Noah Tries Yogurt

Noah has decided that he does not want to give us a repeat performance for sleeping through the night just yet. But at least we know that it is possible for him. I honestly think he has his daddy's alarm clock, and sleeps best when there's nothing stirring in the house at any hour.

Noah also had another first yesterday. He ate yogurt for the very first time. He loved it, and we watched him carefully since it was really the first time he's had whole milk and we weren't sure if he'd develop any signs of being lactose intolerant. But it went great.

We received something in the mail from Medicaid on Friday. I had assumed it was the approval letter for more physical therapy since we have to renew our request every six months, but it was actually a letter regarding his kidcart that was ordered. It appears they didn't approve the entire kidcart because his diagnosis doesn't support it. I have no idea what this means, but after making some phone calls and speaking to ATG Rehab it sounds like the majority of what we needed approved to get it was approved, and that the denial portions won't influence us not getting his kidcart. I won't know for a few weeks. Insurance of any kind whether you have Medicaid or private insurance is so difficult to deal with. I don't know of a single family that I've spoken to with a special needs child that isn't having the same problem trying to find a way to get things for therapy and not being able to finance them because insurances won't cover any of it. I will never understand that. If it is health related then it should be covered without any red tape. And as parents we feel that our children could benefit from so much if we could just get our hands on it.

I of course have found more therapy goodies that I want for Noah. Maybe I'm quickly becoming a therapy addict. But I'm seeing things blossom in Noah, and I have to keep going, have to keep trying, he will get there with lots of love and lots of help.

Noah was blessed by kindness to receive a WaterWayBabies Tub and special Cushi Tush seat. We got them last week, and the Cushi Tush is helping him so much. The bumbo seat just wasn't designed for someone like Noah, he has no balance, goes backwards, has trouble correcting himself. But the Cushi Tush has a higher back and keeps him centered. He still wants to go "north" sometimes. But he finds a way to bring himself back to the center.

We also took Noah to Costco because we needed milk, and put him the grocery cart again to see if he had gotten any better over the last few months. Strapped in he doesn't want to go side to side anymore, but his head still arches backwards like he is permanently looking at the ceiling. It's hard for him to pull that head forwards, but he is trying to hold onto the cart with both hands in front, something he wouldn't even attempt three months ago. So even though he clearly looks handicap in a grocery cart still, it is less so than before. I'm sure we got lots of looks as we were shopping as we're holding the back of his head in the cart the whole time trying to shop. But our sweet checkers at Costco all know Noah and always have such kind words for us as we are leaving. They'll ll say it's "Noah time" he'll get there. All of them so genuinely happy to see him and are so proud of him.

Noah is so determined to try, he works so hard, and we owe it to him, to give him every opportunity we can to go the distance.

Love,
Stacy, Chris & Noah