Life Is Good: Ryan's Gymnastics

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Ryan's Gymnastics

Ryan is in gymnastics once a week. Today was the third week of gymnastics, but Ryan missed last week's class because he was sick. He did great today. He is, surprisingly, very timid when it comes to some of the elements. I think it's just going to take some to time for him to overcome some of his fears and insecurities.

Ryan also seems to get "lost" more easily than the other kids. He doesn't intend to not follow directions but he can only process one or two instructions at a time and the coach gives 4 or 5 instructions at a time...roll down the mat, jump on the spring-board, roll into the tube, climb up the rope, slide down the slide, hang upside down on the parallel bars and then start all over again. He gets lost after roll into the tube and has no idea where to go after that so he starts wandering. During the first class his coaches seemed to get irritated at him a lot (and constantly reprimanding him), but today they took the time to help him stay focused on what he was doing and re-directed to the next set of skills when he got lost. I was upset the first class (momma bear thing) but today I really tried to watch him and see if he was trying to obey or intentionally being a brat. I really think he tried very, very hard to do exactly as he was told at all times. For example when they lined the kids up and Ryan was last in line he always stayed last in line by his choosing and had a hard time "letting go" of that "instruction" when they put another boy last in line. When they said make a train by putting your arms on the shoulders of the person in front of you. He didn't let go until the poor kid in front of him was ducking away out of his grasp. When he was told to sit on the star he sat on the star and they had to coax him up when it was time to go. He was constantly looking at and waiting on one of his coaches to make sure he was doing it right. He sought their instruction and their approval. He seems so "developmentally young" compared to the other kids...consequence of prematurity perhaps. He's such a good kid...he just needs a little extra...extra patience, extra time, extra praise.

(This really could lead into a great post about education and why I want other alternatives, but alas...I'll wait for another time.)

Ryan loves to go to gymnastics and always has a great time! After every class he comes bouncing out of the room with a great big grin and tells me all about it! I love to hear him explain it all even though I sit behind a wall of glass and watch everything he does. I was extremely skeptical after the first class but after today I think this is going to be a really good thing for Ryan.

Here he is swinging (the blur)...

And the layout of the place...

1 comment:

mimi and Grampy said...: Little Mom, Just keep cool, he will be fine. I know you want to go in and help him, but it is so good for him to learn how to obey others. I remember when Madison started dancing lessons! Jen and I had to tie ourselves into the chairs and put duck tape over our mouths. It was so hard to watch other people be incharge of your Kiddo. Trust me you'll get past it and really start to enjoy someone else saying the word NO. Being around other Kids is so good for him. I sure hope he doesn't pick up a bug and get sick! Mimi; September 3, 2010 at 5:47 PM

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Brandy Danielle

Brandy is our firstborn, our precious angel baby girl. Her entry into this world wasn't without excitement. At 26 weeks I started preterm labor with contractions 5 minutes apart. With 10 weeks of strict bedrest, most of which were in the hospital, she made it to 36 weeks.
Brandy was diagnosed with "possible/probable" heart defect around 28-30 weeks gestation. After her birth she was whisked away to the NICU for monitoring and after a few days her defect was formally diagnosed and labeled...atrial septal defect and a cleft mitral valve.
Brandy, upon indications of failure to thrive and pulmonary hypertension, underwent her first of 2 open-heart surgeries at 4 months of age. A week after her surgery on the day of her anticipated discharge home Brandy coded for 13 minutes...a stoke.
From that point on Brandy's life was full of doctor's visits, endless crying, pain and suffering. She underwent another heart surgery, fundoplication and g-tube surgery, treatment for infantile spasms, and a mountain of tests and procedures. Her brain damage was extensive.
Upon counseling of our wonderful, most amazing heart surgeon, Dr. Christopher Knott-Craig, and many hours of prayer, we finally called in hospice and called off all of the extensive medical interventions and surgery needs that would prolong her suffering while possibly prolonging her life. Brandy, our precious baby girl...our angel...passed out of our arms and into the arms of her Saviour, Jesus at the tender age of 17 months.

Ryan Andrew

Ryan, our micro-preemie miracle, is a ball of life. After nearly a year of trying to conceive imagine our delight when we finally knew he was on the way. My pregnancy with Ryan was uneventful at first. It seemed perfect and with all of the precautions for preterm labor being taken and monitored we entered this pregnancy with cautious anticipation covered over by a whole love of naive excitement.
At 20 weeks we discovered our "Baby Peanut" was going to be a little boy. We began to make plans and began dreaming about the day we would meet our son.
Almost 2 weeks later everything changed in our lives. It wa a whirlwind of fear and emtions as I began to bleed, was sent for monitoring in L&D and eventually had an appointment with my OB only to find out that it was serious. I had incompetent cervix with hourglassing membranes. The doctor admitted me to the hospital immediately and an emergency cerclage was placed. The statistics were grim, but the hope was to keep our son inside for at least 10 more weeks. We only made it 10 more days.
Early in the evening of February 11, 2007 our son, Ryan, came into this world in emergency fashion at only 23 weeks 5 days gestation. He weighed 1 pound 8 ounces and was 12 ½ inches long. He was so tiny. All I could think of was “oh my goodness is he really that tiny? And is there any way he could actually make it?” I tried to hold on to hope, but in all honesty I had never met anyone with a baby born that early and that small that ever made it.
Ryan did make it! It was a long, hard road, but in the end he spent 90 days in the NICU. He was on a ventilator for 2 months. Finally on one fine glorious day in May we bundled up our 4 pound 4 ounce baby boy and went home...May 11, 2007.
Ryan is now a spunky, lively, strong-willed little boy. His laughter is contagious and his spirit is compelling. He is our miracle. There are no words strong enough to share our delight and joy that God has blessed us with this little boy.

Evan Alexander