Swimming = Sanity

Ayden Jane has been so out of control lately. Not really in a disobedient way, in a just cannot really control her little body way. (see previous post) So yesterday I went to pick her up from school and she announced as she climbed in the car, "Mom, can we go to the beach and the pool? I just need to go swimming."

Hmmm. I was pretty sure the water would be cold after all the rainy weather we have been having, but the sun was shining and I just decided the risk of it lasting 10 seconds was way better than the ensuing battle of trying to convince her it would be too cold. It was AWESOME. Ayden Jane jumped waves, played ring around the rosie... for at least 30 minutes before she announced that she wanted to go to the pool. Off we went and the pool was surprisingly not freezing as well. (I hesitate to call it warm) She wanted me to stand way out in the water and she swam back and forth, back and forth... Whew!

After we got home, she played calmly with her toys. She had great task attention. She was speaking clearly in complete sentences without stuttering. It was night and day. I don't feel like I can describe the difference with near enough magnitude. Gary and I just kept staring at her and each other. It was like a different child. The storm that had been raging inside of her was calm. She was in complete control of her body. Bizarre, awesome, miraculous. Those words touch on it.

Needless to say, we are working on an indoor pool for this winter!

Wild Child

Ayden Jane seems to be on another one of her crazy spurts of... out of control energy and determination that is completely maddening, adorable, fascinating, exhausting, remarkable, frustrating... And entirely exciting because it usually means some new developmental leap is on the other side.

You'd have to look back a good ways to find descriptions of earlier leaps. When she was younger both the tornado behavior and the spurt were even more visible but there were definitely some similarities between those days and the past few.

Let's recap. Tuesday, Jen was even weighting her down with ankle weights to get her to slow down on the moon shoes. (something proprioceptive...) Still she was a bit uncontrollable as she was moving before she was thinking and there was no stopping and redirecting her. Jen had to make some pretty great catches as AJ was going way too fast. We were trying to get her to do some static work. Yea right. It was pretty funny to watch and made me feel a little better that even the baby whisperer was having trouble with her.

Wednesday. I went running in the morning and by the time I returned Gary was done with her! Well, done with the tornado of destruction and the 2 massive wipeouts because she would not slow down. He said, "she tries to do things she can't and goes at it so fast and hard she takes out everything in her path. If she would just slow down and listen..." Yep, apparently he is Marlin too. I took Ayden Jane and Mckenna to the safest place I could think of, Leaps n Bounce. Yep, a padded play land because we both sort of needed a padded room. Mckenna would come to get a drink and AJ was right behind her saying, "come on Mckenna, lets go leaps and bounce..." After a couple of hours of that I thought she might nap in the car on the way to Mckenna's swim team practice. Wrong. When we got home, I traded her off to Gary who took her for a swim. 2 hours later and after she had learned to swim (not pretty, but effectively) across the deep end, they returned.

Thursday has come and gone. We kept busy all day including a swim this afternoon. Still, after nap, we had 2 spills and she was climbing all over me. I took her to the play ground and she did all the climbing she possibly could. Once she was done she came home and played calmly and sweetly with her toys. The need was filled for the moment. It is just so strange to watch and I am so curious what connections are being made in there! Will it be obvious? Will it be physical, speech related, cognitive? Who knows. I guess it is exciting enough to just know that, although her developmental leaps are still not always smooth, they keep happening.

On the Other Side of the Wave

Ayden Jane is definitely still 'coming down' from this last wave, but I love what I am seeing so far. Of course, maybe some of the reason I love it so much is that I am just coming off 2 weeks of insanity! Let me recap that last 2 days.

If you read a couple of days back, you know that Ayden Jane had a great day of ST and at school. I left off before we headed out the door to horses and she was about to take on Mrs. Rona and convince her that AJ was riding Zip. Well, I arrived a bit early to horses so she could talk to Mrs. Rona before they got all the horses ready. Rona was teaching a group lesson so I thought Ayden Jane would like to watch for a minute before our turn. Hmmmm. Ayden Jane sit quietly and watch... not a good plan. AJ went to the gate and yelled out, "Mrs. Rona! I ride Zip tonight." First of all, the barn was quiet with the exception of the little bit of sound the horses were making in the dirt and Ayden Jane was LOUD! It was all I could do to get her to stop yelling. Luckily, one of the volunteers offered to Ayden Jane to take her to pet the horses... Once Mrs. Rona was done Ayden Jane went to her and loud and clear said, "me ride Zip, not Tamara." Rona tried to convince her to ride Tamara, but in the end we just decided it was way easier to call Tamara, Zip for the evening and be done with it!

