Sensory Processing Disorder

Since I've been gone, we've had a lot of changes in our world. Elizabeth (Figgy) was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. I'd try to explain what it is, but I'd be here all day. Here is a website that will give you more info, if you're interested. She was diagnosed back in January 2011 by a developmental pediatrician and later an occupational therapist. We took Figgy in to see the developmental ped at our ped's office because of concerns about self-regulation and other issues that were arising in preschool. Figgy could not sit still, was not building peer relationships, was doing lots of spinning and hiding in tight spaces, not to mention a whole laundry list of other behaviors. She is unable to use her hands for the most common of tasks (eating, arts & crafts, tying shoes, buttoning her shirts/pants and zipping. She is a sensory seeker. What that basically means is Ellie loves to be touched and loves to touch. She craves the feeling of being hugged deeply. She seeks dangerous behavior for the rush. When she was 18 months old, she was climbing things like the entertainment center to jump from the top onto the couch. No, I'm not kidding. She was climbing out of her crib by 15 months. These were all signs that we didn't see. We didn't know what SPD was.

Here we are, 6 months after the dx and Figgy is thriving. She attends private occupational therapy once a week for the SPD and we have just recently gotten her into a county program called Child Find. We have her first meeting for an IEP next Monday and I am excited about the possibilities ahead of her. It has been my goal and #1 priority to get as large a "team" assembled as possible for her and we are well on our way to doing just that. After all, isn't our responsibility as parents to provide every opportunity for success in our children? Ellie will succeed and she will flourish, despite this diagnosis.

I'm back!

Just a short hello from my world. Ethan, Elizabeth and Meghan continue to grow like weeds and learn more and more everyday. I continue to be tested and many times I've failed these tests. I've been hard on myself, as I should be, but each morning I rise with the best of intentions and a new lease on the day. Often times, I have to start my day over. My patience with the kids is short and I need to fix that. I've often heard that when our patience is short, that's God's way of showing us that we need to work on it. So, he's sending me lots of practice. :)

Short update

Ah, where do I begin?

We are having some real behavioral issues at our house as of late. I broke down and called our ped to get her advice and we'll be talking on Wednesday. Ethan has really taken a disliking of Meghan and it concerns me. We're not talking about the usual display of jealousy, either. We're talking physical harm in some cases. Meghan is crawling (has been since just after our trip home from Ocean City) and wants so desperately to be a part of their playtime. She adores Ethan. Really. She watches him so intently and just lights up whenever he walks into the room. She always smiles at him. So, since she wants to be near him, she crawls to wherever he is in the room and wants to play with whatever he plays with. This does not sit well with The Crabby Professor. Meghan is not allowed to play with ANYTHING. He goes as far as taking *her* toys away from her. Even if he's playing in the hallway (to get as far away from her as he can), if she crawls over to the blocks, he is running into the room screaming at her and he'll quickly snatch it out of her hands. If she tries to go towards his precious cars, he freaks out. If she plays with any of her own toys, he freaks out. It's really getting to be an issue for us. In addition to all of this, he is becoming increasingly physical with her. The last event was Friday when he lept across the floor and landed on her head. And, no, it was not accidental. So, I made a point to spend some one-on-one time with him today and, wouldn't you know it? He was an angel. I enjoyed every moment with him and he was just a pleasant child. Elizabeth was also a pure joy to be with this afternoon. And, of course, the moment we put them together this evening with Meghan? Match, accelerant, and a spark.....

I have tried everything I can possibly think of to resolve this. I have even sat him down and quietly explained that Meghan loves him and looks up to him, that she wants to be just like her big brother... I even resorted (after the leaping head incident) to giving Meghan his precious blankie because he hurt her. I've spanked, I've whispered, I've seperated, I've put Meghan's toys into a special bucket, I've put his toys into a special bucket, I've cried, I've begged, I've bribed. Nothing.

The Professor also has an appointment this week because he snores. Not only does he snore, but he really, really snores. I can hear him in our bedroom at night. So, chances are pretty likely that he'll be having his adnoids removed in the near future. They both have dark circles under their eyes, which I attribute to allergies of some sort. I have them (always have), my brother has them (again, always has) and the twins have always have them.

