Transcript of owen crib-jabber tonight following OB appt. this morning...
baby brudder
come out mommy's tummy
live house
play toys
play wif him
love him
owen's tummy? no.
mommy's tummy? yess!
come out!
come out!
out brudder, come out!
bye bye baby brudder
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Sheesh, I just read my last entry and I made it sound like Owen has some big developmental issue. I am adding this comment to clarify yesterday's report...my impression is that it's *not* a huge thing we are dealing with, just some growth to be done. I suppose lots of kids need growth in some area or other. I just wish mine didn't have to do with violence! At least I don't have to worry about him getting bullied (?). Today at the park there was a very rough 2 year old (maybe he has the same growth needs as Owen!) who did not want Owen near him and he pushed him down hard when Owen got close to him. (I am inwardly cheering when this kind of thing happens because I think it's good for Owen to get a taste of his own medicine!) Owen looked sort of shocked. Then, he got up off his bottom and pushed him back nearly as hard! The mommies soon pulled the scrappers off of each other.
We had the unfortunate combination of being stuck at home with a car in the shop all day, beautiful weather for going outside, and the lawn service came and sprayed the yard so we couldn't go play in the grass! Try explaining that to your toddler. It was a challenge.
Owen is so cute. He is so playful and affectionate right now. Does he have to grow up and get awkward someday? His appetite has suddenly skyrocketed and he has food on his mind all the time. All day he is nagging me for snacks, or reminding me that it's lunch or dinner or breakfast time (not necessarily in the right order). And he eats everything I give him pretty much. I just noticed today how tall and skinny he looks; must be a growth spurt. That and he's been eating like a horse but has hardly filled a diaper in days. Maybe he has a tapeworm?
Some pictures from recently...
We had the unfortunate combination of being stuck at home with a car in the shop all day, beautiful weather for going outside, and the lawn service came and sprayed the yard so we couldn't go play in the grass! Try explaining that to your toddler. It was a challenge.
Owen is so cute. He is so playful and affectionate right now. Does he have to grow up and get awkward someday? His appetite has suddenly skyrocketed and he has food on his mind all the time. All day he is nagging me for snacks, or reminding me that it's lunch or dinner or breakfast time (not necessarily in the right order). And he eats everything I give him pretty much. I just noticed today how tall and skinny he looks; must be a growth spurt. That and he's been eating like a horse but has hardly filled a diaper in days. Maybe he has a tapeworm?
Some pictures from recently...
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Not quite behind us...
...just when I was beginning to be confident (still amazed, but starting to be convinced) that Owen had magically become a different kid, we had some of the old behavior this morning at the library. Ugh. Coincidentally we also went to an early intervention appt. this afternoon because of this very thing (inability to play in a group without becoming excessively aggressive). I was going to be humiliated to show up and say that it had magically changed and have them think I was a crazy first-time mom, but then he started up again :{
The appt. was fascinating to watch...all the 'tests' (play situations) they were doing that I could only guess at the purpose of. They have strict guidelines of who they can admit, and it doesn't sound like Owen is going to qualify. But on the other hand they think that my observations/feelings are correct that there is some delayed development/issues in his social/emotional world. So I'm confused about that. They basically said he is way far crazy off the charts in visual skills for his age (they couldn't stop commenting on this!), great verbally, normal but not great at problem-solving in situations new to him, and atrocious at any sort of self-soothing and mood management skills. Low frustration tolerance, enough to affect life negatively and make things more tough than normal. Big news to me!!! NOT. Then they said that there's help to be had with these kind of things and they work with kids with these issues all the time. So I left mildly frustrated at having come for some help and leaving knowing what I know but not qualifying for help...but I think they're going to talk more with me and at least point me to some resources to educate myself more about how to help him moderate his emotions more. One of the ladies there really 'got' our situation. She pegged him right away as someone who was wonderful, sweet and fantastic to be around when the world was on his terms, but nightmarish as soon as he felt any bit out of control (as in, not in charge). And pointed out how other little people are way out of his control and are threatening for him to be around. Yup.
