tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245096522024-03-07T19:52:45.529+11:00Hop, Skip, Boing...A chronicle of our move to Australia and back, and life with Oliver.Shamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04702205518724354092noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-39271827960434790482011-09-11T22:00:00.003+10:002011-09-12T12:11:58.350+10:00Four Years<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1utsRg8NLB9HEB-rRNZigmH8c7xHhoMnTyCIO1KUKo4OqbloZuGcXu8xpsPYaQhnHikBaqBqjTw3G14x5NQ2Ugv2cbNvxK5RjFTOmXtwSYXG58oIOpGMwdRCIDMd6T4kIh7f2A/s1600/Oliver_4th_birthday.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1utsRg8NLB9HEB-rRNZigmH8c7xHhoMnTyCIO1KUKo4OqbloZuGcXu8xpsPYaQhnHikBaqBqjTw3G14x5NQ2Ugv2cbNvxK5RjFTOmXtwSYXG58oIOpGMwdRCIDMd6T4kIh7f2A/s400/Oliver_4th_birthday.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651289244402293218" border="0"></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Happy 4th Birthday Oliver!<br /></div>Shamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04702205518724354092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-32504311548453962522010-09-11T12:30:00.002+10:002010-09-12T12:11:31.470+10:00Three yearsOliver is three years old today. Shami and I will do our best to make his birthday fun and joyful. A day to celebrate the amazing little boy that he is. And he is an amazing little boy! I hope it will be a happy day for him. <br /><br />We try our hardest, but the anniversary of Oliver's birth remains a painful day to smile through. Today is difficult not only because the memory of 3 years ago is still raw, but because getting through each day remains a struggle. Overwhelming grief still visits too often, and sorrow accompanies me everywhere. Many things have not progressed as we had hoped. <br /><br />For Oliver physically, I wish I could write a different story. As hard as he works, there has been little improvement with his motor skills this year. No milestones have been met. Inchstones? Maybe. Perhaps he has a little better control of his arms. He can now usually roll himself from his back onto his tummy, and will actually spend time resting in that position. That is good. These last 2 months he has also been exploring just a little bit with his mouth, putting his hand to his lips, and occasionally his thumb or fingers find their way inside. And believe it or not he is usually okay with it (when it doesn't make him gag). He even seems a little curious. And for the first time he can initiate a game independently… peek-a-boo. He learned to reach for a towel placed on his tummy, grasp it with his hand, and hold it long enough to raise it to his eyes and then down again. He is clunky and not always successful, but he can intentionally do this himself, and it brings tears to my eyes. He delights when we exclaim "Where's Oliver? Oh… there he is! Peek-A-Boo!" <br /><br />But I had hoped for more, and dreamed of much more. Hope remains my worst enemy. It can crush me like nothing else. Oliver's efforts should yield more success for him. He still has very little core strength in his torso and neck. He constantly kicks and thrusts himself back uncontrollably. He can't control most of his gross movements, much less movements with his hands and fingers. He has made little to no progress with his ability to sit, walk, vocalize intentionally, eat or drink. And some things are getting worse. His CP is affecting his skeleton more and more, and his spine, torso, hips and legs are becoming more problematic. He still lacks basic oral motor skills, and still cannot swallow well. He is grinding his teeth away, and his reflux and vomiting remain terrible. The frustration he feels when he tries, tries, and tries again to do a simple task, only to fail, is agonizing. I fear he is beginning to understand that he is different. That he can't do what he wants to do. That he can't do what others do. And I don't know if I have the ability or strength to help him through it.<br /><br />But Oliver is an amazing child, with a wonderful personality. He has a great sense of humor, and he thrives on silliness. He brightens the room with his giggles. He loves the outdoors, especially going for walks in his stroller or swinging at his cousin's house. He enjoys working on puzzles, and he loves trains, dinosaurs, and space. His spirit is strong, and cognitively, Oliver shines. He loves words and numbers, and he has an incredible attention span. He listens intently when things are explained to him, and he works very hard at everything he tries. He impresses everyone who makes the effort to spend time with him and really get to know him. <br /><br />A year ago, at age two, Oliver knew his basic shapes and colors, and his alphabet, both upper and lower case. He was even recognizing some words. We were blown away. Soon he was spelling and rhyming simple words. And for a while now he has been rhyming tricky words. For example he will read "blue" and rhyme it with the written words "two", "flew", "shoe", and "do". He will rhyme "tree" with "flea", "me", and "see", but not with "please" or "sneeze" until I add an "s" to the end of "tree". He will rhyme a picture of a square to the word "chair", or "pear", or a swatch of green to the word "clean". I try to stump him, but it is not easy. And not only can he spell and rhyme, he can read sentences. We have fun playing "quiz" games where I'll write things out on a white board, and he'll have to read it himself, and answer written questions… or many variations on that theme. It is impossible to know for sure how much he knows or comprehends. But he shines in the word and reading games I play with him with our dry-erase boards. And he is pretty good with numbers and sequencing as well.<br /><br />Oliver is a very bright child, but he is trapped in a body that fights him at every turn. I worry he will lose his spark because as hard as he tries, he physically cannot do the simplest things. I fear he will lose his curiosity because he cannot ask questions, or initiate observations or requests as children need to do.<br /><br />This has been a hard year. I am told it is better to live in the moment, but I am haunted by the past, and as I look to the future I am scared of the life I see ahead for us. I thought maybe this year the anniversary of Oliver's birth might be easier for me, but it isn't. I am trapped in a universe where I am not supposed to be, looking out at others casually doing ordinary things we will never be able to do. Three years out, I still feel like a caregiver, a nurse, a janitor, a therapist, a teacher, a coordinator, a zombie, but usually not a mother. <br /><br />September 11th will come and go, and come again. I can't help but have hopes for where we will be a year from today, just like I had hopes last year. No matter how many times I've been knocked down, hope manages to creep in. There will undoubtedly be changes this year. A big change comes on Monday when Oliver will get on a yellow school bus and start preschool. I hope that Oliver will thrive there. <br /><br />I hope and yearn for many things. But regardless of what does or does not come to be, Oliver is amazing. I am, and I will always be, very proud of him. I love you Ollie.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-64942950979817141882010-08-29T10:00:00.002+10:002010-09-10T22:21:23.903+10:00At the Zoo in Syracuse<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968676880/" title="A fine and fancy ramble to the zoo"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/4968676880_a5ec6f5801_m.jpg" width="165" height="240" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="A fine and fancy ramble to the zoo" /></a> In late August, we finally made a trip to the <a href="http://www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org/">Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse</a>. It is not a very big zoo, but it made for a good day trip with Oliver, and allowed him to see real live elephants and penguins. There were many other animals there as well, but the elephants and penguins were the easiest to see, and the most fun for Ollie. The tigers were impressive, but I am not sure Ollie was able to see them very well.<br /><br clear=all><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968676900/" title="Penguin swimming"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/4968676900_5dbd7e9695_m.jpg" width="148" height="240" alt="Penguin swimming" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968676896/" title="Meet the penguins"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/4968676896_01bbd93068_m.jpg" width="189" height="240" alt="Meet the penguins" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968676904/" title="Tiger, tiger"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/4968676904_383dee0331_m.jpg" width="240" height="199" alt="Tiger, tiger" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968676874/" title="The elephants are kindly"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4105/4968676874_2153293b24_m.jpg" width="191" height="240" alt="The elephants are kindly" /></a><br /></div><br />It was a good trip, though it left me feeling a bit down. Seeing the animals in cages was sad. And seeing all the carefree kids running, shouting and pointing excitedly was also sad for me. We had to keep lifting Ollie up out of his stroller so he could try to see the animals. Lifting and carrying him is becoming harder and harder on our backs as he gets larger and heavier. <br /><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968676892/" title="It's all happening at the zoo"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/4968676892_dcc4b814ca.jpg" width="500" height="383" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="It's all happening at the zoo" /></a><br />We did bump into this good looking family of penguins. I think I deserve a medal for holding Ollie and getting both our faces in those holes at the same time!Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-42264444250374537662010-08-23T10:00:00.003+10:002010-09-10T12:00:33.402+10:00Farewell, Mr. ToadIt was a lot of fun taking care of Mr. Toad this summer -- <a href="http://hopskipboing.blogspot.com/2010/06/tadpoles.html">watching him metamorphose</a> into a toad, and then grow from being miniscule to being merely tiny.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4957361393/" title="Toad on a quarter"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4957361393_668dc2ee1a.jpg" width="500" height="500" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Toad on a quarter" /></a><br /><br />I was so attached to him that I thought about getting a larger aquarium and keeping him all winter. But it was tough finding enough food for him to eat. I'm sure fruit flies are yummy, but Mr. Toad needed more to fill his belly, and finding bugs and worms that were just the right size for him was surprisingly difficult. As the summer went on, it became clear that it was time to let him go so that he'd have enough time to establish himself before winter set in. Shami, Ollie and I decided to let him go near a small pond in Sapsucker Woods. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4957361397/" title="Leaving with the toad"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/4957361397_6b0536ea3c_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Leaving with the toad" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4957361401/" title="Waving goodbye"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4957361401_49e07d4cea_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Waving goodbye" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />Here's our cute little guy leaving the nest. I hope he'll find lots to eat and be a fat and happy toad. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4957361403/" title="Releasing the toad"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/4957361403_1831b0fb6c_m.jpg" width="204" height="240" alt="Releasing the toad" /> </a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4957361417/" title="Hopping out "><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4957361417_8e41464ca0_m.jpg" width="240" height="149" alt="Hopping out " /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4957361411/" title="Into the wild"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4957361411_e71f237814_m.jpg" width="240" height="147" alt="Into the wild" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4957953930/" title="Free toad"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/4957953930_97b906ddce_m.jpg" width="240" height="164" alt="Free toad " /></a><br /></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-16719922723323522362010-08-15T22:00:00.002+10:002010-09-09T12:34:57.453+10:00Taughannock Falls with the GrandparentsIt is very special that Oliver can spend time with all four grandparents. This weekend we all drove out to Taughannock Falls State Park. There is a look-out point above, and then a nice wide flat trail below, great for wheels, leading to the base of the falls. We all enjoyed the sights and the amazing weather. Due to a lack of rain, there was only a trickle of water over the falls, but it was spectacular nonetheless.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968125923/" title="Taughannock Falls, late summer"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/4968125923_19bf379db6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Taughannock Falls, late summer" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968132963/" title="Stairs at Taughannock park"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/4968132963_bd4c52557d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Stairs at Taughannock park" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The Falls, cut by ancient retreating glaciers. Compare the <a href="http://hopskipboing.blogspot.com/2009/10/homecoming-day-anniversary.html">same view from last fall</a>. And here are the steep stairs to walk down to the lookout point.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968132953/" title="Maini and Baba at Taughannock "><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4968132953_3928930793_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Maini and Baba at Taughannock " /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968132947/" title="Ma and Da at Taughannock "><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/4968132947_566b6763b1_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Ma and Da at Taughannock " /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Dadu and Thamma, Papa Dadu and Nainai.<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968132961/" title="Shami, Dadu, and Oliver"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/4968132961_a56b9b1001_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Shami, Dadu, and Oliver" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968132969/" title="Thamma, Shami, and Ollie"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/4968132969_4eabe389b8_m.jpg" width="156" height="240" alt="Thamma, Shami, and Ollie" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Three generations of Chatterjee boys, and Ollie with his dad and Thamma.<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968125891/" title="Bridge at Taughannock"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/4968125891_579e82f310_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Bridge at Taughannock" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968125917/" title="Dibs, Ma, Ollie at Taughannock"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/4968125917_63a79c3442_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Dibs, Ma, Ollie at Taughannock" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Below the falls, Ollie with his mom and grandmother.<br /></span></div><br />After the waterfall, the creek runs over a rocky bed and empties into Cayuga Lake a short distance away. Shami, Ollie, and I wandered down to the shore after the grandparents left for home. We skipped some stones across the water, absorbed some of the peace and quiet, and then drove home ourselves. It was a nice outing. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968125925/" title="Meghan and Oliver at Taughannock"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/4968125925_588e85da5d_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Meghan and Oliver at Taughannock" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968125899/" title="At the south end of Cayuga lake"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/4968125899_629e40eeea_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="At the south end of Cayuga lake" /></a><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4968125907/" title="Cayuga lake shore"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/4968125907_77c43b8a41.jpg" width="375" height="500" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Cayuga lake shore" /></a>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-12117775757639201302010-08-10T22:00:00.001+10:002010-09-08T13:57:49.740+10:00Nainai and PapaDadu's AnniversaryOliver's Ithaca grandparents had their wedding anniversary in early August. To celebrate we invited them over for a sit down Indian meal. Several dishes were whipped up, and Oliver's Thamma spent the day making a special payesh (rice pudding) for dessert. Ollie offered to taste-test it beforehand to make sure it was good - just kidding - but Thamma gave him a taste anyway. It looks like he liked it, doesn't it? Never trust a picture! It took a lot of effort to coax that smile out of him. But he did have some fun playing with it on his tray.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4958107610/" title="A taste of rice pudding? No way!"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4958107610_920265bd52_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="A taste of rice pudding? No way!" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4958107616/" title="Oliver playing with rice pudding"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4958107616_af09917c3d_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Oliver playing with rice pudding" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />Ollie joined us at the table and it was a lovely dinner. And everyone (except Ollie) agreed that the food, and especially the payesh, was delicious! <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4958107620/" title="Anniversary dinner for Ma and Da"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/4958107620_78076eb83c_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Anniversary dinner for Ma and Da" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4958107626/" title="Anniversary dinner spread"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/4958107626_f5c5c6f31b_m.jpg" width="240" height="140" alt="Anniversary dinner spread" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4958107652/" title="Anniversary dinner table"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/4958107652_d3fa0eb5b5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Anniversary dinner table" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4958107660/" title="Rice pudding for dessert"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/4958107660_9172d12176_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Rice pudding for dessert" /></a><br /></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-35542698222456366192010-07-30T10:00:00.002+10:002010-09-05T05:43:36.212+10:00More July photosWe had a nice visit from Oliver's uncle Ian, Aunt Wei, and their kids Eamonn and Molly. It was great to see them. Wei spent some one-on-one time getting to know Oliver, which was wonderful. Ollie loved having Aunt Wei read to him! <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952382773/" title="Ian, Wei, Eamonn, Molly, and Oliver"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/4952382773_3011b1e3c4_m.jpg" width="240" height="218" alt="Ian, Wei, Eamonn, Molly, and Oliver" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4953117272/" title="Wei reading to Ollie"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/4953117272_7bcbea7873_m.jpg" width="181" height="240" alt="Wei