Jonathan at 7 monthsWhew.
When I started this journal, I meant to write in it once a week. But as always, time and energy seem to have slipped by me. So, I am gonna play a little catch up with the last couple of weeks.
The GOOD
Jonathan has been saying "Mama" a lot (usually when he is pissed off, but I am not gonna quibble), "Ball" occasionally, and making all kinds of noises like psst, and ggg, bbb, gaa, and on and on. A LOT of chatter and noise making.
Jonathan is really developing his ability to sit and attend. He has been willing to do more things that are hard for him to do... effortful things... instead of just quitting. For example, Kristin "la teacher" had a new toy today. It was a ball-drop toy in which the ball goes in the top and rolls down a series of ramps to the bottom. Jonathan LOVED it. She started out holding the ball up and saying "ball... ball...BALL" trying to get him to request the ball. He got so frustrated... you could just see his little mouth trying to move. He would make a noise... more like a screech... and she would give him the ball. Down down down it would go and he would giggle and laugh. Over and over they did this... and eventually, he could finally get the word "Ball" out. It seems to explode out of his little mouth.... the force of sheer WILL sending it out. Six months ago he would have stopped trying long before this. I am so proud of him sticking with it!!!
We have become convinced that Jonathan knows a lot more than we have been giving him credit for. Kristin has been starting to show him objects or pictures of objects and asking him to pick the right one. For example, a picture of a car and a baby... which one is the BABY?? He picks it! Easily!! Scans both, and has picked the right one over and over again. And today, he was playing with a bunch of these Bob the Builder picture cards, noticed two of them were the same, and MATCHED them. Jeez, his brain WORKS. He is matching colors, shapes, objects. He feeds his baby doll, put glasses on it.... I mean, come on!!! Something works in that little brain... even if words are tough to come by.
He is pointing pointing pointing. And all I can say is Emily Post can bite me if she says it is rude. I'll take communication anyday!
On a mommy note, I am proud to say I am reading again. What, you say, you stopped? Yep, sure did. I am not sure when exactly. Maybe it was grad school, that forced me to read for "scholarly reasons" only. Maybe it was the birth of Jonathan, which forced me into a tired haze for a year. Maybe it was a loss of habit. But it is back, baby! I have read four books in three weeks... loved every minute of it... and I feel like I am getting some of me back. HOORAY!
The BAD:
Jonathan has decided that he hates his diaper. So, whenever he has a chance, he pulls it off and runs around naked as a jaybird, his "bits & pieces" blowing in the breeze. He loves it... and I would be totally ok with it IF he didn't have this rotten habit of PEEING as he runs. Seriously.
Jonathan has been filling his mouth with juice and then letting it run down his chin, shirt, etc. It is a fun game for him, but I am running out of clean clothes.
It is snowing again today and we are all sick of winter.
The Nerve-Wracking
Ok, now.... probably the reason I haven't posted in a little bit.
So, Jonathan has his 2-year old check up this month. I had been ramping up for this for a bit. I had a feeling I knew what was coming. And true to my ever increasing ability to predict the future... Dr. S wanted us to have Jonathan seen by a Neurologist and Genetics. You see, I had noticed Jonathan "spacing out". All kids do this. Heck, I do this!!!. But, when you have a learning/speech delay AND you are "spacing out" and you are two... well, "they" get concerned about possible seizures. They are called absence seizures, staring spells, petit mal seizures, 'subclinical' seizures.... but they all are implicated in developmental and learning delays. In fact, a lot of research is now coming out that these 'subclinical' seizures may play a bigger role in delays then they ever thought.
So now we have to rule that out.
And so... off to the Neurologist we went. Dr CB was great... a lovely woman with a gentle voice and kind eyes. She spent TWO HOURS with us... getting Jonathan's history and our history and observing Jonathan. She even had read some of the reports I had sent her the day before (SHOCKING!). And she felt like it would be a good idea to have an EEG, a MRI, and genetics/chromosomes drawn "just to rule everything out".
On one hand... HOORAY! Maybe we will get some answers!
On the other hand... CRAP! First, the testing itself is bound to be a nightmare. He is having a sleep-deprived EEG, a MRI with sedation, and labs drawn. An all day affair. And he is gonna HATE it. It could get ugly. Second, what if they find something horrible??? That is scary. Third, what if we go this this whole thing and they find nothing? Is that good or bad? I don't know... it is just nerve wracking.
Pia
When I started this journal, I meant to write in it once a week. But as always, time and energy seem to have slipped by me. So, I am gonna play a little catch up with the last couple of weeks.
