A taste of success

Today was crack down day. I have Wes multiple weeks of no pressure, no asking, and no comments on using the toilet and not wearing diapers anymore. He was still having overflow accidents and I had had my limit of washing bedding and loads of laundry. I was putting my foot down and today was the day.

Starting first thing in the morning, I got Wes out of bed and brought him to the toilet. I sat him down, told him to go to the bathroom and left the room. He sat (not happily), but nothing happened. I decided I was going to take him every half hour if he didn't go, and one hour if he did go with success. I wasn't going to ask him or mention that he was going to the bathroom. I just took his hand and up the stairs we went. The second time went like the first. Nothing, but that was okay. I didn't say anything to him as I pulled his pull-up back and pants back on. On the third time, I left him a little bit longer in the bathroom and then I heard "I am finished." I went in to check on him and I smelled the distinct odor one leaves behind from their behind. There was no way he did what I was thinking. I figured he had some really strong gas. He has his little stick legs glued at the knees so I pried them open and found a small puddle of urine in his lap. I started clapping and whooping it up. Tim brought him a cookie to eat once he was cleaned up. I had him get up from the potty and there in the bottom of the bowl was success number 2 (no pun intended). I still can't believe he did that. I made an even bigger deal and he got another cookie for his triumph.
The rest of the day went without any surprises and off to school he went. Nothing there either, but his para told me she gave him extra water at school so she was sure he had to go. We immediately came home and back up the stairs for another successful elimination. Holy cow! Unfortunately, I got distracted by dinner and Tim needing to leave (he had the day off) so I missed the next round and he went in his pull up and all over the floor.
I really feel like we lost the momentum for the day with that accident but hopefully, we can recover tomorrow and he'll be on his way to being a big boy in underwear.

Model Magic

Another great report came home from school about how well Wes has been doing in school and how well he's been progressing with his program. He's been doing a sight word program at school and loves to read. Santa brought him some flash cards with common items and we've been working on those at home too. He loves for me to read him a book and then reads it back to me. That's my favorite part of our day. The reason for the sight word program is to help with his articulation and to help him increase his the length of his speaking. I've noticed a big difference in his word utterance since he started this program. He still does a lot of echolalia of t.v. programs he's watched, but he's remembering to ask the correct way for things he wants rather then using what he hears on t.v.

Play skills are still an uphill battle for Wes. School has taught him some play activities and tries to include him in as much play with one student as possible, but he still shows no interest. School (and I) have decided to try video modeling. I'm really excited to give this a try because Wes has been copying many things Casey has been doing. From pretend sleeping, to making funny noises alongside Casey. He's really starting to notice his brother and the little things he's doing. Instead of purchasing the videos, I found them at our government resource lending library. We can borrow the DVD's for two weeks and I'm starting with Play. The library has Watch Me Learn. I checked out Teach To Talk, but since it's endorsed and created by Jenny McCarthy, I'm glad to try Watch Me Learn. If the video's prove to be useful, I'll purchase them and then pass them onto the school. The school will be making their own videos using older students which I think is great. These students will open up to others who are different and will feel good about themselves for helping others.

I'll be sure to update after the two weeks.

What's in a name

When I was thinking of a name for my baby, I had always imagined using the name Wesley. It was the name of a character in my favorite movie (Princess Bride) although the characters name was Westley, it wasn't that hard to spell, and it's not a name you hear often. Easy to spell was a big selling point for me. Never did I imagine why that would be so important.

Wes' teachers and I have been working hard on getting him to write his own name this year. His OT wrote a letter of recommendation for his IEP meeting on implements that should be used when he writes. The use of a pencil weight, a finger grip and actually a sweat band were recommended. I'm ordering the pencil weights and the finger grips because school has been dragging their feet and Wes shouldn't have to wait and suffer before they get a move on. Anyway, he's been tracing the letters that are written for him and school as well as his OT have been using Handwriting without Tears to help Wes learn to write his letters. Deep down, I don't think it was that he didn't know how, it was that he couldn't. That's where the implements came into play. His sensory issues were so deep that he needed as much input to his hands (the weights and the arm band) to help him focus on the writing rather then his hands.

I'm proud to say that he came home from school with a paper that had his name scrawled across it in that little preschooler way. The letters were so large, he needed two lines to complete his name. The look on his face when I asked him if he wrote his name was enough for me to know that he was so proud of himself, as was I. He still has some trouble with the S and the Y but by the end of the school year, he'll be a pro at it. Now, whenever we do projects at home, I make him sign his name. Practice makes perfect!

New thing to worry about

I need help from parents out there. I'm really concerned over Wes' new "trick". I apologize if this is too graphic, but I'm at a loss.

