She’s What Makes My World Go ‘Round May 6, 2008

It’s Time To Move Away From Oklahoma April 24, 2008

I was really hoping that the hillbilly-dom (yes, I’m making it a word) of our great state would not wear off on my daughter.  No such luck.  She’s taken to wearing overall shorts (with no shirt underneath) and rubber rain boots.  And she wants to wear them all. the. time.  Even to bed.  I put her in bed last night, took her boots off, and she cried for “My BOOTS!” for over an hour.  I’m not even kidding.  I know kids go through these phases where they want to pick out their own clothes or they express themselves oddly, but I’m scared of where it’s leading.  What’s next?  Squirrel hunting?  Pinning a rebel flag up over her toddler bed?

 

Oh, Easter March 23, 2008

Easter weekend is usually a big deal for my family, probably because they’re all super-religious.  We usually spend the days before coloring endless amounts of eggs.  On Easter Sunday we eat a huge feast, then hide eggs for all of the kids to find.  It’s always so much fun and I look forward to it every year (except Easter 3 years ago when I was pregnant and kept running from the table to puke, but that’s the only exception).  Well this year, a big kink got thrown into our plans.

I spent yesterday at Urgent Care with Squeaks.  She had been running a fever of 105 degrees since the night before, and that was after taking Motrin.  She was miserable, we didn’t sleep at all Friday night and every time she coughed she cried.  She spent the night in my arms, whining “Mama”.  So I bundled her up and off to the doctor we went.  I just knew she had the flu.  The amazing doctor at Urgent Care was very gentle with her, checking her lovey, “Ted”, over before her.  They did a strep test and a flu test, both of which came back negative.  I was so thankful for that, and the fact that her lungs were clear, as this was very much reminding me of a year ago when she had RSV and pneumonia.  The doctor determined that she’s just got some very bad infection so he put her on some antibiotics and a cough syrup/antihistamine.  I was scared to give her the cough syrup, as I was told it could cause excitability in young kids and we didn’t need any more reasons to lose sleep.  Thankfully Squeaks is like her mama and if a medicine says it might make you sleepy, it knocks you out cold.  She took her medicine and then slept through the night.  At one point I got up to check on her, just to make sure she hadn’t OD’d on the meds and something bad had happened.  But she was fine, just resting up.

I was really hoping she would feel good enough today to go to the Easter festivities at my parents’ house.  While she’s doing much better, she’s still not feeling up to her normal self.  I made the decision to keep her home today.  Since The Hubby was stuck working today, we decided to celebrate Easter next Sunday.  We’ll color and hunt eggs then and Squeaks will never know the difference since she’s only two.  So for today we’re cuddling up in our pj’s on the couch, playing with the new toys in her Easter basket, and watching Happy Feet.

I hope everyone else has a better Easter (or just plain old Sunday, for that matter, if you don’t celebrate Easter).

Home Sweet Home March 22, 2008

We are finally back from our vacation and we had a wonderful time.  We went to Texas over the weekend for a family reunion.  It was a great time, full of cards, ping pong, and catching up.  Squeaks had a blast playing with her cousins and I really didn’t see much of her, as she was running with the kids all of the time.  We stayed up way too late and slept in.  I was very sad when everyone left to go home.

But we didn’t have to go home yet!  We went over into New Mexico to see some old friends of ours.  They have an 11 month old little boy that we hadn’t met yet, so it was high time we saw them.  We spent a lot of time catching up and laughing while the kiddos played together.  One day we drove over to Carlsbad Caverns and took the tour there.  It was amazing.  I’ve been to caverns before, but this one was really neat.  Plus, Squeaks liked it, which shocked me.

We’re home now.  I’m really sad that our trip had to end and I really miss all the people I got to see again.    But I am glad that I can sleep in my own bed again and not an air mattress on the floor.  I’ve got some great pictures that I’m in the process of uploading now, so I should have some for you soon.

And I forgot to mention just how great Squeaks was.  She traveled in the car like a champ.  Only once did she get upset and it was in the last 20 minutes of the drive to Texas.  Other than that she was amazing.  She was polite and sweet everywhere we went and she wouldn’t stop kissing people (which probably explains why she’s sick now — again).  Now I can’t wait for the other trips we’re taking this year!

Wake Me Up When She Turns Four March 7, 2008

The last two days have resulted in battles that have caused me to remove all candy from our house.  And I love candy.  Perhaps it’s where she gets it.  It sucks, but it had to be done.

