Allow me, if you will, to set the stage for the first photo...within the last 2 months, Bennett has become completely obsessed with Thomas the Train. He has books, loves the tv show (he can sing the entire theme song, which is impressive considering how lengthy and complicated it is), and has a backpack, splippers, and various items of apparel...so it would just make sense that he would like an actual train too, right? But he has his Geotrax train set from Christmas (pre-Thomas obsession)...and Nick and I really don't believe in buying everything under the sun just because he wants it. But everytime we go to Target, Ben asks quite nicely to go to the toys and look at "Thomas and his friends." (Yes, that's actually what he says, just like the show, for all you 'in-the-know" about that. hehe.)
Some more background here - Ben very, very rarely asks us to buy him things while at the store. He's not the kid you see at the checkout bawling because Mommy won't give in and buy a toy. I've just always taken the "magical" approach of: "Benny you need to put ______ back where you found it. That's where it lives. That's it's home." This reasoning seems to make perfect sense to him, and he rarely challenges it.
So last Sunday, in "The Thomas Aisle" of Target (as it's referred to in the Pandrea family), Ben's desire for taking a train home with him apparently was overwhelming. Nick told me (I was with Xavier elsewhere in the store at the time) that Ben looked at him with serious, pleading eyes, and said, "Daddy, I want you to take back my silver train. (that's the geotrax one) And get me Thomas. Please." Ugh. Rip our hearts out! That was the first time he asked, but it wasn't one of those whiny, spur of the moment desires that comes out of flashy toys, this came out of Ben's heart, because he just thinks Thomas is the greatest thing in th world. So - home we came, with a new train and some wooden tracks to go with it.
Monday, he literally did not play with anything else, all day. And there was so much creative talk about what Thomas was doing, going, etc. The funniest thing was twice I found Ben in the garage (how does he get away so fast without me knowing?), with my van door open (its one of those automatic ones that you just have to pull the handle) saying, "Mommy! We have to go to the store. To get friends for Thomas! Him need Percy, and Gordon, and Henry, and Emily..." (and so on and so forth...)Ben and I made a "station" out of a card board box with doors for the train to pull into, and a tunnel.
(I was quite pleased with the photo above - Ben : looking at the camera and smiling! Xavier: watching and playing with Ben, sitting well, arms up (you can only see one, but wow!)
Xavier and I worked a lot on sitting and standing that day. I took the following photo as Xavier was sitting on my belly while I was laying on my back on the floor. He's getting so strong!
A couple of months ago, I noticed when Xavier was sitting, his feet didn't line up. The right extended further in front of him than the left. Of course, I started obsessing over this, checking over and over again, putting him in different positions to see if that made a difference. It didn't. So my mind was filled with horrible things - scoliosis, hip dislocation, maligned pelvis, potential surgery, horrific casts, UGH! After spending a couple of hours at the orthopedic doctors and having several x-rays, we learned that -- Xavier just has 2 different length legs! WHAT?! But, HOORAY! at the same time! I almost laughed at how ridiculous that is, and because of the overwhelming relief I felt (after envisioning surgery and months of agony with casting, etc.) A fun fact - the orthopedist told us that 70% of people have different length legs, by a few millimeters. Only very rarely does the difference in length become noticeable. So leave it up to Mr. Xavier to be that rare exception! (why does he have to be so good at being a rare gem?...he really is, so many respects!) His right leg is longer by about 1.5 inches, something we would definitely notice if he was walking. It is unrelated to his MEB, just something else rare about him...And as of right now, there is no correction needed. Again - hooray!!
Evidence:
Further illustration, with a piece of Thomas' track, of course!
2 comments:
Wow, that's quite a difference in Xavier's leg length. I'm surprised his doctors or therapists never noticed it. And you're right he is special in so many ways!
Yeah, kind of surprised myself. Hrm. Well, as he starts doing more prolonged standing you'll probably want to get a lift/insert for the shorter leg so he can have good symmetry the rest of the way up his body. :)
And YEA Xavier for being so strong and sitting up SO well! :) And YEA for Bennett being so considerate, passionate and creative.
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