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Day 1 in the Books!

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Today was our first day of Occupational Therapy. I’d call it a success since J is looking forward to going back on Monday!

It was a bit of a bumpy start. We walked into the waiting room, where PJ Masks was playing and I just so happen to have his PJ Masks sippy cup with me. A perfect match! But I digress. Once we turned the corner, he saw a couple of people waiting and froze. He tried to get back out the door and said he wanted to go home. With some coaxing, I got him to sit on my lap and eventually started playing games on my phone to try to shake the nervousness. His therapist came out, introduced herself and asked if he wanted to go back to play. Since it’s his first day, I went back with him. Luckily, once he saw the gym, he was all in. He played with the swing, tunnel, puzzles, putty, magnetic letters (his favorite) and the trampoline. I went over some of my concerns and filled out paperwork.

Today was all about introductions, learning more and most importantly getting J comfortable with his new surroundings. Much like speech therapy, to J, it’s having fun with someone one on one.

I look forward to his progress as time goes on and coming up with new ways to prevent or calm his triggers.

Is This a Real Thing?

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I’ve mentioned before that one of the reasons I started this was because of the other blogs and articles I had read that helped me. Maybe my story might help another parent going through a similar experience!

Facebook groups have also helped. A community of parents asking questions, telling stories and sharing their experiences. There was a discussion one day as to how others react to learning about Sensory Processing. One person shared that her husband initially hadn’t even wanted their child evaluated. Others talked about their parents telling them that they just don’t discipline well enough. The kids get away with too much. Have too much. Some other family members and even doctors just didn’t believe it was a real thing.

Yet those parents that trusted their gut, got their kids the extra help they needed, had a much better quality of life. They were able to predict and most times prevent triggers. They now know what can calm their child. What their mind and body need to properly process information and self regulate in those disorganized situations. That mommy (or daddy) gut will never steer you wrong.

In ‘The Out-of-Sync Child,’  it states that research regarding Sensory Processing has been going on since the 50’s, even though most of us never heard about it. Much of the cause seems to be genetic, but there is still more research being done. I know when I was younger you never heard about this, but you also never heard much about food allergies. With the internet and especially social media, I think there an inundation of information regarding varying issues.

Again, because a child is “out-of-sync” doesn’t mean there is something wrong. It just means they need a little extra help going through the motions of daily activities.

Click here to read my blog What Is Sensory Processing, which includes even more reference links.

And don’t forget parents: Trust Your Gut!

A Little More Waiting

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Today was supposed to be J’s first day of Occupational Therapy. However, just as we were getting ready to leave, his therapist called and said she had to go pick up her son from school because he was sick.

As a mom, of course I understand! I just got over a week and a half of a sick cycle in my house. Can’t be helped!

giphy

The other side of me was disappointed because I was really looking forward to today. I had prepped J with the daily agenda and was looking forward to kicking off this journey!

But this journey will just have to wait two more days.

In the meantime, I have a little more time to get questions together and have all the information prepped to ensure J gets the best out of this experience!

It’s the Final Countdown

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What a week it’s been!

Baby J’s sickness developed into a virus with a new symptom everyday! A few trips to the doctor and a week later, she’s finally feeling better!

Big J had a snow day from school on Tuesday and was back in the grind on Thursday. I’m so happy he loves going to school…I’m sure one day he won’t!

It’s the Final Countdown to OT! We start on Monday! With everything going on lately, Itenor haven’t even had time to think about it too much. I definitely want to write down some questions and get him ready for the addition to his routine. Due to the timing availability of OT, we have to rearrange our Speech Therapy schedule. With J so comfortable with his awesome speech therapist, it’s easy to make adjustments without it affecting him.

I need to catch up on my reading of The Out-of-Sync Child and gear up for Monday! I’ll be sure to keep you all in the loop with our new journey!

How Do We Start The Conversation?

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Some people in our life, including our closest friends and family, are just learning about J’s Speech Therapy and soon to be Occupational Therapy through this blog.

We weren’t trying to hide anything, weren’t embarrassed, not worried about being judged and we weren’t too overwhelmed to talk about it. It’s hard to put into words why this is news to most, but I’ll try.

