Yearly MLK Day Haircut!

 

Yes, our yearly traditional, brutal, kicking and screaming event has arrived!  Pax HATES getting his haircut....did I say HATES? It is one of the most draining physically and emotionally for both Mom and Pax.  That is why we do it once a year, each time trying a different approach....which none have been truly successful.  So after the kicking and screaming is over, and Mom feels like she was just in the ring with Ronda Rousey; he looks like a handsome devil.  BTW....I have no idea why MLK day became our day to do this awe-inspiring event, but it has and continues to be "The Haircut Day".

Look up, watch and smile!

How many times do you look up and watch the clouds?  

Slowly dancing and shifting towards one another, almost in a choreographed fashion.  Sitting outside with Paxon, as he looks up at the sky and smiles, I'm thinking about all that is wrong with this world. How much hatred and aggression is around; I always wonder if those people, the ones who are so angry at the world, do they ever look up and watch the clouds?  This world is full of beauty and creation, yet we want to destroy it because of beliefs and clouded judgments.  As I watch him smile, for a moment, it's as if the world is calm, and tranquil.  With no barriers, no sense of fear, no worries and no ugliness.  Everything is beautiful and perfect.  If we would all just take a minute to look up at the clouds, who knows how it could change an outlook.  I think Paxon has the right idea; look up, watch and smile.  It could possibly change your world around.

Yearly Haircut! (Yes, I said yearly)

As many of you know, cutting Pax's hair is quite a chore! So we, once a year, take that long awaited battle.  I must admit, I miss the long hair, but sometimes you have to sacrifice in the name of clear vision. So on MLK day (which we now also designate as our yearly haircut holiday), the hair went.....he did put up a fight and it took some getting use to after, but he is still my handsome guy :)

 .....(and the lovely locks will return for me to admire)

Who is Teaching Who?

As the summer comes to a close, moments like these I like to reflect on. Sitting in the sun, looking at him, wondering what that little mind is thinking. What he is pondering, analyzing, focusing on, or just staring into the distance daydreaming. If I could only read that little mind, it could tell me what I could do to make things easier, or more helpful to him. He can't tell me, but I wonder if he thinks it. My boy, I see as the greatest gift God could have given us. He has taught me to be a stronger, more open minded mother. Instead of just me teaching him the basics, he is teaching me a much more influential thing, and that is understanding. You don't realize how much understanding you have until it is put to the test. I look at this affectionate sweet boy; who needs me to be the most understanding person in his life, and I now know I am prepared. He will need me to be there, to make him feel that it's ok to make a mistake, it's ok to not know certain things, it's ok to get frustrated and it's ok to feel proud when something is accomplished....and I will be there, and as perceptive as I can possibly be.

Makes you think, who is the novice and who is the teacher? :)

We Have A Breakthrough!

As some of you may know, getting Pax to eat anything has been nothing short of a challenge. His typical diet consists of grilled cheese and a variety of snacks. For him to try something new, is a cause for celebration! Even if it's a food that isn't a choice food, but I will take it! With that being said, Paxon enjoyed his first McDonald's cheeseburger!

It came about as a surprise, we were driving home from swim lessons, when I stopped and got Peyton a cheeseburger Happy Meal. Pax started saying something, and as you may know as well, his speech can be very difficult to understand...so before we knew it, he grabbed the cheeseburger out of Peyton's hands and just started eating it! No coaxing, no begging, no "just kiss it'....started taking bites! He ended up eating almost the whole thing, as I am going crazy, doing a happy dance, crying, as he looks at me like, what did I do?

So, needless to say, it is not the best food, but we will be stocking up on cheeseburgers until the next new food is discovered :)

Couldn't of said it better myself!

I am absolutely appalled at how people can be so hurtful and have no compassion for human life whatsoever.  My friend sent me this story and frankly, I am proud of what this mom did.  She didn't lash out or give back negative responses....she simply sent a letter expressing the importance of being educated about Autism. In today's society, we need to be educated about disabilities, they are there and the more we know, the more we can understand the battles one must go through day to day.  To simply state that giving birth to a child who is autistic should be avoided and is a waste of resources, is just plain ignorance! Kudos to this mom for keeping her cool and responding in the best way she could. Click the link below to read the article.



http://realmrhousewife.com/2015/03/27/jacqueline-laurita-open-letter-jane-wong/

Pax got this!