Yesterday:  Squeaks loves M & M’s.  We bought her a little Easter egg full of them when we were at the store last week and we’ve been letting her have a few here and there.  Yesterday morning I fixed her breakfast and before she had eaten any of it, she was begging for “M’s”.  I told her she had to eat first, then she could have some.  We only discussed this every 10 seconds for the next 5 minutes.  She finally starting shoving food in her mouth so that she could have her candy.  At one point I had to go to the bathroom.  She followed me in there and kissed me, then ran out of the room.  I knew something was up.  I heard a sound that sounded suspiciously like M&M’s hitting the floor.  Sure enough, she had climbed on the table and gotten her candy.  When I found her, she was shoving as many in her mouth as she could before I could catch her.  I made her spit them out, then I threw the rest away (okay, so I actually hid them and ate the rest later, but the other way sounds better).  She got in big trouble for defying me that way.  I was hoping she got the message and we wouldn’t have a repeat.  Yeah, right.

Today:  I fixed her breakfast and she started begging for a sucker.  I keep a bag of DumDums in the house because I use them to bribe her to sit still in the shopping cart at WalMart.  Most mornings usually start with her asking for a sucker, and she usually forgets after she has breakfast.  Not so today.  I told her she had to eat her food, then she could have a sucker.  It seemed like she got the message.  Then I caught her throwing her breakfast in the trash.  When she started asking for a sucker, I told her that she did not eat her breakfast, so she couldn’t have a sucker.  This resulted in her asking to eat, as she obviously thought eating would make the sucker appear.  I told her she wasn’t getting more food because she threw her breakfast away without eating any.  This went on and on.  The next thing I know, she has fished her breakfast out of the trash and IS EATING IT!  Aaaagh!  I guess she wanted that sucker pretty damn bad!

Now please don’t go saying that I obviously don’t monitor my kid well enough.  I was trying to get ready for work while this was taking place this morning.  And she moves fast.  But I just can’t believe how defiant she can be.  I knew two was full of problems, but this is one issue I didn’t forsee.  I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Fun and Games February 27, 2008

Today Squeaks committed her worse act of toddler-ism yet.  She hit me. 

She was sitting at her Diego table, playing with her Little People when I smelled the foul odor of a Diaper Code Brown.  I told her we needed to change her diaper and then she could go back to playing.  She yelled no and turned her head away (which is her new thing — not looking at me when I want her to).  I told her again, with the same response.  So I took her by the hand to lead her to her room.  And then I saw it all over her face.  She took one chubby little arm and I could see her wind up.  It was all slow motion.  And then she hit me.  And I was furious.  After disciplining her for it, she wound up and did it again.  By this time I was seeing red.

Needless to say, I don’t think she’ll be hitting again for awhile.  But I’m still shocked that she did it.  She’s never hit anyone.  I’m sure she picked it up at daycare, but that doesn’t make it any easier for me.  I was so proud that she doesn’t bite that I never considered hitting.  I’m hoping that I taught her a lesson today, but we’ll stay on top of it to make sure it doesn’t become a habit.

Besides, she’s on to better things right now, like throwing a fit because I won’t let her wear my bra out in public.

Evaluation February 14, 2008

Yesterday was the “official” evaluation of Squeaks.  Four very nice ladies ( a nurse, physical therapist, speech therapist, and child psychologist ) showed up at the house.  I thought I would be very nervous, but they were great and made me feel at home.  We all had our shoes off and were perches around the floor on the rug.  It was so funny, like kindergarten storytime, only for adults.

Squeaks took to these women right away, but only because they came armed with toys.  While they had her playing games and showing off skills, they asked The Hubby and I what seemed like 800 questions about her.  I was proud to see some skills Squeaks possessed that she had never shown us before.  They tested her in all areas of her life, basically, and the results were great.

As far as speech and language goes, she’s only testing a month behind in the way she communicates with us.  She is going through what is known as “jargoning”, which some toddlers do before actually talking (and that is what we were so concerned about).  When tested on how much language she understands, she tested at the level of a 3 year old.  I have such a smart kid!  But I’m also concerned about the words I know she hears that she shouldn’t — usually ones I say!

She also excelled in other areas.  The women were very impressed with her and her intelligence.  They said she has excellent social skills for a 2 year old, saying they usually had a hard time keeping the focus of ones this age.  The only time she had a meltdown was when they tried to test her hearing.  She did not want anything stuck in her ear, so she freaked out.  Thankfully, they will retest all of that at another time — after we get her used to having ear buds in her ears.

