Spring is here!

It's officially Spring; however, the calendar and weather aren't coordinating for the long awaited spring I've been envisioning. I'm anxious for sunny days, blooming flowers, evening walks and working on a garden. Instead, we've had snow, snow, and more snow, with a couple days of decent weather. We've taken advantage of the good weather, walking downtown, taking the kids for ice cream, and preparing for many camping trips this summer.

Mr N has had a taste for Spring, spending several hours playing in the backyard. After our latest snow, he was still determined to play outside for a long while, only coming inside after much prodding and frozen hands.

Yesterday my brother and his family came over to visit for a while, bringing gifts of dinosaurs and "squishy toys". Mr N was super excited to add to his dinosaur collection, he sorted his new ones and paired them up with his old ones of similar size. They then battled it out, with the rogue elephant maintaining his reign as champion. Whenever one of his cousins would come to reclaim their own dinosaur, Mr N would gently touch their shoulder and hand them the dinosaur he picked out that matched in size.

Watching him be so sweet and kind towards his cousins is so heartwarming. He's blossomed so much, he fills our hearts with so much gladness.

My darlings

I can't even begin to describe the absolute joy my little ones bring me. They have such amazing little personalities (said every parent ever) that never quit. E has quite the sass and so much spunk. The other day I jokingly asked her if she wanted to stay home and let Elephant watch her, she replied "no he doesn't know the password to iTunes". Clearly a pre-requisite for babysitting. This child NEEDS new games for her iPad on a regular basis.

I've been trying to put together her summer wardrobe, in spite of thinking I'd already had it all ready to go. I had bought her some size 6 stuff for this summer last fall when it was on sale. My tiny mite just isn't even close to size 6, so I hopped online and bought her a few dresses along with a couple of skirts as she has plenty of tanks and tees for the summer. After purchasing them I showed E what I picked out, she was not impressed with one of the dress as it was not "beautiful". sigh.

I decided maybe a better option would be making her skirts since I bought her size 4t in hopes that they will fit around the waist, but will probably end up being pretty short. First off, I took a dress that I bought her a few years ago that never really fit despite alterations and is now far too short. I removed the straps and bow in front then voila she has a brand new skirt that is long enough to wear to school when it warms up.

Then I went through my fabric and found some scraps leftover from curtain making. I had enough to make her one more skirt.

I'm super happy with the way the second one turned out. I really want to make her a white maxi skirt but she insists it's not "beautiful", so I'll take her fabric shopping so I can be educated as to real beauty and fashion.

Mr N has been incredibly amazing lately. This evening we went for a walk after Daddy was done with work and he very emphatically told us how his dinosaur smashed his finger which made it hurt. I couldn't believe how easy it was to understand him. He was working so hard to get his words out to be understood. I'm so proud of him for all of his effort to speak.

Last night, I was lying in bed thinking about how frustrating it is that his speech hasn't progressed as rapidly as his other skills. I'm worried sick that he won't be ready for kindergarten for Fall 2015. We haven't heard whether he's been accepted into headstart, I'm anxious for him to have more time getting skills he needs to progress.

Despite being the little brother, Mr N is most assuredly the most considerate, kind, helpful little boy. He is so incredibly sweet, independent, self-sufficient and just amazing. He is so willing to help others out, at school he grabs the ketchup as soon as another child runs out, he wants to help them take their dishes to the kitchen when they are done eating, and he helps them clean up toys when they are done playing.

Mr N is super helpful at home, too. He puts his garbage in the trash can, he puts his dishes in the sink, scrapes his uneaten food in the trash, gets his own juice box or milk. This evening he wanted to play in the front yard but it was getting cool and dark; however, we couldn't get him to come in the house. Daddy said "mommy needs help" he came running, always willing to help. I have him a small chore, which he was only too happy to do.

We've been so blessed with our little man, he brings us indescribable joy. He is incredibly polite, always with the "thank you" and "yes sir" or to me "yes sir, mom". Going shopping is no longer a hassle, he doesn't get overwhelmed, he handles it very well, he's such a joy to take shopping now. I don't dread going for groceries, if we have multiple stops, he takes it in stride. The progress he's made is so promising.

And for a little Mr N gummy bear dinosaur play.....

Kindergarten

Little miss has been doing amazing in school. She's the top reader in her class, the book she brought home yesterday was a grade 3 reading level. She started reading chapter books and found a series she really likes. Her teacher is amazing, she set up a little program for E so whenever E reads a chapter in her book we write down what she learned and what she wonders about what will happen in the next chapter. Then we send the notebook to school where E gets a special reward.

