Ortho update

Mav had his first appointment with the Orthopedic doctor Friday.

I don't think I wrote why he was going in my last post so I will start with that.

So Mav has been walking since he was 10 months old, that is lots (and lots) of practice time, by this point he really should be quite stable on his feet but he is a total clutz. At first I didn't think anything of it but I had a few people point out to me that he is bow legged. That also was not a big concern of mine, better bow legged than knock kneed in my opinion. Plus I had heard from other moms of bow legged kids that it has been suggested it is better for athletes to have a bit of a bow. Not that I am pushing for Mav to be an athlete but lets face it he is a very busy boy, and he has a natural love for sports so far. Obviously we will embrace that as much as our future bank accounts will allow lol.

So early walker becomes bow legged, and then a couple months back, somewhere between the 15-16 month mark I noticed he was becoming more clumsy and tripping more on his feet. After a few weeks of this I mentioned it to my doctor and she agreed with what we had noticed. Mav's legs were starting to turn inwards from the knees down throwing off his balance and causing him to trip. Some days his legs seem almost perfectly in line, but others (seemingly when he is over tired or too excited) its like his legs get lazy and start to turn. Sometime its a little turn others its much more noticeable. 

So now we will follow up yearly for potentially up to the next 7 years with the Ortho specialist.
That's all they want us to do, the examine concluded that Mav does in fact have a slight inward bend in his leg bones. Basically they said that it is not a concern at this point, and that as his leg muscles develop his legs should straighten. He doesn't even need physio, we are just to continue letting him be the overactive toddler he is which the Dr said was in his favor.

Ive searched for a picture to show what his legs do but all I can find is pronation of feet, and the curve is not in Mav's feet its in his calf bones...

So instead a cutie picture will have to do <3

18 Months!

Holy Moly Mav hits the 18 month mark at the end of this week.
That's a year and a half. Which is almost two! My little man is growing up so fast!

I know I haven't been doing monthly posts lately, to be honest I just haven't had much time for anything and I feel like after the twelve month mark milestones spread out so I would be sharing the same thing month after month. Snooze fest ( no offense to mama's who do monthly posts still I'm not saying yours are boring I just mean mine would be!)

So what is there to say about my soon to be 18 month old?

Mav truly is a toddler, I am not sure exactly when they officially become one but he is there. He still has his moments where he very much likes to be coddled and treated like a baby but they are far and few between. He is so independent and stubborn, and into everything. He wants to do everything he sees myself or his daddy do, as well as things he sees the bigger kids do at daycare which often will result in a tantrum if its not something appropriate or safe. Strong willed and stubborn describe him well. We try to let him explore and try new things regardless of his age, I do not want to discourage him, I want him to continue to be inquisitive and eager to learn and try things. Listening skills vary by the day, this is where we see a lot of his stubbornness. I know he hears me, and I know he understands but sometimes if its something he wants bad enough  than its pretty much in one ear and out the other. For the most part he does very well at following commands. He will put things in the garbage, pick up toys, and bring me items as asked; I tend to ask him to do a lot of things to test him.

He loves to climb up onto things which I thought he had outgrown but it seems as tho round two has started in the last couple weeks. Since he did start walking so young we have already been through a climber stage and it was great when I could untie the chair legs ( I used a scarf and tied them together under the table to discourage him from climbing) and relax without worrying he was going to fall off something and break his neck.

He is very athletic, he loves to play any sport and if I may add is fairly good at them. He received two mini hockey sticks for his birthday and like a true Canadian boy intuition just knew how to use them. Since then he has been introduced to basket ball, soccer, t ball, football and golf. All of which he loves and is able to differentiate between them. He throws and kicks very well, often straight and a good distance most people are impressed when they play with him. It makes his daddy (who happens to be one of those athletes that could play any sport well) very proud.