Miss M has two full teeth, now, and is working on three more. She weighed in at 16.10 at her 6 month appointment and is growing like a weed.

Aaaaand, speaking of Miss M, she is up for her 1:30 feed so I'm cutting this short.

(I'm up late because we went to see Paranormal Activity tonight. Great movie!)

Carnivale Mask GIVEAWAY!!!!

Carnivale Mask GIVEAWAY!!!!

Hail to the Redskins!

It's football season. In true "obsessed" daddy fashion, Jason has taught the kids how to sing the Redskins song.

In case you need translation:

Hail to the Redskins!
Hail victory!
Braves on the warpath!
Fight for old D.C.!

Our first night of vacation at the beach house. They were exhausted.

Yet again, exhausted. On our way to Bethany Beach from Ocean City.

Meghan's first day at the beach and she loved it!


The baby Terp fan.


A quick recap of our vacation:
I got to sleep on what could possibly have been a mattress full of boulders on the bottom bunk. Why? Because the E's would not sleep in a room by themselves and we tried, on the first night to sleep together. All four of us. In a queen bed. Then, Meghan woke up and wanted to nurse. In bed. With the other kids. I quickly realized if I wanted any sort of sleep, I'd be in the third bedroom with M. Jason slept in the second bedroom with the E's for the rest of the vacation. Day #2 allowed for some decent weather, albeit mostly cloudy. We were blessed with two hours of beach time before the tropical storm hit. Day #3, 4, 5 and 6 were spent dodging raindrops as we attempted to keep the kids busy. We managed to get a few hours of light drizzle on the boardwalk and took the kids on a surrey ride. They loved it! I'll be looking for a bike trailer on craigslist soon. Day # 5 found us hunkered in the house in the evening, watching the streets flood and the surf get closer and closer...almost too close for comfort. I managed to get in some shopping (major event for me as I detest shopping) at the tax-free outlets. I spent exactly $100.00 and the kids are set for fall and winter clothing. Go, me! Our last day (and check-out day) found us waking to a beautiful, sunny day. Go figure. So, rather than packing up and heading home immediately, we headed for the boardwalk and the kids rode the rides and we soaked up some rays as they played on the beach before heading home. Never have I been so happy to fall into my bed. We successfully avoided packing the entire house and, all-in-all, we had a wonderful trip.

My life is good.

Prayers/Positive Thoughts

The Fetters family could use all the prayers/positive thoughts/positive vibes they can get right now. Vicky is my best friend and this is her father....

http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story/Police-Identify-Victim-in-Deadly-Hit-And-Run/y-fg7tDCWUSFPRzaQ-JuAg.cspx

(I think I'm screwed if she's already flipping me off.)


(Enjoying our Saturday morning at the farmers market.)


(Enjoying a milkshake after a long morning at the farmers market!)


(A rare, sweet moment between my angels.)

God has been good to us.

On a funny note, I had a dream that I had a wild affair with Gene Simmons from KISS. Go ahead. Laugh.

On a funnier note, I was sitting with Meghan a little while ago and she was grunting her little grunts (we all know what that means). I suddenly realized that the sensation of warmth that I felt running down my leg probably wasn't a good thing. Yeah. Not a good thing.

Hello!

Busy, busy, busy! We've had a lot going on the last month or so and it seems like I never have a chance to sit down and update.

My youngest brother was here visiting from Oregon for two weeks. I can't believe he is 19 years old. It seems like just yesterday he was sitting in my lap drinking a bottle and we were hopping on the plane to move to Japan. He's a young man, now. While here, we took a trip to the zoo and National Aquarium where he witnessed just how difficult it can be to corral two 2.5 year olds while wearing a newborn. They did beautifully at the zoo but I do have to say that my daughter is a free spirited child. There is not a sense of fear in her and she has no time to listen to mommy.



Trying to get them to both look at the camera at the same time has proven to be a task greater than finding the Lochness Monster or Bigfoot.

The aquarium was so hot and so crowded. We got a ticket for the 1100 entrance time and the kids loved it! There was great excitement and they are still talking about how much fun they had. I'm going to attempt a trip during the week to the National Harbor Aquarium closer to us.




