These boots are made for walking.

Oh if only this was Christopher's motto.

We really need to encourage our son to get weight bearing, walking would be preferential. However I know many parents say "don't wish your sons babyhood away". I do get that but at the same time my knees need re replacing, as does my left ankle and as does both my shoulders through carrying him both in pregnancy and now. I am worried that my husbands knees and hips are also going and I fear for my son having to spend a lot of the first three years of his life visiting one or the other of his parents in hospital.

So I mulled it all over and decided I can't keep putting surgery off, I have to go and get some of these joints taken out and fantastic plastic put in and perhaps it is better to do that whilst he will have no memory of it,rather than it upset him more when his memory is working and he has to deal with one of us leaving for a bit.

I do really need Christopher to start taking some steps soon though. So hence the boot camp of exercise in this household.

In the morning it is door frame bouncer time for 20 mins, he is actually moving well in it now and enjoys it where as when he was 6 months he kind of hung there like a miserable puppet.

In the afternoon it is baby walker time, we have a great walker from Babies R Us, really recommend it, the seat allows your child to almost be in a standing position. The toys attached to the tray are bright and fun too. Here is a picture of him in the walker with my assistant dog, excuse the expressions on both him and the dog, clearly story time is requiring a little more oooomph.

Babylo Bizzy Bee walker from Babies R Us for £29.99

In the evening, before bed time it is floor time and I guess you will have seen my "I got on that thing called floor" blog so you will know all the fun and games of that.

I have no more ideas for how to get our son to weight bear. I don't want to wish away his baby years. Of course I don't, he will be my only child because pregnancy and carrying him now has taken a huge toll on my joints and arthritis as a whole. I wouldn't change it for the world and there are many arthritic women out there who would make a choice to have more than one child. Not only has it taken a toll on my arthritis but it has also been hard on my husbands joints, he, having had arthritis later in life, is more mobile than me, he has normal developed limbs and less deformation than I so he has to do a fair amount of the physical work. I can't see him suffering and neither can Christopher or I afford for him to end up very ill in hospital for weeks. My poor Canine Partner assistant dog would be working over time if he had to go away for a bit and I don't think the old girl would be amused!

Next will be potty training, I have to ask how do disabled parents deal with this!!!???? We went to IKEA and brought a cheap £1.99 pot, Christopher chose a lime green one, a fine choice, glad to see he has his fathers artistic eye. We got this pot because it was so cheap and if we can't find a way to get him on it then we can afford to bin it. I am looking into potty seats, they are a little higher of the ground. Again it will be up to poor Mark to deal with this as I just can not bend my knees or hips to get our son onto it.

Potty we brought from IKEA for £1.99 although pot looks high it isn't.

Another alternative idea that he could go straight onto the toilet,which requires no bending to put him on but children are frightened of the toilet monster coming so I expect he won't take to it. £16.99 from mothercare.com

Pot that sits higher off floor from Mothercare.com £16.99 does actually sit further off ground than normal pots.

I hope that Christopher will help out a bit and get himself onto it once he has been shown how. That would be the best solution really. 

Really there should be a degree in parenthood, honestly they have more daft degrees out there so I don't see why not! You have to think quickly, dynamically and apply it all in the space of very little time. 

Whilst sat waiting to see a man about an ankle, I read through some hospital pamphlets and there was one on "pregnancy and arthritis", there were a few helpful thoughts for during pregnancy but as soon as it got to the childcare bit it kind of gave up and said many arthritics have babies and they seem to manage. I am not kidding you, that was what it said, no how they manage, no tips except for "get family and friends to help". I bet MS and pregnancy, blindness and baby rearing etc etc are all similar. I can really see I need to get setting up the web site for AbleParenting!

Oh happy Halloween every one for tomorrow, Chris is sporting his Monster dungarees today in preparation for the Trick or Treaters coming over. x