Today is a special day. Gavin's Gramma & Grampa are celebrating their 24th wedding anniversary! Next year definitely calls for a huge celebration! Congratulations! We love you!!
I just came across this adorable video of Gavin wearing his first prosthetic arm when he was 7 months old! (He is 21 months today by the way and I can't believe how much he has grown!)
I have been meaning to write about Gavin's experiences with prosthetic arms (He has had 2 so far). It was not an easy decision for us and I just thought I would talk a bit about that process.
John and I have had a lot of mixed emotions about Gavin wearing a prosthetic arm. He has always used his own arm to hold things, give us hugs, etc. and it seemed strange to have his soft, chubby little arm covered up with a piece of hard plastic. We just love him so much just the way he is. Perfect.
We decided we were open to learning more about prosthetic arms but we also wanted to make sure he continued to learn to use his own arm and adapt in his own way. We also didn't like that a prosthetic would take away his sense of touch on his left arm, which is one of the most important ways for a baby to explore their world. And we didn't want him to ever feel that he needed a prosthetic arm to be "normal."
It was a huge relief to meet the staff at Bloorview Kids Rehab. They have always been SO incredibly friendly and helpful. Its so reassuring to know that we have such an amazing support system right at our finger tips.
We met with Lisa, his occupational therapist, who recommended that it would be a good idea to have him get familiar with wearing one at a young age so it wouldn't be a challenge to get used to later in life if he wanted to wear one. We deiced that we definitely didn't want to deprive him of any opportunity to make life easier for him. We agreed to get him fitted for a passive prosthesis around 6 months old. Lisa suggested that it would be helpful in regards to his balance when he started sitting up (although he actually started sitting up on his own before he got fitted for his arm) and also for crawling (although he ended up crawling better without the prosthetic on). But that was just Gavin, every baby is different.
We returned to Bloorview in January '09 to start the process. Bryan, a prosthetist (a.k.a. guy who makes awesome prosthetic limbs!) made a cast of Gavin's little arm. Tiniest cast I have ever seen! Gavin didn't even seem to notice what was going on so that was done in record time.
Bryan suggested personalizing the arm with something that would make Gavin more interested in it, like a character, interesting pattern etc. That got me thinking... If we were going to try this we might as well make it cute! After a lot of thought, we decided on a Finding Nemo theme since they both have little "fins" :)
We went back the next week so Gavin could try on a clear mold Bryan made from the cast of his arm to make sure it was a good fit and see if any adjustments needed to be made.
After that, we just had to wait for it to be ready. I was so excited to see how it turned out! On Feb. 9, '09 it was finally the big day!
Bryan did an amazing job and we couldn't have been happier with how it turned out! And Gavin LOVED it. He instantly wanted to hold it, talk to it and taste it in true Gavin style. He loved to bang it around and kept hitting himself in the chest with it like a gorilla!
John put it on him for the first time and I felt a little choked up because Gavin seemed so happy and excited and he was holding his stuffed monkey with two hands.
It was a bit of an emotional day but we were left feeling really happy about our decision.
The weather has been so gorgeous lately. Yesterday Gavin decided that Tiger could use some fresh air too and we took him for a little walk. He was the cutest little thing walking down the sidewalk pushing his stroller with such concentration.
The other day I was so happy when Gavin asked for something by pointing at it and saying, "peeaaass?". When I gave it to him he smiled and said "tank eww!" :)
He is pretty good about saying please but this was the first time he said thank you without me telling him to. I was so proud! :)
Here are a few others from zazzle.com. Most of them are more appropriate for teenagers or adults but I think it is a good way to express to people that you are content with your body the way it is and its OK to joke around sometimes.
We are honestly so blessed to have such an awesomely talented photographer as a friend. Annya has taken so many amazing pictures of Gavin and just been so generous and supportive to our family. It means a lot to us.
Well she recently announced that she is participating in the International Charity Model Search to select North America's "Cutest Family." The grand prize is a new car so that seemed like a pretty good incentive for John & I to finally get in front of the camera as well! We were long overdue for family photos anyway.
This photo shoot was a bit of a challenge because Gavin wasn't in the mood to sit and pose for the camera (Really?? A restless toddler who doesn't want to sit still? Ha!). We had to get a bit creative with him but Annya worked her magic and we ended up with some beautiful shots to choose from!
We had a really hard time deciding but we ended up submitting this photo. I just love how natural it is and it makes me smile because every time I see it I can just hear the sound of his silly little laugh!
To vote for us you can go HERE and select Toronto as the tour city. It is $1/vote and all proceeds benefit the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation. Click on the link for more info about this wonderfully unique cause. It is very bittersweet but I do think it is a really important step in helping a family to heal after the loss of a child.
To see more of Annya's work or get in contact with her you can check out her beautiful website at annyamillerphotography.com It is worth it just to see all the adorable babies! :)
Lauren won a FIFTH gold medal yesterday, making her the first ever winter Paralympian to top the podium five consecutive times in a single Paralympic Games. How incredible is that??
She's pretty much my new hero.
“I just feel kind of surprised still. It’s so much more than my expectations,” said Woolstencroft, who is now a 10-time Paralympic medallist.
Tune in for the Paralympic closing ceremonies tonight at 10pm!
The weather has been so beautiful we have been spending a lot of time outside lately. It seemed like a good time to clean up the yard but as soon as Gavin saw me using the rake, he wanted to do it himself.
Our son, Gavin, was born with a congenital limb difference. His left arm is amputated just below the elbow (LBE). Sometimes the easiest way to explain it to people, especially children, is that he has one little arm, just like Nemo has one little fin!
From the moment he was born, Gavin has proven that there is nothing he can't do. He inspires me every day with his big, gorgeous smile and his determination.
This blog is my way of sharing the struggles and accomplishments of having a child with a limb difference. It is also to answer any questions people might have. There is no limit to what child amputees can achieve. Just try telling Gavin that there is something he can't do, and he will prove you wrong! He may have to do some things a bit differently, but he will always find a way.
Here is my little garden,
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