reading to Ollie" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />While they were in town, Shami engineered a fantastic Indian banquet and we had the whole family over. As usual it was crazy, chaotic, and exhausting, but well worth the effort! <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952386301/" title="Ollie and Nainai"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/4952386301_c06e0c66f6_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Ollie and Nainai" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952386317/" title="Thamma, Dadu, and Ollie in his walker"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/4952386317_893946f3d0_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Thamma, Dadu, and Ollie in his walker" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952382771/" title="Family Dinner"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4952382771_95fe562a49_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Family Dinner" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952386299/" title="Dinner in the backyard"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/4952386299_82a0ff8e40_m.jpg" width="240" height="166" alt="Dinner in the backyard" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952386297/" title="Eamonn likes Indian food"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4101/4952386297_a636dfa4e3_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Eamonn likes Indian food" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952382777/" title="Maini and Eliza"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/4952382777_05a8196dbd_m.jpg" width="218" height="240" alt="Maini and Eliza" /></a></div><br /><br />We haven't seen very much of Oliver's cousins this summer. But with Eamonn and Molly visiting from Canada they decided to all stop over one day to put on a spur-of-the-moment concert for Oliver. It was quite a scene! Ollie especially liked Kieran playing his Saxophone. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952382769/" title="Cousins perform for Ollie"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/4952382769_34c1785bd4_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Cousins perform for Ollie" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />We've tried to get out of the house each weekend with Oliver's Thamma and Dadu. Here are a few photos from some of our July excursions:<br /><br />At the Ithaca Farmer's Market, and walking through the Cornell herb and flower gardens. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952379833/" title="At the Farmers Market"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/4952379833_e7956ce2a9_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="At the Farmers Market" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952382761/" title="Walking in the plantations"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4077/4952382761_530e18da18_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Walking in the plantations" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952382767/" title="Walking in the plantations"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/4952382767_0ce9ed1598_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Walking in the plantations" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4953117266/" title="Dadu enjoying the Cornell gardens"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/4953117266_588eda36d4_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Dadu enjoying the Cornell gardens" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />At the once-a-year Ithaca Artists' Market, and at a quilt show at the Johnson Art museum. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952379827/" title="At the Artists Market"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/4952379827_2e37ff200a_m.jpg" width="240" height="198" alt="At the Artists Market" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952379815/" title="Quilt show at the Johnson Museum"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/4952379815_1c1d793f05_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Quilt show at the Johnson Museum" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />Here is a photo of Ollie with all four of his grandparents on the museum's deck, and one with his dad from an upper floor with Cayuga Lake in the background.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952379801/" title="Four grandparents and Ollie"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4952379801_7d376ee2eb_m.jpg" width="240" height="206" alt="Four grandparents and Ollie" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952379821/" title="The view from the top"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/4952379821_ed73336ff3_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="The view from the top" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />And a few more pictures just for the fun of it:<br />Here's Ollie swinging with his grandmas and cousin Kieran, and getting a math lesson from his grandfather. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952379837/" title="Swinging with Thamma and Nainai"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4105/4952379837_013d276f50_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Swinging with Thamma and Nainai" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952386307/" title="PapaDadu doing math with Oliver"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/4952386307_751261777a_m.jpg" width="240" height="204" alt="PapaDadu doing math with Oliver" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />Finally, here's Ollie getting cuddles from his Thamma.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4952387713/" title="Thamma and Ollie enjoy a cuddle"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/4952387713_06a4d3c79f.jpg" width="375" height="500" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Thamma and Ollie enjoy a cuddle" /></a>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-55075974874485289602010-07-19T22:00:00.003+10:002010-08-29T13:07:08.749+10:00Thamma and DaduJuly 19th was a very big day. It was the day Oliver's grandparents arrived from India for an extended visit. Oliver's grandfather (his Dadu) hadn't seen Oliver <a href="http://hopskipboing.blogspot.com/2008/12/looking-back-part-2-grandparents-visit.html">since they visited us in Sydney</a> when Oliver was a baby, less than a week out of the NICU. Oliver's grandmother (his Thamma) came to Sydney by herself in September of 2008 to mark Oliver's 1st birthday with us. For both of them it had been a very, very long time since they'd seen Oliver - or us for that matter! <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4935990917/" title="Thamma Dadu getting off the plane"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4935990917_d88b4b18a3_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Thamma Dadu getting off the plane" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4935990929/" title="Thamma Dadu at Ithaca airport"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4935990929_e44789ab73_m.jpg" width="240" height="222" alt="Thamma Dadu at Ithaca airport" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />Through the magic of video chat, Oliver has been able to see his Thamma and Dadu from time to time over this past year. It is hard to know exactly what he comprehends, and what he remembers, but it was clear that the moment he saw them arrive at our door he knew they were special. He felt comfortable with them right away and was all smiles. Their friendship has grown more and more each day. Ollie, with his love of words and silliness, loves it when they talk to him in Bengali. He laughs hysterically, especially when his Dadu throws in some arm movements! It has been wonderful to have them here, and it just breaks our hearts that they don't live closer. They will stay until mid September, through Ollie's 3rd birthday, and the start of school for Ollie. The time will fly by.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4935990939/" title="Thamma Dadu saying Hi to Ollie"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4935990939_4835354e92_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Thamma Dadu saying Hi to Ollie" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4935990943/" title="Thamma Dadu say Hi"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4935990943_949fbf84a5_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Thamma Dadu say Hi" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4935990947/" title="Olllie and his two grandmas"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4935990947_7fac77e712_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Olllie and his two grandmas" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4936580404/" title="Shami and Oliver with Dadu"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4936580404_fb630993f6_m.jpg" width="240" height="174" alt="Shami and Oliver with Dadu" /></a><br /></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-50765715337042554192010-07-12T10:00:00.000+10:002010-08-28T11:36:47.901+10:00July JotsSummer arrived in July, with hot humid weather in all its glory. It felt good to me, although I was thankful for the luxury of indoor air conditioning. AC is crucial for Oliver as he runs hot, and develops quite a sweat even when it is only mildly warm. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Fourth</span><br />July started off with a bang. The 4th of July may be our country's birthday, but it is also Oliver's cousin Mariah's birthday - a much bigger deal! This year she turned six. My sister Caitlin had a big birthday gathering for her, and Ollie seemed to enjoy the ruckus. And as you can tell from the photos, Ollie's pumpkin chair has been extremely useful. He sat it in for books with his grandfather, he sat in it for the gift opening, he even sat in it in the sandbox out back!