He can hear us

Took marek for a hearing evaluation as a just in case precaution since he often puts his fingers in his ears. To see him do this you would think that certain pitches might hurt him. So before we got too deep into therapy, I just wanted to make sure there was nothing ear related causing any problems. Of course I know he can hear, and he definitely passed his Test; but they want to do a follow-up in six months because there's a lot of tones they can't check for because he's not a verbal communicator. Pictures are of us waiting to see the therapist. The one picture of him in the orange shirt, I found him with his ankles crossed leaning against the bed with his hands in his pockets. How cute is that!

Landon's first big boy potty

I have been working with Adalynn potty training for some time. She was doing really well for awhile, maybe two accidents a day, but lately she has bee regressing and throwing a fit when she has to go potty. So i thought what the hell, lets throw Landon on the potty since someone needs to be potty training. Wal-la! And Landon peed in the potty last night, as well as, today before nap. Picture documentation our of first big boy pee  moment!

 



bye bye pee pee



so proud

Marek's window

Marek has been doing very well this past week. He has added some new words to his vocabulary. He has said or tried to say "go", "no", "five", "two", "one", 'bye-bye", "up", and "open", "juice", and of course "mama". These are not always consistent except for mama. He may say juice three times clear as day and then never say it again. He has these moments of great clarity, then BAM nothing. The autism world refers to them as windows. We are trying to get his window open as often as possible and keep it open. The more therapy, the greater chance of an opening to his window. In speech therapy we are practicing pointing with the correct finger, making good eye contact, and saying basic words. In behavior therapy we haven't really started anything since the therapist is still in the evaluation stage. But soon we are going to work with him interacting with others. In ABA therapy we are working on speech, completing tasks,and playing correctly with toys. I got a call today from a clinic that wants to see him and evaluate hid developmental delays. This is for kids under three with premature births, and the lady i spoke with said this should also get him into the Child Study Center sooner. That is my goal. There is a program for 3-8 year olds with autism at this center! Cross your fingers that this speeds up the process for entry!

Pumpkin painting

We decided to paint pumpkins instead of carving this year. Much easier and i rather like the results.

out in the front yard

demon spawn are out there

There was a new lady watching the triplets at the gym today. She seemed super sweet and genuinely excited to see my children. This is really the only time my kiddos are left with strangers. Granted I'm right next door, but in reality i don't know these few ladies that watch my kids. Since i have been going to this gym for about a year, they're definitely are some ladies that i see all the time. When my workout was over and i picked up my babies, the lady told me that she thought my babies were so sweet and loving. Of course i think that, but to hear someone who has never met them before say it, it really warms my heart. Apparently all three gave her loving hugs, and they are sweet towards the other children. Thankfully i don't have demon spawn that are bullies towards other kids, because they are definitely out there even at this young an age. Go me!

Pumpkin Patch 2012

With the cold front moving in, what better way to celebrate then with a trip to the local pumpkin patch and tree nursery. Last year it was so hot and the kids were red-faced and sweaty. This year its 50 degrees, and the warm Halloween costumes were perfect. We decided to go with the Wizard of Oz theme this year. Adalynn is Dorothy, obviously, Landon is my scarecrow, and Marek is my lion.

This first picture is actually the last of the day. Landon being silly and licking his pumpkin, Addy having a crying fit, and Marek falling over. I brought along my fancy, super duper camera, but then realized i left the SD card in my laptop. GRRRRR. So all these pics are from my cell phone. Not too shabby actually. I love this time of year!!

 

 

todays update

This afternoon we played outside since the weather was amazing. Its so cute watching the kids swing on their own. I remember swinging like this when i was a child. They all love being outside and it's and added bonus to Addy and Landon when an airplane flies over. Addy says, " Airplane! In the sky!" Adalynn is now up to three word sentences. She can sometimes mimic me and say four as well. I guess i finally have to watch what I'm saying. The other day in the car i started yelling at another driver who pulled out in front of me. I yelled, "DUDE!!" and probably would have continued with some explicative if i hadn't  heard a sweet voiced, "dude" coming from the back seat. Addy's tantrums have turned into a daily occurrence. Pretty much every time she doesn't get her way, she throws herself onto the ground, screams, and carries on with the waterworks. Diva! Her sweet side is she has started singing. So cute!

 

 

Landon has been using more single words lately. His newest word is "circle". He isn't forming sentences yet, but he is one smart cookie. He follows directions very well, and he cleans up after himself when Mama asks. He has even learned how to let Molly dog in and out of the house. Of course when he went out without permission into the backyard he received a spanking! He craves constant praise and attention, and he definitely requires constant attention. Just today i took a large screwdriver and a sharp piece of metal away from him. If there is something dangerous around Landon will find it.

 

Just a swinging!

 

Marek is improving everyday with his therapy. Just this week he signed "all done,"

and he has said the words, "pop, go, no, down." which are all new words. With the help of his speech therapist he has also been using his index finger to point at objects in a book. Typically he only points with his thumb, so using the "pointer" finger is good. He eye contact has been wonderful and Mama got two kisses so far today. We are starting a new therapy place with Autism Solutions this coming Friday. We are going to have to self pay for the therapy since Marek hasn't been given an official diagnosis and  insurance won't yet cover. Unfortunately, it could be months before we even hear something from the center that we applied to get Marek evaluated and treatment from. Aaron and i have decided waiting is not an option so there you go. This place is supposed to teach the parents as well what we can be doing at home, and they even are allowing me to bring the other two kids just to let them play with their toys. That alone makes me happy that i don't have to get a sitter. If i get a good vibe from this place then i intend to have Marek go at least once a week for a hour each time and i will definitely increase the time if a see an improvement.