OT Update

Cohen is still seeing his wonderful OT. We had pushed back to once a month and had him involved in a sensory playgroup once a week. The playgroup turned out to be a little challenging with the once a week commitment and a newborn and the one on one attention of his OT seemed to be a better fit. So now we are back to no playgroup and seeing his OT every other week and it seems to be working well.

We are still working on some of his ongoing sensory issues, mostly related to his ability to regulate himself. He has struggled for a long time with his balance and knowing where he is in space and whether he feels secure. He hates being in anything that isn't sturdy and supportive, so while he loves his outdoor baby swing (that we have inside) he gets really anxious in anything without structure like hammocks or swings without walls.

While we were at OT today, I was talking to his therapist and as I was recounting to her the postive things we have noticed, I realized there were quite a few which is encouraging! We are still hoping that this is something Cohen will grow out of once his systems figure out how to work properly.

As I mentioned above, Cohen has struggled with his balance and feeling secure in an upright position. For weeks before he started walking I had a feeling that physically he could walk but that he was too nervous and didn't feel safe in that position. Since he started walking he has been incredibly clumsy, tripping and falling constantly, even more so when he is tired. At one point he could hardly walk over a crack in the sidewalk or go from cement to grass without an issue. And this last week, we noticed that he was going down the stairs, standing up, all by himself! This may not seem like a big thing, but it is for him, number one because he has the balance and ability, and two because he has the confidence to do it without feeling unstable.

The other night we were sitting around and it was past Cohen's bedtime but he was sitting nicely with us so we read a few more books. And then....he snuggled with Danny...and actually fell asleep in his lap!! Aside from kangaroo care in the NICU and a few newborn snuggles at home, Cohen has never snuggled us. When he was tired and ready for bed, he wanted to be in his crib alone. He has with us in our bed one time in two years and only because he was sick. So to have him actually snuggle with us was a pretty big deal also. Danny and I just looked at each other and debated whether we should put him in bed, but since it has basically never happened, we just sat and enjoyed it.

And one more small victory. Cohen has been less of a wreck (to put it nicely) before bed. The crying and "wild man" activity level, tripping, falling, and melting down over every little thing has decreased greatly. I'm crossing my fingers that it will continue to be better!

In OT he continues to work on retraining his vestibular system, which is the system that controls the things we are trying to work on -- balance, regulation, sensory sensitivities. He spends lots of time in various swings, climbing ramps, and playing in sensory bins.

I was so proud of him as I told her all of his "little" accomplishments. While his sensory issues are quite minor compared to what many other preemies face, we are still so proud of how far he has come and the things that he continues to overcome. Go, buddy, go! We are also planning to take him to the chiropractor this week to see if that helps at all.

As a side note, because I'm sure he will be proud of himself someday, Ezra managed to destroy two diapers, a complete outfit of his, two shirts of mine requiring me to borrow one from his OT, and my pants (those I left on).