Week-15

Well.. the little stinker is doing great on the potty with #1.  However, with #2 we're still hit and miss.  She's had a few successes, but I am still catching her crapping in her pants, putting it in the toilet and then telling us she pooped in the toilet.  We've actually believed her a few times until we see poop caked to her bottom or her undies streaked. I know, I know some of you are thinking TMI, but this is my life.  I live this day in and day out, so I can't help but turn some of it into humor.

Tonight we hit another milestone (at least in my book).  She was sent to timeout for trowing toys.  She typically sits in timeout really well without a fuss (why can't Halle and Audrie do this?). So anyhow,  after her 3 minutes was up,  I went to her and I asked her why she was put in timeout.  She was able to correctly tell me why and that she has thrown toys.  Jackpot.  She understood... phew.  that little brain of hers that is constantly working on overdrive, is working quite well.  

So I snapped this picture of a person she drew.  Now, I did not see this happen, but Dave and the other 2 girls swear Katlynn drew it so I will give her credit because I really think she did it, I think.  She can draw legs, arms, hair and eyebrows too.  

Cute, right.  

Anyhow,  we're in search of a swim instructor for Katlynn.  Haven't had any luck yet.  I called a lady yesterday who is a private instructor and she charges $300+ for 8 lessons... are you kidding me?  I was thinking holy shit balls this woman means business and in 8 short sessions my kid better be a future Olympian for that price. Anyhow,  with all these drownings happening to kids with autism lately (there are articles all over the internet) I am terrified for Katlynn's safety.  Pools, ponds, beaches all freak me out right now.  So I am hoping to at least get her more comfortable with water and a little more familiar with safety. 

Ps... No, I am not paying $300+ for swim lessons.  Future Olympian or not,  that price is insane to me. 

oh, oh, oh~ one more thing... I found this picture of Katlynn  at 10 months.  Her first piggies.  Aww... 

Week-14

So, I think Katlynn's IEP went well.  Part of me feels as though I might have under estimated her capabilities for the goals I agreed on with the team.  I didn't want to put too much on her, but I also wanted to make sure they were addressing key academic and social areas.   She has 2 goals placed I know for a fact she will master in the next 6 months.  Counting to 20 consecutively and tracing her name all caps.   Tonight she traced her name.  While it wasn't great, she actually did much better then I thought she would.  So... I am hoping this doesn't turn into another IEP saga down the line.  Crossing my fingers the communications just go smooth and she keeps her teacher she has now.

I also addressed the idea of the girls sharing a classroom for their last year of preschool.  It is something the staff was willing to discuss and get back to me.  Crossing my fingers on that one.

The potty is still going pretty good.  We actually had a poop success tonight.  Yay!!!

We're still having issues with her saying "no" and " I not..." constantly for everything lately.  It is something new and is frustrating to see her doing.  Even stuff she enjoys she is responding to this way.  I am hoping it is short lived and with the help of her behavioral interventionists, we can find a solution to the issue.

That's all for now folks.

Oh.... I started a fundraiser for an  I-pad for Katlynn.  If you know anyone who would like to take part and donate or support, please check the tab to the top left for donations information.

CONTEST... Please check it out!!!

SmartKnitKIDS

We’re Socking it to Autism with Autism Spectrum Magazine and bringing you an  Autism Awareness Month Give-away!  We’re putting together a prize with some  cool goodies for your child and some pretty neat things for you too!

1 GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL BE AWARDED! Dizzy Disc Jr Eye Spy Sensory Bag Tactile Discs Color Wonder Lap Desk Hand Print Canvas Set Flower Head Vase Flip Video Camera 2 pairs of SmartKnitKIDS Socks 1 pair of SmartKnitKIDS Undies 1 SmartKnitKIDS Seamless Under-Tee

Check out this link to enter the contest and see contest rules.

week-13

It's a product review kind of week.  So, I ask my friends over at smartknitkids if I could test their socks for my kiddos to see if it would help Audrie keep socks on and if they would help Katlynn when wearing her SMO's.

I was very surprised to get a couple different sizes and colors in the mail.  First off, the packaging is too cute.  The socks are so soft, yet thick and really well made.  They work perfect with Katlynn's braces for her shoes.  They didn't bunch up like normal socks do and leave creases on her feet causing pain or blisters. I was very pleased.

