Bean Museum "Field Trip"

Easton has been in preschool since he turned three. His Early Intervention services end when he turns three and he transfers to the school district. While it was really hard to leave all those ladies we had come to really love and think of as family, the preschool teachers, aides, and other specialists have been AMAZING too!

This was their class "field trip" to the Bean Museum. (Really one of the workers came to the class.) I wasn't there, but another mom was and she took pictures and sent them to me. Easton is usually terrified of animals, but apparently he thought these creepy crawly things were pretty cool. :) He really is enjoying his preschool class so much and I am grateful he gets to have these experiences and learn from his peers.

Happy Birthday Easton! (A Few Months Late)

Easton boy did not feel well on his birthday! I think this picture says it all. I am sure he is thinking this is about all the smile you are going to get Mom! Now leave me alone.

This is the next day and he felt even worse! Poor boy. It was especially sad because we had to cancel or miss a lot of his last Early Intervention appointments with all of his therapist that had become more like family than anything else.

 Eventually (I think this was a week later) he got feeling better and it was cake time! His hands are like that a lot, but this time he really was super excited!!!

He just wanted me to stop taking pictures and everyone else to leave him alone so he could try to eat his cake!

And this is what he end up like! Mix cake, a whole lot of slobber and the fact that he really can't get things to his mouth very well and this is what you get! He and the whole high chair went straight in the shower!

Sitting Up Like A Big Boy

Around the end of August, Easton all of a sudden started sitting by himself. He was working with his Occupational Therapist; she had him in a criss-cross applesauce sitting position; she stopped giving his support and low and behold he stayed sitting and he has been doing it ever since. It is so much fun for him and gives his many more options that laying down didn't give. He has even gotten to the point now where he can lift both hands at the same time and play with a toy. He does need to be put into sitting and won't catch himself if he falls, especially backwards, but he is getting better all the time and we are hoping before too long these things will be a normal for him too! :)

Easton's Wheels

We did get Easton's wheelchair back in September. We went up for a fitting and adjustments and at first Easton was not so sure about the whole thing. In and out. In and out, but once he got to stay in his chair and get wheeled around, he thought it was great. We ended up getting a manual chair for now, but plan/hope he will be able to qualify for a motorized chair in the next year or so. Easton LOVES his wheelchair. He loves being at a higher level than a stroller gives him. He loves the tray that comes with it so he can color or play with toys. He loves going fast. It has been so great and we can't even express how grateful for all the help we have received in getting this chair.

Easton has been up to a lot of AMAZING things lately. Unfortunately his mommy was tired and pregnant and didn't want to blog for a long time. Hopefully now that his new baby brother is here, his mommy will get her life in order and share lots of these things soon! :)

If You Haven't Heard...

This is the reason I haven't been blogging much lately. I am 19 weeks now and feeling much better. Hopefully, I will get back into a routine and stop being so lazy.

The last edition to the Gappmayer Family due out January 2014.

Easton's Yard Sale (Part One)

I don't have any pictures from the yard sale (yet). My sister was the photographer for the day and I haven't had a chance to get the pictures from her, but I will. Let me just say, though, that it was a SMASHING success. From set up (at 4:30 am) until the last item was hauled off (at around 4 pm) everything went fairly smooth. It was great! We couldn't have done it without all the help of family and friends and strangers who donated time, items, talents, location (Orem Family Pharmacy was PERFECT!!!!) and everything else that I'm sure I don't even know about. Really, it was an amazing day! Thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, and THANKS!!!

Cuddle Bug

Easton is either a great sleeper or completely horrible. This night it was bad! In fact, so bad that I ditched out around 1 am because he had already been crying for three hours and I just couldn't take it anymore. I put him in his crib, shut the door, and walked away. By walked away, I mean I went downstairs and closed the door so I could only just barely hear him crying. Sad I know, but when you are only getting a couple hours of sleep at night you get pushed to your limit fast after a few nights.