Once on the horse, Ayden Jane did not slow down the talking or the volume. Jen (our PT) came for her monthly visit and was very excited to see how much action she gets on Tamara and how great she looks up on her. Jen took her shoes off to get her to do some tricks, but that sent AJ over the edge. We think there is just so much going on when she is riding Tamara that taking the shoes off just sends her over the edge. Anyway, she rode for an hour and would have kept going, but we had to head to Kayla's volleyball banquet.

After the eating part, which was pretty short and sweet, the coaches went into awards presentations. Ayden Jane was loud and funny and could not sit still. She wanted to know when she was getting her trophy. When Kayla was called up for all state honors Ayden Jane went with her. It was hilarious. We tried letting Mckenna take her out into the lobby to play, but she took it as license to sprint. Luckily, most of these people know enough about Ayden Jane to know that she is amazing and totally find the irony in her being so active and loud. We've spent 2 years trying to get her to talk and be active. How do I turn it off when necessary?

Okay, so at this point it is about 7:30 and we have had ST, school, jumped on the trampoline, horses and the banquet. You would think that we would be ready for bed. Nope. Ayden Jane went strong running around the house teasing and chasing and jumping on the bed. She took a nice warm bath... no help. Finally, about 9 she wound down. The good part about AJ is that the amount of time between winding down and falling sleep is generally about 2 min.

Today she was up at 6:30, went to preschool and had PT at 12:30. She showed many positives from this spurt! Woo Hoo!!

1. She is completely conversational. Nearly gone are the, "what color your eyes?" ect. sort of programed questions she used to rely on. In fact she engaged Jen in a conversation about her dog (AJ even remembered its name is Hogan) and her kids... I had to translate waaaaay more than I used to for Jen, but it was totally because AJ is coming up with such original ideas that you cannot predict what she is saying. She pulls things up from months ago and connects new thoughts to old conversations. It was really quite amazing (and entertaining) to watch.

2. She had some great stability in half kneel (something we have been working on for a while)

3. She is following long directions really well.

4. She shocked Jen 2 times by asking about or commenting on our conversation. Jen and I are good friends and we were talking about things that have nothing to do with AJ and yet AJ showed by the way she added in that there is no more talking around her and assuming things are going over her head! (I think this is positive)

We bounced with Mckenna for a while and Gary just took the littles to find more entertainment. She is still non stop action, but under control now. The whining is ending, the 'itchies' are better and she can slow down and listen again. Whew.

Good Stuff

Ayden Jane has been great since the swimming. She has laughed way more than whined or argued. Huge improvement. I really like this kid. I am looking forward to PT this week to see what Jen thinks. It is always the ultimate test because Jen will sort of stretch her little muscular and neurological systems and get them working their hardest. She has AJ do things that are demanding alone and also gets Ayden Jane to combine challenging skills in one activity. If AJ can begin to do this again without losing quality, getting frustrated or trying to quit, we will know we can breathe deep for a little while. The big sensory wave will be over for now. If you have been following for a while you will know that these are a pattern for Ayden Jane. I would say that the intensity varies and the length between them varies. The seeming constant is that, for AJ, they seem to always last about 2 weeks. (which also happens to coincide with the amount of time I can last before thinking I can't do this anymore) Also, we usually see some sort of big gain when they pass. The gain is getting harder to see, likely because they are more complex. In the past, gains have been easy to measure. Suddenly she can jump. Or suddenly, she is using nearly complete sentences. Or suddenly she was able to put together every puzzle in the house. It seems to me that there is definitely a cognitive spurt going on as her conversation continues to surprise me, but I will be interested in what Jen 'feels' in her.

She is not doing great with the time change, but luckily she is back to being at least a bit patient. This morning she woke up about 5:30 (which was 6:30 in her own time clock) and wanted to cuddle. This is common in the morning and she just crawls in and falls back asleep. Problem came when, at 6:30 she wanted up for good. (Of course, to her clock it was 7:30!) Well, I turned on Clifford and she was content to sit and watch and chat until nearly 7 when it was time to wake Mckenna. I think we will use this pattern until she gradually shifts her clock to line up with the rest of the house.

