Wow, 9 months old!!!!

What a whirlwind last few weeks! Friday, the 25th was Max and Christopher's 9 month birthday! Sara, our PT was here in the morning and did some work with the ball and lots of stretching, she is amazed at his progress, he is doing so well! I need to continue the stretches and encourage him to take side steps, he is a busy body and always on the move. He also had his evaluation. We then went to his appointment with Laura at Union and found out he corrected almost 3 mm, a very impressive number! At the first scan and consultation Christopher was measuring 16 mm difference, he has corrected a total of 6 mm, thus far 10 to go. His next appointment will be the comparative scan and this will show us the difference on paper, I am looking forward to seeing the differences.

This morning was his 9 month physical with our pediatrician, and his first time being seen with his helmet. He is now 18 lbs, 10 oz, and 26 " tall, his twin brother Max is 19 lbs and 28" tall, he squeaked passed him. At his appointment we also discussed getting him seen to address his tongue being tied, another little "thing" to schedule.

This summer is going by quickly between the bouts of rain, and logging in some impressive swim time, I joke, I take that helmet off and he is a wild baby in the water! There is an added bonus to the helmet, he is used to having something on his head he doesn't mind wearing his sun hat, Max on the other hand wants nothing to do with it and then removes Christopher's as well!

Over the weekend was our DeMare family reunion, we did an Amazing race through pittsburgh, taking pictures at various places along the way, it was a blast and the funny part was how many said hi to Christopher because his name is on his helmet!

Loosening up!

Sara, our PT came for her weekly visit this morning and is very happy with Christopher's progress! He held mid line position of his head up to 10 seconds while playing in a sitting position. He also tilted right up to 75 degrees during strengthening! He is also using his left arm a lot more! This is positive progress and continues to improve his mobility everyday, which means he is on the move and not looking back! He and Max have entered " freedom mode" they both love to be on the floor in the action with their brother and sisters! Christopher's newest move is standing in his crib and singing at the top of his lungs, no matter what time it is! Looking forward to our visit with Laura at Union on Monday. Speaking of Christopher, he just woke up, time to gooooo!

Ear infections, Graduations and Celebrations!

It has been a whirl wind few weeks around here, between dodging torrential downpours and enduring the humidity we managed to get in a few parties and doctors visits! Max has been fighting his ear infection, on top of teething, its been an experience!
Ave' and Sophia are both graduates, we are so proud! They wanted to go out to dinner and celebrate!
We were able to enroll the girls at St. Gabriel's for the next school year, it was a very big surprise and we are so thankful! The principal said mothers of twins deserve special blessings, she gave us one!
John Morgan is still getting into everything, still managing to test the limits and be adorable while doing it!
Christopher loves singing, he sings all day, and loves to watch the cars go by, John Morgan used to do the exact thing! Christopher woke up last night and completely sat up on his own, no assistance and laid back down, I could hardly believe it! He has mastered crawling as well, we are in trouble over here!
I was worried that the helmet was going to be bothersome with the heat and to my relief Christopher is doing well with it, he is so easygoing!
My cousin Meg complimented my blog, I feel so blessed to have so many people supporting us on Christopher's journey, he is such a special little one.
Observers note, I use a lot of punctuation marks!! lol

I read about you Christopher!

This has been a very busy week here in the Kozar household, actually everyday is busy! Nonetheless, it has been a productive week as well. We met with Sara yesterday, our physical therapist, and she is encouraged by how well Christopher is doing. He is getting stronger by the week, and more confident. He has begun to crawl, not quickly but slowly figuring it out and then lunging forward to retrieve whatever he has his sights on. Max is right on his heels, they are adorable but really what will I do when they are on the move!
Our visit to see Laura at Union was also very positive. She measured another mm of growth in the back right it was 1 whole mm! They are changing the format of the scan so we decided to wait to post the original. His next scheduled scan is in 2 months so we will be able to compare the first scan and scheduled scan to see the differences that we have been measuring. We also double checked and it has been 1 month and 2 days Christopher has been wearing his helmet.
Since it was just Christopher and I, we went to Mcginnis Sisters and Christopher was recognized from the article in the South Hills Record. He was smiling and singing and the ladies who work in the bakery and deli all read the article and made such a fuss, it was a lot of fun! He is our little rock star! Today was a great day!

Slow and Steady......

Christopher is making great strides with his physical therapy, Sara our therapist is amazing with him. She did work with the yoga ball this week, he loved it! She got him to prop himself up on all fours, and stretch to get what he needed! Max, is a mad man and a very good teacher to his brother, it is interesting how different they are in their development. Max seems to be very quick to figure out how to get around, Christopher takes a slower approach!
I have slowed things down at bath time for Christopher. He gets to have a break from the helmet and he seems to love touching his hair and holding his head. He also seems to sit well by himself in the water and lean to reach toys, he and I are quite proud of his accomplishments!
Today I spoke to a mom who is just starting the process of PT and getting the helmet, I helped her to relax and it felt great. I also decided it is time to really put the word out there, this is affecting many families and we can all help one another, one mom and dad at a time!
I was also told by my aunt there is a class action lawsuit on behalf of United health care, to be continued.......

Just another Rainy Monday......

Christopher and I had a great visit with Laura from Union Orthotics. Christopher measured 0 growth in the front and 1 mm in the back, which is perfect! Laura adjusted his helmet above his eyes and a little behind his ears.
Christopher's bath time routine has become one of his favorite things to do, he is aware of his hair and keeps one hand on his head at all times! He cracks up when I wash his hair! I try to keep the helmet off for the entire hour, but sometimes its a race to put it on before he falls asleep. I have had to put it on while he is sleeping, not an easy task, but I have gotten pretty good at it and he sleeps right through it! Playtime on the floor is proving to be a little more successful, he is sitting by himself in the tub, but with assistance on the floor, he is getting stronger everyday.

My daughter wore a helmet too!

In my travels yesterday while returning recalled Tylenol and lucky for me purchasing the last 2 bottles of generic, I had a wonderful experience! At checkout I noticed a woman looking at Christopher and she was smiling, I thought it very nice of her, while also wondering what she was thinking, then she said "my daughter wore a helmet too!" She was standing alongside her 9 year old, a lovely blond haired blue eyed little girl with a beautiful smile! She said it was the first time she saw another child in a helmet, and noted how far they have come! She also remembered how hard it was on her, the mom, and that it brought back memories, and confirmed that the babies have no idea! $100 later and a positive experience, priceless! lol!!!