This is what I found the next morning. Apparently, Eric had gone in to get him not long after I ditched out. They cuddled up in bed and slept the night through. You might not be able to tell, but East has Eric pushed all the way over to the edge of the bed so he is just barely hangin' on. I guess Easont just needs three fourths of a queen sized bed to get some good sleep. Love it!!!

Another PTTF Race

This past weekend Easton had another race with PTTF. It was a little different because they had help organizing it from a kid who was helping for his Eagle Scout Project. His name was Zach and he did a great job. We were really glad East could participate and have another great race experience.

Not too sure about not having Uncle Bill push him, but of course ended up LOVING it!

This was the most kids PTTF has ever had at one race. It was awesome to see so many racers.

Newspaper Story

Just wanted to share this awesome article that was in the Daily Herald on Wednesday. So grateful for the Brookside 2nd graders who are working so hard to help earn money for Easton's wheelchair. Click here to read the story.

Four Generations

We had the opportunity to get a four generation picture the other day. Grateful for these men and all they have done to bless our lives. Can I just tell you how much I love that Grandpa Great is holding Easton's little hand!?! Easton has found a special place in Grandpa Great's heart and vice verse. Love the memories we have been able to capture with these wonderful pictures!

Surrounded By Goodness

We as a family are surrounded by goodness! Amazing family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers have stepped up. So willing to help in our time of need. We have received such an outpouring of love and support that all we cannot even express how grateful and humbled we are. THANK YOU to all who have become involved in our Wheels For Eastie cause. Really, grateful and humbled are two of the best words I can think of to describe what has been happening in our home lately. We are surrounded by goodness!

Army Crawl(ish)

Easton is starting to army crawl a little bit more all the time. What was once none, turned into one arm pull, and has now become 3-5 arm pulls. He inevitably turns on to his back after awhile because, let's face it, it is easier and faster. But the fact that it has gotten better, even a little, just proves to me how much this kid can do. This day he has scooted all the way to the door then switched over on his tummy for the last foot or so just so he could see what he was doing. He was so close to getting outside, which was his ultimate goal, but Daddy just snapped a few pictures and put back  in the house.

Racer Boy

Thanks to the amazing, wonderful, fabulous organization, Push To The Finish, Easton got to run his first race of the season this morning and like last year, his Uncle Bill got to push him. He wasn't quite sure that he was going to enjoy it when we first got there, but after he got a blanket and his binki he was pretty happy to chill in his stroller and let Bill push him at his lightning fast pace. The course was super confusing and not too organized, so Easton and Bill ended up with just under 3 miles after a few wrong turns, but it was all good. We can't say enough good things about Michelle and Andrew (the PTTF organizers.) Go to there website and watch the Studio 5 bit. It is awesome!

Easton Learns To Nod

Just in the last week or so, Easton has started nodding. Most of the time it is pretty appropriate and meaningful. Not always, but more often then not. It is so exciting because it is adding one more way for him to communicate. He is such a smartie pants and I LOVE all the new things he is learning and that I get to be here to experience them as he is learning!

Wheels For Eastie

So for the last several months, Eric and I have been going back and forth on whether we would get Easton a power wheelchair or a manual one. A power chair wasn't even in our thought process until last summer when Easton's PT said that she felt like he would be both physically and mentally capable of handling one. AWESOME! I thought. Lets do it!!! Lets give this kid the most independence that we can.

 

A month or so ago I told his PT that we wanted to be able to pick up and pay for the chair in September and she told me that we had better start trying to get him qualified then. What?!? What does that mean? Well, in order for the insurance to approve and pay for their portion of a power wheelchair, a person (no matter the age) has to be able to show that they can operate it. Meaning, if I tell Easton to go left, he will go left or if I tell him to go to his room, he will navigate down the hall and into his room or he has to be able to go up and down the ramp that would let him in and out of the house. Makes sense, but COME ON! What two year old is going to be able to do that?

