Let's Get Physical... Therapy

"Your baby is cute! How old is he?" "Thank you! He's fifteen months." "Oh I bet he's crawling all over the place." "No, actually he's not crawling. Or walking."

I have this conversation a few times a week. No, Parker is not crawling or walking like other littles is age. But Parker has started Physical Therapy. And we are excited about it!

Our pediatrician in Tennessee recommended physical therapy to us at Parker's one-year-well-check because my sweet, happy, curious, loving little fifteen-month-old baby boy has not started to crawl, or pull up, or walk. Our pediatrician was not concerned about this whatsoever during the first year of Parker Bear's life as his growth pattern will differ from "normal" until he is 24 months old as a result of his premature birth.

Although he is not attempting to make himself mobile like other babies his age, our pediatrician called Parker "advanced". She said that babies progress in different areas at different paces. Parker might not be attempting to get mobile but he is certainly the most social baby she has ever seen! She called him "socially advanced".

It's true. Parker doesn't just stare at people. He engages them. He wants to make eye contact and smile and wave and give a high five. He doesn't have a fear or even an indifferent attitude towards people that many babies his age have. Instead he wants a connection with every.single.person he encounters from the waitress at the restaurant, to the girl at the checkout line, to the guy hooking up our cable, to the person in line behind us at the post office.

Yes, he's social. Even perhaps socially advanced. But he's not mobile. And the recommendation for physical therapy is a means of early intervention to ensure we take the correct steps to get our boy moving.

We asked questions. Does he have to crawl before he walks? Should we continue to encourage standing? All of which I address a little further in this post.

Ultimately, Honey and I agreed that physical therapy sounded like the right step. But of course as our Army life goes, we received this news three days before our movers were coming to pack up our home. We weren't going to be able to get an appointment with a therapist in Tennessee! Our doctor sent us along to Kansas with a letter explaining her recommendation.

Armed with her recommendation letter, several cups of coffee hot tea, and one million deep breaths later, I had Parker booked for an appointment with a renowned physical therapy office in downtown Kansas City, a location that is 50 minutes away from our home on Fort Leavenworth.

First Parker and I went to the center, called the Infant Development Center, to meet the director and have a one hour evaluation with the therapist. Parker thought it was playtime and had a wonderful time playing and exploring. Our time was spent discussing specifics about Parker Bear and watching him do some exercises. The therapist will use what she learned from the evaluation to build her plan for our appointments going forward. She recommended that we meet for 30-minutes each week, every Wednesday afternoon.

I feel like this is a good time to get the *sympathy part* out of the way. What do I mean by that? Well as I mentioned earlier, Parker has started physical therapy and we? Are excited about it! Recently as I was sharing this (with someone I hardly know), they frowned, said awww, followed by I'm sorry. I wasn't prepared for this reaction and it caught me off guard. What were they sorry for? Sorry that we are able to find the help we need to get our baby boy mobile?

At first this response irked me. This apology, by an almost stranger, for something good in our lives. Then I realized, people don't know what to say. This person didn't really know how to react because I hadn't yet said if this was a good or bad thing. People need a little help sometimes. So now? I say every time we talk about this new chapter of our lives, Parker has started physical therapy, and we are excited about it! In other words, don't apologize. Don't glance sympathetically over at Parker. Don't tilt your head and attempt sympathy with me. Instead? Give us encouragement! Give us a positive response! And if you have questions, please ask! I realize that this is different. I realize that this is not the normal experience. But it is still good.

Well now that I got that out of the way, let me also answer a few questions about his therapy. These were our questions to the doctor (and physical therapist) and these questions have come up with family and friends.

Does he have to crawl before he walks? No, he doesn't have to. However crawling teaches a lot about balance and coordination. Missing the opportunity to crawl means learning about balance and coordination later - and on two feet - when it is easier to learn about them on hands and knees.

Why is he not crawling? According to his therapist, all babies develop "patterns". The steps he would need to take to start to crawl are not part of Parker's "pattern". His content attitude and happy demeanor have not helped. He is just content where he is.

Does he stand? Parker loves to stand! We will pull him up to play with some of his standing-up-toys and he just loves it! He loves to play with toys standing up next to our couch too. He has very good balance according to his doctor.

Does he cruise? No.
Does he pull up? No.

What does he do in physical therapy? As you can see in some of the pictures, he practices building strength in his arms and his core. He is beginning to learn new "patterns" which will lead to crawling, scooting, whatever eventually becomes his mobile method.

Is therapy uncomfortable? No! Honestly I was afraid that it was going to be uncomfortable or even painful but it is neither! Parker thinks that therapy time is play time and it is wonderful! He doesn't really know that he is "working". His therapist is so tender and loving with him too. I am so pleased with how she handles us!

So what's next? We will continue to attend our weekly therapy sessions. Parker's progress is being monitored by his physical therapist. We will do our "homework" at home. And then we'll see what happens.

Thank you for reading and for supporting us!

A Clean Nerdy Birdy Cake

The aroma hit me as soon as I walked through the front door. It was like I had been transported to Candy Land. The smells of wonderful, delightful, chocolately sweets swept me right into her kitchen.