Funny stories: Ayden Jane still likes to use her 'little potty.' It is a Winnie the Pooh potty we got at Walmart and it has a handle that when you 'flush' says, "all done," followed by the sound of a toilet flushing. Ayden Jane will often bump it as she sits down. She responds, "I NOT all done." Secondly, during this last little sensory spurt Ayden Jane decided she would only wear her 'stripey' pants. They are a pair of pants/leggings that are multi colored stripes. So one day last week I HAD to wash them. I think we were on day 3 at the time. So, Ayden Jane refused to choose any other pants and just wore her shirt, underwear and shoes while they washed. Yep. She insisted that the shoes go on because she was not all dressed without them.

Oh, yes, today she decided her green pants were a good idea. First day without stripeys in a week! Hallelujah for this to come to a close and may we never be without a pool again.

Hope in Swimming

Well, Ayden Jane's behavior has gotten more difficult. It is hard to watch because you can just see it is beyond her behavior and crosses into a loss of control. She has no desire to be 'bad' or even to test limits, she is just overly sensitive to everything and has very little self control. After heading to the play ground last night, jumping on the trampoline, doing handstands.... Things only slightly improved.

So, is it just being 3? I think I found my answer tonight. I went to a local 'resort' that has a small health club and an indoor pool and checked out membership, times the pool is open... Turns out it is not too expensive (300 for 6 months or 400 for the year for our family of 6). We talked them into a free trial tonight to see if the water was warm enough for Ayden Jane. I will definitely say it was not toasty but AJ went right in. She took her little pool noodle and rode it like a horse for laps. She jumped in and swam. She swam back and forth between Gary and I. She laughed and splashed and basically sprinted for 20 min. We came home and within 10 minutes Kayla informed me we had brought home the wrong child. This was her way of saying that Ayden Jane was so dramatically different (calmer) that she was like a new kid. We like this kid. AJ proceeded to be completely cooperative, do several challenging puzzles calmly and simply asking for help when needed. Her volume was normal, her tone had no more whine, she could keep clothing on without freaking out, she could have a conversation without getting frustrated... I honestly could go on.

The final test will be school tomorrow. AJ has had less than great days this week. I am not going to tell her teachers anything when I drop her off, I will just ask how her day was at the end. Oh, and yes, if these results hold true, it will be the best money we have ever spent!

Shoulder Strength and Daddy Day

Well, this is not a very good picture of what AJ was doing. One of those times where we were so shocked by what she was doing we didn't get the camera until it was about over! It all started with her sister doing a handstand against the wall. Kayla did it the normal way you would learn or practice. She started facing the wall and then kicked her legs up so that her back was facing the wall. We attempted that with Ayden Jane, but she did not want us to help so it didn't really work. She then, as usual, found her own way to do what the big kids were doing. This picture is actually as AJ was getting down so you'll have to use your imagination a little. Just picture this with her legs straight as an arrow and her hands a bit closer to the wall! Even more impressive is the control she had as she came down. Now that takes strength!





We are also in the process of putting up a good climbing rope in the back yard. You know, the kind from gym class when we were kids. Of course, my luck, AJ will get up the rope and decide to just let go to get down! Okay, let me rephrase. We we are also putting up a short climbing rope in the back yard. I think a gymnastics class would be perfect for her at this point, but it is just not really an option. for us right now so we are attempting to bring a bit of gymnastics to her.

On Saturday I took Noah to his soccer games a few hours away and, drum roll please, left AJ here in Pawleys Island. Yep, we are pretty sure it is the longest I have left AJ in her 3 year life. It was nice to just go with Noah. No extra clothes, just in case, no coolers with food for the day, no toys to entertain or therapize in the car... Just Noah and me. (Yes, I missed her) So by noon I received a phone call from Gary filling me in on their morning. Ayden Jane and Mckenna were 'helping' Gary work in the yard and do some laundry. Apparently, Ayden Jane decided to take over the laundry herself. She slipped off and by the time Gary caught up with her she had opened the laundry soap and poured it into the cup (and all over the floor) and promptly put it in the dryer. Hey, she couldn't reach the washing machine! Luckily there were some towels in it at the time so no real harm done. Of course, Gary's progress came to a screeching halt. He took care of that little episode and resumed yard work. They were filling up his van with a load for the dump (yes, we take our trash to the dump ourselves, no garbage man) and of course the girls were again 'helping.' Ayden Jane was happy as can be when Gary noticed her hands were white. Yep. He was throwing away an old can of paint that was, apparently, not completely empty. She was so proud of herself for how well she painted the back seat! Not to worry, the car is awaiting it's own trip to the junk yard as it is terminal and has 260,000 plus miles on it.

