Big Changes!

Drumroll please.....(insert your own drum sound here)....Ben was offered a job!!!!!!! Yippee!!!!!! Pending a drug screen & background check (Ben says, "let's hope they don't find out about those two years in prision in Trinidad!" Just kidding, mom!), he will be employed full time by Wegmans. If you don't know what Wegmans is, you obviously haven't talked to me enough. It's the best grocery store in the world. His job title will be Mechanical Estimator and he will be working with the construction side of Wegmans. I can explain more later if you're really interested, but for now I'm just excited to be able to tell you that he's employed. Full time employed! With a salary, medical benefits & two weeks vacation employed! Two months without a job was really getting tough for us. God was faithful though, as always, and gave us something just perfect! Yippee!!


Enough about Ben, let's talk about Joshua! I can't believe the progress he's making already. He is such an amazing little creature. You can actually see his brain working and learning and I am in constant awe of him. His determination to master things is incredible. I told you last week that he had been evaluated and was a little bit developmentally delayed. The physical therapist that evaluated him showed us some things to do and so we've been working with him on the exercise ball in front of a mirror to strengthen his neck and back muscles. He talks to himself in the mirror and has a grand old time! Although sometimes he just stops and stares at himself. And who could blame him?! Seriously, I didn't put him in this position...he did it himself. We've been doing some compression and massage on his right arm to begin teaching his right hand to release from a fist and we've also been working on his posture. His core muscles are hypotonic (low tone = weak), so he has a hard time controlling his core and stabilizing himself. By stretching out his arms and rotating them back, it forces his shoulders to go back and makes his back & core muscles work. The best part about all this work is that he's really getting it. And so quickly too! Over the weekend Auntie Jodi was here for a wedding. She was working with him and he saw his rattle (from Ben's Aunt Mary & girls...you guys rock! The rattle is so perfect for him!!), reached for it, picked it up and smacked himself in the face with it. Then he tried again. And again. And again. Finally, he brought it straight to his mouth and started sucking on it. I was so excited I forgot to video it. But I gathered my senses and took a video a little later on while he was still practicing. You can see his right arm posturing in the video. We're working on that still. :)

Rattle in the mouth! from Jamie Nodine on Vimeo.

Of course, now that he knows how to grasp, he's practicing it non-stop. My earrings are a favorite thing to grab, as is the hair on daddy's arms! It's all ok though, we're just happy he's getting it.


Over the weekend we went to the Renaissance Festival here in NY. Before we left, I made Ben try the MobyWrap. Hahaha! Needless to say he wouldn't wear it out in public, but he did admit that it's much more comfortable than the babyBjorn! Anyway, we had a great time walking around and being outside at the festival, Joshua especially loved all the music. When someone started singing, so did he. We got a few dirty looks from a drunk guy because Josh was singing so loudly during a show, but it didn't phase Joshua! He just sang his little heart out and talked the whole time we were there. Of course, singing is tough work and it really took a toll on Josh. So we headed home. It was a good weekend. :)

Oh! Remember a few weeks ago I told you about the onesie that I wish I had picked up from babyGap? The one that said "Charm courtesy of dad"? Auntie Jodi and I found it this weekend. Soooo cute! Thanks, Auntie Jodi!