School Days

My big boy started pre-K at Glade Elementary! His first day was January 4. Since Javin has an IEP for special needs, he was able to start as soon as he turned 3 (which was December 28). It was nerve-wracking, not so much that he was going to school but that he was starting right after the holidays, which made planning with the school really aggravating!! So, on the first day, we got up and ready and I had a back-up plan in place with the time to drive Javin to school in case the bus never showed. Well, the bus never showed. I thought it was weird that I never heard from the bus driver, as everyone told me to expect, so I had no idea when the bus would show or if it even would. So, I drove Boogie to school on his first day, which really turned out well in the end because I was able to walk him to his classroom, which I think helped to relieve his anxiety about being in a new place. As soon as we walked in the classroom, he took off and started to play a game with his teacher. I knew he would be fine. Luckily, because of his time with Infants & Toddlers (where he received his therapy for autism), they had him in a classroom setting similiar to pre-K- which DEFINITELY helped his transition! Thank you I&T!! So, on the way out of the school, I stopped and talked to someone in the front office about the bus not coming and she gave me the number to the Department of Transportation. She seemed shocked and suggested I call them to see what was going on. As soon as I got home, I did just that...well...it seemed that what was going on was that the SCHOOL never sent information to them about Javin. Nice. I knew something would go wrong with his birthday so close to a long school hiatus (Christmas/New Years holiday). *Sigh* Luckily, I've learned to be pretty flexible considering I never know how a day will go with the Boogums. So, needless to say, a few phone calls later and we got it all set up and that Thursday was Javin's first bus ride to school! He loves singing Wheels on the Bus, so we sang that and I talked about riding the bus a lot before THE BIG DAY. So, the day comes, the bus comes... Javin seemed a bit wary when the bus pulled up but he was a big boy and climbed right up the bus stairs and then he turned around... When he turned around, he realized that Mommy and Daddy were NOT getting on the bus with him and he immediately threw himself down on the ground and began to cry. It was too cute and funny. The bus aide, got him up and took him to his seat and by the time he was buckled into his seat, he was good to go and not upset anymore. Now it was exciting to look out the bus windows! So proud of Javin! It's been pretty smooth sailing since then and we get reports back everyday on his progress in the classroom and he has been rockin' it and I couldn't be happier!! He seems to show more interest in what the other kids are doing (even if he doesn't participate). He has adjusted to the morning routine in the classroom. We get homework from his speech therapist, which is awesome! I'm just so glad that this is all working out for him and I can even see the improvement at home. His comprehension seems to have improved and he has even started to respond appropriately to things said to him! Smiling from ear to ear over here! I have such hope for him and I love seeing that all the hard work he puts into everyday is showing!! Love you Javin!!

Autism

Javin was diagnosed with Autism in June of 2009. I noticed when he was a little over a year old that he didn't talk like other children I knew his age but I was told time and time again that it was because he was a boy or "maybe he didn't have anything to say yet". Then I started to realize that he wasn't playing in a typical way. At first I thought he was highly independent, able to entertain himself for hours at a time but then I saw that rather than imaginative play, he was lining up his toys by color or character or some other pattern that made sense to him. When he started having tummy issues, I talked to his pediatrician and he agreed that we should have Javin evaluated for speech. His doctor told me that it's very common for Gastrointestinal issues and speech to be linked.

So, in February 2009 he started to see a speech therapist and special instruction therapist. After a few sessions, Javin was deemed to have at least a 25% delay and was accepted into Frederick County's Infant & Toddlers Program. We then added an occupational therapist to the mix to help him with his eating issues. I had him tested for Celiac's Disease and it came back negative. He does, however, have a milk allergy (which I learned is different than lactose intolerant- he can't even have lactose-free milk), a slight egg allergy and a slight wheat allergy. He is on all rice and soy products now and I'm slowly working him into a gluten-free diet since he has egg and wheat allergies as well.

As of now, with all the therapy Javin receives, he has made TREMENDOUS improvements! He says many words now and can even say short sentences. I also feel like he is starting to comprehend concepts better as well. I can't stress enough how important it is to have early intervention. If you have someone you love that you suspect may have special needs, please have them evaluated! I have more information on this in my other blog (http://www.speakautism.blogspot.com/).

