Chico and Quack
Belated Christopher surgery update: all is well with the pressure in his eyes. For now at least. It will be something that the doctors will continue to monitor as the valve implant will likely need to be replaced at some point, but we couldn't be happier with the results. No more eye drops!
In other news, we've begun teaching Christopher braille. Why braille, you ask, when he (to all outward appearances at least) is coping just fine using his (limited) vision? Well, after discussing it, Kari & I agreed that we have to be prepared for the chance that his vision will deteriorate. Might as well start training Christopher now while his brain is still so spongelike (see how quickly he picked up English!).
Another, and perhaps an even bigger, factor in the decision is that once he is actively reading and interacting in our text-rich world, he is going to need as many different kinds of inputs as he can get. Even though there are all kinds of magnifiers, large-print books, and assistive computer interfaces for those with low vision, we've learned that it is mentally and physically exhausting to have to interact with text at a large size. Imagine what it would be like to have to read a book or a newspaper article when you can only take in two or three words at a time.
On the other hand, maybe that is the kind of thing Christopher can adapt to. This video is literally the third time Christopher has interacted with a computer. Of course, it's easy to maintain a certain level of stamina when you keep shoving grapes into your mouth.