....I can see clearly now.....

I really have no reason as to why I've always been convinced Drew couldn't see. He has really given no signal to the fact. Last year I heard of a program through a local eye doctor called the See to Learn program, where they give free eye exams to kids 1 to 3 years old. I thought it was worth a shot to take Drew and Lily just to make sure. I've had problems with my eyes my whole life, so chances were that one of my children may also have trouble. At the time Drew was only about 18 months old and they told me that they would like to see him back in a year.

Fast forward a year. Drew is now nearly 2 1/2 and still doesn't pay much attention to the television, was having trouble learning colors, and didn't really like to sit and be read to. So, we made another appointment last week to take him in to the eye doctor. Sure enough, he can't see. At the time I didn't ask his specific prescription, the doctor just said, "He's not really seeing a whole lot." :( Poor guy!! Who knows how much learning he'd been missing out on because he couldn't see!!So, we went right away to find a pair of glasses. We found the smallest pair and got them ordered...it was going to take a week for them to come in!!

Today we got the call that they were ready. My friend Myca offered to watch Lily after lunch so that we could go right down to pick them up. He had no idea what was really going to happen, but I was very excited for him!! When we got there they explained to me that Drew would be all about checking himself out in the mirror for a few days. He said that with vision impairment this significant, the kids have really never seen themselves before. WHAT!?! "How significant is it?" i asked. They said that when the usually fit kids for glasses when they are farsighted (like Drew) their correction is usually plus about .5o to .75, but for Drew his correction was plus 5.25!!!! I was just shocked. I mean I know the doctor had told me that he wasn't seeing, but I had no idea!! I don't have very good vision, really blind if you were ask my husband...but Drew was WAY worse!! It almost made me cry watching them put those glasses on him. He just got this sweet smile on his face and he just looked and looked at himself. He couldn't wipe that smile off his face. He was seeing himself for the first time!! I'm tearing up writing this.

So, they got them fitted and took a few minutes to look over a storybook (considering he'd never really seen one before!!) And then we headed out to pick up Lily. Now, Drew is my sweet, easy going kid, I was just sure that he was going to leave those glasses alone. I. Was. Wrong. We had not been driving for more than FIVE MINUTES when Drew took those glasses off and bent them the wrong direction!!! Seriously, the ear piece was pointing 90 degrees the wrong way!! I had to turn the car right around and head back to the store! Obviously he wasn't ready to be just let loose with these things!! We got them fixed and the glasses rode home in the case. I decided that maybe we would practice at home with Mommy right there before we wear them in the car again.

this is what drew managed to do to his glasses in about 2.5 seconds!!