He finally said those words to me. He told me he loved me. Well it was more like "I yuv you." but I'll take it. I have longed to hear those words from him. He looked me dead in the eye when he said it too. Albeit, he was repeating me, but he still said it and deep down in my heart, I know he meant it. I can't explain the feeling I had in my heart. It nearly burst in my chest with love for him. I could see in his eyes that he is glad I'm fighting for him and helping him emerge in our world. It was so much more then just "I love you". It was a thank you. For the first time, I actually felt that all I've been doing, all the fighting and the standing up meant something. It meant something to him. More and more he's coming into this strange and overwhelming world and he's okay with it. He's okay because Mom and Dad are holding his hand and will protect him at a moments notice.
Wesley had his evaluation today for Sensory Intergration Therapy. He's been put on a waiting list, but they don't think it will be too long because his schedule allows for mornings and most of the kids on the list go to school during the day. He loved the ball pit. We couldn't keep him out of it. He got right in the bean bin and I found lots of beans in his diaper when we got home.
It's funny because a year ago, we couldn't keep him off the swings at the park. When it was time to go, it would be battle royale to take him off and get him to the car. This year is different. He won't go near the swings. The OT who did Wes' evaluation for the SIT tried putting him on two different kinds of swings and he freaked out. He preferred the ball pit to anything else. Now, when we go to the park, he's all about the slides. What a difference a few months make.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Fun in the Sun!
Today, the boys and I met one of my great friends and her two boys at a local park. It was a bit on the breezy side, but the boys (except Casey) were having a ball climbing up and down on the equipment. Wes was his normal (ha! Gotta laugh at that word) quirky self. He simply ran around the equipment and when he got tired of that, he piled heaps of pine bark on his lap. Unfortunately, he did get in trouble for throwing it a few times. An hour later, Kelli and I decided to pack up the kiddos and take them to lunch. We gave them a special treat at McDonalds. I was a bit nervous, I'll admit. I wasn't sure if Wesley would behave and sit while eating. He did so well. I actually forgot about the Autism for a moment and looked at him like a typical two year old. It was strange. It's been so long, even before the diagnosis, that I looked at him as typical. He was tired after we finished eating and became whiny, but that was it! No tantrums and no running off. It's no surprise that he ate his lunch since Auntie Kelli bought him chicken nuggets.
All in all, it was a great day and I can't wait to get together with Kelli, Chase and Carter (or Car Car for short). It will be a good learning experience for Wesley and with Chase and Carters' help, Wes will learn how to play with others and form lasting friendships with them.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
In her own words
I found a link to this blog today and wanted to share it with others. I am simply amazed at this woman's power and strength.
Take the time to read her blog. Here is a link to a story about her precious daughter Emma
It doesn't end there though. Heather's an inspiration to us all.
Take the time to read her blog. Here is a link to a story about her precious daughter Emma
It doesn't end there though. Heather's an inspiration to us all.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Simply Amazing!
I am just astonished at what Wesley is doing these days. He is on such a roll that I can't seem to keep up with all that he can do! It seems like every day, he does something new or something on his own that we've been working really hard at.
I try to limit T.V. because we use it as a reward for him when he has worked hard in therapy that day. We have PECS of Jacks Big Music Show from Noggin and Thomas the Tank Engine on PBS Sprout. When he earns the T.V., we put the pictures on the top of his PECS folder and he gets to choose. Not only is he making a choice, but he's actually saying the choice too! He says either "Jack" or "Thomas". Not just once or twice, but EVERY TIME! It's amazing. There are a few times where we didn't even ask. He just pulled the picture off, walked up to me and said the name of the show he wanted!
The other night, Tim and I took the boys out to eat. We went to this place where you order your food and sit outside to eat. It was such a beautiful day. Tim set Wesley's bottle of water he had ordered on the table. While we were sorting out the food, Wesley pointed to the bottle of water. Tim asked if he wanted a drink and he did his happy hand flap! He was telling us that he needed a drink of his water! We made such a huge deal out of it. We looked kind of weird, I'm sure, but I don't care! My boy can communicate with us! His is a major thing for us. It means less tantrums, and less frustration!
We've been going for walks around the neighborhood and Wesley has been holding our hands and walking nicely beside us. Two months ago, he would have thrown a fit for not being put in the carriage. Going for walks were not possible. We went for a pretty long walk on Saturday and he did so well. We went to a playground at the Elementary school and he went up and down the slide like a big boy.
It's taken us 7 months to get this far, but I wasn't prepared for it to go so quickly. He is such a hard worker. I'm more and more confident that he will be mainstreamed into a normal classroom as he gets older and that maybe we won't have to work so hard to keep him up to where his peers are.