I wish I had more pictures to share but this camera that was given to us as a gift is horrible (Nikon CoolPix). I'm going to go dig out the broken camera (Kodak something-or-other) and just use that. I think we'll use part of our tax return and invest in a good camera.

We've been spending a great amount of time in the backyard now that we have a new patio set with umbrella and some flowers out there. In the next few weeks we'll be having the old fence replaced and it'll be much nicer.



We've also found our own little private park up the road and spend at least two or three mornings each week there. It's quiet, tucked away and there are picnic tables, a walking path and places to bbq. There is only ever one or two other kids there, but we are usually by ourselves. On one side there is a tot lot for the younger kids and the other side is for the bigger kids (mine consider themselves bigger kids, of course). We love it.




In other news, my brother got a dog! His wife finally allowed him the one thing he has wanted most of all for several years and the puppy is adorable.



Meghan is growing by leaps and bounds. The difference between her and the twins is astounding. I can only explain this by saying I am nursing her and she is very much a boob girl. She will not tolerate anyone else attempting to soothe her and that can wear on me after a particularly rough day. She has a wicked sense of humor just like her brother and sister did (and do). Her laughter is contagious.



I have to share with you a few finds that I simply love! The first has been a great one because it has helped us to prevent sticky spills and wasted apple juice. I must preface this by saying my kids do not drink much juice. It is for special occasions or the occasional birthday party. It has been a life saver, though.

The Juice Pal!

The next item is one that we're ordering this week. My kids love, love, love popcorn but will not leave the kernels alone. I'll let you know what I think of it.

The Kernel Katcher Popcorn Bowl!

Discipline.

Disciplining twins is an endurance sport. It should be an Olympic event.

Blood. Everywhere.

This cannot be normal. My two year old son has deep scratches in his little cheeks. He has fingernail marks on his arms. My two year old daughter has a bruise on her cheek and a few on her head.

The fighting is out of control.

We're not talking about your normal sibling rivalry, anymore. I have to keep Figgy's fingernails trimmed every other day because she is scarring her brother. The Professor uses his cars and trucks as rocket propelled weapons on his sister. There is some sort of physical violence occurring in this house every single day and I don't know what to do about it anymore.

Today, the inevitable happened and I had the phone in hand to call 911.

They were fighting, as usual, and I was directing them to clean up toys so that we could go outside. My son started toward the side table to clean up his toys. Little Miss M was laying on the floor by the table with me laying next to her. As he started walking towards us, my daughter ran behind him and shoved him so hard that he nearly flew across the floor before smashing, face first, into the table. Gut wrenching screams echoed through the house. I lept to my feet and scooped my son up, realizing that he had also landed on the baby. With my son in one arm and the baby in the other, I ran to the kitchen to assess the damage. Blood was everywhere and it was oozing out of his mouth. My initial fear was that he had pushed a tooth up into his gum or even lost a tooth. I couldn't assess the damage, initially, because the blood was so dark and there was so much of it. Miss M eventually calmed down and I laid her in her car seat so that I could focus on The Professor. It took forever to stop the bleeding and I couldn't decide whether this warranted a 911 call. I should say this all happened in the span of about 10 seconds, though it felt like an eternity. In reality, I think I had the bleeding under control within three minutes and had put the phone down to focus on him. Once the bleeding was under control, I was able to pull his swollen lip up to see that his frenulum labii superioris (the flap of skin on the inside of the upper lip that attaches to the gum) was torn. His little lips were so swollen that he looked like a much thinner, younger and white version of Fat Albert.

I don't know what to do anymore, though, in all seriousness. The fighting is out of control and I really don't think it's normal.

Two minutes...

So, the popular phrase in our house right now is, "two minutes, okay?". Two minutes for time-outs, two minutes for mommy to take a time-out, two minutes for a potty break, two minutes until we get there...(you get the point).

In return, we hear the same from the kids. Today, for example:

Mommy: "Okay, guys. We're leaving the playground in 5 minutes." (We had been there for 2.5 hours.)
Figgy: "No, mommy. Two minutes, okaaaaaaaay?"

We got home and it was nap time.

Mommy: "Okay, guys. Let's change diapers and head upstairs."
Figgy: "Mommy, I'm busy. Two minutes, okaaaaaaaaay?"

