Mar

Sky Diving

Hi all,

Well, this past week included a small break through for me – I slept through on Sunday night for the first time since my last procedure. It seems each procedure results in my suffering an emotional set-back and trauma, most times resulting in affecting my sleep. Needless to say Mom is thrilled by this, as it means my sensory defensiveness issues are on the decline (until my next procedure, when they spike again).

As is the custom on a Monday morning, Mom and I headed off to Lauren for my OT session. Improvements were noted in my balance reactions and my movement, both which took a bit of a hammering coming out of my last procedure. Developmentally my life feels very much like three steps forward, two steps back at the moment, following each procedure. Fortunately my Mommy is super dedicated, so generally manage to recoup my lost developmental progressions. While at Lauren’s place we worked with putty, called theraputty (i.e. putty made for therapeutic purposes). There are different colours of putty, each representing differing degrees of malleability to achieve different exercises. It is very different to the play-dough that I’m familiar with. Handling the theraputty was extremely enjoyable, and I looked at Mommy with longing eyes saying that I really really really need some. Mom relented and bought some from Lauren.

Back home I spent a great deal of time playing with my new putty. Even Dad was intrigued with it when he came home and I showed it to him. It did take me a few minutes to wrestle it off him as a reminder to him that it was mine! During the Monday afternoon I opted to do some gymnastics; from the window sill I somersaulted backward onto the couch, and flipped onto the floor, feet first. Mom dashed across the room to try catch me, but I did a perfect landing. As I turned around, I noticed Barney, my horse, my dinosaur and the jack-hammer man give me the following scores, respectively: 9, 9, 10 & 9. Next time I’m aiming for a perfect score of 10’s.

On Tuesday Granny joined us for a shopping trip to Cresta. Afterward we headed to the Lifestyle Centre. Unfortunately I wasn’t on my best behaviour, so we headed home for me to have a snooze.

Just after breakfast on Wednesday morning I headed out onto the study patio to take in the morning. Roxy came to the patio gate to say ‘good morning’, and I played peek-a-boo with her. She didn’t play very well though, I guess its got something to do with her not having opposable thumbs and not walking on her hind legs. I, on the other hand, tried a number of times to cover my eyes and each time I looked again but she was still there.

Later in the morning Mom and I headed off to Be-Sharp Beetles for some music. I played the shakers, rhythm-sticks, xylophone and castanets (sic). Included in the lesson was lots of running and jumping, which was hugely enjoyable to me. In the afternoon Mom and I did a little grocery shopping at Victory Park Shopping Centre where we had to pop into a number of shops to say hello, as the shop owners learnt their little celebrity was around. I loved all the attention.

A trip to the Post Office started off Thursday morning where Mom and I posted a parcel to my little cousins in Cape Town, Erin and Jenna Grace. I rode around a great deal with my car. We were expecting special guests in the afternoon, so Mom and I bought some goodies and baking ingredients and to boot, we stopped into the toy store briefly.

Back home Mom got down to some intense baking. Granny popped in for a quick hello and devoured some of the chicken pie Mom served up. I guess it must have been good then, as Granny is pretty picky about home baked stuff. A quick nap ensued, and afterward Ina and Cornel from Dad’s office came to visit. Little Juané, whom I’d not met before, also visited. Her and I played up a storm and we swapped toys and exchanged stories. Ina got for me a Lindt chocolate bunny, and at the sight of it I munched off its head, tin foil and all! Fortunately I have a marvellous talent in that I can separate the chocolate and foil in my mouth, and then spit out the foil (to be precise, Mom fishes the foil off my tongue!). This created quite a stir!!! Sadly the afternoon drew to a close and Ina, Cornel and Juané had to leave to avoid the heavy traffic home.

Later in the evening Opa visited, and we all munched on a sensational chicken pie that Mom had baked. Even I munched through it without saying much. During dinner I showed Opa that I could blow out two candles, in preparation of my second birthday, as well as hold up two fingers, when asked how old I’ll be! Dinner was followed by Mom’s home-made apple pie and then a bath for me. We all had a long chat to Opa and it turns out the medication he’s been taking is making him feel much better, and is starting to clear his pleural effusion (water on lungs). As a result Opa only needs to go for a check-up closer to Easter; so no hints of surgery as yet.

Friday morning Mom had an appointment with Dr Nicoletta for me, as I had sniffles. A full check-up was done, and some medicines were prescribed. After see my paediatrician Mom took me to see Di, my physiotherapist. I have really been dragging my left leg a great deal lately, so some good physio and exercise is needed to correct that. Dad came home a little earlier than usual, so some hectic playing ensued.

On Saturday morning we headed to the Naartjie factory shop at Epsom Downs to get next season’s wardrobe for me. Mom pre-selected a bunch of clothes for me to look at while Dad and I stormed up and down the walkways, as walking is my most favourite pastime at the moment. Eventually Dad steered my walker back to the Naartjie store where I reviewed and approved her selection of clothes. En route to Cresta I nodded off to sleep, so we stopped off at home until I woke, where after we went to Cresta to buy some things for the house as well as a German soccer jersey for Dad. His company has ordered Bafana Bafana jerseys for everyone to wear on a Friday, and Dad is just not too keen on that, as he supports the German team. Some shopping at Builder’s Express followed, as Dad needed some DIY items. In the afternoon Dad got busy with some DIY and I looked on, shouting my support! I even started saying DIY!

With less than 90 days to go to the FIFA 2010 World Cup, one of Dad’s DIY projects was to hang, in support of the German soccer team, the German flag outside the house. He was atop the wall the for about 30 minutes where after a flag pole complete with the flag emerged waving proudly to passer-by’s on the road. During this time I chilled in my sandpit, and Mom sat nearby doing some scrap-booking, trying to stay cool in the 30°C afternoon temperatures.

Sunday morning Dad continued with some DIY projects, including replacing the one intercom on the driveway. While Dad did this, I rode around on my little Pooh-Bear truck, chasing a gah (blue bouncing ball). It was really fun, as the cobblestones made the ball bounce in every direction!

Dad blew massive soap bubbles for me on the front lawn with a special bubble maker, and I even managed blow my own soap bubble, which is a first for me!

The rest of Sunday was spent chilling around at house, and during the afternoon we prepared for a hectic thunderstorm which never arrived, despite the sky going black overhead.

Well, that’s me for another week. Please keep my Daddy in our thoughts on Tuesday, as he is going for some minor dental surgery under general anaesthetic, so he’ll be in hospital for the day. I’m so glad it’s not me, just for a change!

Lots of love,

Jarrod