Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Sadie's first therapy table

This last weekend Sadie got a therapy table. I had been talking to a friend about the one she has in her therapy office, because I like it a lot and I think we could really benefit from something like that at home, back in December. The goal was to have one made or to make one in time for Sadie's birthday. Unfortunately, we moved, then we went to Oregon, then my cat ran away, then school started, then Grammy came to visit, blah blah blah...and the table never happened.

Well, last week, since Sadie was at Ryan House and I had all this extra time on my hands, I finally called a guy who I was told could make us one for a reasonable price. I told him I wanted it to be at sitting height and that yes, 4'X6' was a good size and he said he'd probably have time to make it over the weekend. WHAT??? This was Monday! I am so used to everything special needs taking 4-6 weeks standard that I was shocked by this response...and a little excited.

But it gets better...he called me Friday and told me it was done and we could come get it on Saturday!


My mother in law came over to hang out with Sadie, while Brian and I drove almost an hour (one way) to pick up this table. It was too wide for the bed of the truck, so we were lucky we left the lid on and could just strap it down to that. It probably could have been more secure, but we made it home okay!


It quickly made camp in our living room. It was supposed to rain Saturday night, so we didn't want to leave it outside, since it's raw wood. Plus it needed to be painted or stained or something, so why not right here in the living room??? (we couldn't use it until it was treated with something, so I was eager to get that done right away!)

So, there's this routine that I tend to go through with my dad everytime he comes over. I say something about needing something we don't have, he tells me he's got an extra whatever it is and I should have said something because he could have brought it over! Well, not this time.

I called my dad early Sunday morning and asked if they had any old paint (that was still good) in their garage that I could use on Sadie's table. I remembered at one house they lived in a long time ago they painted one wall of their bathroom this gorgeous turquoise color and I remembered seeing extra paint in that color in their garage, and I didn't even know if the paint was still good or if they still had it...but it was worth a call.

Turned out my dad had a brand new, still sealed can of that blue paint...and a brand new, still sealed can of primer! Excellent. Free paint! That crap is expensive!

Oh, and he came over to help me paint the table too.


So, after a few hours and some minor paint fumes, we got a coat of primer and two coats of paint on our new table. And then let it sit over night to "cure."

Yesterday afternoon, I rearranged some things and set up the table for Sadie and she seems to enjoy it!! It looks good in our living room because it's a kid color and it goes with the other kid stuff. Eventually it'll be moved into a sensory/play room that I plan on creating for our babies, but for now, it's fine right where it is.


I'm really excited for this table to become a permanent part of our family. Not only can it be used for changing diapers (Sadie is getting too big for that changing table!) and for doing therapy stretches, but it can be used to pull up to standing, to lean on as support or to sit at with a chair like a big table!! Things can be placed on top of it and her stander can be pulled up to its side so she can interact. Or it can just be a place to lay and chill.

One friend of mine suggested decorating it with Sadie hand or foot prints each year as she grows and using a paint pen to write on their her achievements and milestones. I thought that was a great idea. We'll start with feet prints, and hopefully those hands will be open enough someday that we can do handprints (that's a milestone in itself!). And maybe Sadie will have enough fine motor coordination one day that she'll be able to draw her own picture or write her own name on the table...how cool would that be?

This is definitely a blessing that we are very lucky to have.

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