lost again. Down about Andy, and feeling hopeless. He is now 30 months old, and no sitting up yet, or crawling, or pulling to stand. He does roll around. After a lot of prayer, not only for Andy, but for myself, I feel compelled to try supplements for Andy. I've been asking for strength to keep leading Andy in the right direction, and find him the help he needs. PT, OT, I've lost faith. After a year and some change, we've really seen no results. We just have the school therapists visiting right now, I don't feel the "extra" therapy visits done in a private office are benefiting us at all. Just more of the same.

Now on to the supplements. We, as a family, have all started taking fish oil/ omega 3 gummy vitamins. The kids are taking lil' critters omega 3 vitamins. They contain DHA, which the brain loves, so I love it. I also got adult ones for myself and husband. After visiting the Vitamin Shoppe, I am now trying an orange flavored fish oil "squeeze pack", which has 2000mg of fish oil in it. Nearly 300% of what you need. The kids are getting a small amount on top of their gummy vitamins, which only contain around 200mg of fish oil. The squeeze pack can go right into your mouth, or into a small cup of juice, smoothie, or in food.

I am seeing a difference after 2-3 weeks in myself, and in Andy. My memory is very sharp. I've always had a good memory, but now it's real good. No more mom brain, the haze has lifted. With Andy, I'm seeing him progress slightly faster than usual. His usual progression is pretty non-existent. He's been at a 9 month level for a year and a half. Now he's clapping his hands, pointing more, trying to push up on his hands, and just seems more awakened. He gets his omega 3 vitamins every morning after breakfast, they are right on the kitchen counter so that they are easily accessible. He can chew them up on his own, which is a blessing for Andy. They taste like a fruit snack.

I have also pursued L-carnitine supplements. I spoke to Andy's Physical and Rehabilitative doctor about it first. She says it is a common part of the treatment regimen for kids with Mitochondrial disease. But since Andy hasn't officially been diagnosed with anything, besides brain underdevelopment and hypotonia, she didn't suggest it for him. I have discovered that it is also used for kids with autism and ADHD, and has gotten results of a better attention span, increased focus, and reduced hyperactivity. Fragile X kids also get the benefit of reduced aggressive behavior from it. So, what can it hurt to try?

The main reason I want to give it to him is to increase his endurance. Kids with low muscle tone tend to fatigue quickly. I want him to be able to work with me for longer periods of time before getting tired and cranky at home doing PT stuff. I read that too much L-carnitine can cause stomach upset, so I am proceeding with caution and starting out with a low dose.


The L-carnitine is a liquid, also from the Vitamin Shoppe. It is raspberry flavored and tastes really good, like a raspberry freeze pop. I draw up one teaspoon into a medicine dispensing plunger from the drug store and squirt it right into his mouth. The treatment regimen for someone with autism or ADHD is 500 to 1000 mg a day. I am giving Andy 1 teaspoon after lunch, and 1 teaspoon after dinner, or breakfast and dinner. This amounts to about 700 mg a day. The first day, I only gave 350 mg (about one tsp), and watched for stomach upset, but didn't see any. A much higher dose l-carnitine can be purchased, but I started out with the lowest dose one.

I like what I'm seeing with just a few days of L-carnitine. Much more movement, he has more energy to pursue movement. He is more rambunctious, and I can push him further in his gait trainer, and in four point. He is trying harder to sit up from the floor. I think he simply has more energy and endurance. I've been amazed at what I'm seeing with first, three weeks of the omega-3, then introducing the L-carnitine just over the past week. I researched the internet for answers about developmental disabilities and supplements, and found scholarly articles showing positive results from both supplements. It was good enough for me. I am still waiting to see if this supplement will have a negative effect on his naps. If so, I'll have to cut it back, or cut it out.

If this works, it could be the beginning of Andrew catching up to his age. I'm thinking if he can catch up a few days every week, maybe he can make up a few months soon. The DHA bath his brain is getting, has to be good for catching him up to speed. I am doing it for myself as well. I figure I am not actively trying to learn anything right now, so I thought maybe I'd try to start learning a language or studying something to see how well I can pick it up. We learn what we need in college, then stop pursuing learning when we're done. Maybe, if I pursue learning something new, I can start to pick up some new skills just like I'd like Andy to.

I'm excited for both of us to give these supplements a good trial, for at least 6 months. So, I'll see where we are both at by Andy's third birthday in May.

Andy can push up on his hands at 28 and a half months

Today at Andy's school, he was laying on an incline on a giant wedge, and pushed up on his hands. It was wonderful to see. He had some beads in front of him on the wedge, enticing him. There was also another baby on a wedge in front of him, and the baby was inclined towards Andy. It was as though they were both trying to get to the top of the mountain. The other baby was able to army crawl, and Andy seemed to be interested in him. He kept pushing up on his hands and holding it for a minute or so. It was very exciting to see, after nothing for SO long now.

