Therapy is coming

I just found out last week that Stephanie is on the waiting list to receive the state's intensive in home therapy for children on the Autism spectrum. When she fist got the diagnosis last fall we were told there was a 18-24 month waiting list and it would take around 6 months to get on the list. So she wouldn't get services until she was over 5. Really worried about that since they keep saying early intervention is the best. Since then the program started taking more kids a week so that has made the wait a little less. After filling out all the paperwork and getting all the right documents in we got on the waiting list at the end of January. I didn't send the paperwork in until the middle of November. So that was great news right there. Since they are taking more kids each week we also found out that she should be able to start receiving therapy sometime during the summer. That would be less than a year from when we first got her diagnosis. So much better than what we thought. The intensive program consists of finding a provider (the one I picked works first on her speech and language and second on behavior, so I am really hoping I can go with them and not my second choice), and they come to the house between 20-35 hours a week. We would have this service for 3 years if she still needs it and if we feel after a year or 2 we feel she got what should could out of it then we can use that money for other kinds of therapy like music therapy or maybe water therapy. I am so excited for her. Summer seems so far away but it will be here before we know it and I can't wait for Stephanie to start getting the help she needs.

Terrible 2s

I think the terrible twos are back in our house once again. Emily wants everything done her way and if she doesn't want it, then she has a total fit about it. I thought she was having a rough week last week because she had a fever for a little over a day early last week but her behavior is continuing. She also has one last tooth that just won't poke through but I think it has more to do with her trying to gain her independence. This morning she didn't want shoes on to take Stephanie to school. It was only 15 degrees out so she had to wear shoes. She has plenty of different ones to choose from and she will were them on and off around the house but she didn't want them on to go in the car. It isn't easy to put shoes on and tie them on someone who really doesn't want to wear them. She will also get mad if she can't have what she wants like last week I got a book out from the library and she is so mad when it is Stephanie's turn to look at the book. No other book would do. She doesn't even want it read to her, she just wants to look at the pictures and flip the pages. I know that is fine but we are already so sick of that book. At least this time with the terrible twos Emily can understand and vocalize more than Stephanie could at this age. Sometimes it doesn't seem like a good thing because everything is "mine", and "no", but I am glad she knows what she wants and isn't afraid to ask for it.

TV

I have been saying for awhile that neither kids like watching TV. With Stephanie I think it is more of an attention thing and some kind of discontect from watch she is watching on the TV and how it relates to a story. I think it's the same reason why she has troubles with books. She can't make the connection yet. Commercials are more up her ally. Short and better if they have music. For some reason Emily hasn't taken interest in the TV either. They will watch maybe 5 minutes of Elmo or the Wiggles but not more than that. But in the last week or so Stephanie has requested the TV to be on all the time. She likes sitting where Jeff sits on the couch and she climbs up there, gets a blanket or 2 and says"EV" (still working on that "t" sound). She will ask and ask and ask. This happens all day long. I am mostly to blame because I like to have the TV on for background noise and even if I'm not watching anything, it's on. Jeff is the same way but he probably pays more attention to the TV when it is on. So we have tried to have the TV all day when Stephanie is up. I guess tonight while Jeff was home with the kids both girls were asking for it. So now Stephanie got Emily on her side. We have the radio on or the ipod player on and they like that but not as much. I am not sure why Stephanie asks for the TV when she doesn't pay attention to it. I don't know if it is a habit or what. It's good to hear her asking for things, but it's annoying.

Some fun in the snow

We got a couple inches of snow Friday night so when Jeff went out to shovel Saturday morning I suggested we all go out. Stephanie has been better at school and going to the car with the snow but I wasn't sure how she would be to go out and play in the snow. I had wanted Jeff to take Emily out because I think she would like it and he is more of a cold weather person but either there was too much snow or it was too cold. So this weekend was perfect, a little snow and not too cold. They both did great. Emily likes to walk out to the driveway herself now meaning she no longer wants to be carried. She will walk down each step with some help and when we have to go somewhere whine when it is time to get into the care. But on Saturday they walked out, we excited to see Jeff shoveling and Emily ran towards him. I gave them both little shovels and they did great. Emily could have stayed out there for an hour. Stephanie would walk on the paths that Jeff had already shoveled and walk over any part that had snow. But she did not complain or whine one bit. Such a HUGE improvement from the first snowfall. Stephanie stayed mostly on the driveway and was a little confused when we didn't get in the van to go anywhere but Emily was venturing everywhere. She was all over the driveway, the grass (even though you couldn't see any) and even went into the backyard. Jeff sure found his snow partner. The the girls tried some hot chocolate. I should say Emily did because Stephanie still has some fear of an open cups so she wouldn't try it. Emily did try it though but I'm not sure what she thought of it. good thing the snow day went good since we are in for another batch of more snow. I was sure liking the snow being gone.