Oasis Family Fun Center was no match for Pax!  He absolutely loved it, he had so much fun playing the games and going thru the jungle gym.  I know the last time we had him there, for his and Peyton's birthday, he was a little bit scared of all the noises and things going on, but not this time.  He played a little bowling and took a try at some arcade games, he even tried some lemonade, which is totally out of his realm! We are so proud of him and we look forward to taking him there again!  My little guy is always surprising me :)

Proceed with Caution

So I know every parent is nervous and excited about their child starting Kindergarten, and I know I was when Peyton started....it was bitter sweet; she was growing up and moving on to her next step in life.  Today, I got that same feeling about Pax going to his Kindergarten transition meeting today.  I know you're thinking, it's only February?! But with special needs children, it's a process that starts early.

I got to sit down with the principal, school psychologist, special education representative and speech therapist about the road and process to Pax's transition into Kindergarten.  I went there nervous and left the same way, but I know that he has progressed in so many ways within the past couple years and even within the last few months, he has surprised me with accomplishments. I am hoping as it gets closer to that big event, I will feel a little more at ease.  It's the not knowing how he will fit into Kindergarten and if he is, in fact, ready.

I am being a protective and cautious parent, I know what I want for him and that is to blossom like any other child reaching school age and not have to struggle with every day things.  I will be optimistic and open to anything that would benefit him and make his school years, good ones for him. My little baby is growing up and his smile is what I want to see each day when he comes home, knowing that he is happy and right where he is suppose to be :) I will keep you posted!

Bye Bye Hair!

OK, as much as I hated to see Pax's hair go....it was time.  I mean what guy doesn't want a head of hair like that!?! After the battles of combing and shampooing and reminding him to stop eating his hair, I was ready to take that step.  So in the past, the clippers were way too scary...the noise terrified him.  And taking Pax to a salon was totally out of the question, so we ordered a pair of clippers that are extra quiet and were recommended for children with autism or fear of haircuts and is even safe to use on babies.  After an early dismissal from school, I just said to myself..OK..let's just go for it.  I situated the highchair in the middle of the kitchen, gave him his iPad, showed him the clippers, let him touch it and explained what I was going to do.  He wasn't happy, but he wasn't terrible either, he cried as I continued, assuring him he was OK and it won't take long.  Boy, did he have A LOT of hair!! So it was the tedious job of going layer thru layer until I reached the point at which I was satisfied.  So, all in all he turned out cute as a button and surprised everyone at school the next day :)

Pax Got A Strike!

WOW...is all I can say for Pax! We went bowling yesterday for the very first time, and he LOVED it!  I went with great hesitance, because when you think of bowling alleys, you think LOUD noises, LOUD people, strange place....but he took it all in stride and participated with a smile! As you see in the picture above, he got to use a special ramp to just roll the ball down, so he did it all by himself and it made him feel accomplished. When he got a strike, I cheered and he laughed....he was so proud of himself, after that, he couldn't get enough.  So the bowling alley is a HUGE check off the list!  And as you can see from the pic below, a BIG excited hug for Mommy is all I could ever ask for :)

And then Dunkin Donuts......

OK, so....taking Pax out to eat has always been a challenge of sorts...the sitting...the waiting...etc....well, he took a big step this past Friday!  After his swim class on Fridays, I always treat him to a donut or munchkins from Dunkin Donuts.  It went from going thru the drivethru and him just saying the word "donut", which was also a big step for him, to actually going in the place and him pointing to which donut he wants.  This time, with my daughter also,  I ventured to see if he would go in, sit and eat.  As you can see from the pic, it was a success! It probably helped that no one was in there eating except for us, but none the less, a HUGE step for Pax! It may be baby steps to some, but to us, they are VERY BIG baby steps :)

Paxon Update

Halloween 2014- Bug Catcher

So, I haven't written in quite a while....I guess the time got away with me.  But I did want to write about Paxon's progress thus far.  He is doing excellent! School has really been helping him and working with him here from home as well.  He has said a few words, including "Mama"..which as a mother, is the best thing you ever want to hear.  He has also said his first sentence..he said "Mom Mom Bubbles Soon".  My mother plays bubbles with him before his bath, so he would ask to do bubbles..and we would always say..soon Paxon.  So out of the blue one day he said, "Mom Mom bubbles soon"....you can imagine my excitement and inability to contain myself. Paxon went from a boy at the age of 2, diagnosed with moderate autism...not saying a word...not communicating...wouldn't look you in the eye...wouldn't look to the sound of his name....to a boy who is talking, saying what he wants, showing you what he wants..listening..socializing...enjoying life as a child should.  Early diagnosis was the best thing we could of ever done for Paxon.  He has blossomed and matured so much and I wanted to tell every parent out there whose child was diagnosed; there is hope.  I hear stories all the time of nonverbal children talking, singing, communicating when they were told they never would.  I am proof that hope is something I always  had and always will hold on to.  With persistence and resources, wonderful things can happen.