I then propped his butt up, and got him on his knees and held his hips. He then started to rock, which was also surprising and exciting. So awesome to see this, and he was having a lot of fun at school as well.

I am really hoping he won't lose this skill, as many of his new abilities seem to go away for months after I first see them. I can't wait to see him get his butt up in the air on his own as well.

We went to Disney World

Andy with his (kid sized) headphones from Best Buy

Andy is 28 months old and still non-mobile, and pretty much non-verbal.  However, we bit the bullet and scheduled a flight to Orlando, Florida in mid-September to visit Disneyworld. It is supposed to be the least busy time of year. Initially, we wanted to wait until Andy could walk, but we really don't know when that will be. My 4 year old daughter Gabby is very into princesses right now, and if we wait too long, she may be out of the princess phase by then. So, we scheduled at 4 day, 5 night, Sunday through Thursday trip.

Andy was a dream on the flight there. He didn't make a peep. We kept him entertained with a headphone set and our iphones. He watched Blues Clues and listened to the Black-Eyed Peas. He just got over an ear infection, so we were hoping his ears wouldn't bother him, and I don't think they did. The bus ride there was also great, he was very good.

The weather was supposed to be in the 80s, but every day was sunny and 92 degrees, so this really irritated the hubby and Andy. The heat caused a lot of irritation, and by the third day, Andy was blowing his top. On the plane ride home, he was completely inconsolable, and cried the whole 2 and a half hour flight. I felt bad for taking him, but he did enjoy about 70% of it, I'd say.

Seeing just a hint of verbal understanding from Andy

Today, I told Andy, "lets go say night-night to daddy", and he held his hand way out and said, "da da" then open and closed his hand. While nearing the end of his bowl of food, Andy said "ahh done food", and  didn't open his mouth anymore for food when I tried to feed him. So...I am hoping that these little tidbits will lead to more talking. I think he is finally trying to communicate with me verbally! Thank God! I'm worried sick over him, it is so nice to finally see some results from the speech therapy. He has been going for two months now. First once a week for a month, then twice a week for a month. We are now going to return to once a week for a while. With school starting, he is going to have a ton of weekly appointments, plus private ones. We'll see how much we can handle piling on, in terms of extra speech appointments.

Speech revisited

I have only heard my son say a random few words one time, and then never again over the course of these 27 months. Andy started speech therapy two months ago, and I have to say it's been the most productive of all the therapies so far. he still isn't talking, but is becoming more vocal, and is making more attempts to communicate with me.

Today my son cried and murmured to my husband what sounded like "I want mama". It finally makes me feel like I am doing something right.

Confused about more children or not

I was very sure that I didn't want to have any more kids, but lately I have been having second thoughts. I keep thinking if I have another one, maybe they will be normal like my daughter. My son has brain abnormalities for unknown reasons. Nothing genetic has been found. I've been seeing other mothers with special needs kids having babies, and it just makes me think, "am I really done"?

I won't know for another couple years I guess. If Andy starts to walk and talk, I could change my mind. If he doesn't, I will probably close the doors on it for good. I just can't see having an infant around, when I've got to still carry him around. And besides, I HATE being pregnant so much. It is terrible miserable torture for me, which makes me think I am out of my mind for even considering such a thought.

I think it comes down to regret, right now. Will I regret not having any more. If I had another one, in an even worse scenario than Andy, I know I would regret that too. I probably should just count my blessings and be happy with what I have, I guess...

Rough patch

Things have been pretty rough lately. I find myself just trying hard to get through each day. I play Farmville on Facebook to keep myself from worrying so much about Andy. It actually works well. I play while Andy is asleep. I find myself just trying to get through these days, and hopefully I'll come up for air soon and he will be doing something new. Andy is extra irritable lately, possibly due to a molar tooth coming in.

He moves around backwards a little bit in the gait trainer, but I think he gets bored in it. I am trying hard to have his AFOs on his feet anytime they are touching the floor, which means sitting in a chair too. He doesn't care for me putting them on.

The eye patching hasn't been happening a lot lately because he is SO irritable already. Why add to the irritation?

Appointment managing for Andy lately has been tough too. I find myself dreading scheduling some of the visits. There are so many to keep track of. Lately I feel like all we are doing is going to appointments.  It just feels like no fun.

We have the gait trainer

Andy's gait trainer has arrived a month later than promised, but it is here. He isn't doing very well in it, so it has been depressing. I try to put him in it two to three times a day, usually ten to twenty minutes at a time. At least he will let me put him in it without fighting and fussing. He will stand straight up 5 percent of the time, and maybe bounce a little. I guess I am not expecting to see steps for a few months.