Michael was home for his first birthday, we'd had him home for 3 months out of his first 12.
On his first birthday, Michael was still pretty much like a 3 month old baby. He loved to sit in his bouncy chair playing with his baby-gym and knock the clowns backwards and forwards, he also used to swing his left arm backwards so that he bounced his own chair. He was fairly vocal, and used to love communicating with you, he would make noises, gutteral sounds. He was also smiling at this point.
He couldn't however sit unsupported, he wasn't rolling over, nor was he crawling or walking. He still had the frog shape from when he had his hernia's. Imagine a frogs back legs when they're laid out straight and you'll get what I mean. He was still 02 dependant, and now also had a feeding tube.
He loved high impact musical toys, the louder, the brighter, the better, he explored everything with his mouth, which led to some interesting choking sessions...the older he got the more interesting these choking sessions became!! If it wasn't nailed down it went in his mouth.
As he'd been so sick, so early on in flu/cold season, Michael was prescribed the RSV shots, in the hope that this would help see him through the winter. So once a month we would go to the hospital to have the shots.
They, however didn't stop us spending a fair amount of time in hospital, with Chest Infections, Pneumonia etc!
Michael was admitted the week before Christmas and came home on Christmas Eve. The hospital was still a second home for us.
Developmental Delay
During one visit the Paed, asked if Michael was walking round the furniture, given that he could just about hold his head up, it seemed a bit of a silly question....but most children over a year if not walking are at least walking round the furniture! The Paed started talking Developmental Delay
We requested a referral to Physio for Michael, but it would be some 10 months before the appointment would come through.
We also started introducing lumpy solids to Michael, in the hope that we would be able to move from puree's to more solid foods, it was no go. The lumps stuck in his throat, which would then leave him gagging and vomiting.
So we went back to smooth puree's. No matter how hard we tried or how often we tried to move on to the next stage in Baby food we failed dismally...he just didn't seem to be able to manage lumps.
As Michael's physical development started to take off, His 02 requirements came down and eventually we were able to wean Michael off oxygen during the day.
By 16 months he was sitting by himself...falling over a lot...but sitting! by 18 months he was managing a couple of hours off oxygen at a time. He started trying to crawl, and roll. There was no stopping him then, by 20 months he was crawling and climbing like a mountain goat. He still wasn't walking, but he was cruising the furniture, and climbing.......
An appointment came through to see a Physio and Occupational Therapist, Michael was prescribed boots to help steady his balance, and exercises to help strengthen his hip joints. He was diagnosed as having Hypotonia and Ligamentous Laxity.
Michael needed constant attention he could not be left for a minuite, all ornaments were thrown from window ledges, the book case emptied, video cases shredded, draws emptied, and DVD's, Playstation games etc chewed. Michael seemed to have developed a destructive streak, he ate the paper covers from video's and enjoyed chewing the plastic covers. He drew on the walls, he tore wallpaper, he chewed jigsaws and books. It is heart-breaking to find objects of sentimental value in pieces, when you think they are out of reach.
He would climb onto the dining room table and throw folded washing onto the floor, I don't think I can stress how disheartening this whole phase of his life was, it is hard to see your child destroying your enviroment, the home you have worked hard to build, to see it was almost as if he'd got stuck at a certain developmental level and wasn't shifting.
I seemed to be spending most of my life on my hands and knees. The house looked like a hurricane had swept through. It was starting to feel like nothing was safe.
Michael sister was born when he was 23 months old......his "hyperactivity" was more so apparent, when I was pinned under her feeding he would be getting himself into all sorts of dangerous situations. Martin would come home and on more than one occasion find me in tears. It was at this point that I was starting to wonder if I was going to be able to cope.
Michael had very little verbal communication, he could not/would not tell us what he wanted, he would climb to get it. He didn't seem to have any real idea of the dangers that he was getting himself into, but no matter how hard we tried to discipline him, teach him no and the rights and wrongs it didn't seem to be having any effect at all.
During a home visit from the Community Nurses I discussed the difficulties that we were experiencing with him, looking for some answers, so an appointment was made to see the Paed in clinic. I'm not sure I will ever properly be able to describe the despair I felt, as Michael tore through the house destroying everything in his path.
She arranged an appointment to see the Paed in Clinic..so off we went, I described the difficulties that we were experiencing with Michael's behaviour, his lack of communication skills etc, we were first appointment of the day, I think the Paed probably wished we weren't, our appointment was for 9.30am and I was in there for nearly an hour, the Paed agreed to refer Michael to the Child Development Centre to see a Community Paediatrician.
By Michael's second birthday...we had a destructive mountain goat who still wasn't able to walk!
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