Yep, all that and it was still before noon!! Well, they are good examples of why Kayla calls her ninja child. She can silently get into more trouble than you can imagine!

Awesome Sister and Upper Body Work

So, although this blog is mainly about Ayden Jane, she obviously has 3 siblings. I just have to pause to brag on what a great kid our oldest, Kayla is. It has been an incredible week for her. She has been officially accepted to Clemson (not sure if that is where she will go) and offered scholarship funds already for her academic record. She was selected for the all state volleyball team. Her high school team is heading to round 3 in the play offs. Most amazing though, is the hardworking humble spirit she has. She works part time and has decided to use her money to return to Guatemala this Christmas to brighten the lives of the girls at the Oasis, a home for abused and neglected girls there. She also hopes to visit with Oscar, the child we sponsor through Kids Alive. It will be hard on Mom to have her gone for Christmas, but I am proud of her that her choice is for Christmas to be about brightening the lives of others, not about what she will receive.

Now on to Ayden Jane news. We had a genetics appointment yesterday. I still go to see Dr. Pai because he is interested in learning. He asks me what new research I have heard about, conferences I have gone to... He really wants to know and takes notes. Mostly, he just follows Ayden Jane and really does not have much to offer us, but I love that a hospital like MUSC has a guy who at least is interested in learning.

As for Ayden Jane's new 'needs', yesterday we hit the playground near out house. I guessed that bars would be good. Wow, that is exactly what she wanted! She loved climbing the ladders and she can just reach the first monkey bar on her own now. Of course, she shoves me away if I touch her while she gets her grip and lets her feet fly. She like to swing on them and have me catch her as she falls. Then I hold her feet and she goes hand over hand across them like a pro. She is definitely craving upper body work. Ideas anyone???

Here We Go Again!!!

We had PT today and I discovered that although I hate to admit it, I am still clueless about many things Sensory Integration wise. I know all the old clues to the sensory integration needs Ayden Jane has had in the past. I could just 'see it'. Apparently, sometimes the needs change a little and look a little different.

Ayden Jane has asked me lately to 'play sand' (she has moon sand we pull out once in a while) and play doh. She has asked to go swimming. I did not think much of these. She has been determined to put heavy things on the counter and put groceries on the belt... She has been hanging on every bar she can find. She has been putting things down or stacking things a bit to hard. Her behavior has been frustrating. Her attention span has been lacking and her patience has disappeared (and mine has sometimes gone with it). None of these alone made me think too much other than she is 3 so.... I had a little bit of a wake up call when I gave her a different pillow case last night and she got upset and declared it itchy.

Then came PT today. Jen had a plan and brought lots of fun toys to motivate. I fed AJ and bounced on the trampoline with her to be sure she was ready to go. Ayden Jane could not focus on ANYTHING. She wanted to jump from one thing to the next. She went so fast in the activities Jen was doing she had zero quality. Jen worked some magic which included wrapping her in a blanket and doing some things on the ball. (I call her 'baby whisperer') She slowed down enough to get in some good work, but it was very apparent that a new sensory spurt was under way.

Jen said that she felt the need has changed a bit and I need to be aware that it may take different things to meet the new needs. She described it something like this. In the past the deep input need was central and core related. That is where the connections were going wild. She thinks that the needs now are a bit more distal. Not to say that means finger tips or anything, but shoulders girdle and arms and hands and legs (probably why she keeps putting stickers on her legs and goes into jumping fits) and feet. So, Ayden Jane has been asking for things to meet the need. The moon sand and play doh and hanging and lifting heavy things up high. I just did not understand her new sensory language. So we are now looking to do things that require pulling and pushing and strong hand work and resistance. We are crab walking and bear walking and wheel barrow walking on the trampoline. We are throwing heavy balls... It is just the beginning so I will let you know how it goes. As for now? She just went to bed nakey because every article in the house was too itchy! Neurons connect!