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4930073887/" title="Papa Dadu reading to Ollie"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4930073887_b9920566d0.jpg" width="500" height="412" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Papa Dadu reading to Ollie" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4930073877/" title="Mariah's birthday party"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4930073877_349c1853fb_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Mariah's birthday party" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4930073883/" title="Kicking in the sand"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4930073883_651982a1e8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Kicking in the sand" /></a> <br /></div><br />It was great to be able to plop the chair in the sandbox and let Oliver experience the sand on his feet (and down his pants!) It was his first time experiencing sand like this, and it was interesting to see how serious he was about it, taking in the feeling and sensations of the sand quite intently. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sapsucker Woods</span><br />Shami and I have always liked to go for walks together. While we were dating we would hike the many trails around Ithaca. We still try to get out every once in a while with Oliver, to the more tame wheel-friendly trails nearby. One evening we decided to walk some of the wooded trails in Sapsucker Woods. The bugs made it a bit difficult, but it was a lovely walk nonetheless. It has been years since Shami and I had been on this trail, and we were excited to stumble upon an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Goldsworthy">Andy Goldsworthy</a> sculpture. He is one of my all-time <a href="http://www.morning-earth.org/artistnaturalists/an_goldsworthy.html">favorite artists</a>, and it was a thrill to quite unexpectedly find this treasure!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4930067755/" title="The boardwalk at Sapsucker woods"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4930067755_79f03d3a54_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="The boardwalk at Sapsucker woods" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4930067761/" title="Andy Goldsworthy at Sapsucker woods"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4930067761_dfdbd520ae_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Andy Goldsworthy at Sapsucker woods" /></a><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4930067749/" title="Walking in Sapsucker woods by Shami Chatterjee, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4930067749_33d0348ca4.jpg" width="500" height="375" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Walking in Sapsucker woods" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Swimming</span><br />This summer we have had a handful of Oliver's PT session in a pool. Ollie is still not particularly happy to go in the water. He gets quite tense and nervous about it. But I think each time he loosened up a little bit, and the last time we went he actually relaxed for some portions of his session. I hope that one day he will enjoy the water, and be able to relax and splash and have fun in a pool, aside from the PT aspect of it. Ollie's favorite part of his pool sessions was reading how deep the water was!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4930071177/" title="4 feet deep!"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4930071177_771404a3ef_m.jpg" width="240" height="162" alt="4 feet deep!" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4930071183/" title="Swimming tube with Bev"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4930071183_572a58a1de_m.jpg" width="240" height="226" alt="Swimming tube with Bev" /></a><br /></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-15013372023830376272010-06-30T22:00:00.001+10:002010-08-14T11:32:40.422+10:00Ollie goes to collegeOllie went to college this summer! He was the youngest participant in a 6 week long <a href="http://www.ithaca.edu/hshp/clinics/speechhearingclinic/therapy/">Speech Clinic at Ithaca College</a>. They had room for him to go twice a week, and we jumped at the chance to help Ollie work with his new communication device, a DynaVox. So every Monday and Wednesday for a month and a half we drove up to South Hill, and Ollie got to play one-on-one with the speech therapist Tina and her grad student Katrina. How lucky was Ollie to get speech therapists with names that rhyme? He loved that! <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4858258176/" title="At the speech clinic at Ithaca College"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4858258176_5ae907d5f5_m.jpg" width="240" height="178" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="At the speech clinic at Ithaca College" /></a><br /><br />Ollie enjoyed going to "college" and had a lot of fun with the activities they prepared for him each week. It was a very positive experience for him. He blew them away with his intelligence and his ability to read. He is held back only by his incredibly limited motor skills which make it too difficult to use the device yet with any accuracy. But we'll keep working on it. <br /><br />If we can find the time we'll try do do a post on Ollie's communication, and our acquisition of this <a href="http://www.dynavoxtech.com/products/v/">DynaVox V5</a> device. Our venture into the world of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmentative_and_alternative_communication">AAC</a> is just beginning, and all I can say is that I hope the technology hurries up and improves. We're not particularly thrilled with our options for Oliver right now. That said, the DynaVox is a start and a big help in giving him a voice.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-8277846767323219972010-06-25T22:00:00.001+10:002010-08-09T12:42:27.830+10:00Stewart Park<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4858258190/" title="Attack of the mutant killer geese!"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4134/4858258190_29c7c1be45_m.jpg" width="240" height="163" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="Attack of the mutant killer geese!" /></a> Our days are usually crammed with therapy. Ollie has occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy three times a week each, and Special Instruction twice a week. It is extremely rare for Ollie to have a weekday morning without a therapy session or appointment of some sort. So when such a day occurs, and especially when it coincides with beautiful weather, it is nice to be able to take advantage of it. On this particular day we decided to go to Stewart Park to explore and feed the ducks. Well, instead of ducks we found lots of Canada geese, and they were not shy! It was a little scary really, and I actually got nipped on my hand protecting Oliver's yummy fingers and toes from hungry goslings. Next time we'll try to avoid the geese and look a little harder for the ducks! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4872397583/" title="Stewart Park"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4872397583_30afb1d373_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="Stewart Park " /></a> Stewart park is a beautiful park on the southern tip of Cayuga Lake. I have a lot of fond memories of it from my previous life: swing dances in the pavilion, long runs with my Wednesday evening running group, picnics with friends, and lazy days at the annual Ithaca Festival. Those days are long gone, and the park looks different to me now. It looks more challenging. <br /><br />The park was buzzing with kids Oliver's age running, laughing, and playing while their moms socialized and picnicked. I did my best to stay on task and concentrate on making it a fun outing for Oliver. I wanted to enable him to experience an assortment of activities at the park to the best of our abilities. He was skeptical about much of it, especially going down the slide and getting wet in the sprinklers. Of course there was nothing that was handicap accessible! Not even a single swing. So I held him on my lap and he enjoyed swinging that way for a while. Later on he indicated he wanted to go on the toddler swings that he saw the other children on. These had no back or head support, so I had to hold him steady which didn't make for good swinging action (and nearly threw my back out), but at least he got to do it. He also rode a little pony merry-go-round, and even the T-Rex. These were hard for him because he is unable to use his arms to hold on, and his legs cannot open that wide. He also thrusts backwards, which makes holding him steady even more difficult. But we did our best. Hopefully one day we can be there while the Carousel is running. I wonder if Ollie would find a real merry-go-round fun or frightening. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4858258184/" title="Stewart Park collage"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4858258184_c9d633a427.jpg" width="463" height="500" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Stewart Park collage" /></a><br />While we didn't have the relaxed carefree morning at Stewart park that the others were enjoying, we had a good time in our own way. And we made it home in time for Ollie's nap so he'd be rested and ready to go for his afternoon therapy!Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-7556387032206638222010-06-15T22:00:00.000+10:002010-08-07T12:13:44.746+10:00Tadpoles<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4858258204/" title="Looking at tadpoles with Oliver"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4858258204_169344a589_m.jpg" width="240" height="232" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="Looking at tadpoles with Oliver" /></a> Ollie loves long silly words. They make him giggle. There is a Sesame Street episode where the word of the day is "metamorphosis" and for a while it was his favorite one to watch (Elmo and Abby participate in a game show called "Find That Amphibian" hosted by Anne Phibian!) He thought the word "Metamorphosis" was hilarious, and it helped him learn about the transformation of caterpillars to butterflies, and tadpoles to frogs. One day his nurse Jo asked if she could bring us some tadpoles from her pond, and I said "sure!" The next day she arrived with 4 tiny black tadpoles, with their hind legs just barely showing. I went out and bought a little plastic aquarium, and searched the internet to read up on their delicate care. <br /><br />Within a week, one of the tadpoles sprouted front legs, and then crawled out of the water, eventually absorbing its entire tail. It was truly incredible to watch it transform so quickly. Unfortunately the remaining four didn't last very long - two died as tadpoles, and one died as a froglet, but the first little guy has flourished and is still with us, hopping around and feasting on fruit flies in his little aquarium. I believe he turned out to be a toad, and not a frog, because he spends very little time in the water, but really I have no idea. He sure is cute though, if you go for that type!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4858258200/" title="Tadpoles"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4858258200_03982198e6.jpg" width="493" height="500" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Tadpoles" /></a>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-61997096652766873342010-05-31T22:00:00.001+10:002010-07-25T11:12:32.768+10:00May miscellany<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4807635618/" title="How now, brown cow?"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4807635618_9a963590c1_m.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="How now, brown cow?" height="195" width="240" /></a> Still playing catch-up, so here are some snippets from May. Ollie went to the dentist for the first time this May. There wasn't much good news from the visit, but Dr. Joe was very nice, even making special accommodations to see us off-hours. Ollie produced the expected wailing, gagging and retching, but miraculously he didn't actually vomit on the guy! Pretty much the only fun part of that visit was seeing this cute calf. Dr. Joe grew up on a dairy farm, and raises orphaned calves as a hobby. We got to meet this little girl, who was only weeks old.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4807635626/" title="With Nainai in the pumpkin chair"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4807635626_cdd09a7135_m.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="With Nainai in the pumpkin chair" height="219" width="240" /></a> It may seem silly, but one of the best things to happen this May was getting this new Childrite seat for Ollie. I was at my wits end and finally found this chair on-line, and bought it on a whim. It has been wonderful. No, it doesn't hold Oliver in the best position for his spine, hips or neck, and he pushes back in it with his feet, but he loves it, and so do I. We use it every day. I don't need to worry about straps and adjustments, I can just plop him in. Here he is in his new "Pumpkin Chair" as we call it, enjoying a book with his grandmother.<br /><br />May is birthday season in my family, with Shannon, Shami, Jamie, Sean and me all having birthdays. This year we added one more when Jeanine and Sean had their second child, a little boy named Finnegan, on May 5th, sharing a birthday with Shami. Sigh. I don't much care for my birthdays anymore, but at least I get to make a wish… if only one day something would come of them. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4807028109/" title="Shami's birthday cake"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4136/4807028109_8a70a3f3c1_m.jpg" alt="Shami's birthday cake" height="203" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4807635604/" title="Meeting Finn"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4807635604_a688a53e63_m.jpg" alt="Meeting Finn" height="240" width="240" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Shami's birthday cake, and Ollie meeting Finnegan for the first time.</span><br /></div><br />Lots of other things kept us busy in May, including doctors visits, more meetings with the school district, and sessions with Ollie's OT and PT looking at and trying out old dusty equipment that he might use in school next year. But we also had some fun, including visits from friends, a pleasant walk in the Cornell Gardens, a morning at the Farmer's Market, and a stop at this old train downtown, owned by a local bank. I think Ollie rather enjoyed seeing a train up close, and stepping up onto it with his dad.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4807028095/" title="Tulips at the Cornell plantations"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4807028095_90bb22d3f2_m.jpg" alt="Tulips at the Cornell plantations" height="240" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4807635586/" title="Plantations in bloom"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4807635586_497694e59d_m.jpg" alt="Plantations in bloom" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4807028115/" title="The train"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4807028115_1aa5bd3e00_m.jpg" alt="The train" height="180" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4807635630/" title="On the steam engine"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4807635630_f24d54b6fd_m.jpg" alt="On the steam engine" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4807028031/" title="At the Science center"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4807028031_061b475585_m.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="At the Science center" height="240" width="154" /></a> I also took Ollie to the <a href="http://www.sciencenter.org/">local science museum</a> for the first time. It is an amazing place, and I looked around and absorbed all the incredible things there were for able-bodied children to do. I watched the enthusiastic kids running around, and eyed the parents busy attending to their kids and socializing with one another. I listened to all the chatter and excitement. Ollie and I would have had fun there, if our lives were different. But there were few options for Oliver to enjoy. Even most of the table-top activities were set-up in a way that wasn't wheelchair (or stroller) accessible. We did find this "Invisible Orchestra" where a camera would catch Ollie's movement and play music when he moved his arms or legs across a virtual keyboard. I took him out of his stroller, and laid him right on the mat, and let him wiggle around. I think it was fun for him to get that musical feedback from his movements.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=ec479203c9&photo_id=4807028049"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=ec479203c9&photo_id=4807028049" height="300" width="400"></embed></object><br /></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-80383635756214389252010-04-30T10:00:00.003+10:002010-07-02T11:58:34.342+10:00April happenings<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719608992/" title="Kieran reading to Ollie"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4719608992_d665d02266_m.jpg" width="240" height="224" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="Kieran reading to Ollie" /></a> April was full of small happenings, including Nainai's birthday, a baby shower for Sean and Jeanine, an open house at the vet school, and more. And we had the occasional visit from Mariah, who walked down the street to play with Ollie. But it was a special treat when Kieran stopped by one day, and read a book to Oliver and Mariah. <br /><br />In April the Cornell vet school had their annual open house. Ollie got to see all sorts of animals, big and small, scaly and furry. Don't miss the photo of Ollie Oinker and his dad ShaMoooo!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719611562/" title="Horse at the Vet school Open House"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4719611562_208b272a6a_m.jpg" width="240" height="182" alt="Horse at the Vet school Open House" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719611556/" title="Cow at the Vet school Open House"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4719611556_f2af7aff69_m.jpg" width="240" height="225" alt="Cow at the Vet school Open House" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719611550/" title="Farm animals"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4719611550_60bcd62738_m.jpg" width="208" height="240" alt="Farm animals" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719611504/" title="Reptiles at the Vet school Open House"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4719611504_83a3e471bc_m.jpg" width="157" height="240" alt="Reptiles at the Vet school Open House" /></a> <br /></div><br clear="all"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719609012/" title="Oliver with Alex"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4719609012_76dcc418ca_m.jpg" width="204" height="240" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="Oliver with Alex" /></a> My friend Alex visited us for a weekend. Oliver loves her because she is really good at singing the A-B-C song! We had a nice stroll through the Cornell flower gardens with her. That was also the weekend we threw a baby shower for Sean and Jeanine. <br /><br clear="all"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719608960/" title="Alex, Oliver, and Shami"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4719608960_60ab3aaa35_m.jpg" width="240" height="189" alt="Alex, Oliver, and Shami" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719608982/" title="Baby shower for Sean and Jeanine"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4719608982_aa81d2a883_m.jpg" width="240" height="165" alt="Baby shower for Sean and Jeanine" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />We also celebrated my mom's birthday in April. Would you ever guess this birthday girl turned 81? She was hitting the balls out of the park! <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719609002/" title="A home run!"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4719609002_6df5e63e24.jpg" width="500" height="125" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="A home run!" /></a><br /><br />Here she is getting ready to blow out the candles, and here is Ollie chillin' with his grandfather, since neither of them wanted any cake...