At the beginning of the year E struggled with math, she wasn't behind per se but she wasn't near the top of her class. I volunteer in E's class twice a week for math centers so I get to see first hand where she stands in relation to her class. They also have testing 3 times a year. Her fall test scores put her barely ahead of the goal, her winter test scores put her exceedingly ahead of the goals for the spring test. She is definitely in the top 3rd of her class now based on my observations. There was an assignment they did one day in December and she really struggled with the concept, as did a good portion of her class. A couple of weeks later they had a similar assignment, she didn't even flinch, she had no problems with it at all. It's unbelievable how quickly she learns. I'm so incredibly proud of my little girl, she's a treasure.

Smitten

Mr N is hands down the most polite child I've ever encountered, without a doubt. He says "thank you" without being asked, even for the littlest things. He is very helpful and thoughtful, he's eager to please and quick to take initiative. He is an absolute joy.

Words can't express what an amazing little man he is to know. The hugs, cuddles, and kisses are just the icing on the cake. It is unfortunate that many of the people in our lives don't see the Mr N we see every day. He is doing quite well with school, self-regulating when necessary to cope. But meetings are quite different, he is on such sensory overload during most of the meeting that his behavior is less than ideal. Our patience with him during meeting has improved as we are aware of his inability maintain appropriate behaviors for that length of time.

When he is loud, running, flailing, fidgeting, climbing, etc what people don't see is the sweet boy that he is 90% of the time at home; the boy who brings mommy or daddy what he wants so we don't have to stop what we are doing, the boy who's imagination results in amazing play with dinosaurs, cars and even dolls, the boy who clears his plate in the trash can and puts his plate in the sink, the boy who puts the dishwashing detergent in the dishwasher without being asked, the boy who puts his dirty clothes where they belong, puts his clean clothes away, and picks out his own clothes to wear. The boy who rushes to hug his sissy as soon as she gets home from school, the boy who cries when he knows he's disappointed mommy or daddy, the boy who helps put groceries away, the boy who has stolen our hearts and puts smiles on our faces. This boy, my boy, who is so full of love and forgiveness, gives hugs and kisses after his timeout. This sweet boy shouts "I LOVE YOU" as loud as he can.

Not many people see the sweet, amazing boy that Mr N is 90% of the time. Most people only see the struggles that he faces.

At school on Monday, his therapist said he picked up all of the toys that were out and put them away all by himself. Even the toys the other kids had used, if he didn't know where something went, he asked. On Tuesday, he was a bit emotional and probably not feeling super well, we've been battling sickness all winter and the last week has been exceptionally bad. But he still participated in story time, still did the story time project even though he didn't like it and did great playing outside. When I got there another little boy lost his boot and Mr N picked it up and took it right to him. Being sweet is just in his nature.

More school

I've written previously about Mr N needing more school, more hours, more, more, more. Somehow making that call to the preschool was scary and not on my mind enough, but yesterday I mustered up the courage and dialed the number. They advised I come in today to fill out paperwork and see if he qualified, we are over the income requirement, but his diagnosis may earn him a spot.

I arrived at the preschool unsure, apprehensive, and full of doubt. While I love how much Mr N enjoys his one day a week at the children's center, it is much more of a daycare than preschool, I'm not super impressed with the staff and if he didn't have Leslie there with him, I'd not be inclined to let him spend one hour a week there.

I entered the class room where the teachers were putting together paperwork for me to complete, they welcomed and asked about Mr N. As I looked around the room I was happy to see the alphabet, names on chairs, learning tools, as well as the professionalism of the employees. We discussed their program, much to my relief it is an academic program which will enable Mr N to learn the vitals before kindergarten, it is structured and the staff are educated.

Part of the reason for my apprehension is the fact that I'm a stay at home mom, putting my baby into preschool four days a week for 3.5 hours a day, kind of takes my job away. Again, that was put to ease during my conversations with the teachers, they welcome volunteers and I'll be able to be involved with his learning. Being away from Mr N for several hours every day is a bit heart wrenching, much like taking E to kindergarten on her first day. Talking with the teachers, being confident in their abilities and knowing Mr N will progress much more rapidly brings so much relief.

