Byron Climbing!

When we were in Baltimore for Byron's therapy, one of the things I noticed was his insecurity and hesitancy around climbing equipment.  At our local mall, a new climbing, jumping play space just opened.

Tonight was our fourth visit.  It's five dollars an hour with an additional dollar for an extra hour.  Fantastic bargain!  The first time we visited, I had to enter each of the climbing spaces with Byron and help him on each piece of equipment.  The second and third times he got a bit better at each slide/jump. His dad was with us on the third visit and with Bob's encouragement he mastered a slide that he could not even get half way up the time before before.  Well tonight, on his own, he decided to climb the biggest, most scary slide in the whole place;  it's even hard for me.  Here he is!

Here's the much littler slide that he had trouble with the first couple of times.  He's great now!

Sledding!

We awoke to three inches of soft snow this morning.  Time for...SLEDDING!

Random Christmas 2009

Byron Skis!

Skiing is very important to Byron's Dad Bob.  Bob is a Ski Patroller at the local ski mountain, Greek Peak.  Since Byron was a little over 18 months, Bob has been piggy backing Byron down the slopes.  This year we began a systematic approach to teaching Byron to ski.  This is lesson one, on the Bunny Slope.  Greek Peak also has a Ski Wee program and an Adaptive Ski program for children with Special Needs.  As the winter progresses, we'll publish more ski updates!  In this video Byron is two years and eight months.

The End of a Sweet Era and New Beginnings

These wonderful people above, Leslie, Kathy, Sheryl, Pam and Andy have been part of the community that has raised Byron since he was three months old.   Each one has made an indelible mark on Byron's life.  Byron can walk, talk and interact with others, in large part because of the loving and one -pointed attention of each of these talented professionals.

This week is the last week Byron will see this Team, "Team Byron" as I have photoshopped in above.   On January 4th he starts Elementary School with a new team, a new world, a new adventure.  The woman on the right in the picture below is Diane Olden.  She has coordinated all of Byron's care and looked after our family with so much care and love.  She has ben with us from the beginning and we owe her our sanity and our deep gratitude.  She is standing with Byron's new occupational therapist and his new speech therapist.  Last week we went to Byron's new classroom to take a tour and they came to meet us.   Byron's new teacher's name is Elizabeth Kuo and she seems very nice.   She will be coming to visit Byron's home too, so she can see what he likes to do and what his environment is like. I think that is so cool.

Circle time in Byron's new classroom.  Byron is sitting in the lap of his former Speech Therapist, Sheryl, who came for the school tour.  Byron was quite overwhelmed by the tour and he started rubbing his eyes and acting pretty sleepy.  Byron will be the youngest student in the whole school! Byron will be receiving Speech, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and be meeting with a Social Worker - each for two times per week.  He will be a busy guy!

Byron has been hanging out at the new "Jumping Gym" at our local mall.  It's a large store full of blown up jumping stuff.  He loves it!

Byron and I have also been enjoying the company of our new neighbors Heather and her 22 month old son Eli.  Here they are having a snack at Eli's house.

Byron got his first Barber Shop haircut at his Dad's Barber the other day.  When I posted the picture below, I noticed that you could really see Byron's Exotropia (eye turning out).   Just a side note, Byron's eye doctor wants to put off surgery to correct this until Byron is four, with the idea that it may correct itself.  Bob and I want to get a second opinion on this, so Byron will be seeing a new eye doctor next week.  We'll see....

 

We put up our tree today.  Byron loves trains, so we found a train that will go around the tree!  It is sooo coool!  I think I love it more than Byron does.

Happy Holidays to everyone!!!!!