J is a healthy, happy boy. He loves cars, puzzles, anything letter related, going to the park, Disney (it’s in his DNA), his family and his friends. I don’t feel anything is “wrong” with him. Thankfully, he’s not sick. He just has to work a little harder at things than some other kids do. And also not as hard as some other kids do.

So this raises the question-how do we go about starting the conversation? To make a big announcement may seem like it’s a bigger deal than it is, in the sense that something is “wrong.” By not saying anything, it may seem like we are holding back or that more is going on.

I don’t have an answer and would love to hear from other parents! There’s no shame or embarrassment in kids needing some extra help along the way and it’s important to talk about.

Feel free to comment below, Follow me on Twitter or if you know me in real life-reach out personally! I would love to hear from all of you!

Mom…Mom…Mama…Mommy?!

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Most parents can definitely relate to this clip:

I waited a really long time to be called any version of “mom.”

J started speech therapy at 2 years and 5 months old. In that time, I heard some babbles of mamamama early on, but never in context. There were times I’d wonder if one day he’d wake up and just say it. He spoke in grunts, used lots of gestures and we understood everything he needed and wanted. 95% of the time, I never cared that he wasn’t calling me mommy. But every once in awhile, the thought that he hadn’t called us mama and dada would creep in and we’d wonder when it would come.

After a month or two of therapy, it happened. His speech therapist asked who I was and he said “mom.” It was awesome. I stayed “mom” for months. I figured he was skipping over the cute baby way of saying mommy. Maybe were going straight into teenage years where he was too cool for mommy and went right to mom. A few more months passed, we became mommy and daddy and it has stuck.

I remember us all being in the car one day and I said “we’ve waited a long time for him to talk but you know once he does, he’s not going to stop.” I knew the day would come that we’d stop wondering when the words were coming and be experience our very own version of the clip above. It did and despite how often I hear my name most days..which is a lot…I love it.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember these milestones as time passes because he’s come so far. In one way it seems like just yesterday he was grunting because he wanted something to eat. Now he asks his sister how her snoozie was when she wakes up. He says Thank You to someone that opens a door for him. And he says “hey mommy?” and “hey daddy?” at least 100 times a day!

*The YouTube Clip was posted by Erudius

The Letter of the Day is C!

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Chicago. Croup. Cancellations.Cisforcookie

Back in the Fall, we went through a two month sick cycle in the house. Mot households have been through this. Everyone taking turns passing around different illnesses. This also resulted in cancelling various weekend plans. One of those activities was taking a trip to Chicago to see friends we haven’t seen in a long time.

Last week I saw a great deal on flights to Chicago for this weekend and we decided to book a 48 hour trip. We were supposed to leave Saturday morning and we were coming back Monday afternoon.

J’s baby sister’s name also starts with a J so throughout the blog, we can refer to her as ‘Baby J.’ 

Baby J wasn’t sleeping great all week. By Wednesday she started coughing and had a runny nose. I chalked it up to a cold but was watching to make sure it wasn’t getting worse. It wasn’t and on Friday we were packing for our weekend excursion. After they both woke up from naps, I realized Baby J was not acting like herself. She was crying randomly, laying on the floor out of no where, etc. That gut feeling said to take her to the doctor to make sure this was just a cold before getting on a plane in less than 24 hours.

Good thing I did!

It turns out that cough that had kept her up some nights and bothered her during the day was croup. And it’s contagious. I had a feeling it was since that same day J started with congestion.

Needless to say we cancelled our trip to Chicago and have been hunkered down with sick kiddos all weekend. It’s sad to see them feeling so bad. Baby J has also developed a fever since getting back from the doctor and has not been herself. She’s taking extra naps and I’m hoping she’ll feel better tomorrow. If not, the doctor may get another call from me! Especially with all these stories going around regarding the flu.

I’m trying to keep J calm and rest. Which is so easy for a 3 year old boy, right?! Quiet games, activities and some extra shows/movies have been on the agenda all weekend.

Hopefully Monday will kick off the return of my healthy babies!

 

TGIF! Two Step Party Time!

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“Dance…even if you have no where to do it but in your own Living Room.”

This is a lyric from Baz Lurhman’s Wear Sunscreen – a favorite speech/song of mine.