His language skills are improving as of lately which I really am happy about. For some time now he has been fairly non verbal, able to get his needs known and point across by pointing at things and making whiney sounds. He has a fair list of words that he can say I know I am leaving some out but his list includes: mama, mommy, daddy, sorry, ball, doggie, kitty, hi, bye, hello, baby, ba (bottle), grandma, nanna, Jill, blueberries, me, meow, keys as well as thank you, ready set go and lets go. He doesn't ever say no or yes but he will nod and shake his head appropriately. He has a few other words that I have heard him say once or twice but those seem to be the ones he will say most often. According to our day care lady she has heard him say please, no and stop. He also knows and says her name. Despite knowing how to say words it still can be a challenge to get him to say things and I really am trying to work on that with him. Not because I'm worried or that I feel he needs to for any reason other than it really is much easier for me when he will tell me what he needs.

As for his personality Mav still is very loving and gentle natured, but he also now will stand up for himself and should someone else get too rough or take something from him that he really wants he will fight back... this is another perk to language skills. Specifically the word "me" is used a lot when someone has something that he was playing with or something he wants and since learning it he does not hit nearly as often, where as before if you took something from him he would start swinging. When he does something bad or needs to say sorry it is always accompanied with a hug which is really sweet.

He is a very scrawny little boy, I think at his last appointment they said he was down under the 50th percentile but I cant remember exactly where he fit in. Most the children in my family start off very thin and petite and then develop into giant monsters. He has a very good appetite and will eat most foods so I am not at all worried. He just happens to burn off so much energy he stays really thin. Currently he only weighs 22lbs. I am not too sure what his favourite foods are these days it is hard to narrow it down, he loves most fruits, we still avoid bananas since he had the reaction and will re introduce it when he is a bit older. Cucumbers are also a big hit, I don't even cut it up, I just cut a portion off and hand it to him and he chops away happily eating it all. Carrots and potatoes are a fairly safe bet, I don't think Ive ever seen him turn them down. While all other vegetables seem to depend on his mood as to whether he will eat them on a particular day. Meat also depends on his mood, for a long time he refused to eat it but lately he has been actually eating it in small portions. 

His favourite toys right now are his toy balls, cars and trucks, dinosaurs and mega blocks. Those all come out on a daily basis. He also loves tools. Any change he can he will grab one of daddy's tools and "get to work" on something. Its really cute. He has a favourite bunny stuffy (bunny head attached to a little blanket) that he sleeps with and the once beloved (by me)  now dreaded soother is also a main source of comfort.  He also has a preference for one particular blanket but can go days without it if its not needed. We spend a lot of time outside, he absolutely loves to be outdoors and playing. 

Lets see.. some other miscellaneous things worth mentioning..

He has a full set of teeth on the left side of his mouth and the remaining molars and fangs on the right side are all in the process of coming in as we speak. I think at this point they have all broken the  gums to some degree and are all taking their turns at tormenting him.

Coming up we have his orthopedic assessment, his legs turn inward slightly which has been affecting his balance lately. They were not always like that so I mentioned it to the dr and she put the referral to have him assessed. I had this at a much younger age and it had to be corrected, I'm pretty sure I had tiny little baby casts on my legs and feet.

He had his pre summer follow up with the plastic surgeon to monitor the scars on his face, she was very pleased with how it has healed and we will see her probably for the last time in September or October to make sure the scars continue to fade and are not damaged by the sun. I will post more of an update on that in general at a later time.

He has become very interested in the toilet and sitting on his potty. There have been some kids at day care potty training recently so that seems to have caught his interest. I have been trying to be as vocal as possible about the potty and what its for. If I notice he is pooping I will ask him "are you pooping?" and immediately change his diaper afterwards, I was reading somewhere that making him aware of what he is doing is sort of a pre step for training later. He now will walk up to you and pat his diaper when it needs to be changed, not always but especially after a nap when it is a little more full.

He understands there is a baby in my belly and is very affectionate and wanting to feel the baby move which is really sweet. He loves babies so hopefully he will love this one even when he realizes they are staying with us permanently lol.

He loves music and loves to dance. He really enjoys when his daddy plays guitar, Mav has his own little guitar that looks like daddy's and they will sit together and play.

My little man <3 growing up so fast. Soon he will be moving to his big big room and becoming a big brother!