How did that happen?

Every once and a while I look at Sterling and it just hits me "How did that happen?" He has changed from my little baby into a little boy! I seriously don't know how it slipped past me that my little guy isn't a baby anymore and he is starting to grow up so fast. I just assumed he was a baby until I was watching a video of a 1-year-old and they little guy just seem so much younger than Sterls. (Although, Sterls hair hasn't caught up to his age yet. He is still a pretty bald little guy and we have to grow his hair out long so it looks like there is hair there.) In three months my little guy is going to be 2-years-old! Wow, it is always so weird to think that I am a parent of a toddler and why is it called the terrible two's? More like terrible ones when they learn that they can be defiant and will create havoc everywhere they go. Things Sterling now does that makes me happy...
1) Maneuvers his wheelchair better than most adults.
2) Builds towers with his mega blocks just to hit them down and start all over again laughing.
3) Gets into mischief with his cousins. Ex. Dumping out all aunties' flour and pouring water over it only to play in the wet sticky flour mess.
4) Says please and thank-you whenever he wants something.
5) Talks about 'puppy' non-stop to everyone and anyone including at the grocery store.
6) Introduces us as 'My Mama' and 'My Papa' to everyone that even looks at him anywhere, anytime, anyplace.
7) Loves to dance to music anytime it is on.
8) Fights to the death to not have his diaper changed!
9) Gives me about 50 hugs and kisses a day (I have to get them while he wants to give them).
10) He can do 10 pull-ups on the monkey bars!
We have ordered Sterls his new dynamic stander this last week. It is coming in the colour of electric lime. My theory is the brighter the chair the easier it will be to spot him and the harder it will be for him to smash my ankles. I am pretty sure I am just kidding myself because I think my ankles have had enough of being rammed 10 times a day but I can always dream, right? Health care doesn't cover these little suckers but luckily for me I have a health spending account that is very generous from my company that will pay for little beauty. I do NOT look forward for paying for the next one out of my pocket. I mean it is only $3500, why wouldn't I look forward to this.
Sterling finally got set up for his appointment for his new AFO's (Ankle-Foot Orthosis) on June 7th. Luckily they were able to squeeze the appointment in on the same day he gets his twice yearly kidney ultrasound. I seriously think that this year I will be able to take 2 days off out of my 25 vacation days for my own personal use. Every other day has been used for half days for his medical appointments or him getting sick. I don't know how people manage to take off this much time for their kids when they A) Don't have as much vacation time as I am lucky to have and B) Their work isn't as flexible. I go to PT/OT appointments once or twice a month and luckily for me they are willing to have them a little later at 3:15pm so I can work through lunch and leave an hour early from work. Those days I don't have to take off work but I can't imagine what I would do if my company did not allow me to do this and I had to take half days. Whew, I am tired just thinking about what it would be like to have a vacation day just to enjoy with no medical appointment or sick baby to deal with. Maybe in my next life, eh?

Back to AFO's....June 7th they are casting his feet and legs. June 21st they are going to fit him with his new high tech AFO's. June 28th we have to go back in to make sure he isn't getting any pressure sores and everything is working out A-ok. The AFO's he has now are little green boots that were made by OT while he was there in about 2 hours. They no longer fit and slide off his little feet. These new ones are made from his leg casts and have joints in them and are made in a lab with a machine after. They are only going to run my health care $1,300. Ouch! Happy that isn't coming out of my wallet...Well, temporarily it is, but at least not for very long.

To see old and new AFO's check out the post HERE!