From the begining I was pregnant with Elias I knew he was going to be different. At the time I thought he was going to be a independent baby and his personality would be different from his other siblings. What I didn't know was that he was going to be different in many other ways, and he would need my attention more than his siblings. Elias was born on 11/03/2006 and he was a huge baby and it was a natural birth!
I was very happy because he seemed like a happy baby and he was good with feeding and sleeping...but still there was something different about him. When he was 3 months he started holding his hands straight up for long periods of time and he had his fists closed all the time. I noticed that he couldn't turn his head to the left, the back of his head was starting to shape funny. I took him to his doctor and he was diagnosed with Torticollis which is is a condition in which the head is tilted toward one side, and the chin is elevated and turned toward the opposite side. The treatment is physical therapy and he also had for plagiocephaly which caused his head to have that funny shape and he had to wear a helmet to re-shape his head to what is a 'normal shape'.
We started physical therapy and it was painful for him, he was just a baby. He wasn't a normal baby, he had to wear the helmet 23 hours of the day. He had to be carried a certain way, he couldn't turn on his own, he couldn't crawl. He was delayed in all these special milestones that parents look forward too. Elias learned to sit up at 9 months and crawl at 11 months and walk at 13 months. Elias still recieves physical therapy because he is still delayed in things that toddlers should do. He can't run like a normal toddler, he walks on his tippy toes he cant ride a toy car because he doesnt know how to move his legs back and forth. As a mom this is still difficult to deal with because I have to watch every single move he does and correct him so that he can learn to improve. Elias is 20 months old now almost 2 years-old.
I also discovered that he wasnt speaking alot and when he did I couldn't really understand what he was saying. We got him evaluated and he does have a 6 month speech delay. Elias doesn't chew his food correctly which causes him to choke, that is also a delay that he has. He will be recieving speech therapy, feeding therapy and occupational therapy!!!
Yes it is very overwhelming, the physical stuff he has I can deal with and its easy for me to moderate. Now with his speech delay its so much HARDER to communicate with him. He gets frustruated and screams and throws toys at us when we dont understand him or when he is trying to communicate with his siblings. He is very physical when he cant communicate, and he gets frustruated and as do I.
I made him a speech book and that has helped and improved things a little bit but he wants to talk like his siblings and I'm sure he is jealous. It's only normal. As a parent its exhausting emotionally and physically. But I have my mom who has experience with this because my older brother Tito has cerebal palsy and can't communicate like us but he does speak, and she had the same hardships. I think about him when I get really frustruated...and then I calm down and say its okay! My bf also went through it with her son and is still going through it....she helps me alot and gives me advice and techniques to do with elias.
My side of the family has accepted who he is and we are trying to help him in anyway...on the other hand his dad is in denial still and so is his family! I hardly think about that or even entertain the idea....it is what it is! Being in denial only sets my son back and his speech will only digress and I won't let that happen. Everyday is a struggle but I'm lucky I have friends and family that is supportive and are there for me to vent when I have those hard days:)
I was very happy because he seemed like a happy baby and he was good with feeding and sleeping...but still there was something different about him. When he was 3 months he started holding his hands straight up for long periods of time and he had his fists closed all the time. I noticed that he couldn't turn his head to the left, the back of his head was starting to shape funny. I took him to his doctor and he was diagnosed with Torticollis which is is a condition in which the head is tilted toward one side, and the chin is elevated and turned toward the opposite side. The treatment is physical therapy and he also had for plagiocephaly which caused his head to have that funny shape and he had to wear a helmet to re-shape his head to what is a 'normal shape'.
We started physical therapy and it was painful for him, he was just a baby. He wasn't a normal baby, he had to wear the helmet 23 hours of the day. He had to be carried a certain way, he couldn't turn on his own, he couldn't crawl. He was delayed in all these special milestones that parents look forward too. Elias learned to sit up at 9 months and crawl at 11 months and walk at 13 months. Elias still recieves physical therapy because he is still delayed in things that toddlers should do. He can't run like a normal toddler, he walks on his tippy toes he cant ride a toy car because he doesnt know how to move his legs back and forth. As a mom this is still difficult to deal with because I have to watch every single move he does and correct him so that he can learn to improve. Elias is 20 months old now almost 2 years-old.
I also discovered that he wasnt speaking alot and when he did I couldn't really understand what he was saying. We got him evaluated and he does have a 6 month speech delay. Elias doesn't chew his food correctly which causes him to choke, that is also a delay that he has. He will be recieving speech therapy, feeding therapy and occupational therapy!!!
Yes it is very overwhelming, the physical stuff he has I can deal with and its easy for me to moderate. Now with his speech delay its so much HARDER to communicate with him. He gets frustruated and screams and throws toys at us when we dont understand him or when he is trying to communicate with his siblings. He is very physical when he cant communicate, and he gets frustruated and as do I.
I made him a speech book and that has helped and improved things a little bit but he wants to talk like his siblings and I'm sure he is jealous. It's only normal. As a parent its exhausting emotionally and physically. But I have my mom who has experience with this because my older brother Tito has cerebal palsy and can't communicate like us but he does speak, and she had the same hardships. I think about him when I get really frustruated...and then I calm down and say its okay! My bf also went through it with her son and is still going through it....she helps me alot and gives me advice and techniques to do with elias.
My side of the family has accepted who he is and we are trying to help him in anyway...on the other hand his dad is in denial still and so is his family! I hardly think about that or even entertain the idea....it is what it is! Being in denial only sets my son back and his speech will only digress and I won't let that happen. Everyday is a struggle but I'm lucky I have friends and family that is supportive and are there for me to vent when I have those hard days:)