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719609006/" title="Nainai's birthday cake"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4719609006_312d9cf704_m.jpg" width="238" height="240" alt="Nainai's birthday cake" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719611502/" title="Oliver and PapaDadu"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4719611502_f1b46c42a4_m.jpg" width="240" height="170" alt="Oliver and PapaDadu" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />Finally, here's Ollie spending some quality time with Elmo, Grover, and his doll Davy. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719611490/" title="Oliver, Davy, Elmo, and Grover"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4719611490_b356e0aee6.jpg" width="477" height="500" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Oliver, Davy, Elmo, and Grover" /></a>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-67039030080159837962010-04-15T10:00:00.001+10:002010-07-02T11:52:19.040+10:00Easter 2010<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4718926805/" title="Easter!"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4718926805_bbbd28e70c.jpg" tyle="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" width="500" height="375" alt="Easter!" /></a><br /><br />In April Oliver's Uncle Ian, and his cousins Eamonn and Molly drove down from Canada for Easter. Easter weekend was unusually warm, and we all spent a lot of time outside enjoying the mild weather. This was one of the first times Ollie had been on the swing since the snow melted, and he was loving it. Higher! Faster! More!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4718926771/" title="Swinging with Dad"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4718926771_ac9cba0ba3_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Swinging with Dad" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4718926779/" title="Swinging with Molly"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4718926779_6847d96c3b_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Swinging with Molly" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />We had a belated birthday celebration for Molly, who turned six in March. Here she is with cousin Mariah. And here are a few Easter eggs I decorated.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4718926789/" title="Mariah and Molly"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4718926789_d8e0fcc5c6_m.jpg" width="240" height="214" alt="Mariah and Molly" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719578208/" title="Easter eggs"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4719578208_5366a73b5d_m.jpg" width="240" height="176" alt="Easter eggs" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />On Easter Sunday there were several egg hunts. First we had one for the kids at Caitlin and Jamie's house. Then the kids had fun hiding eggs for the adults. And finally we "hid" eggs at our house especially for Eliza and Oliver. We put Ollie in his gait trainer, and we even got him to hold on to his Easter basket just long enough for me to snap a couple of cute pictures. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4718926799/" title="Hunting for eggs with Mariah"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4718926799_b19ba7250a_m.jpg" width="240" height="159" alt="Hunting for eggs with Mariah" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4718926817/" title="Hunting for eggs"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4718926817_27816cd27b_m.jpg" width="240" height="196" alt="Hunting for eggs" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719578182/" title="Oliver with his basket"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4719578182_7a66e75e6e_m.jpg" width="163" height="240" alt="Oliver with his basket" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719578194/" title="Easter egg hunt"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4719578194_ecf49a1e39_m.jpg" width="240" height="185" alt="Easter egg hunt" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4719578210/" title="Sean with his new iPad"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4719578210_6c79ea1f5d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="Sean with his new iPad" /></a> Oliver's uncle Sean is very much a tech gadget early-adopter kind of guy. He had pre-ordered an Apple iPad and was one of the first to get his hands on one. Here he is showing it off… and I have to admit, it was a beautiful thing to hold and use. We think we want to get one for Oliver, and are thinking of buying this one off of him when he upgrades - any day now!Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-69478416413479055092010-03-30T10:00:00.000+11:002010-07-02T11:48:44.612+10:00March outings<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696561215/" title="Mariah at the Lab of O"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4696561215_e9374f91ca_m.jpg" width="150" height="240" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="Mariah at the Lab of O" /></a> We had a hard start to the new year, and by the end of February I was feeling raw with grief. So in March we tried extra hard to get out of the house and go on some outings to get our minds off of things. <br /><br />In early March, Mariah accompanied us to <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/">Cornell's Lab of Ornithology</a>. It is always a nice place to go, no matter the season. The snow was still pretty deep in early March: it comes up to the seat level of the wooden bench. But on this day the weather was mild, and it felt good to be out in the fresh air. <br /><br />The lab had an exhibit of paintings featuring endangered birds, and one of the paintings (the small blue heron) was by Oliver's former physical therapist.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696561209/" title="Inside the Lab of Ornithology "><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4696561209_0533fd6c0a_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Inside the Lab of Ornithology " /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696561207/" title="Paintings at the Lab of O"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4696561207_4d45e2cf0b_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Paintings at the Lab of O" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696561191/" title="The Lab of Ornithology"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4696561191_f04e982a3a_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="The Lab of Ornithology" /></a> <br /></div><br /><br />We also made a trip to our <a href="http://tcpl.org/">excellent local library</a>. It was Oliver's first trip to a library. He got his very own library card, and we checked out an assortment of books and music CDs for him. Oliver was momentarily distracted by some books on dinosaurs, but over all he was not very impressed. Hopefully he'll have more fun next time. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696574523/" title="First time at the Library"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4696574523_4459297662_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="First time at the Library" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696574513/" title="First time at the Library, part 2"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4696574513_1a7d1fecf1_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="First time at the Library, part 2" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />We've been reading to Oliver about dinosaurs lately. One of his favorite words right now is "paleontologist." So we thought it would be fun to go to the nearby <a href="http://www.museumoftheearth.org/">Museum of the Earth</a>. We elicited a few smiles from him, but he was a bit too young for most of it. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696574547/" title="Meeting the dinosaurs"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1295/4696574547_066ef9035b_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Meeting the dinosaurs" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696582799/" title="T-Rex skull"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4696582799_be1b0c2927_m.jpg" width="163" height="240" alt="T-Rex skull" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696574529/" title="Mastodon, Meghan, Oliver"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1294/4696574529_77679fc80b_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Mastodon, Meghan, Oliver" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696574543/" title="Mastodon, Shami, Oliver"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4696574543_ef6446a388_m.jpg" width="240" height="211" alt="Mastodon, Shami, Oliver" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />At the end of March we met Sean and Eliza at the <a href="http://www.cayuganaturecenter.org/">Cayuga Nature Center</a>. It is an old building, and not wheelchair accessible, which made me unhappy. For now we could carry the stroller up stairs, but I don't think this is a place we will be able to take Oliver to in the future unless they follow through with plans to make it more accessible.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696582813/" title="Outside the Nature center"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4696582813_2a912528e9_m.jpg" width="240" height="192" alt="Outside the Nature center" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4696582831/" title="At the Nature center with Sean"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1269/4696582831_c8a6b8cee1_m.jpg" width="240" height="206" alt="At the Nature center with Sean" /></a><br /></div><br />The day was a lot colder than we realized, and we had to borrow a jacket from Eliza to keep Oliver warm. Ollie was confident enough to be seen in pink! Here is a picture of uncle Sean helping to hold him up, stroller and all, so that he could look at a snake.