Yesterday morning I sat Connor up on the futon while I got his backpack ready for school. He sits very well on the couch with one pillow on either side of him, and in the past he hasn't been wiggly enough for there to be any issue. Well, there was a pillow propped up on the edge of the futon, and I ducked back into his room for a second to grab his socks. When I got back less than a minute later he was on the floor, propped up on that pillow and giggling away!
Since I don't think he's discovered teleporting yet, evidently the pillow was placed perfectly so that when he slid down off the futon it formed a gentle ramp all the way to the ground. Needless to say my child will no longer be sitting on the futon-- he'll spend his time in his feeding chair or floor positioner! It's crazy to realize that he's moving around enough that we have to think about this sort of thing. Thank goodness the pillow was there and positioned just so, or we might have had a very sad morning!
I hope Connor's guardian angel gets a pay raise for that one.
Though maybe it was teleportation after all; perhaps Connor was honing his secret ninja skills. We figure the child is going to grow up to be the perfect assassin or spy, because he has no fingerprints. None. There are no loops or whorls; the large lines we all have that crisscross our palms just continue on up to the tips of his fingers. We figure this whole severe gross and fine motor skill delay thing is just an elaborate cover up so that can move about undetected. If I come out in a couple of weeks and find him balanced on the ceiling fan or something our suspicions will be confirmed.
At any rate, no harm was done, but we'll have to start seriously thinking about childproofing the new house. Connor's rolling over pretty well now and he's very, very close to sitting, and so while he's not mobile right now he might very well be that way in a few months! Since we'll be replacing most of the carpet in the house with a more wheelchair-friendly floor, it will be much less forgiving if he falls down on it. Everything's a trade off, I guess. It's so exciting to think about him being able to reach things himself, and even more exciting to think about the possibility of him being mobile, even if it is a more unusual way of getting around like rolling! Six months ago both those possibilities seemed miles away, and now they're just on the horizon. I can't wait to see what he'll be doing in a few more months.
Speaking of moving around: Jer and I now have the dance of getting both he and Connor in and out of our new van down to a science. First I pull Jer (his shoddy wheelchair tires get no traction) up the ramp straight back into the van, where we stop and he puts his feet down. Then I rotate him to the left and he pulls forward into the front passenger area. Next I pull Connor up the ramp past Jeremy and rotate him so he's sitting in his wheelchair just behind the driver's seat. Finally Jer rolls back next to Connor in the rear passenger area and puts his feet back up. After I attach all the tie-downs to the chairs and Jer puts his seat belt on, we're good to go! When we first started doing this it would take us almost twenty-five minutes to get into the car. Now we've cut it down to around five. It's all about practice, I guess!
Things aren't quite so different or scary any more; we're starting to find our way.
~Jess
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4 years ago
4 comments:
I imagine it's difficult to find your way on a trail that's either not yet been blazed or has terrible markings. But you all are so inspiring and good sports. I won't even insult you by saying "I don't know how you do it!" because I know from my own (differfent) experience that you simply do what must be done. You do it with grace.
Five minutes? I'm impressed as all get out! I can't even get my now-fully=ambulatory son in the car in five minutes! lol
Crazy.
Now that you have all kinds of time (not) consider reading the linked pages in my middle column. (At least stuff is in small pieces.) Lots on childproofing, learning to sit and stand, and ideas for potential sleuths.
Scary.
You and Jer don't look to be scared easily.
You're ability to adapt speaks volumes for a wonderful lifestyle despite the temporary need for 2 wheelchairs. Barbara
We always think "oh its okay he cannot do that" But we find out otherwise I did. Our Finnian could only roll one way so it was fine we could leave him on the couch and he would roll up against the back of it. Well one day he rolled the other way and ended up on the floor. He did not start crying he was laughing and he had also given himself a bloody nose. I was a bit panicky because he fell and hurt himself but at the same time I was proud he had given himself his first boo boo. Just like any other child. Needless to say he spends his time on the floor now when there isn't anyone to sit beside him on the couch.
You never know when these kids are going to pull tricks. Isaac now rolls over from both sides and even though he's not really mobile, I envision bad things happening if I leave him on the couch. It's a good thing the pillow saved the day for Connor!
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