 

Insurances will only pay for a new wheelchair every five years so if we don't go with a power chair now we would have to wait until he is seven or eight before we could get a new one. So why not wait a couple of years until he qualifies? Well, for one he is getting hard to haul around. I think of myself as a pretty strong lady, but 25 pounds of dead weight can be alot after awhile. Also when he turns three next year he will start preschool with the school district and they STRONGLY recommend kids have a wheelchair for class. Kind of a Catch 22 situation.

 

Well, on Wednesday we got a loaner/practice wheelchair from the nice folks at Intermountain Wheelchair. We will hopefully be able to use it for the next few months to get Easton comfortable with the idea of a power wheelchair and also give him enough practice to qualify for one. We will have to videotape what he is doing and hope and PRAY that it will be enough to get him his own chair sooner rather than later.



Yard Sale

In either May or June we are planning on having a yard sale to raise money for Easton's wheelchair, a wheelchair van, and all other medical expenses that come up for him (therapies, hearing aides, etc.). If you have ANYTHING you would be willing to donate for us to sell please contact me and we can figure out a way to pick it up. Thanks so much for your love and support!

Hide And Seek With Daddy

Easton and Eric have come up with their own version of hide and seek lately. Easton thinks it is the best thing ever. He has fun trying to get to Eric as fast as he can. The scooting and rolling are his main mode of mobility. He has just started to army crawl a little more, which is what his PT prefers so we are really trying to encourage that. As long as he is moving though, I am happy and, more importantly, so is he.

He Loved His Birthday Food

For his birthday Easton got to eat mashed potatoes all by himself and he loved them. Most of them ended up on his face, the tray, or the floor, but it was all about the experience. He also couldn't get enough of his cupcake. He thought that was the best thing ever!

Happy Birthday Easton

I can't believe it, but my little guy is two today! How time flies. It seems only yesterday we were heading to the hospital. I can't say it enough how he has changed our lives for good in so many ways. He has brought more strength to our marriage, more patience to me as a mom, more love to us as a family, and more service in our home. I am so grateful to be his momma. He are some fun pictures from the past (ones that I love, but never posted cause there would be too many if I posted every picture I loved!)

He looked so cute with his little helmet. Glad that is in the past though.

One of my favorites. Easton loves his daddy and his daddy loves him.

When he is tired he will fall asleep even with a fun toy around.

No, he isn't sleeping here. I would say that 65-70% of the pictures I take of this kid his eyes are closed. I guess his eye reflexes are really fast! And this is the best day of bottle holding that we have ever had. Usually it is just propped with no hands involved.

He loves "big kid food". Most of the time it doesn't make it in his mouth, but he has a really good time trying.

Waiting for the PT at the pool. He could live in the pool if I would let him.

So funny to watch him eat with a spoon. It is all just practice and he makes a good mess of it.

First bath sitting up. He loved it almost as much as the pool.

We went to the store today to get some ice cream for his birthday. Usually I lay him down on a blanket in the cart, but he acted like he wanted to sit so we tried it. He was a CHAMP!!! He just kept smiling and laughing. I loved it so much I had to take pictures and I almost started crying. I am sure the other Maceys shoppers thought we were crazy! :)

Walking In The Walker

Until the last 2-3 months, Easton has not wanted to put any weight on his legs. If you were to hold him up in a standing position he would have crumbled back down. Lately, however, he has learned that he LOVES to stand. He likes being in a supported standing position because he can see things better, reach things more easily and whatever other reasons he has in that little mind of his. This walker is on loan to us from Kids Who Count (KWC). It is the third one we have tried out and by far our favorite. He only tolerates 15-20 minutes in it at a time, but that is way better than the 5 minutes in the first walker we tried. We will continue working on this with him in hopes that one day he will be able to walk around in it all the time on any kind of surface and then even beyond that be able to walk around without anything at all. :)