There were only two concerns.  We have to get her vision tested.  They are concerned that her eyes are bad.  Which would make sense with her being my child, but it’s just something we hadn’t seen yet.  But when they were showing her pictures and watching her color, she would get really close to the pages.  I guess we always brushed it off as concentration, but we’re going to get those eyes checked out.  I’m just trying to figure out how people keep glasses on a 2 year old!

The second issue was in the way she sits.  It’s been an issue since she first started sitting, but I was told by a certain doctor that it was not an issue for her.  Well, that’s not the case now.  Apparantly the “w-sitting” has affected her hips already.  We were told that if she continued to sit like that she would eventually not be able to walk.  So now we’re teaching her to sit “criss-cross applesauce”.  We’re also doing some really fun games to build up her core so that she doesn’t feel the need to w-sit.

So there is the short version of what’s going on.

Getting Sappy February 7, 2008

So the ball is rolling on the evaluation.  It actually occurs next week, although we started preliminary questionnaires today.  The lady today told me that Squeaks is obviously not way behind, but that she might have some problems that need to be addressed.  The concerning factor is what was hiding.  From the questions I answered today, they are concerned that she might be lacking in personal-social skills.  This is never anything I would have labeled my daughter as.  She has excellent social skills with both strangers and those close to her.  And the questions seemed like they should be more directed to motor skills (she can’t dress herself yet, she plows over her toys when pushing a play stroller, she shoves food in her mouth and then gags because there is too much).  I don’t see how these things have anything to do with social skills, but I guess I’m not the professional.

I’m trying to keep an open mind so that Squeaks can get the help she needs, whatever it may be.  I’ll be glad when the evaluators actually deal with her, rather than it being based on my answers.  Some of the questions were hard to answer.  For example, they asked if Squeaks is able to walk up and down the stairs without help.  We don’t know because we’ve taught her not to do it without holding our hands.  Not being overprotective, just trying to prevent her splitting her head open.  So I’m glad that we only have to wait a week for the “real” testing to begin.

As I was told today, they would much rather tell me that there’s nothing wrong with her and that I shouldn’t consider it a waste of time if that’s the case.  They calmed a lot of my fears and anxiety I’ve had and made me realize that it’s okay to do this, even when other people (cough, cough, my MIL) think that it’s stupid to even be doing this. 

So that’s where we stand for now.  Thanks to all of you for your supportive comments and emails.  It’s times like this when I am so thankful for such a great community of parents to turn to for help!

Pushy, Pushy February 6, 2008

So on the week that I’m slammed with school work and bows and trying to get the house straightened up for the Sooner Start consult, Squeaks decides to morph into a brat.  She’s refusing naps and resisting bed time and we’re paying severely for it.  This child used to go right to bed with no issue and I was so thankful, but now she keeps asking for things at bedtime (more kisses, drinks, horses, and many other things we can’t understand).  When it’s time to clean up her toys before bed, she runs and hides — which also reminds me that she thinks if she closes her eyes, she disappears.  When we’re getting her dressed for bed, she wiggles everywhere instead of being the little angel she usually is.

This morning she asked for breakfast, but nothing I gave her appeased her.  She crunched herself into the corner and cried and I couldn’t understand a single word of what she was babbling.  She had a meltdown because the dog was looking at her.  But the worst was when I picked her up from my sister’s after class today.  There is a little boy who always holds the door for us when we leave.  But when he walked by, Squeaks yelled “NO” and pushed him.  Flat out knocked him down.  I couldn’t believe it.  This is the kid who is never aggressive.  She doesn’t bite, doesn’t push, and only occasionally kicks (but only because she watches me nudge the dog out the door with my foot).  Needless to say, she got in big trouble for that one, but I’m scared that it will continue.

I know all kids do this at this age, but I’m really hoping she starts sleeping better soon so that we can kind of return to “normal” around here.  I’m just scared that “normal” is gone and this is the new way that things will be!  Aaaagh!

Part 2 February 2, 2008

So we have an appointment Wednesday morning for the head lady of Sooner Start to come out and start the paperwork with us in order to have Squeaks evaluated.  Now that we’re off the phone, I’m a bundle of nerves.  First of all, I’m freaked out by a DHS worker coming into my home.  It’s not like we have anything to hide, but it’s just scary to have your home analyzed like that.  Secondly, I’m worried that Squeaks will speak fine at her evaluation and that they will tell me I wasted their time and money on it.  But I guess that will be a good thing.  I guess my mind is just running like crazy over this thing.  I don’t want my baby to have ANY problems, but I guess it’s good to find out now and get to work on it.  I know this seems trivial to some of you who have children with worse disabilities, so I apologize for being petty.  I’m just a little freaked.