Wes has been holding in his urine lately and for long periods of time. Yesterday, he woke up completely dry in his diaper. The last time he urinated was the night before bed. His diaper was wet, but not full. Anyway, he woke up dry and didn't urinate until nearly 12:30 in the afternoon. When he did go, it was so much that at least a cup of urine did not absorb into the diaper. It was completely full from front to back. He had at least three cups of liquid (milk and water) and still didn't go until after noon.

I'm really worried about what this holding in is doing to his bladder and kidneys. I've got a call into his pediatrician to discuss this issue and possibly take him to another specialist to see what's going on and if there is any damage already. I don't know if it's behavioral or not. We're still trying the toilet training but with him holding it for hours, it's not really going anywhere.

Has anyone else experienced this? What was your course of action? I'm really lost here.

That's using your noggin

It's official. Casey will be in a toddler bed as of tonight. After putting him in his crib and making sure the side rail was up, he tried to escape with some painful consequences. I was in the kitchen getting Wes' boots, coat, and backpack for school when I heard Ba-Boom! and felt the house shake. I took off upstairs, pushing poor Wes out of the way, and found Casey laying on the floor near his crib with a stunned look on his little face. He turned to look at me and said "Mama, I fell on my head". I scooped him up and make sure there was no blood or broken bones. When I asked if he was alright, he started crying. I felt so bad for him.
So tonight is a big night for him. We have tried using the toddler bed feature on his crib and that turned into a disaster but I can't leave him in the crib and God forbid something worse happens to him when he tries to escape. He's going to have a pretty bare room for a month or so until he learns to stay in his new bed.

What has happened to my child?

I don't know where the Wesley is that I've known. He seems to have disappeared and been replaced with a child who changes everyday. I'm loving this new Wesley, but with it comes new learning from us all. New learning on how to deal with all the changes he's making.

Tim and I took a much needed and much deserved night to ourselves. It was our anniversary and the boys grandparents offered to take them overnight. Casey has never slept overnight at any ones home, but he is comfortable there and loves going to visit so I knew everything would be just fine. Except for escaping the crib there too, the boys had a blast. Casey likes to pretend he's sleeping. He asks us to put this blanket over him and fake snores. He thinks he's hysterical. Wesley has been watching him and jumped on the floor and laid down on a pillow. He said "Help me please" wanting his blanket over him as well. Once the blanket was down, he closed his eyes and started to fake snore. What an accomplishment to mimic his brother and kind of make a funny.

While at the grandparents, Tim called to check on them and Wesley wanted to talk on the phone. Here's how the conversation went

Wes: Hi Daddy!

Tim: Hi Buddy!

Wes: (giggle) Hi Mama!

Me: Hi Angel!

Wes: (more giggling) Hi Daddy!

and on it went for almost 2 minutes, back and forth. Might not be much of a conversation, but he has to start somewhere!

Today, at lunch, I've been really trying not to give Wes any goldfish unless he earns them. That's all he will eat and all he'll ask for at lunch. Today was a yummy treat of peanut butter and fluf sandwich with some apple slices and some baby carrots. I got him to take a teeny tiny bite of apple and one carrot. He asked for some fish. I told him he could have fish if he ate his sandwich. I turned my back to help Casey and when I turned around, the sandwich was gone, in his mouth, and he was chewing it. Oh how motivating goldfish crackers are.

Leaps and bounds lately. Not sure what's happening or what is working but something is. We haven't changed a thing.

Tiny bubbles (not in the wine)

This is huge. Who knew how hard it would be for a child to learn to blow bubbles. It's always been a favorite past time in our home. We always have bubble soap in the house and even have a bubble machine. Casey asked to use the bubbles so I wanted to make a game out of it. I blew the bubbles high in the air and told the boys to jump and "catch" the bubbles. They were both having so much fun jumping up and down (the ulterior motive was to make them tired). Casey asked if he could try so I let him. He was a bubble champ! I was interested to see if Wesley had gained this skill yet or not. Instead of blowing, he makes the F sound with his teeth against his bottom lip. I pushed his cheeks in to form the O with his mouth and success! He figured it out after two cheek squeezes and was so proud of himself, as was I.

We've had some tough days lately with his rigidity with routine. Since the Holiday break, he's gotten worse instead of better. All of the snow days and sick days haven't helped either. I hope this changes soon because I'm nearly at my wits end with him. I've been using this schedule board more now then ever and when we makes choices, I use visual cues to go along with the verbal (usually verbal was enough). He's been making great choices and not being upset by them, it's just when the usual routine has a slight variance that sends him over the edge. I'm just praying for strength right now.