The GOOD
Jonathan has been saying "Mama" a lot (usually when he is pissed off, but I am not gonna quibble), "Ball" occasionally, and making all kinds of noises like psst, and ggg, bbb, gaa, and on and on. A LOT of chatter and noise making.
Jonathan is really developing his ability to sit and attend. He has been willing to do more things that are hard for him to do... effortful things... instead of just quitting. For example, Kristin "la teacher" had a new toy today. It was a ball-drop toy in which the ball goes in the top and rolls down a series of ramps to the bottom. Jonathan LOVED it. She started out holding the ball up and saying "ball... ball...BALL" trying to get him to request the ball. He got so frustrated... you could just see his little mouth trying to move. He would make a noise... more like a screech... and she would give him the ball. Down down down it would go and he would giggle and laugh. Over and over they did this... and eventually, he could finally get the word "Ball" out. It seems to explode out of his little mouth.... the force of sheer WILL sending it out. Six months ago he would have stopped trying long before this. I am so proud of him sticking with it!!!
We have become convinced that Jonathan knows a lot more than we have been giving him credit for. Kristin has been starting to show him objects or pictures of objects and asking him to pick the right one. For example, a picture of a car and a baby... which one is the BABY?? He picks it! Easily!! Scans both, and has picked the right one over and over again. And today, he was playing with a bunch of these Bob the Builder picture cards, noticed two of them were the same, and MATCHED them. Jeez, his brain WORKS. He is matching colors, shapes, objects. He feeds his baby doll, put glasses on it.... I mean, come on!!! Something works in that little brain... even if words are tough to come by.
He is pointing pointing pointing. And all I can say is Emily Post can bite me if she says it is rude. I'll take communication anyday!
On a mommy note, I am proud to say I am reading again. What, you say, you stopped? Yep, sure did. I am not sure when exactly. Maybe it was grad school, that forced me to read for "scholarly reasons" only. Maybe it was the birth of Jonathan, which forced me into a tired haze for a year. Maybe it was a loss of habit. But it is back, baby! I have read four books in three weeks... loved every minute of it... and I feel like I am getting some of me back. HOORAY!
The BAD:
Jonathan has decided that he hates his diaper. So, whenever he has a chance, he pulls it off and runs around naked as a jaybird, his "bits & pieces" blowing in the breeze. He loves it... and I would be totally ok with it IF he didn't have this rotten habit of PEEING as he runs. Seriously.
Jonathan has been filling his mouth with juice and then letting it run down his chin, shirt, etc. It is a fun game for him, but I am running out of clean clothes.
It is snowing again today and we are all sick of winter.
The Nerve-Wracking
Ok, now.... probably the reason I haven't posted in a little bit.
So, Jonathan has his 2-year old check up this month. I had been ramping up for this for a bit. I had a feeling I knew what was coming. And true to my ever increasing ability to predict the future... Dr. S wanted us to have Jonathan seen by a Neurologist and Genetics. You see, I had noticed Jonathan "spacing out". All kids do this. Heck, I do this!!!. But, when you have a learning/speech delay AND you are "spacing out" and you are two... well, "they" get concerned about possible seizures. They are called absence seizures, staring spells, petit mal seizures, 'subclinical' seizures.... but they all are implicated in developmental and learning delays. In fact, a lot of research is now coming out that these 'subclinical' seizures may play a bigger role in delays then they ever thought.
So now we have to rule that out.
And so... off to the Neurologist we went. Dr CB was great... a lovely woman with a gentle voice and kind eyes. She spent TWO HOURS with us... getting Jonathan's history and our history and observing Jonathan. She even had read some of the reports I had sent her the day before (SHOCKING!). And she felt like it would be a good idea to have an EEG, a MRI, and genetics/chromosomes drawn "just to rule everything out".
On one hand... HOORAY! Maybe we will get some answers!
On the other hand... CRAP! First, the testing itself is bound to be a nightmare. He is having a sleep-deprived EEG, a MRI with sedation, and labs drawn. An all day affair. And he is gonna HATE it. It could get ugly. Second, what if they find something horrible??? That is scary. Third, what if we go this this whole thing and they find nothing? Is that good or bad? I don't know... it is just nerve wracking.
Pia
2 comments:
Oh wow - what a big post Pia. Jonathan sounds like one sweet boy - and he is super blessed to have you guys as parents! I hope the tests go as smoothly as possible and maybe you'll find some answers. Please keep us posted. I'll keep all of you in my prayers.
Hey, I like reading your blog. awesome that he can say ball now.
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