The biggest success story for me with Javin is that he finally said "I Love You" to me!! It's still few and far between that he'll say it now...he reserves it only for certain times that he deems is necessary to say it. But I'll take it...anytime he feels he's ready to say it, I'm ready to hear it...

A Birth Story

Hey all! So, I'm completely new to this blogging thing but it seems like the perfect venue to "jot things down" about Boogie and everyone can "stay in touch". Since I'm starting this blog as Javin is already 19 (almost 20) months old, I figured this first blog would be a summary of Javin's birth story and then I'll come on weekly, or bi-weekly to post the new and old adventures of Javin. So, let's not hesitate, let the festivities begin!

So as most of you may remember I was HUGE while pregnant with Javin! I ballooned up to 180 pounds! Yowsers! And I remember going to sleep every night was a real pain (literally!), that's when Javin would be the most wide awake and just partying in the womb. My little monkey would swing from my ribcage and have imaginary soccer tournaments while I tried to sleep through the night. So, when the due date came for me to meet my little munchkin (December 18), the day came and went with no baby...then the next day came...no baby....ugh! I was so ready to stop being pregnant and meet this little sucker who was using my insides as a jungle gym! 10 DAYS LATER...yes, on December 28, 2006 at 2:02 am, little Javin finally arrived but believe me, it wasn't by choice. The only reason I was admitted to the hospital was because Javin didn't have enough fluid so they brought me in to induce me. Oh my gosh, I was practically skipping into Washington County Hospital Center, I was so excited! Ben on the other hand, was walking very slowly...COME ON, LET'S GO! He called his mom to let her know that I was being admitted and (so cute) he started to cry while talking to her. He was so nervous! So, we get in the mammmajammma and I'm ready to roll. They hook me up to every machine in the hospital (it felt like) and gave me some cream to start the labor process. So, the contractions started pretty soon after that and I took them pretty well, I was expecting that they would get worse over time so I just breathed through the ones I was having and concentrated on the fact that I was about to meet my baby boy! A few hours later, the doc decided that the cream wasn't working, I still hadn't dilated so he put me on Pitosin. Apparently, I found out that the labor pains I was having were pretty much as painful as they were gonna get according to one of the nurses, so GO ME that I could handle that pain so well! I guess it's common but with the Pitosin, Javin's heart rate would drop from time to time and at one point they made me shift my position on the bed 'cause it had dropped so low. So, after 13 hours of attempting to induce labor, I finally had enough--Javin's heart rate rising and dropping just freaked me out and to top it off, I had only dilated a fingertip by this point, so I asked the doc to wheel me on out and do a c-section. Dr. Smith thought it really was the best decision 'cause he didn't see that this was going anywhere without some help. So, at 1:50something in the morning, I was being wheeled down to the operating room. I was so terrified about getting the spinal block, I didn't even want an epidural if I had been able to have a vaginal birth. Oh my gosh, I shook the entire time down to the OR. Then, I expected that Ben would be in the OR with me when they did the spinal block but they didn't let him in until afterwards, so there I was with this grumpy anesthesiologist all by myself! I made it through and he really was quick but boy was I happy to see Ben when he finally came in! My poor mom who had been in the hospital with us all day had to stay upstairs until Javin arrived. So, Ben and I are in the OR and the docs are really yanking to get J out! lol. Ben was so pale and kept asking me, "You feel alright? Can you feel that? Are you sure?". Poor guy, I was so out of it, they could have cut my legs off and I wouldn't have felt it. So, they ended up having to use the vacuum to get his monkey butt out 'cause he hadn't dropped yet...WHAT??? YOU'RE 10 DAYS LATE AS IS AND NOW YOU DON'T EVEN WANNA BE WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE? Oh....this is so an indication of the stubbornness that will be my son. lol. Anyway, so at 2:02 is when they got him out and boy was he PISSED! Oh my gosh, as soon as I heard him cry, I just bawled. I hadn't even seen him yet and I was so in love. When the nurse brought him over for me to see him, I about died knowing that I couldn't hold him yet. He was the most perfect, beautiful little guy I've ever seen! Dang it if he wasn't a spitting image of Ben. Huh...I carry the monster for nine months, have the labor pains for 13 hours, get my stomach cut open and my insides laid out on some random table to get him out and he wants to look like Ben??? Quick introduction to the life of a Mama...no thank yous or sorrys, just lead the way Mama and don't forget to hold my hand.
(C) 2008 Joy Brunnelson  All Rights Reserved