Well, maybe it's all gobbledygook and I'm just too indulgent, but it felt nice to be validated by a group of people saying there's more to it than just being spoiled, and his behavior patterns follow some known ones. He had a blast with the evaluation team and charmed the pants off of them (by the end of the 2hrs he was planting hugs and kisses on all of them spontaneously), so it was a fun afternoon if nothing else.
...just when I was beginning to be confident (still amazed, but starting to be convinced) that Owen had magically become a different kid, we had some of the old behavior this morning at the library. Ugh. Coincidentally we also went to an early intervention appt. this afternoon because of this very thing (inability to play in a group without becoming excessively aggressive). I was going to be humiliated to show up and say that it had magically changed and have them think I was a crazy first-time mom, but then he started up again :{
The appt. was fascinating to watch...all the 'tests' (play situations) they were doing that I could only guess at the purpose of. They have strict guidelines of who they can admit, and it doesn't sound like Owen is going to qualify. But on the other hand they think that my observations/feelings are correct that there is some delayed development/issues in his social/emotional world. So I'm confused about that. They basically said he is way far crazy off the charts in visual skills for his age (they couldn't stop commenting on this!), great verbally, normal but not great at problem-solving in situations new to him, and atrocious at any sort of self-soothing and mood management skills. Low frustration tolerance, enough to affect life negatively and make things more tough than normal. Big news to me!!! NOT. Then they said that there's help to be had with these kind of things and they work with kids with these issues all the time. So I left mildly frustrated at having come for some help and leaving knowing what I know but not qualifying for help...but I think they're going to talk more with me and at least point me to some resources to educate myself more about how to help him moderate his emotions more. One of the ladies there really 'got' our situation. She pegged him right away as someone who was wonderful, sweet and fantastic to be around when the world was on his terms, but nightmarish as soon as he felt any bit out of control (as in, not in charge). And pointed out how other little people are way out of his control and are threatening for him to be around. Yup.
Well, maybe it's all gobbledygook and I'm just too indulgent, but it felt nice to be validated by a group of people saying there's more to it than just being spoiled, and his behavior patterns follow some known ones. He had a blast with the evaluation team and charmed the pants off of them (by the end of the 2hrs he was planting hugs and kisses on all of them spontaneously), so it was a fun afternoon if nothing else.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Transcription of a few minutes of crib conversation during naptime 1/7/09
Spider
Crawling
Uh huh
Water
Skin
Uh huh
Ouchie
Uh huh
Hook
Uh huh
Uh huh
Backyard
Uh huh
Big ella
Big aili
Cowboy
Uh huh
Crawling
Crawling
Uh huh
Dirt
Dirt
Hair
Pull Off
Uh huh
Got it
Got it
Put there
Put there
Got it
On there
On there
Hair
Uh huh
Uh huh
I see it
I see it
Uh huh
Outside
Uh huh
Ice cream
Paper
Eat up
Paper
Uh huh
I know
I see it
I see it
Mower
Mower
Mower
Drive it
Dirt
[growling noise]
let’s see
airport
airport
airplane
no poops
no poops
no poops
big poop
uh huh!
Clean up
Clean up
Robe
Mommy robe
Blue robe
Have it Mommy
A, big A
Little a
H
X
H
Big X
Papi papi papi
Pay it mommy
Pay mommy
Like it
Money
Money
Money
Mine
[squeal]
Uh huh
Happy face
Happy face
Happy face
[laughing]
happy face
saw that
[laughing]
happy face
saw that
papa papi papi papi papa papi papi
Lachlan Lachlan diaper
Baby diaper
Baby Lachlan diaper
Baby diapers
Spider
Crawling
Uh huh
Water
Skin
Uh huh
Ouchie
Uh huh
Hook
Uh huh
Uh huh
Backyard
Uh huh
Big ella
Big aili
Cowboy
Uh huh
Crawling
Crawling
Uh huh
Dirt
Dirt
Hair
Pull Off
Uh huh
Got it
Got it
Put there
Put there
Got it
On there
On there
Hair
Uh huh
Uh huh
I see it
I see it
Uh huh
Outside
Uh huh
Ice cream
Paper
Eat up
Paper
Uh huh
I know
I see it
I see it
Mower
Mower
Mower
Drive it
Dirt
[growling noise]
let’s see
airport
airport
airplane
no poops
no poops
no poops
big poop
uh huh!