Sensory Input Importance

Well, it finally has happened. Rain, rain and more rain. We have had outdoor weather for months on end and we are now officially stuck inside. So, what's a mom to do? Well, Mckenna had soccer practice at an indoor place. It is actually an old warehouse with all sort of things going on inside now. While Mckenna practiced, Ayden Jane got to play on the inflatables. A huge slide, jumpy houses... She went strong for about an hour, had a quick snack and went back at it for another 30 min.

A little hide and seek anyone?

So other than it being lots of fun, why is it important? Her teachers told me she had an amazing day today and was just quick to jump into everything from answering questions to doing motions with songs to talking loud clear (well, loud anyway)... We have similar comments on mornings after a good swim. I still don't understand it, but the evidence just keeps mounting!

"I need a go swimmin' Mom"

We are fast approaching the end of summer and lately my focus has been a bit off of Ayden Jane. Sometimes this is good and it is great to know that we can 'get away' with having her just tag along...

We had Mckenn'a party and Kayla's actual birthday. I worked several Pelicans games with Noah and had our anniversary. We are doing a bit of shopping and lots of paperwork to get all 4 kids ready to go back to school on Wed. I just did not MAKE the time each day to do sensory stuff with Ayden Jane. That would include swinging, climbing, bouncing, swimming, massaging...

Today (and a bit yesterday) I paid the price. Ayden Jane was miserable, therefore Mom was miserable. The best way to describe it would be to say that she was completely uncomfortable in her own skin. She couldn't stand to wear almost any shirt. She declared them all itchy and was obviously uncomfortable. She honestly walked into a few walls because she was going so fast but was not able to maneuver as well as usual. She was whiny, unreasonable and clingy and had lost all emotional stability. She could not focus on anything for longer than 2 seconds. She was pitiful. So by the end of the day I was exhausted, frustrated and wanted AJ far away from me, but also felt really bad for her. (Not to mention the fear of whether this was a glimpse into the rest of my life) Ayden Jane summed it up perfectly with a teary, "I need a go swimmin' Mom."

I mulled over the statement and finally I summoned the energy. Thankfully Noah and Mckenna were willing to pitch in and we took her swimming. She swam hard. She figured out how to take the pool noodle and ride it like a horse across the pool. She swam off the steps and back on. She jumped in. Noah threw her HIGH, really high into the air and she laughed and squealed, "I like dat. More Oah." She swam back and forth between us. An hour later the change in her was astounding. She was calm. She was reasonable. She was happy. She could walk in a straight line. I wish I was able to make the description even close to expressing how the storm was calmed. What must it be like to live in that body when it is so out of control? I don't know that I will ever understand sensory integration, but it is so clearly a big piece of Ayden Jane. Well, the lack of SI anyway. It is apparent to me, however, that motion and activity and touch... will always be needed for AJ. I will make time.

Another Day in Paradise

I took Mckenna and Ayden Jane to the beach today. We went in the morning (well not as morning as I would have liked, but alas, we got there). The ocean was still fairly glassy and although the waves were not big, they were breaking well. What does that mean? It means Mckenna was able to catch wave after wave. Ayden Jane played at the edge of the water for a bit and would stand up and cheer for Mckenna when she noticed her standing on her board surfing. It was very cute.

We took the standard walk that AJ is now hooked on. We go about a 1/2 mile(?) down the beach and back. I am not sure if I cover a mile, but I know Ayden Jane does! She runs ahead, comes back, runs to the water... She amazes me every time as she makes her way back.

Today when we got back from our walk, Ayden Jane found a tide pool. The tide was coming in so although it was mostly a puddle at first it kept getting deeper. She played for an hour as the water kept coming up. By the end, she was running through water up to her hips, lying on her belly with waves crashing over her and 'swimming' with her finger tips on the bottom. I really needed to do therapy out there: side steppin' and high kneel to half kneel... She was just so stinking cute and happy with her sand, shells and ocean.

On a sensory note, I must say Jen awakened some new nerve endings/connections/whatevers. After therapy yesterday we went swimming. Ayden Jane was in such a hurry she ran off the edge of the pool accidentally several times, wanted squished constantly and was touching everything! I guess I have a lot of homework this week to get all the new connections groovin'!

Heavy Monkey

We noticed early on that at times, especially when Ayden Jane is going through developmental spurts that she needs some extra deep input to calm down. We looked into weighted blankets, but I wanted her weighted friend to be something that looked like the same 'friend' any kid her age would be attached to. Ayden Jane is also very tactile and she loved the feel of the monkey. So I decided to try to weight him.