Do your kids like to dance? Both of mine do! And since they come form Dave Matthews Band Fan Parents, it’s often played in the background. Sometimes the DMB Pandora Station is on as we play LEGOs. Other times we’re using the DMB Lullabies to get them to sleep.

One day in an effort to change things up, I asked ‘J’ if he wanted to have a Two Step Dance Party. He got really excited and said YES!

So now this is an almost daily occurrence in the Living Room of our house. He’s so happy in his run/spin/dance moves and it’s a great way to get out some energy! Also a good workout for me and a way for the baby to practice her moves!

Take the advice from ‘Wear Sunscreen’ and dance-even if it’s in your own Living Room!

What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

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A question I get asked a lot! Not an easy one to answer since it’s different for everyone.

The STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder is a great resource. Here is their umbrella definition:

“Sensory processing (originally called “sensory integration dysfunction” or SID) refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), exists when sensory signals are either not detected or don’t get organized into appropriate responses. Pioneering occupational therapist, educational psychologist, and neuroscientist A. Jean Ayres, PhD, likened SPD to a neurological “traffic jam” that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks.”

They also mention that “symptoms of Sensory Processing Disorder, like those of most disorders, occur within a broad spectrum of severity.”

That last line goes back to what I mentioned in the beginning. Due to that broad spectrum, this can be different for everyone. It’s helpful that I started reading “The Out-Of-Sync Child.” There are many sub-categories of Sensory Processing Disorder that the book gets into. Within those sub-categories there are descriptions as to how a child may react if they are considered overresponsive, underresponsive or sensory-craving. Children can fit into one of these boxes or maybe a variety within the subcategories  As I continue to read “The Out-of-Sync Child,” I’ll be sure to share what I learn and how my personal experience relates to that information.

I can’t even fully explain what exactly it is for ‘J.’ I can say he seems to relate to that of a sensory-craving child but there are definitely moments where he is overresponsive. I’m understanding more about him as I read and learn. I know what triggers him and what doesn’t. I’m also still surprised by what does and doesn’t trigger him. I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning or have a full grasp on it, but it will become more clear one as time goes on. I look forward to having more tools to help him through his sensory meltdowns so they don’t ruin a portion of or sometimes his whole day. I look forward to being able to better help him handle situations that give him anxiety. None of us like experiencing the unexpected. It’s scary, unnerving and stressful. For ‘J’ it’s that times a thousand. We do a lot of prep during the day. We discuss what we’re going to do, who we’re going to see and as any changes arise, we talk those through as well. Once we work with our Occupational Therapist and do the homework I’m certain we’ll have, I know he will be able to organize his thoughts and feelings so much better.

I mean he’s super smart…yeah I know every parent says that…but seriously…he’s insanely smart. Which could be an additional factor as to what’s going on. But that’s a blog for another time.

Links to a Few Resources

The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz

STAR Institute

What Is Sensory Processing Disorder? A video posted by MichaelGrass House on YouTube

When Kids Don’t Act Like They’re Supposed To (Understanding Sensory Processing In Kids) A video posted by Your Kid’s Table on YouTube

 

That Mommy Gut Feeling

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I’ll probably be talking a lot about my gut feelings in these blogs. You could even call it my MomSense (see what I did there). I’ve always believed in the ‘trust your gut’ theory, but never moreso than when I became a mom.

Trust your gut in whats best for you when delivering your baby. Trust your gut when youTrust_Your_Gut decide to breastfeed or bottle feed. Trust your gut on when it’s just a cold and when to take to them to the doctor. And trust your gut if you think there is something not so “right” or “typical” when it comes to your child.

My gut guided me to seek out an evaluation for speech and my gut guided me when it came to evaluating ‘J’ for sensory integration.

Not everyone will understand. Some may not even believe it’s a real thing. But no one knows your child better than you. I know what screams and cries are that of a typical 3 year old compared to ones that are indicating he’s in distress and overwhelmed by his surroundings. It’s not something we as parents or others around him did wrong. And there’s nothing wrong with him. If someone triggers him, I know it’s not their fault. All of that drives my mommy gut to know I made and continue to make the right decisions when it comes getting him the right therapy.

As most parents, me and my husband will be the biggest advocate for our kids. I will trust my mommy gut regardless of what others think or any challenges that may arise because of it. They’re worth all of it!