Clean up
Clean up
Robe
Mommy robe
Blue robe
Have it Mommy
A, big A
Little a
H
X
H
Big X
Papi papi papi
Pay it mommy
Pay mommy
Like it
Money
Money
Money
Mine
[squeal]
Uh huh
Happy face
Happy face
Happy face
[laughing]
happy face
saw that
[laughing]
happy face
saw that
papa papi papi papi papa papi papi
Lachlan Lachlan diaper
Baby diaper
Baby Lachlan diaper
Baby diapers
Friday, April 3, 2009
Possible that pigs are flying in Billerica...
Owen's hair-pulling obsession/vendetta/fetish/mission (pick one) may have disappeared as rapidly as it appeared, despite 6+ months of unceasing struggle with unsuccessful interventions. As of yesterday (4/2/09) he seems to have magically changed into a different child in group settings. I feel like I won the lottery (that is not an exaggeration...this has been a bad, exhausting problem) but I am trying not to let my hopes soar too high just yet. Cautious optimism...
Owen has been very aware of body functions for a while now, we've had the potty, but every attempt to tempt him to try it out, or even just to sit on it has resulted in 'No! No way! Nope! No way! Diaper! Diaper! On! Diaper!' so far. If I try to sit him on it when it's clear he's about to go (visualize trying to place rabid cat in full bathtub), he then decides to hold things in for at least another 24 hours. So mommy stopped thinking about pushing the matter. This week, however, a package from amazon.com containing a new (non-pinching) potty chair and a potty propaganda video arrived. I also bought him some Bob the Builder underpants (hideous!). The potty video was magic. It was so heavy-handed I thought Owen might be offended that I would underestimate his intelligence that much, but no, he fell for it hook line and sinker. The best part is the song called Diapers are for Babies, or something to that effect. It outlines how if you are still wearing diapers you are just a little, helpless baby. Babies need their mommies to do everything for them. They are slobbering flesh blobs (translation). Don't you want to be a big kid like these cool 3rd graders running around the playground? They are entirely independent and don't need their parents much at all. You can have all of this and more if you just sit on that potty and wear underpants.
No kidding, as the song played Owen stripped his clothes off and picked up the Bob the Builders. MAGIC!! He even sat on the potty NAKED (we've never achieved that, only 2 brief episodes with jeans on) in exchange for a steady flow of altoid mints (he loves them). I have no expectation of rapid potty progress (and honestly I'm not sure I want to have to run him to the bathroom at a moment's notice...what's so wrong with diapers?), but I like that we're making emotional progress toward the goal and all I had to do was pop in a DVD! So much easier than past attempts. This further confirms my suspicion that home-schooling would be a disaster for Owen and I. I think he responds to external side-door peer pressure much better than to mom-dispensed directives. But that's probably a larger logic leap than the evidence bears.
(walking in his Bob the Builder's like he's just dismounted a horse after a long day's ride...not sure about how these feel! kind of fancy free compared to a diaper!)
So much daily development, so little energy to write it all down. He's a TALKER! Wow. There is not a silent moment during our day. He is obsessed with the alphabet. He's starting to sing songs with me. He's a cuddler (love that). He's starting to catch onto the baby-in-mommy's-tummy thing and he give me some sidelong glances about it from time to time. He loves ice cream.
Additional pictures; recent haircut and most recently selected favorite outdoors outfit (didn't catch the whole thing on film, but it is daddy's respiratory filter mask, winter mittens and red laser goggles).