I try to limit T.V. because we use it as a reward for him when he has worked hard in therapy that day. We have PECS of Jacks Big Music Show from Noggin and Thomas the Tank Engine on PBS Sprout. When he earns the T.V., we put the pictures on the top of his PECS folder and he gets to choose. Not only is he making a choice, but he's actually saying the choice too! He says either "Jack" or "Thomas". Not just once or twice, but EVERY TIME! It's amazing. There are a few times where we didn't even ask. He just pulled the picture off, walked up to me and said the name of the show he wanted!
The other night, Tim and I took the boys out to eat. We went to this place where you order your food and sit outside to eat. It was such a beautiful day. Tim set Wesley's bottle of water he had ordered on the table. While we were sorting out the food, Wesley pointed to the bottle of water. Tim asked if he wanted a drink and he did his happy hand flap! He was telling us that he needed a drink of his water! We made such a huge deal out of it. We looked kind of weird, I'm sure, but I don't care! My boy can communicate with us! His is a major thing for us. It means less tantrums, and less frustration!
We've been going for walks around the neighborhood and Wesley has been holding our hands and walking nicely beside us. Two months ago, he would have thrown a fit for not being put in the carriage. Going for walks were not possible. We went for a pretty long walk on Saturday and he did so well. We went to a playground at the Elementary school and he went up and down the slide like a big boy.
It's taken us 7 months to get this far, but I wasn't prepared for it to go so quickly. He is such a hard worker. I'm more and more confident that he will be mainstreamed into a normal classroom as he gets older and that maybe we won't have to work so hard to keep him up to where his peers are.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Surgery Date
We have a tentative date on the surgery for Casey. It's Thursday, June 14th. It seems like it's so far away, but we have allot going on next month so it's okay. Casey is being baptised on the 20th of May and I am so glad it's happening before the surgery. We aren't extremely religious, but we do go to church when we can. It will make me feel better to know he's recognized in our church before surgery though.
The doctor will be back from vacation on Monday and I'm anxious for his call. We will finalize the details and I want to know exactly how the surgery will go, how big his incision will be, and what we can expect with the healing process. I'm nervous about bringing him home because he sits upright in his car seat and I don't want him in any pain during the hour drive.
Already in his short 7 1/2 months, I can tell he doesn't give up without a fight. He has such a beautiful and sunny personality, I often wonder how on earth he can be my child. I'm not always doom and gloom, but man is he always happy! He can go from crying to laughing with one touch to his knees or belly. He knows exactly how to get what it is he needs or wants. It amazes me how different he and Wesley really are. I keep forgetting that I don't need to show him how to do everything unlike Wesley. He needs to learn things for himself and he actually enjoys experimenting with the world around him. It's strange to me to need two parenting styles. I didn't think my children would be exactly the same, but I didn't think they would be so drastically different either. Where I need to sit and help Wesley focus and learn what he needs to do, Casey just figures it out on his own. Life is strangely amazing.
The doctor will be back from vacation on Monday and I'm anxious for his call. We will finalize the details and I want to know exactly how the surgery will go, how big his incision will be, and what we can expect with the healing process. I'm nervous about bringing him home because he sits upright in his car seat and I don't want him in any pain during the hour drive.
Already in his short 7 1/2 months, I can tell he doesn't give up without a fight. He has such a beautiful and sunny personality, I often wonder how on earth he can be my child. I'm not always doom and gloom, but man is he always happy! He can go from crying to laughing with one touch to his knees or belly. He knows exactly how to get what it is he needs or wants. It amazes me how different he and Wesley really are. I keep forgetting that I don't need to show him how to do everything unlike Wesley. He needs to learn things for himself and he actually enjoys experimenting with the world around him. It's strange to me to need two parenting styles. I didn't think my children would be exactly the same, but I didn't think they would be so drastically different either. Where I need to sit and help Wesley focus and learn what he needs to do, Casey just figures it out on his own. Life is strangely amazing.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Adventures in Dentistry
Today was Wes' first trip to the dentist. I was dreading this appointment but it had to be done. He hates to have his teeth brushed and has started to grind his teeth. Those and along his incessant need to suck on his blanket warranted a trip.
All morning, I had been telling Wesley what was going to happen today to kind of prepare him. I told him we were going to see a new, really nice doctor and he would look inside his mouth and admire his beautiful teeth. It seemed to have worked...well, sort of.
When his name was called, I had to drag him into the hall that lead to the exam rooms. He wanted to run around the waiting room and was mad when I said he couldn't. So, we make our way to the exam room and he seems to be doing good. He voluntarily climbed up onto the chair and sat to play with his busy beads. The hygienist gave him a ride up and down. He was a bit skeptical about that. Once the dentist had come in, he seemed pretty relaxed. He had Wes sit on my lap facing me and then laid him back on his lap. He was able to get his fingers into Wes' mouth and looked around. He said that his teeth looked very good and to keep doing what we've been doing.