Climbing

Both girls have decided they love climbing off the couch. It is good for Stephanie to do so it is hard to discourage her but we also don't want her to think it is okay to climb on other peoples couches. We also can't let Stephanie do it and not let Emily do it. Emily can't get up on the couch yet but she has figured out how to climb off the arm of the couch. Stephanie can do that too but yesterday she tried to climb over the back of the couch. That was not going to happen. She wouldn't have made it and I didn't want her to flip the couch over. Stephanie also tried getting into Emily's crib but pulling herself up. She had one leg on the mattress but didn't pull herself up though. First time I saw her try though. But Emily saw that and tried putting her leg out of the crib. I think they need spring to get here because they need to use our swing set and climb around. For now they are entertained by the arms of the couch but I'm not sure how long that will last.

Mine, mine, mine

That has been the word of the month. Emily learned it about a month ago and I think Stephanie learned it from her last weekend. She using it correctly and according to the speech therapists it is a wonderful sign that she has learned that word. All day we hear from the both of them is "mine, mine, mine". So far it hasn't caused any fights but I am sure that won't last. It is good to hear them go back and forth trying to communicate It is also good that Stephanie was able to learn a word from listening to Emily. We need to get Emily not to copy the words Stephanie uses though. I think she is saying some words the way she hears Stephanie say them, even though they are incorrect. But then she is saying a lot of words so that is good. Now she even says "mommy".

When daddy on is duty

This was from last month but this is what happens when Jeff is in charge. Now they want to help all the time. That's not a bad thing but hard to get the real stuff done then.

Growing Emily

Emily is such her own little person. She is so sweet and loving and wants to do everything. Last weekend we had to look for all the Santa's and snowmen that were around the house to finally put away the rest of the Christmas stuff. She thinks that means her snowman that she has been carrying around since she got it after Christmas and goes everywhere with her and her blanket. I didn't tell her she had to put him away but she put him in the box and said "bye". I took him out a little later but she put him in so that's where he stayed. I think she was looking for him once but can't say "snowman" so I'm not entirely sure. I did bring him out today and she was happy to see him. No reason to put him away. He's cute year round. She has been saying "bye" to everything when I tell her to go somewhere. If we go to eat she says "bye" to her toys, blanket, couch, chair, whatever. It is so cute. She wants to grow up and and is learning more and more everyday. She is talking more and tonight she just said "apple" as we were reading a book. I do think the favorite word in the house is "no". Sometimes Emily says it just to be goofy and get some attention but when she means it she really means it. She is coming out of her shell and wants to talk to everyone. She is very loving towards Stephanie and will ever rub Stephanie back when she is having a bad moment and comforts her. Stephanie is going to owe her a lot when she grows up. Hopefully they will be great friends.

No more December Stephanie

Last year Stephanie had a great month (January) and we kept saying "January" Stephanie is here, meaning she was happy and having a great day. Now last December was a terrible month. Weather it was the snow, the cold, the learning new words, who knows but it was her worst month. Thankfully it is a new year and she left that December Stephanie back in 2008 and so far it's been a pretty good year. That means she has better pretty good with school, diaper changes, sleeping, listening, and playing. She is having more cases of not listening but usually it is more age appropriate and not because she doesn't understand what is wrong. Stephanie also finally used the toilet but it did take 2 1/2 hours of us in the bathroom. But I didn't give up and she finally went. It also tells me she's not ready yet because it shouldn't have taken that long if she had to go. Stephanie has also got much better with the snow. She still won't play in it but she will go out and walk in it no problem. It is suppose to melt this weekend so I think we should be done and don't need any back. Next week she starts at Marquette for speech twice a week. they will have a lot of work to do with Stephanie but she will teach the grad student a lot. Hopefully this helps for now. Keep it up Stephanie.

Busy baby planning business

I have been busy trying to get the business ready for a baby expo this weekend. Since it is my first one I have no idea what to expect. Maybe I'll have no one interested in coming over to my booth or I'll have gotten so many appointments down I won't be sure how I will have time for those and still try to pick up Jack and Mia from school and get Stephanie to all her therapy appointments. I am excited but getting nervous for it. I am happy to say I was feeling like I was back in school doing outlines and printing pages and proofreading and reprinting and staying up too late. On Monday I thought I had so much to do and wished I had another weekend. But I am sure I wouldn't have done it over the weekend and would be in the same boat the next week. I am not as overwhelmed as I was and feel like I am ready. Tomorrow I am going to set up with my mom and hopefully I'll have a better feel for what I want to do, say, and how it is all going to come together. Wish me luck.