Owen's hair-pulling obsession/vendetta/fetish/mission (pick one) may have disappeared as rapidly as it appeared, despite 6+ months of unceasing struggle with unsuccessful interventions. As of yesterday (4/2/09) he seems to have magically changed into a different child in group settings. I feel like I won the lottery (that is not an exaggeration...this has been a bad, exhausting problem) but I am trying not to let my hopes soar too high just yet. Cautious optimism...
Owen has been very aware of body functions for a while now, we've had the potty, but every attempt to tempt him to try it out, or even just to sit on it has resulted in 'No! No way! Nope! No way! Diaper! Diaper! On! Diaper!' so far. If I try to sit him on it when it's clear he's about to go (visualize trying to place rabid cat in full bathtub), he then decides to hold things in for at least another 24 hours. So mommy stopped thinking about pushing the matter. This week, however, a package from amazon.com containing a new (non-pinching) potty chair and a potty propaganda video arrived. I also bought him some Bob the Builder underpants (hideous!). The potty video was magic. It was so heavy-handed I thought Owen might be offended that I would underestimate his intelligence that much, but no, he fell for it hook line and sinker. The best part is the song called Diapers are for Babies, or something to that effect. It outlines how if you are still wearing diapers you are just a little, helpless baby. Babies need their mommies to do everything for them. They are slobbering flesh blobs (translation). Don't you want to be a big kid like these cool 3rd graders running around the playground? They are entirely independent and don't need their parents much at all. You can have all of this and more if you just sit on that potty and wear underpants.
No kidding, as the song played Owen stripped his clothes off and picked up the Bob the Builders. MAGIC!! He even sat on the potty NAKED (we've never achieved that, only 2 brief episodes with jeans on) in exchange for a steady flow of altoid mints (he loves them). I have no expectation of rapid potty progress (and honestly I'm not sure I want to have to run him to the bathroom at a moment's notice...what's so wrong with diapers?), but I like that we're making emotional progress toward the goal and all I had to do was pop in a DVD! So much easier than past attempts. This further confirms my suspicion that home-schooling would be a disaster for Owen and I. I think he responds to external side-door peer pressure much better than to mom-dispensed directives. But that's probably a larger logic leap than the evidence bears.
(walking in his Bob the Builder's like he's just dismounted a horse after a long day's ride...not sure about how these feel! kind of fancy free compared to a diaper!)
So much daily development, so little energy to write it all down. He's a TALKER! Wow. There is not a silent moment during our day. He is obsessed with the alphabet. He's starting to sing songs with me. He's a cuddler (love that). He's starting to catch onto the baby-in-mommy's-tummy thing and he give me some sidelong glances about it from time to time. He loves ice cream.
Additional pictures; recent haircut and most recently selected favorite outdoors outfit (didn't catch the whole thing on film, but it is daddy's respiratory filter mask, winter mittens and red laser goggles).
Friday, March 27, 2009
New Photos!
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyswint/2009_03_26#
We had a great time in Texas visiting Reuel's family. The weather was great (better than MA anyway!), the company even better, and I got a serious vacation while Owen was occupied with cousins and grandparents. He ate up every moment. I'll try to write down some memories after I get the house back to normal. It is most unfortunate to be sick with a stomach bug shortly before traveling and to come home to a house in tornado-ravaged condition. But Owen is cooperating pretty well this morning while I try to get things moderately back in order.
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyswint/2009_03_26#
We had a great time in Texas visiting Reuel's family. The weather was great (better than MA anyway!), the company even better, and I got a serious vacation while Owen was occupied with cousins and grandparents. He ate up every moment. I'll try to write down some memories after I get the house back to normal. It is most unfortunate to be sick with a stomach bug shortly before traveling and to come home to a house in tornado-ravaged condition. But Owen is cooperating pretty well this morning while I try to get things moderately back in order.
Monday, March 16, 2009
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