Meeting the Educator and Speech Therapist

Today I met with the speech therapist who was very uplifting.  She will focus on Paxon's verbal and communication skills.  We will try different methods to achieve this.  We will be putting sounds with our everyday routines, such as unzippering an item, we make a zzzzziiiiiippppp sound as we are doing it.  When we bounce a ball, we say BOUNCE, BOUNCE, BOUNCE, as the ball is bouncing.  We are also going to work on his eating habits, maybe introducing new foods and how to do it.  We have maybe discovered in doing so, that his snack table is the best place to place new foods there and see what he does.  When in the highchair, Paxon just throws food on the floor when he is not familiar with it, versus on his snack table, he will leave it there, but come back to it maybe trying it.  We will introduce some sign language and pictures to identify certain objects.  All of this will have meaning and a purpose with his therapy, us as parents are learning as well, and will have to follow through and be consistant in all methods.  Since we now have a feel for what we need to do, we will begin our therapy and hopefully make progress as the weeks roll by.  Until next time...........

First In-House Evaluation and Family Plan 5/22

Paxon had his first in-house evaluation yesterday, and we had our family plan discussed on how to move forward.  We had a teacher, speech pathologist and our early intervention contact person come and give Paxon an evaluation similar to the one he had a CHOP.  They brought toys and played with him to see what he could and could not do.  Since he was already diagnosed for Autism, this was a step to make sure that all of his care will be properly funded.  They have set up a plan for us, his family, to help teach him and reach our goals we would like for Paxon.  Goals such as being able to communicate with us in a way we can understand.  Something as simple as pointing a finger at an object to let us know he wants it, or playing with a specific toy for the purpose it was made.  We will be taking "baby steps" and taking it one day at a time, but we will do whatever it takes.  His first therapy session will take place within the next 2 weeks, a teacher and speech therapist will be here at the house once weekly.  I will post his progress with that session...until then.....

Hearing Test 5/17

Well, Paxon passed his hearing test with flying colors!  At least we know his hearing is not an issue for the speech delay he has.  We are very anxious for next week's first in-house therapy session.  We will at least know what to expect and what we need to do to help Paxon progress.  He has actually done some things that he hasn't done before.  For instance, when he wants water in his cup, he now BRINGS the cup to you and hands it to you to fill it up!  WOW, he never did that and has done it repeatedly for the past week.  We are very happy that he is taking some steps that are positive :)  I will post about the Tuesday session when completed.  Until then.

First Therapy Coordinator Meeting 5/3

The meeting went well with our therapy coordinator yesterday, she was very helpful and gave us A LOT of information.  Paxon will have a hearing test on May 17th and his first in-home meeting with the teachers as well as a speech therapist is May 22nd.  They will come to the house and do an evaluation and decide how many times a week they will come.  The usual is once a week, but they will be teaching us also to work with him throughout the week, this is a learning experience for us as well.  We will be taught exercises and things to do with Paxon to ensure he is getting therapy around the clock every day. We have taken the first step and will continue to make sure Paxon will have all the help he needs and that this journey will be a good one!

The Diagnosis: 4/26/12

Yesterday, my husband and I traveled to Philadelphia to have the results of Paxon's evaluation from the week prior.  I must say, my nerves were a mess!  I am not going to kid everyone, we knew he had a problem, we just weren't ready to hear it.  After we sat down with the physicians and specialists, they told us our son is diagnosed with Autism.  I was frozen, then I started thinking, my baby, my son that I love more than life itself, could not be.  Then looking at my husband, I broke down.  I couldn't keep it in, and I just let it out.  They comforted me to say that, if I didn't react this way, they would be concerned.  It was OK to let it out.  As they continued on with the results, I realized our whole life is going to change.  We will still have our every day routines, our life, but it will become more complicated.  We will need family and friend's support, because everyone that interacts with Paxon and spends time with him; will be a part of his therapy.  We are calling today to start the Early Intervention ball rolling, so that he can start his therapy and be on the right path to helping him put all his pieces together.  I look forward to posting his progress AND our progress as we go through this challenge together, as a family.