Tonight, at bath time, Jason was corralling the kids.

Daddy: "Okay guys, it's bath time. Let's go upstairs."
Ethan (who was sitting and reading a book): "No, daddy. I'm read[ing] book. Two minutes, okaaaaay?"

I love this phase. It's all about negotiation. :)

Potty training and big kid beds.

Potty training sucks. Truly. I spent the entire day with Figgy trying, begging, cheering, leading by example...every 15 minutes I put her on the potty and do you know that little snot head peed in between sets? I left for an hour and a half to go to the grocery store, taking Miss Meghan with me so that Jason could focus on Figgy, and she peed while I was gone...but not in the potty. Not once today did she go in the big girl potty. The Professor? Yeah, well, he screamed and kicked because he wanted to go on the "big girl potty", too. Every time I put him on it? He screamed and arched his back and even hit me at one point.

You moms who are doing this potty thing make me jealous. Your kiddos seem to take to it like fish to water. This sucks!

We're struggling with sleep issues right now, too. Figgy has had a crib tent for a year now, I believe. She started climbing out of her crib just before 18 months and destroyed everything in her path. Hurricane Figgy. One of the dads from my local PoM's group sold us a crib tent for cheap and it saved our lives. Ethan never showed an interest in climbing out of his crib and I thanked my higher power for that. Well, sometime last week he decided he could get out of his crib on his own. Several weeks ago he started having serious sleep issues and would put himself into a full blown panic attack before bed. He quickly realized he could climb out of his crib to come find me and that's the end of the crib. In the last 48 hours, he has slept no more than a combined 14 hours. He will not nap. He climbs out of his crib and runs around his room. We put them to bed at 8:00 and he stays up (and keeps his sister up, in the process) until 10:30. He woke up earlier this week at 4:30 in the morning and would not go back to sleep. It's miserable. I'm miserable. All this time I've been of the mindset that I'd just shut the door and let him do his thing because, after all, he'll go to sleep when he's tired...right? Nope. So, I spend several hours (with Jason) going into their room and hollering at him to get back in his crib. Take off the crib rail to create the toddler bed and you get the same result. He will not stay put.

It's midnight and he's up. Meghan will be up in 20 minutes, or so. Mommy is going to lose her mind.

Thankfully, I found another crib tent for $30 and I'll be swiping that sucker up tomorrow morning. I know, I know...he's almost 2.5 years old and should be in a bed. Unfortunately, I need my sanity at this point more than he needs to be in a bed and we'll deal with the other stuff once I've got my wits about me (give me another three or four months, will ya?).

Hell has frozen over. The Pittsburgh Penguins have won The Stanley Cup. Crosby has The Cup before Ovie. I am in shock. I've informed my husband that we will not be attending any games next season when we're playing them. On a normal day, a majority of Pens fans are rude, obnoxious and violent. After they've beat us in the playoffs and go on to win it all? Forget it. The last thing I need is to be carted off to jail because I've punched someone in the face at a hockey game. I'm passionate about my sport, what can I say?

On to a better subject, shall we?

We had the kids pictures taken last weekend. I had hoped for a great shot of all three kids for both my obstetrician and for our wall. This is all we got:


Ethan had the mother of all meltdowns in the studio. My preference would have been to have a location photographer come to us, but I can't find anyone here in the area that does that and doesn't charge the equivalent of a college tuition. Ellie cooperated for the most part, until the clothing change (we had another set of outfits for the 4th of July). These are the best shots we got and ended up purchasing:


A few other shots (not purchased, but on the disc we received for free)...


Such a lovely face! LOL!




The only way I can describe this is to say they look like aliens that have landed and are checking out the newest life form that they've discovered. LOL!



If only Ellie had smiled in this one... :(

Summer fun!

I have been having bittersweet moments with the twins as of late. On one hand, I'm so excited that we've reached this stage of independence. They don't need me to help them up the ladder at the park. They don't need me to stand at the bottom of the slide, arms outstretched to catch them as they come barreling down at full speed, head first. They sit on the steps when we come home to take off their shoes. They remember to put their cups on the table instead of throwing them on the floor. On the other hand, though, they don't need me to stand at the bottom of the slide...they don't need me to help them up the ladder... I know, I know...I have Meghan and she'll need all of this in no time. But, the E's were my first loves. They're the ones that consumed my heart for two years. They are my babies.