Well, this is 'Heavy Monkey' as Ayden Jane calls him. As you can see he is a gund cozy. They come in different animals, but Ayden Jane is quite into monkeys thanks to 'Monkey George' (Curious George). She liked him okay at first, but once he was heavy she fell in love.



The picture below shows the lap pad that goes inside of him. I bought the lap pad and cover off the internet after my pt and I figured the weight to be appropriate. Here is the link:
http://funandfunction.com/sensory-integration-everything-weighted-c-65_235_237.html

The cover is sewn inside of the monkey with the strong velcrow opening at the seam. I can slip out the pad and wash the monkey (with cover intact) anytime/everytime I need to.



Heavy monkey is a big hit so there are lots of pluses. On the negative side, the weighted lap pad can bunch at times and, obviously, does not spread out through the monkey. I think the idea was perfect to weight a favorite toy/blanket and it was an easy way to make him thoroughly washable. However, I think those of you out there who are more creative in the sewing category could likely make big improvements. Let me know what you think! I would love to improve on the design and yes, I think it would be marketable! Maybe profits to FPWR?

Summer is Saved

Okay, so 'Summer is Saved' is a bit overly dramatic. It gives you a hint, though, into how excited I was tonight when Ayden Jane fell back in love with the ocean. It has been driving me nuts all summer that she would go NO WHERE NEAR the water of her own volition. The kid jumps in a pool and swims to the ladder by herself, but would go no where near the edge of the ocean. To add to the mystery, the first few times we were there early in the season, she tried to swim to Europe! I was really frustrated, seeing as how we live about a mile or so from the beach and my other kids all LOVE it.

In Ayden Jane's mind, swimming is what you do in the pool and surfing is what you do in the ocean. Lately, I would tell her to get her swimming suit on and she would immediately say, "I go swimmin' Mom. I not go surfin'. Ayden Jane not go surfin'." My question was why? I had a theory and it seems I was right. The water was just too cold. It is funny. Ayden Jane does not have big issues with temp. regulation, but must have minor ones. She just despises the 'cold' ocean water. Tonight the water was gorgeous and Ayden Jane ran in and out of it so proud of herself for 'surfin'. When we took her out deeper, though she became chilled to shivering in about 10-15 minutes. Once chilled she is DONE. Same thing at the pool. She will swim her little heart out, but as soon as she gets cold through she just wants out and headed home.

We had to laugh at Ayden Jane in the soft sand. It really all started on the fourth of July. We went to a minor league baseball game and after the game Mckenna found a small hill of grass to roll down. Remember, we live in coastal SC so my kids hardly ever see a hill. Well, of course, what Mckenna does so must AJ. It was quite comical to watch her figure out how to lay the right direction and then make her body roll. She loved it so much we actually stayed there a good 15 minutes just cheering her on as she rolled and ran back to the top. It probably looked pretty silly now that I think about it. Well, back to the beach. Ayden Jane still loves texture sooooo put the two together and there she was rolling and rolling across the soft sand. She was beautiful!

SENSORY INTEGRATION

Well, Ayden Jane is at it again! She is absolutely out of control, wild right now. It is like she can barely stand to be in her own skin. What does that look like? Well, let me take you back to Sunday. She was a bit loud and obnoxious at home. She seemed to bang things, trip over things, talk really loud and was even clenching her teeth. She had been at the PT's house for the evening the night before and was playing with her 3 adorable, energetic little ones so at first I joked that it was just too much therapy for one night. Later in the day, Kayla looked at me and said, "seriously Mom. Don't leave her there again." She was joking, but Ayden Janes craving for deep input by wanting to wrestle, chase and 'play catch' was driving her nuts.

I took Ayden Jane to the playground and I discovered just how wild she was. She wiped out pretty major a couple of times because she just would not slow down enough to stay under control when doing things that were a bit challenging. Then she climbed onto a platform about waist high on me, grinned and took a flying leap! I caught her in mid air and she was mad. Are you kidding me? 2 yr. olds should not be jumping from table height!

It gets worse. There are monkey bars there and a 3 rung ladder to get up to them. The rungs are far enough apart that when she is standing on the top rung she is head and shoulders taller than me. She zipped up the ladder and then jumped for the monkey bar she couldn't quite reach. Yep. I caught her again. Next time she zipped up the ladder and then tried to spin and jump off the other direction so I couldn't catch her. Luckily I am still slightly quicker. Lastly, she zipped up and then tried to push me away so she could make her leap. Crazy kid. I was done with this game so we found some other things to do and finally went home.