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-45834698925919727162010-03-02T22:00:00.000+11:002010-07-02T11:38:46.387+10:00Watching the Winter OlympicsNot only does Oliver enjoy swinging and spinning, he also enjoys watching other people dance and spin and twirl. Here's a short clip that Meghan caught on camera: Oliver is enjoying a snowboarder's fancy tricks in the air during the Winter Olympics. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="405" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AJlBua_5a8w&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AJlBua_5a8w&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="405" width="500"></embed></object><br /></div>Shamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04702205518724354092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-16680838288116998912010-03-01T10:00:00.002+11:002010-03-14T07:31:42.727+11:00Oliver goes sleddingWe've had a lovely snowy winter in Ithaca. At the end of December, there was just enough snow on the ground for some very tame sledding. We thought Oliver should enjoy some winter fun, and experience his first sled ride. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4404850487/" title="Ready, get set, ..."><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2684/4404850487_7443f66c43.jpg" width="500" height="500" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Ready, get set, ..." /></a><br /><br />Ollie was unhappy being zipped into his snowsuit. He cried so much that we almost aborted the mission, but we persisted. We trekked over to Caitlin and Jamie's house, grabbed a sled, and headed to the top of their tiny hill. Caitlin, Mariah, Shannon and Kieran all came out to join us. Ollie seemed skeptical, but tolerant of the situation. I sat him in front of me on the sled, counted to three, and down we went. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="300" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=1137ca49f1&photo_id=4404850491"></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"></param> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=1137ca49f1&photo_id=4404850491" height="300" width="400"></embed></object><br /></div><br />At the end of the ride, Ollie was pretty expressionless, but when I asked him if he liked it and wanted to go again, he gave a smile. A small smile, but a smile nonetheless! We ended up having quite a few rides, and it was good fun until a little snow made its way down his collar. Then it wasn't so fun any more, but who can blame him? All in all, we'll count his first sledding experience a success. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4404850497/" title="Going up the hill"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4404850497_379d198e51_m.jpg" width="240" height="167" alt="Going up the hill" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4404850501/" title="All together now"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2729/4404850501_c21cffb561_m.jpg" width="240" height="177" alt="All together now" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4404850503/" title="Wheeeee!"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4404850503_624354c572_m.jpg" width="183" height="240" alt="Wheeeee!" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4404850505/" title="Ready to go"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4404850505_4059e16d6a_m.jpg" width="157" height="240" alt="Ready to go" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4405614944/" title="At the top of the hill"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2799/4405614944_a472654ebc_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="At the top of the hill" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4405614948/" title="In the snow by Shami Chatterjee, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4405614948_dba296efef_m.jpg" width="175" height="240" alt="In the snow" /></a><br /></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-22636040585167743742010-02-28T10:00:00.001+11:002010-03-10T01:35:37.316+11:00Unpleasant surprisesJanuary and February have been hard months for us. We have had way too much paperwork to deal with, and encountered a variety of frustrating pitfalls trying to get Oliver what he needs. We've had our hands full with doctor's appointments, therapy sessions, snowstorms, last-minute cancellations, and a miscellaneous assortment of other appointments and obligations. We also had some out-of-the-ordinary heartaches, which I am finding it particularly difficult to rise above. We've been sick off and on as well. When Oliver is sick he struggles more than usual with his breathing and swallowing. This of course leads to more reflux, more vomiting, and even less sleep, making it all the more difficult for a brave little boy and his tired parents. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4411783996/" title="Swollen lip"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4411783996_904da813bd_m.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="Swollen lip" height="228" width="240"></a> Here are a few of pictures from a couple of unpleasant surprises we had. As if we didn't have enough going on, in January we discovered that Oliver is allergic to peanuts. After a teeny tiny "taste" on his lip during speech/feeding therapy, his mouth started swelling up almost immediately. I rushed him to the doctor and thankfully all we needed was a dose of Benadryl. But this is serious, and the next time we may not be so lucky. Not good, and of course this happened when Shami was away at a conference.<br /><br />In February Oliver's g-tube button came out again. The water-filled balloon that holds it inside his stomach sprung a leak, and the whole thing came right out. Although it has never been easy, Shami and I have replaced the button ourselves in the past. But Oliver's stoma has grown a bit of a lip, making it more difficult, and we struggled fruitlessly to get the new button in. We tried again and again, while Oliver got more and more upset. If the button isn't replaced quickly enough (within 2 hours) the stoma begins to close up, and surgery may be required. So at 7:00 on a Sunday morning we had to call on our gallant brother-in-law Dr. Jamie. Thankfully Jamie was home, and came to save the day. We were grateful to avoid a trip to the emergency room. Once the button was in Ollie calmed down. Other than the site being a little sore he seemed just fine, so we were able to give him his morning tube feed.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4411784000/" title="Oops, no button"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2796/4411784000_6fa1f57edf_m.jpg" alt="Oops, no button" height="180" width="240"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4411784004/" title="Button back in"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2791/4411784004_0cc4291034_m.jpg" alt="Button back in" height="138" width="240"></a><br /></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-7221305335632733192010-02-04T22:00:00.002+11:002010-02-05T14:37:59.375+11:00One year in IthacaIt is amazing how one (long) airplane ride can bring about so much change. It has been one year since Oliver and I <a href="http://hopskipboing.blogspot.com/2009/02/ithaca-bound.html">came home to Ithaca</a> to stay. Shami and I have never once second-guessed our decision to move back. It was the right thing to do for many reasons. It has been a long year, with many good times and many heartbreaking lows and frustrations. Although we miss our friends and many other things back in Sydney, there is no substitute for being close to family when times are hard, and Oliver is receiving amazing therapy here.<br /><br />I keep thinking I'd like to post more to the blog, but then life can be so indescribably hard. It is one thing to write and read "every day is a struggle," and another to live it day after day, night after long, long night.<br /><br />Hopefully we'll have some pictures of our recent adventures on here soon to share with you! And so we start our second year back in the US.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nAmB5X-9LKU7h02tHH9mleOWss3HZsRLFS2UmWqH4u_WLSLjjGmACZvKW21AqqYJ8N0ZoVYS5Od-e6yv382qbD4Yst9b9Nf0GLCH-MzWHgASvCqsx1Z3_sdD3b8a0vGujQbFAA/s1600-h/Ollie+Mariah+Balls.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nAmB5X-9LKU7h02tHH9mleOWss3HZsRLFS2UmWqH4u_WLSLjjGmACZvKW21AqqYJ8N0ZoVYS5Od-e6yv382qbD4Yst9b9Nf0GLCH-MzWHgASvCqsx1Z3_sdD3b8a0vGujQbFAA/s320/Ollie+Mariah+Balls.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434595490408501874" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Oliver playing with his cousin Mariah</span><br /></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-56778918125312541642009-12-25T10:00:00.000+11:002009-12-26T02:48:48.501+11:00Merry Christmas!Here's wishing everyone a very merry Christmas, and a happy holiday season!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4213411340/" title="Merry Christmas from Oliver! by Shami Chatterjee, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2493/4213411340_cfd23d6406.jpg" width="500" height="333" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Merry Christmas from Oliver!" /></a>Shamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04702205518724354092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-50400834525521129972009-12-15T22:00:00.000+11:002009-12-25T02:42:12.325+11:00Fun with chartsWe don't talk much (on the blog, at least) about our daily battle with Oliver's reflux. So, how much has Oliver been throwing up lately? We decided to feed our very detailed records into my <a href="http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/">scientific plotting package</a> and see what came out.<br /><br />The pictures tell the story... The tiny circles represent small spit-ups, while the largest circles represent more than Oliver's full feed volume coming right back out. (The fine print: Internal reflux and episodes of churning and heaving where nothing comes out are not recorded here. And we've grouped vomit times into five bins: early morning, post-breakfast, post-lunch, after-dinner, and late night.) <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_V9u-18_S9HwnbUb8EDkQFO6sBariFqn3WL9RKvM8LDaqGKitFzNdjh-TyjjZgkmzWvPUV7LxUxquB0pe0QwyHZRXjoTOEVKLgt0G1wt6r4HnX41PRXly0bBQj-zWojgj46L/s1600-h/2009Sep.