In her trademark red bandana and her crisp white apron, Sara Knight, the owner of Nerdy Birdy Bakery welcomed me into her home and into her top secret kitchen. 

Despite the commercial grade stainless steel work-top in the middle of her grand kitchen, the large stand alone convection oven, the neatly organized shelving units, and secondary refrigerator, this large kitchen was warm and friendly as Sara opened her Book of Secret Recipes.

I was here to make cake. Not just any cake, a first birthday cake, a smash cake, for my little boy's first birthday. And I had come to the home of Nerdy Birdy for a special cake. A "clean" cake.

Our family has committed to eating "clean" as much as possible. That means eliminating, when and where we can, unnatural sugars, white flour, whole grains, and any processed foods - which is a lot. It is a learning experience, a journey, and a lifestyle choice for us. It's something that we strive for daily.

This is not to say that we don't at times eat "dirty" food. We have storebought ice cream from time to time (even Parker has had his first ice cream from a store!), we go out to eat and are at the mercy of the restaurant, we eat at friends houses and enjoy whatever meal they have prepared for us. But for the most part, when we can control what goes in our mouth, we "clean" it up.

While I wanted my little one-year-old to have a delicious "smash" cake for his birthday celebration, I know too much. I know too much about the toxins and poisons people unknowingly put into their bodies every day and I just couldn't stand to feed that to my baby boy. But he had to have cake!

Enter the C L E A N  C A K E !

Nerdy Birdy operates a gluten-free, grain-free, toxin-free bakery near our home in Tennessee. I knew I could purchase a hand crafted creation from them but to complicate matters, I wanted to make Parker's birthday cake. 

So I called Sara up - we know each other through the CrossFit gym - and asked her... Could she make a cake for Parker but could I be there to help, assist, wash dishes, anything that would allow me to be a part of the process? Sara LOVED the idea and welcomed me with open arms! 

In fact Sara told me that I would make the cakes and she would be the assistant! Perfect. 

Oh, yes cakes.  There were two cakes, one for Parker's actual birthday and another for his birthday party.

So Parker and I pulled up to her large, beautifully decorated home and were ushered into the kitchen to be greeted by Sara's other passion, birds! They were a hoot and Parker loved watching them.

Over the course of the next 4 and a half hours we bumped elbows, to the sound of the high speed mixer, Sara gracefully moving about the kitchen pulling out this ingredient and that, while I measured, mixed and poured. 

We laughed and talked and the clock ticked by. We are both army wives, both mothers, both devoted to eating clean, both trying to perfect our CrossFit moves, both love to bake, the conversation flowed easily. 

And at the end? We had two clean cakes. They were flawless. And delicious. And I couldn't - and still can't - believe that I made them.

The birthday boy loved his cakes! Guests who got to sample the "clean" cake were impressed. The cake has sugar - but natural sugar, it has flour - but not white or grain flour. The taste was so rich and pure and true and delicious!

Will Parker always have a clean cake for his birthday? Probably not. Probably not every single birthday party for the rest of his life, no. 

Will I do it again? In a heartbeat. In an absolute heartbeat! 

Boot Camp Week 2

I don’t know but I’ve been told… Boot Camp girls are strong a bold.

That is the opening of the cadence we chant at boot camp. Seriously. I wrote last week about the4-week-boot-camp I enrolled in at the gym this month.

So how’s it going? Well I’m glad it’s just four weeks! Boot camp is grueling and our coaches do a great job playing the drill sergeant routine. 

It’s serious. 

If someone is late? We all pay a penalty. If we finish the work out before others, we run in place or jump rope until everyone is done. It’s no joke. And that’s on top of a workout that might make you cry.

In addition to the 3-days-a-week of boot camp we are also doing three CrossFit workouts per week. Those are tough too but recently I’ve found them to be a nice change to the boot camp!

So for those keeping score that’s six workouts in one week. Ouch.

Then there’s the meal plan. I love being on a meal plan. It takes the guess work out of eating healthy and cooking clean. But at the same time the meal plan is my biggest issue. The shopping, prepping, and cooking three meals a day plus at least one snack for Honey and I is proving to put quite a demand on my time.

I need an extra day each week just to prep so that I can put the meals together quickly and easily!

But the food itself? Delicious! Honey and I have not yet had a meal we didn’t like! Which is wonderful!

Biggest challenge so far? First was being out of town and having to make healthy choices when temptation was eh-va-ry where. Second is being prepared with meals at home. Always having the ingredients to make the meals and snacks in advance so I have what I need when I need it. But isn’t that true with every meal plan?

So for week two, we’re hanging in there, still doing it. Still glad we’re doing it? Today I’d say yes. But ask me again tomorrow!

Baby Got Back

If you’ve ever seen me in real life, you know I have an – ahem – booty. It’s genetic. I work to keep it - and the rest of my body - in check. I go to CrossFit classes three or four times a week and eat clean most of the time.

Even so, bikini ready I am not. This horrible fact was really brought to my attention last week when I went to the beach and put a bikini on. Ack!

