Otis' Recovery

So, the Wednesday night before March break Jenny and I learned that Otis might have a lip and partial tongue tie.  These could be part of the reasoning behind some of his sleeping issues, as well as the reason he wasn't forming words as quickly as we expected.  He has had excellent receptive language for a long time, just like Arlo had from a young age, but we weren't sure about his word formation.  So...Thursday Jenny went for an appointment, and the woman who checked him out said that he had the most extreme lip tie that she had seen.  Friday we were able to get an appointment with the only dentist in the area who uses lasers to perform the procedure to remove the ties.  People come from Nunavut to have him do work on them.

So little Otis was lasered, and for ten days afterwards (luckily it was march break) we stretched out his lip and tongue to make sure that the scar tissue didn't re attach and close back up (one little boy who was lasered before us the same day had gone through the procedure, with scissors, in his first months, and it had reattached, so he was back again).  Now Otis is saying a ton more, forming sounds he never did before, and is letting us brush his teeth more easily (it must have been really sensitive with that extra flesh right at the gum line).  It seems to have made many differences for him.  He has healed quite well.  He was so tough through it all.  

Below are some photos trying to show where the skin tie came down to where the gum line meets the front teeth. 

St Patricks day greetings

Arlo collected all of his green drawing tools to do some paddys day sketches.  Can you see his sports car! Big rigs, delivery trucks, and tractor?  He calls this his green picture.  

Fun Times

The boys are having fun drawing and taking care of their pet worms today.  

Robot

Dragons and Dino's

Arlo spelling his name, and Otis, mom n dad all by himself

Otis likes to try every colour in the set

Our composting worms are always a hit with the guys, who love feeding and spraying them to keep them moist.  It often turns into a water fight...

Keeping Busy in the Long Cold Winter

 The long winter meant a few days curled up on the couch.  Here are the boys, huddled up and recovering from some sore tummies.  Note the bucket there to catch any emergencies...

 Arlo taking a turn as a bicycle taxi driver, and Otis taking a turn doubling his brother on a motorcycle.  Both of these pictures are taken on one of our many regular trips to local museums.  This is at the children's museum, in Hull, a couple of blocks away from our old house, in the same building with the Museum of Civilization (renamed the Canadian History Museum now).

 Arlo trying his hand at laying bricks.

 Momma and Arlo building Indonesian shadow puppets in a stilt house.

 Otis wearing traditional Russian clothing, and standing outside a pyramid.

 The three Kalynuk boyz.

 Jenny and Otis get ready for a run down the ice slide at snowflake kingdom during Winterlude.

 Arlo and Mommy racing down an ice slide.  Arlo jumped the gun it looks like...

 Hold on tight Mamma!

 Wheee!!!

 Look at those smiles!

 Broomball anyone?

 A nice big sled means that everyone tries to get a ride...I think Otis is under there maybe?

 Arlo and Thomas and Owen (his friends 'the twins') enjoying a break from the Winterlude cold for a snack...

 Otis with a mouth full of Beavertail.

 Mushroom head!

 The long climb up the sled hill.

 Arlo is focused on the task at hand, while Lucy is enjoying the views.

 Ready, set, Go!

 Did you see me?  What a rush!

Here we come!

 Hold on tight!