Now begins the waiting process, there are a few more documents we need to get to the preschool before they can submit the application, I'm not sure how long it will take to process the application to see if he's accepted. Then begin the discussions and coordinations with the development center about his services and getting him an aide. I'm not sure when he'd begin preschool, but I'm anxious for him to start as I know he'll love it.

It's certainly interesting sharing Mr N's strengths and weaknesses at this point vs where we were a year ago and two years ago. His progress has been mind blowing. I never thought we'd be looking into preschool at this point, I thought by now we'd just be transitioning him from in home therapy to therapy at the development center. His love for school has shocked us, his ability to transition from activity to activity has become a non-issue, his willingness to try new things is improving weekly.

Regression and Progression

My sweet, loving, beautiful baby boy was 9 months old when he suddenly and drastically regressed socially. His social regression was immediate and profound, he went from the lovable baby that everyone held and played with to a terrified child who only let mom or dad hold him. It was nearly 2 years before someone else was able to hold him. To touch him meant to hurt him, he would react to a touch as if he was punched.

Next in his regression was his speech. It was profound and noticeable. My once brilliant toddler stopped using words and struggled with speaking. He was 15 months old when he had lost so many words that we were becoming very concerned. He had his first speech evaluation at 15 months old, he was still so advanced for his age (16-18 months), he didn't qualify for any further testing nor did he qualify for services. By 18 months he was nearly nonverbal, I believe he was down to about 5 words. His second speech evaluation he was so delayed  (10-12 months) they immediately began services before waiting for an autism diagnosis.

I'm not certain when his sensory issues really kicked in, but the thing we noticed most was his love for all things velcro. It started with his sandals, he'd suck on the soft side of the velcro until the shoes were ruined. His sensory issues soon spilled over into his eating, his diet dwindled down to a few items where it has stayed with very few additions in the last 2 years. I am so proud to say that he ate a pea the other day, he cringed and gagged but my little boy ate it and kept it down. He also ate an oreo dipped in milk, which is amazing because they are so super yummy that way.

Progression. I've got this entire blog, months worth of tidbits and epic moments, but to sum it up? I'm not sure where to start. Socially? I have no concerns, he has progressed so much that I'm certain that he'll do amazing in school interacting with the teacher, other students, and able to participate in class. He has learned quite well how to self regulate, when he's overwhelmed he'll step away until he's ready to join back into an activity.

Sensory? We've seen such huge progress that it really isn't even on our radar anymore. He'll rub stuff on his upper lip and that is the extent of it. Obviously, the eating issues are probably here to stay, but that is so much more socially acceptable than sucking on velcro for the rest of his life.

Speech? It's so hard to gauge. He's made immense progress, he talks in sentences, he'll repeat anything you ask him to, he asks questions, makes requests, uses words much more than grunting or gesturing. He intentionally irritates his sister by repeating everything she says. His enunciation and articulation have definitely improved, but not to an acceptable level yet. I'm anxious for his next speech evaluation so we have a better idea of where he stands.

I feel like speech and some cognitive issues (numbers, letters, colors, shapes, etc) are the only delays at this point.

Lunch at school

Mr N has done so well at preschool lately, that we decide to attempt lunch. The last few weeks he's washed his hands with the other children and tried to join them for lunch. Last week we decided that we'd give it a go for this week. Today I arrived at lunch time so that I could be there to assist. He got in line, washed his hands, found a place next to one of his friends to sit, sat down and promptly pushed the food away. He was so happy to be having lunch with the class, but had no desire to actually eat the food. He lapped some of the milk out of his cup like a kitten, but there was no eating involved.

After talking with the specialist that works with Mr N we decided that next week I'll pack him a lunch to take so that maybe he'll eat along with the other kids. Lesley, the specialist, said that Mr N has two friends that he plays with most of the time, but that he still gets overwhelmed. When he gets overwhelmed he'll step away from the other kiddos and play alone for a few minutes then join back in with them. I'm super impressed that he's figured out how to self regulate, being able to step away, regain control, then join back in is such a vital skill.

As Mr N has progressed leaps and bounds these last few weeks, it's become quite apparent that 1 hour of preschool each week is just not cutting it. It's time to increase his time spent either at the preschool he's been joining or somewhere to get him what he needs to succeed. We discussed this as well, getting Mr N into at least half day of preschool.

The last few times he's had preschool or therapy, the pick up does not go well at all. There is no bribe big enough to get him to leave in a good mood. He starts crying and fighting from the moment I start dragging him to the car until well after we arrive home, the meltdown is of epic proportions.