My babies are no longer babies, though. We're venturing into the land of potties and underwear. The Professor has begun announcing that he has to go potty, so we're going to start with him. I know the belief that boys are much harder than girls, but we're going to give it a go, anyway.

We've recently discovered our backyard. Sad, I know. But, you must understand that we live in a large townhouse and in order to get to the backyard, you must go through the basement. Granted, it's a finished basement, but it still creeps me out. It is still covered with the old dark paneling and none of these townhomes were insulated in the basements. So, you have the cinder blocks and firewall, covered by paneling. No drywall, no insulation, nothing. It's cold down there, even in the summer. The fence is falling apart and the neighbor has vines growing all over their side of the fence on the left, so the fence has rotted and has fallen down. We've propped it back up and rigged it as best we can, but it still looks terrible. The concrete slab that serves as a patio is crumbling and has cracked. For some reason, when these homes were built, the concrete was ATTACHED to the foundation of the house. So, as the foundation has settled over the last 30 years, the concrete has cracked and is now slanted down. When it rains, that whole patio is under water and there is moss all over the place. There are no flowers back there. Only a giant azalea bush and some hostas. I've been playing out front with the kids for several months and I hate it because they both run in different directions and I end up yelling because they don't listen. It's not fun for any of us. So, last weekend I went and picked up some outside toys and set up their Kangaroo climber and slide outside. They've got t-ball and other balls, trucks and a few other items. This weekend, I'm picking up a pool and some plants and flowers. We'll do the best we can to make it feel comfy out there for all of us. I enjoy it because I can leave Meghan sleeping in the living room and spend time outside with the kids. Even better? They can't go anywhere so I'm not yelling to come back! We're really enjoying each other lately and I've noticed a huge change in behavior now that we're outside all day.


Meghan is growing by leaps and bounds. I'm sure my MOM friends will have a hard time believing this, but she is 10x more difficult and demanding than the twins ever were. She only sleeps for 2 hours at a time and screams from 6:00pm until 8:00pm every single night. She is inconsolable for that two hour period. We get small moments of reprieve if we take her outside and walk around the cul-de-sac. If she is not being held, she is miserable. If she is not attached to my breast, she is miserable. Even if she's not hungry, she just wants to suck and fall asleep attached to me. I do get a two hour window in the morning from about 9 to 11 or 10 to 12. She'll sleep in her swing while I play outside with the twins. Logistically, it is a nightmare and I'm failing big time trying to get all three of us ready in the morning and get Jason to work. As a result, he is taking the car most days to work and we stay here. If I had a chance to plan this, I would have waited another few years before getting pregnant again. I can't believe I'm saying that, either, since we went through so much just to get pregnant with the twins. Never in a million years did I think I could get pregnant AND sustain a pregnancy on my own. Who knew?!? She is a beautiful baby, though, and has begun smiling and staying awake a little longer in between sleep stretches. I love having this opportunity, despite all the rest, to bond with a single baby. In that regard, it is SO much easier. It's a piece of cake getting one baby ready to go to the doctor, running errands, etc... Mom and I went out on Saturday to do some shopping and I took Meghan. I can't even begin to describe how much easier it was. And the bonding is much stronger with her. I mourn that opportunity with the twins.

I am an eternally blessed woman.

...

I had a whole book to write as an update, but I hear Meghan freaking out downstairs and know that Jason will be running up here with her in a second. So...here are some pictures until I have a moment. (HA!)

The obligatory Bayleigh and baby shot. She's such a good dog. We never had to use those stupid mittens with the twins, but I can't keep up with Meghan's nails!


Baby Meghan (aka: Gummie - Figgy's new nickname for her new sister.)


Figgy and The Professor before their cousin's 1st Holy Communion.


The Professor snuck away to eat his corn-on-the-cob in peace. We had a barbecue after Mikayla's 1st Communion this weekend and he kept stealing everyone's corn!


Mikayla and Figgy (with a friend of Mikayla's) had a good time on the trampoline.