Our latest issue...

First off, sorry for the lack of posting as of late; we are all sick in the Schiwart family. Cooper is recovering from a nasty cold, I am taking a Z-pack for bronchitis, and Curtis is at the doctor as we speak. Anywho, lately I have become increasingly concerned about Cooper's muscle tone or should I say, lack there of. I am with Cooper all day long, everyday, so I usually just think about what is normal for him versus not what is "normal". Well, last week, I see a baby that is only 10 days older than Cooper riding in the cart at Wal Mart, and his mother told me he is trying to crawl. Now I realize this is the complete opposite end of of the spectrum and this little boy is quite advanced, but it certainly got me thinking. Then, I see a picture of a baby boy born the same week as Cooper in which he is holding his self up on his arms. I thought, wow, Cooper should be doing that. So, I put him on his tummy and place him on his elbows; he immediately collapses, unable to hold his weight on his arms. I go to The Baby Book by Dr. Sears for a reference of what Cooper should be doing. I find that not only is he not supporting himself on his arms like he should but he also doesn't bare weight on his legs either. He should be able to sit with his arms propping him up and straighten his legs to stand while held. In fact, the only time he really uses his arms and legs is when he is arching in pain from the reflux. From what I have read, lots of reflux babies are hypotonic and need therapies to work through these issues. It make sense since he has had fft, but it still is hard that he to think that he is behind developmentally as well. I called ECI and made a referral and a social worker we call me next week and we will set up an appointment for an evaluation. I hope that it is nothing or something that we can work through with pt/ot. They also said they can work with us with any other issues that might come with the reflux, such as feeding aversions. They seem very nice and I am trying to have a positive outlook. Well shall see.