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...........