Christmas gifts for the disabled baby (child) that cannot walk or talk

My friend sent me a link yesterday to a blog about what to get kids that are disabled. I have also been reading some blogs about the same subject on my own. The ideas were great, but not fitting for Jude because of his situation. So therefore, I decided to come up with my own Christmas idea list. I thought it might benefit someone reading it who is looking for the perfect gift for their special child, their special relative, or their special needs friend. Jude cannot grasp, he cannot sit up, and has limited neck control. We are working on these things, but we understand Jude's limitations and we accept him the way he is. So over the years I have found some items that we like. I am sure Jude's nurse could add a great deal to this list, but she is at school with baby Jude. So I am going to try to list some practical everyday items and some non practical items.


Converse tennis shoes. They don't have to be Converse, but they need to have the same look. These are flat sole tennis shoes. When we first started our Journey we thought Jude needed shoes with an arch to help train his foot, but we have since found Converse shoes work best. We are able to take the lining out and fit his AFO's (braces) and foot into the shoe. The need to have the low sides and the shoe strings to tie...not the slip ons.

Two piece Carters PJ's. Again, they don't have to be Carters, but they seem to have great deals and hold up well. I also like Crazy 8 and gymboree pajamas. They need to be two piece because of the G button placement. I love onsie's, footed sleepers, and all those cute one piece pajamas, but they don't work anymore. You must have easy access to the G button in the tummy. Kids with special needs can never have to many pajamas. Jude loves them because they are soft, easy to move in, and warm.

Cd's. Jude loves music!! He will turn towards it. About a year ago I got Jude a personalized Mickey Mouse CD which he loves. Although, it sounds like someone is sneezing every time Mickey says "JUDE". Anyway, he loved it so much that his weekend nurse Allen got him a Barney Cd which Jude laughs to and this Christmas he is getting him an Elmo CD. You can find these Cd's online here: http://mykidsmusic.net/

Jude likes anything that lights up and sparkles. He must take after his mom that loves anything with bling and sparkles. Anyway, we received a sparkle lava lamp and it has been a big hit with Jude. He will stare at the lamp and coo at it. Now take note these lamps get very hot! Put them on an even surface and never leave the baby unattended with them.

A weighted blanket. We have not obtained one of these for Jude yet, but it's on our list. Weighted blankets can calm irritated children and help them sleep. I found this website that you can use for reference. http://themagicblanket.net/. These can come in handy during a storm too.

Switch Toys, light up toys, baby mobiles - Even though Jude cannot grasp he can bat at objects. He has made progress on batting at switch toys or toys with buttons like this school bus.

Also regular baby toys that you find at the store work. However it's better if you can find ones with front facing keys that do not have to attach to a crib. I want to make a line of these because they are easier for special needs children like Jude to hit when laying down or in this tomato seat. This one is perfect if I had something to attach it to.

Everyday essentials. Jude uses a lot of lotion, wipes, socks, Qtips, and baby wash. Yes, I said baby wash. Jude is getting pretty big and it's hard to maneuver him around in a bath tub. Johnsons head to toe baby wash is a must! This will not sting his eyes and you never have to change bottles while washing his body and hair.

A spinning toothbrush. Jude must have his teethies cleaned several times a day. Primarily after he has his breathing treatments as the medication can cause rot. He loves his spinning toothbrush and we sing the "brusha brusha" song while we complete our task. Another idea is to include children's toothpaste with the brush.

The Boppy - Oh God Bless the person that invented the Boppy! Bet they never knew this was a special needs kids DREAM! This helps Jude stay in place in bed, helps him stay sitting up when getting his breathing treatments, and helps him position for therapy. Your child getting bigger? No worries......they have adult Boppy's!

The Child Rite chair. When Jude was a little we discovered the great and powerful Bumbo chair wasn't going to cut it. One of my all time favorite idiotic, you shouldn't have said that, comments came from someone that just couldn't understand that Jude couldn't sit in a bumbo. Anyway, some of our great friends banded together when Jude was little and got him this awesome child rite chair. Jude now has to use his horse collar with it, but it sure was a life saver when he was little. I highly recommend it. http://www.childrite.com

With that being said they also make another great piece of equipment that I am interested in getting Jude to try out. Which is located here: http://www.childrite.com/tumzeeblue-info.html. He may be to big for it now, but it looks great for teaching head control.

Swings - Some special needs kids love swings! Jude is one of those. A platform swing is perfect for kids without a lot of neck control.

Movies - Jude loves to watch TV while he is in his stander. Many special needs children suffer from cortical visual impairment like Jude does. This causes his brain to confuse what he is seeing and therefore he will look away from the object. However, he loves anything red like Clifford the Big Red Dog. These also make great stuffed animals and books.

Last but not least special items from the heart. Jude doesn't reach your standard milestones so receiving "normal" gifts and boxes of hope are treasures. A photo album, a letter from Santa, hand print plates, and more are wonderful. One of my favorite items I have found is listed below. It keeps our special ones close to our hearts always and in our memories forever.

Merry Christmas.