So it is 2 days later and only a few bruises and scrapes later. (and one tired Mom) Other interesting differences out of this, she gets REALLY irritated if you touch her lightly. She wants lots of hugs. (the best part) She gets frustrated easily. She is clingy to me. HATES the thought of a nap.

What do I see emerging? Well, we have had some perfect, clear, complete sentences. I think, however, the neuronal connections being made relate to fine motor skills. The only thing that keeps her still is to do tiny fine motor activities. Jen gave us some little beads that pop together. Last Wed. in PT she occasionally had success. Today she sat and put them all together, pulled them apart and did it all over again in a row! She is also now stringing tiny beads. She is obsessed with markers...

Well, it is usually a 2 week turn around so we will see if the pattern continues!

Just for fun. This is what I found in my kitchen after Ayden Jane was finished playing.

Long Trips

When Ayden Jane was still in her first year or so I dreaded traveling. It was just so stressful. Too much car seat time seemed to make Ayden Jane lose the little muscle tone she was developing, keeping her from over heating in her car seat was a struggle, portable food for her was difficult, not wanting the other kids to eat stuff around her in the car was hard on them, having to pack all the supplements and foods she eats, worrying about the 'wasted' therapy time sitting in the car seat... Uggg. Just easier to stay home.


Well, staying home is not really an option with my active 'big' kids. I did manage to perfect the day trips of 2 to 3 hours away from home for soccer or doctors appointments. I found little systems that worked for us and Ayden Jane was less affected by the car seat time. Now I would say that these sorts of trips are routine.

Last weekends trip to Baltimore for my brother's wedding was definitely pushing me into new territory. I must say, BIG success. I had a great time with Ayden Jane, she slept very little in the car thanks to the undivided attention of Grandma and seemed to return to PI unaffected by the whole thing. One thing that has made it easier is that I now only 'do' supplements morning and night and if she misses a dose she seems not to be phased by it. That takes lots of pressure off. The other thing is that new places, sights and sounds do not seem to 'shut her down' as they used to. When younger, it seemed like she just could not process all the newness and still have movement and personality... let alone language. This weekend I think she did great! She was right at home in the hotel, loved the boats and things in the inner harbor, played a little in the fountain, made fast friends with David and Daniel and generally just was not thrown by the whole experience. Not that I am planning to travel across country any time soon, but it is nice to feel confident that I could do it if I felt like it!

Fun at the Beach

Okay, so I will start with an apology. I am not very good at taking my camera with me... Then again, to get to the beach today I had to carry Ayden Jane (or examine every rock, shell, leaf...toddler time) and Mckenna's surf board. Now, even if I had been smart enough to throw it in my back pack with the sunscreen... the chances I would have used it are slim. Why you ask? Because Ayden Jane thinks she can swim to Europe. Okay, so she is really just trying to swim to Mckenna, but either way I would have been forced to choose between her and the camera on several occasions.

All the way to the beach AJ was saying, "I get my piggies wet. I get my toe wet. I not get my face wet. I get my feet wet... I go beach. I go surf with Mckenna." Now this is not as bad as it sounds because we are just a few minutes from the ocean. Once we got there Mckenna went out with her surf board and AJ was content to watch with her 'piggies' in the water, but the ocean was choppy and the current was pretty strong so Mckenna didn't surf long. She came and played with Ayden Jane and, of course, convinced her to get a lot more wet and soon AJ was 'swimming' with Mckenna and jumping on her.

Once Mckenna decided to head back toward deeper waters, Ayden Jane made it clear she was heading out too. I stood behind her and just let her go. Talk about a workout on balance! The current was gradually pushing us north and the ocean floor constantly different under our feet. Ayden Jane just kept inching out into the water. She was hip high and doing great. Sometimes a stronger wave would knock her down, but she could right herself with hands and feet and start heading back out. I did have to pull her back in a few times and she was NOT happy with me when I did. In her mind, she was swimming out to Mckenna and beyond and she wished I would leave her alone. It was hysterical. There were definitely some good pictures to be taken, but alas, next time.

