Little Stuff

Apologies for not posting in awhile. I've had a lot going on and while many ideas for blog posts have been swirling around in my noggin, they haven't translated well to the virtual page. So here's a bunch of little stuff listed in no particular order to catch you up to what's been going on in my corner of the world.

1. We had our first meeting with the Intermediate Unit (IU) rep. Basically it was an exchange of information and overview of their services, with the actual evaluation coming sometime in August. To be honest, I'm not impressed. It sounds like we'll be extremely lucky to get even half the amount of services T is currently receiving with Earrly Intervention. (EI) Ironically, T's OT was just upped another hour a week, which means that he's now at the maximum allowable limit for both speech and occupational therapy.

2.  T finally gained back the weight he lost over the camping weekend. His focus has also returned, especially to his therapy sessions. I'm so glad he's back to "normal", whatever that is.

3. We had an outing this week with his OT. Since he's been acting out a lot more at stores recently, with several recent shopping trips ending in screaming meltdowns, she suggested that we go to the store during his new second hour of therapy so she could observe and offer suggestions for what's bugging him about shopping. (Yes, he's a guy, but I don't think that counts.) It went well. We kept it short, so no meltdowns, but he did wander off a lot, getting progressively more hyper as we went along.

 His OT feels like the store is stimulating him too much visually and has recommended some strategies to help him cope with that. But I also need to be more firm with him. Which, while that stung a bit, since no one likes hearing what they're doing wrong as a parent, it's a bit of a relief. I often err on the side of caution when disciplining, because I struggle with whether or not he's acting out because he's overwhelmed and can't cope or because he's a typical toddler. I don't want to punish him for something beyond his control; but rather teach him to cope. This made me feel more confident, like some of his behavior that drives me bonkers can be corrected more simply than some of the trickier sensory stuff.

4. HE ATE GOOEY APPLE PIE!!! On his own, without all the baby steps. We were in the store (The OT outing) and samples were being given of apple. pie. To my shock he indicated that he wanted some and ate it right up. Of course I bought one, and he ate more that night, so it wasn't a one time thing, as so often happens. I don't think I've ever cried in a grocery store before.

5.  Life is back in perspective. Several of my friends are dealing with some incredibly difficult trials right now. One has a child facing a third round of cancer, another has some rare complications with a pregnancy that landed her in the hospital for over a week, and another's dad and husband is in the hospital in serious condition. In the face of that, how can I cry about T's relatively minor struggles?  I've realized once again how truly blessed I am to have a fairly healthy family, two bright kids, and so what if one of them needs a little nudge in a few areas? I'm so glad my heavenly Father is there to hold and comfort each and every one of us, regardless of the size of our trials.

6. Don't want to leave Miss E out. (She's almost a year so not a baby anymore. Boo!) She has great balance and has taken a couple of steps. One of my favorite things right now is how she'll stand firmly on her two little feet and bounce when she gets excited. Crack me up! I'm going to write up a post or two alllll about her charming self next week, in honor of her birthday.

7. I'm in awe of how Miss E. just "gets" stuff. She figured out how to ride the various ride on toys, something T had to be taught when he was considerably older and it took awhile. She picked it up just by watching T a few times. She handles a sippy like a pro now, something T also had to be taught. Agh! can't get away from the comparision, it hits me in the face all day, every day.

8. I thought I had a few more, but it's late and I'm watching The Office. I always thought it was sooooo dumb but one late night I got sucked in. I'm kind of a fan of Dwight. He's creepy funny.

That's all for now...

<3