So when my gym announced that were offering a four-week boot camp, the timing was perfect. The boot camp is three days a week for one hour. The additional requirements are that you must work out three additional times during the week. And stick to a very strict nutrition plan.

As our coaches say, abs are made in the kitchen.

Ugh, no truer words have ever been uttered. 

So the work outs I can do. Do they suck? Yes. But I think of what I’m working towards. What I want to look like. And it’s only an hour. And I do it.

The nutrition plan is harder. No one is there encouraging you. The opportunity to cheat is everywhere.

But maybe the hardest part is that everything I eat has to be prepared. By me. In my kitchen. No tearing open a bag of chips. No throwing together a sandwich. No. Everything has to be chopped, prepped, and cooked. And that? Is the hardest part for me.

Oh and while I’m in this boot camp? Honey and I are attending a marriage retreat in a nearby town (more on that later), we are hosting both sets of grandparents for a weekend for Parker’s dedication, we celebrate two years of marriage, and we are celebrating Parker’s First Birthday with a no-holds-barred birthday bash. 

Not exactly a "good" time to start such a boot camp. But is there ever a “good” time to say I want to take my fitness and nutrition to the next level? NO! So the time for me is now.

I’m excited about participating and Honey has my back one-hundred-and-ten-percent. He’s doing his own work outs and is fully committed to the meal plan with me. (Is he the best or what?!)

Of course I’ll keep you posted... I kinda have to now right.

Oh the before pics? Don’t ask. I’m not sharing those!

I’m off to the kitchen to prepare another healthy meal!

The Tubes

Parker got tubes in his ears last week two weeks ago. (It's just taken me that long to blog about it...)

Our poor baby has had one ear infection after another this year. So many that when I asked our pediatrician to help me count how many infections he had she told me that it was difficult to say because they just seemed to string along all winter long.

Our pediatrician referred us to a fabulous ENT who confirmed that our Parker Bear was a candidate for tubes and as luck would have it, the surgery was scheduled for the very next day!

Honey was out of town for work and my mom was visiting Parker and I that week so I was *very happy* not to be alone for my baby's surgery. My emotions were all over the place - thankful to have an answer that was going to help Parker Bear in the long run and scared out of my mind to hand my ten month old over for surgery.

We had to arrive at the surgical center by 6:45 AM for our 7:45 AM surgery appointment. The worst part? Parker could not have anything to eat or drink after midnight the night before. That meant I could not nurse him upon waking the morning of his surgery. Worst. News. Ever. For both he and I.

The night the before the surgery I hardly slept. I kept waking up and couldn't go back to sleep. When the hour to rise finally came I was shaking and felt like I was going to throw up... How I managed to get dressed that morning I'll never know.

I scooped Parker from his crib and took him straight to the car without even changing his diaper. (Hooray cloth diapers!) We drove the 20 minute drive in complete silence. I was afraid that with too much interaction from me Parker would cry wanting to nurse.

When we got to the center, I went inside to fill out paperwork and my mom stayed in the car with Parker. I thought he may go back to sleep but he decided he wanted Twinkle (my mom) to play with him! So they played while I was inside. Sweet baby.

When it was time I ran to the car to get Parker and bring him in. I changed him into the surgical gown and also changed his diaper. 

By the way, if you ever see infant surgical gowns, bring a tissue. I wasn't prepared for that. Babies just shouldn't be in surgical/hospital gowns.

I held Parker while the doctor and nurses went over everything one final time. Then it was time for the worst part.

There was a hospital bed in the small pre-op room where we were waiting and I asked the nurse if they were going to wheel Parker back to the OR in that bed. Fortunately she said - No, Honey, I'm going to carry him! 

I was so thankful! Watching him get wheeled away in that bed would have broken my heart to the point where I would have likely needed a sedative!

Instead the nurse had a warm fluffy blanket that she wrapped around Parker to carry him in. He looked up at the nurse and gave her a huge Parker Bear smile and away they walked to the OR. Seeing him go happily helped to ease my fears.

Then we waited. For a whole seven minutes. The doctor came out. Parker did great! We could go see him!

Coming out of surgery Parker was not happy. He was disoriented, tired, and hungry. I held him immediately. We nursed as soon as possible. Parker was happy to be with me but still a bit fussy. Understandably!! He fell asleep the moment I placed him in his carseat.

He woke up when we got him home just as happy as can be! The rest of the day was surprisingly normal. Parker nursed and napped on his usual schedule. 

We gave Parker antibiotic drops in each ear every morning and night for one week. He has to wear ear plugs during his bath to keep water out. Aside from that there have been no changes to our day-to-day with the exception of me fearing the next ear infection coming on!

We had our post-op check up one week later and the doctor was very pleased! Parker should continue to wear ear plugs until the tubes fall out. No problem! He doesn't mind wearing them and that is certainly a small price to pay.

This experience only reminds me even more of how very blessed we are to live in a time when we can get the medical care we need when we need it to improve our lives.

Thanks for reading and caring about our boy! I loved hearing from so many other mommy's on IG and Facebook that they had been through the same experience. Love it when the world feels smaller and I can connect with other moms like that!