We've pretty much been fighting him every night and some mornings (when I can pin him down) to brush his teeth. It's a complete, all out battle, but it has to be done. We go back in 6 months for a cleaning. Now that should be a real trip!
All morning, I had been telling Wesley what was going to happen today to kind of prepare him. I told him we were going to see a new, really nice doctor and he would look inside his mouth and admire his beautiful teeth. It seemed to have worked...well, sort of.
When his name was called, I had to drag him into the hall that lead to the exam rooms. He wanted to run around the waiting room and was mad when I said he couldn't. So, we make our way to the exam room and he seems to be doing good. He voluntarily climbed up onto the chair and sat to play with his busy beads. The hygienist gave him a ride up and down. He was a bit skeptical about that. Once the dentist had come in, he seemed pretty relaxed. He had Wes sit on my lap facing me and then laid him back on his lap. He was able to get his fingers into Wes' mouth and looked around. He said that his teeth looked very good and to keep doing what we've been doing.
We've pretty much been fighting him every night and some mornings (when I can pin him down) to brush his teeth. It's a complete, all out battle, but it has to be done. We go back in 6 months for a cleaning. Now that should be a real trip!
Trip to the E.R.
Things just keep getting better and better around here.
Last night, after Casey had been in bed for 2 1/2 hours, he woke up coughing. No big deal I thought. I listened to him for a second on the monitor and he sounded funny. Raspy and hoarse. So I headed upstairs to see if he was alright. He sounded terrible. I picked him up and rocked him for a minute and the gave a hard cough and then threw up all over me. I called for Tim downstairs to come help me. We stripped him and decided to take him into the bathroom and run the hot shower. That wasn't working. He sounded worse then ever. When Wes was 11 months, he had bronchialitis so it was recommended to us that we buy a nebulizer. Tim got the neb out and we gave him a treatment. He cried miserably during it and could barely catch his breath. At this point, I had already called the pediatricians on-call service and was waiting to hear from them. I couldn't wait. I quickly got myself dressed, and Casey redressed from the vomit incident. I called my mother-in-law, grabbed Casey and ran out the door telling Tim I would meet him at the E.R. We got there at about 9:30 and the nurses bumped him to the top of the wait because he was an infant. By 9:45, they had did the intake of him and by 10:15, he was in a room waiting for the doctor. They did a swab of his nose to check for RSV, but it was certainly croup. At 11:30, they gave him a dose of prednisone and we were home by 11:45pm.
He was such a trooper through it all. Flirting with the nurses and showing off for the doctor. He whined a couple of times but we laid him down and he curled up with the blanket they gave him. While they were taking his temp. (rectally, I might add) he peed on the nurse and his pajamas so he was in just a onsie that was thankfully in the diaper bag. He slept surprisingly well last night, and has been exhausted all day today. I'm just thankful that I listened to my gut and took him in. I can't imagine what it would be like if I waited until morning.
Last night, after Casey had been in bed for 2 1/2 hours, he woke up coughing. No big deal I thought. I listened to him for a second on the monitor and he sounded funny. Raspy and hoarse. So I headed upstairs to see if he was alright. He sounded terrible. I picked him up and rocked him for a minute and the gave a hard cough and then threw up all over me. I called for Tim downstairs to come help me. We stripped him and decided to take him into the bathroom and run the hot shower. That wasn't working. He sounded worse then ever. When Wes was 11 months, he had bronchialitis so it was recommended to us that we buy a nebulizer. Tim got the neb out and we gave him a treatment. He cried miserably during it and could barely catch his breath. At this point, I had already called the pediatricians on-call service and was waiting to hear from them. I couldn't wait. I quickly got myself dressed, and Casey redressed from the vomit incident. I called my mother-in-law, grabbed Casey and ran out the door telling Tim I would meet him at the E.R. We got there at about 9:30 and the nurses bumped him to the top of the wait because he was an infant. By 9:45, they had did the intake of him and by 10:15, he was in a room waiting for the doctor. They did a swab of his nose to check for RSV, but it was certainly croup. At 11:30, they gave him a dose of prednisone and we were home by 11:45pm.
He was such a trooper through it all. Flirting with the nurses and showing off for the doctor. He whined a couple of times but we laid him down and he curled up with the blanket they gave him. While they were taking his temp. (rectally, I might add) he peed on the nurse and his pajamas so he was in just a onsie that was thankfully in the diaper bag. He slept surprisingly well last night, and has been exhausted all day today. I'm just thankful that I listened to my gut and took him in. I can't imagine what it would be like if I waited until morning.
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