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_V9u-18_S9HwnbUb8EDkQFO6sBariFqn3WL9RKvM8LDaqGKitFzNdjh-TyjjZgkmzWvPUV7LxUxquB0pe0QwyHZRXjoTOEVKLgt0G1wt6r4HnX41PRXly0bBQj-zWojgj46L/s320/2009Sep.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415671440971478306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYxCXRSLBJLaMGWmsKkvWtVeRRdPCJ-OBU89kl96MEt-FkIWdWFGed9o4ByClLyYvR8bXHT1nDLzFxwIEyzIIuMXZtdNe1Ys6WkXGK-BR1eYRMimgdVIsSK3EzesDTsqF9S1J/s1600-h/2009Oct.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYxCXRSLBJLaMGWmsKkvWtVeRRdPCJ-OBU89kl96MEt-FkIWdWFGed9o4ByClLyYvR8bXHT1nDLzFxwIEyzIIuMXZtdNe1Ys6WkXGK-BR1eYRMimgdVIsSK3EzesDTsqF9S1J/s320/2009Oct.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415671834041330786" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8QCYVrCci2G_G4S6T94uRhjwZiFq4Tla6c-rqn2hZmKhoQ1vEDtRaChcD4EtHifMGfTZixCTPPTng-6hcuKXqSehmDZaI_Yw6EX6VCN7EahAYm3eDQG-YGZIvQMU7I0zd-WO/s1600-h/2009Nov.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8QCYVrCci2G_G4S6T94uRhjwZiFq4Tla6c-rqn2hZmKhoQ1vEDtRaChcD4EtHifMGfTZixCTPPTng-6hcuKXqSehmDZaI_Yw6EX6VCN7EahAYm3eDQG-YGZIvQMU7I0zd-WO/s320/2009Nov.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415672030481316338" /></a><br /></div><br />The regularity with which Ollie throws up after breakfast is pretty remarkable. Will the December chart tell a different story? Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of Fun With Charts!Shamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04702205518724354092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-28027832010180145122009-11-27T22:00:00.000+11:002009-11-28T14:38:21.012+11:00Thanksgiving 2009<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4139207623/" title="Dressed up for Thanksgiving"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2525/4139207623_b55b210811_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="Dressed up for Thanksgiving" /></a><br />Thanksgiving is a very special holiday in the US, and it is the busiest travel period of the year, as people travel long distances to be with friends and family. This year we cooked dishes to share and got dressed up and traveled almost a full tenth of a mile down the road to Caitlin and Jamie's house for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a wonderful gathering, with eighteen of us around the table, including Eliza and Oliver, their older cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents. Although Ollie joined us at the table, he didn't actually eat (of course). But after dinner, Meghan's cousin David treated him to some piano playing, and Ollie loved that. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4139207639/" title="Thanksgiving 2009"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2778/4139207639_1620bcb1a7.jpg" width="500" height="286" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Thanksgiving 2009" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4139207637/" title="Oliver and Davd on the piano"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2584/4139207637_1f87823cdb_m.jpg" width="167" height="240" alt="Oliver and Davd on the piano" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4139207627/" title="Ollie, Meghan, David on the piano"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2734/4139207627_c41e495c1d_m.jpg" width="167" height="240" alt="Ollie, Meghan, David on the piano" /></a><br /></div>Shamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04702205518724354092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-11004114656300292332009-11-15T22:00:00.003+11:002009-11-28T14:42:20.493+11:00Waterfalls and fall colorsAs the bumper sticker says, "Ithaca is Gorges", and that's especially true in the fall. For a brief period of time the leaves are a spectacular mix of green and red and gold, the waterfalls are gushing, and the sunsets light up the evening in flaming colors. This year we managed to get out on a few local walks, and in spite of the <a href="http://hopskipboing.blogspot.com/2009/10/snow.html">unseasonable early snowfall</a>, we enjoyed some lovely fall weather. Below, a handful of pictures from around Beebe Lake, Ithaca Falls, Taughannock Falls, and Stewart Park.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4140003532/" title="Fall colors, Beebe Lake"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2496/4140003532_94cbb5b0e2_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Fall colors, Beebe Lake" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4140003538/" title="By Ithaca Falls"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2614/4140003538_5cf2000b67_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="By Ithaca Falls" /></a><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4140003540/" title="Ithaca falls with Meghan and Oliver"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2545/4140003540_449a61556d.jpg" width="500" height="333" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Ithaca falls with Meghan and Oliver" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4140003570/" title="Ithaca Falls with Shami and Oliver"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/4140003570_c80c2e8520.jpg" width="500" height="375" style="margin: 10px 5px auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" alt="Ithaca Falls with Shami and Oliver" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4139249115/" title="Fall colors, Stewart Park"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2555/4139249115_e0a2f11d50_m.jpg" width="131" height="240" alt="Fall colors, Stewart Park " /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4139249119/" title="In Stewart Park"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2727/4139249119_e957f8e14d_m.jpg" width="168" height="240" alt="In Stewart Park " /></a> <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4139249127/" title="Late fall at Taughannock falls"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2535/4139249127_af30c2af98_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Late fall at Taughannock falls" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4140052902/" title="Maple leaves in the fall"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2534/4140052902_826e3a4327_m.jpg" width="141" height="240" alt="Maple leaves in the fall" /></a><br /></div>Shamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04702205518724354092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24509652.post-33759358884781926722009-11-01T22:00:00.000+11:002009-11-11T13:42:21.988+11:00Halloween 2009Last year Oliver was a (very cute!) <a href="http://hopskipboing.blogspot.com/2008/10/happy-halloween.html">pirate</a> for Halloween, but it was a pretty quiet day for us since it isn't a big thing Down Under. But this year, in the US and with lots of cousins around, it was a much bigger event. Although we are patching Ollie's right eye even more now than a year ago (6 hours a day), I thought he should dress up as something different for Halloween. I thought about it, and finally had an idea. I found some red fleece pajamas in a box of hand-me-downs, and I bought some blue socks for his feet and hands. My mom helped to sew a fox snout and ears onto a red fleece hat we had, and made a red tail to match. Voila, the cutest Fox in Socks ever! (For those of you not familiar with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fox-Socks-Beginner-Books-Seuss/dp/0394800389/">Fox in Socks</a>, he is a character from one of Oliver's favorite books by Dr. Seuss.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4093681587/" title="Fox in Socks with a smile"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2486/4093681587_247f8894d9_m.jpg" alt="Fox in Socks with a smile" height="240" width="166" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4093681593/" title="Fox in Socks"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2798/4093681593_762d8be3ab_m.jpg" alt="Fox in Socks" height="240" width="192" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />I am not sure how much of the concept of Halloween Oliver grasped, but we had fun talking about it beforehand. I told him how children dress up in different costumes, and that he was going to be Fox in Socks. I explained how they go out and knock on neighbors doors and say "Trick or Treat" to get yummy candy that they like to eat. When I would ask him what he was going to be: a pirate? an elephant? a robot? he would shake his head No No No... until I asked, Fox in Socks? and then he'd give a big grin!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shami_chatterjee/4093681579/" title="Halloween 2009"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/4093681579_08a3c97073_m.jpg" style="margin: 10px 10px auto; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="Halloween 2009" height="240" width="179" /></a><br />So in the evening I suited Ollie up (he didn't fuss too much, luckily!) and we went out Trick or Treating on our street with some of his cousins. I recorded "Trick or Treat" onto one of his talking buttons, so that he could say it himself. Some of the neighbors who are not familiar with Oliver's cerebral palsy probably thought it was weird, but I guess I have to get used to that, or at least try not let it bother me so much. It was both a fun and sad time for me, watching the kids running, playing, talking and collecting candy. I wished things were different for us, and especially missed Shami, who was away for the week at a meeting in England. But I did my best to put on a happy face, and I think Ollie had a fun experience. And he was an awfully cute Fox in Socks!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">In the photo: Jeanine, Eliza, Sean, Devon, and Kieran in the back. Caitlin, Shannon, Oliver, and Mariah in front.</span>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894953705785508713noreply@blogger.com3