Audrie actually kept the socks on for a longer period of time then she normally does, but I don't think she'll ever be very fond of any sock... Maybe I should give the panties a shot.  I think for most sensory sensitive kiddos, these socks are great.

Overall I would give this product 2 thumbs up.  Please visit their facebook page or their website list above for more information.

Week-12

Running a little behind here since were already midweek into week-13.  That's okay.

So last week was Spring break.  Rained a lot, so the kids didn't get to get out as much as we would have liked, but we made due with movies,  board games, Chuck-E-Cheese and the indoor jumping place.  None of which I happened to have captured pictures.

I didn't get a call about Katlynn's EEG. I am assuming no news is good news, but I still swear she's had seizures.

She's starting to recite EVERYTHING and her echolalia is coming back.  Ugh...She was doing so good for a while there.  She is still using most of her language appropriately though.  So I am happy about that.

Today I Put her down for nap and I heard her jibber jabbering and I walked up stairs and found her clothes she was wearing in a pile outside her door.  I opened up her door and she had dressed in her PJ's inside out. lol... It was cute.  I had to get a picture.

 When I took this picture, she told me, "I'm happy mommy".  Melts  my heart.  Especially since just 30 minute earlier she was screaming her head off and in a very foul mood.  I think she has an ear infection.  not 100% sure, but I have dealt with a lot of them with 3 kids and I am pretty sure I am right.  I am going to just give her pain meds and ride it out for a day or 2.  I avoid antibiotics like the plague these days as it seems to break down their immune system so much and the medicine needs to be stronger and stronger each time to do the job.

She is still doing amazing with potty training.  I think we pretty much have #1 down pat.  Even naps and and morning she is waking up often dry.  She has woke in the middle of the night a couple times the past couple weeks and I think it is just because she had to go potty. She will go and then go right back to sleep.  We're still working in #2.  She will come to me and tell me she pooped in the potty ( after trying to dump it) or she will often tell me she has to go potty ( meaning she already pooped in her pants), but we're making headway.

Week-11

So we are continuing potty success after potty success.  In fact, I would pretty much consider her pee-pee trained if that counts.  Poop is another story, but I don't care since it is one less mess to clean up and one less package of pull ups to buy.  I am so proud of how she is doing.  I talked to her speech pathologist and she is met all her goals on her IEP already for speech related goals.  Woot-Woot.  (I just have to figure out a way to keep her with group speech services).

So tonight I was very happy to see Katlynn playing with a doll and brushing her hair.  I was so excited to see that because you see,  those little things are HUGE with kids who have autism.  HUGE.  I won't mention she was brushing the hair of Halle's $100 American girl who now has a a matted mess of a fro atop her head now.  That's gonna be a fun project.  But again, I have to smile about it, because it was a huge milestone for her.

Here are a couple more:

We were eating dinner and I gave Katlynn some carrots.  She didn't want them on her plate and instead of throwing a huge fit  like she normally would have and like many ASD kiddos do, she simply said, "No carrots, no thank you". For that, I could do nothing but remove them in awe and again with a smile on my face. I could care less if she ate carrots at the time being because her telling me "no thank you" was way more important.

Cortney and Jacob came over the other morning and when they walked through the door Katlynn said, "Hi Cortney, hi Jacob" with no prompts.  Just simple said it like a standard greeting... again, I felt like we SCORED. She actually greeted someone without having to be prompted.  Awesomeness.

She had her EEG today and I should know the result in a couple days.  Crossing my fingers it is nothing, but also hoping they didn't miss anything.

Stay tuned for week 12.

oh dear.... Week-10

So Dave and I moved the girls into our old office about a year ago so we could make their room a playroom.  The office had this 2 tone poop brown set of colors on the wall and we decided that for the girls 4th birthday we would re-paint and decorate their room.  So Dave demo'd the baseboards and we put the girls to sleep in our room (or so we thought) and went to work painting.  Little did I know, Katlynn was in my closet creating artwork with the combination of my FAVORITE smashbox eye palette and tampons.  How she was using them I have no clue.  Maybe she was going to use the tampons to paint the makeup on?  Or maybe she was trying to clean up the evidence.  Either way, I was light humored about it (even though getting that make-up out of the carpet is going to be a pain in the ass).  After-all, kids will be kids.