Just Might Work

Well, Jen (PT) and I were talking during physical therapy today about little miss seeks-a-lot. We were revisiting an idea we started on a month or so ago. We were creating a sort of weighted cozy animal idea and then I just didn't follow through as, of course, her need slipped away. I think we are going to move forward. Here is the plan. I am getting Ayden Jane a weighted lap pad. They are about 12" x 18" and my plan is to then make a way to attach it inside a cozy gund animal (the ones that zip open). The result will hopefully be a very soft, adorable, weighted friend that can go anywhere with her and is completely washable. She also loves the weighted vest she wears during these times during therapy. I am hoping that her new blanket/friend will replace the need to carry 85 animals with us wherever we go!

Ayden Jane's verbal skills were good today. New to her list of words she knows that I had no idea she knew - cantaloupe. Yep, took me a good long time during the car ride home to figure out what in the world she was asking for. I had just bought one during the quick run into the grocery store because they are Mckenna's favorite. Later, Kayla was taking Mckenna to the High School for the school play. Ayden Jane went to Kayla all sad and said, "Ayla, me come with you too." We laughed and all agreed that one came out very clear. Oh, and yes, Kayla took her because she was soooo cute about asking and very attached to Kayla. They haven't spent too much time together over the winter due to basketball season and Ayden Jane is so happy to have Kayla back.

The Seeking Continues

I will attempt to recap our day. I did manage some laundry and general cleaning in my bedroom, but it was definitely at the expense of the destruction of our living room. One of the things Ayden Jane tends to do when she goes through these sort of sensory seeking times is empty every bucket and shelf. Go through every drawer, try on every article of clothing... Now none of these things sounds out of the ordinary for a 2 year old, it is just the extent to which she does this and the other things that she combines them with.

She, of course, had to draw on her hands and feet but at least she left her face alone. She attempted to 'break into' everything she knows she should not. She whines in the back seat as I drive that her legs or back hurt. I think she means more like itch or just plain don't feel right, but it obviously bothers her. I went to the laundry room to 'flip' the clothes and when I came back out I heard, "look Mom. I up high." Her speach was beautifully clear which was wonderful, however she was standing in the middle of the dining room table quite proud of herself.

Then there are the requests for her back pack, big squeezes, climbing on me, asking to go upside down, requests for 'gotcha', bouncing galore. Bouncing on her little horse, bouncing on the bed, bouncing on the exercise ball seated, bouncing on the exercise ball standing (yes, with help)...

The day is done, the house destroyed, I am tired of being a jungle gym/play set and Ayden Jane is sound asleep as content as can be.

I used to be a bothered by some of these spurts. I worked with them sort of with the intent in my mind that they were challenges to conquer and put to rest. Now I see them as just a part of the journey with Ayden Jane. She really seems to keep me guessing. Each time we see this stuff come up, we find ways to address or feed the underlying need and sort of think that maybe this time it is done with. Ayden Jane just grins as if to say not so fast. I am looking forward to the nicer weather and getting her swimming and playing at the beach. Talk about a sensory playground! This summer she will be old enough and mobile enough to really enjoy it all. I just hope she loves it as much as I think she will.

Something on the Horizon?

Well, as usual, just when things seem to be settling into a 'normal' pattern for Ayden Jane she has to change something. I used to worry when these strange sort of sensory stages would come up, but I have learned that it is all part of the process for Ayden Jane. She just cannot seem to grow connections in one area of her brain/nervous system without affecting skills she has already obtained in other areas. Those skills come popping back up as soon as the new skill breaks through, but she just cannot make this process seamless.

The sensory issues are more subtle than they once were so hopefully the day will come when it will all work smoothly. So what is she up too? She wants lots of 'big squeezes', flips upside down, tickling, wrestling, chasing, 'squishing', lotion rubbed, cuddles... I find myself by midday just wanting to peel her off of me. Maybe it is just an average two year old stage, but today when she asked to wear her back pack, I felt sure that we are truly seeking again. I have no idea what new connections are being formed, but I will just do my best to oblige and provide all the added touches she needs.

Stubborn Streak

Let's see Wednesday this week we had PT. Jen thought that Ayden Jane felt great and was combining skills beautifully. Her attention span was great and she was not easily frustrated. She was goofy and fun and cooperative. Then came Friday.

Friday brought ST with Nicole. Now Ayden Jane tends to give Nicole a more difficult time in general I think partially because she just finds movement more fun than communication. I told her Nicole was coming and she was excited, but it was all down hill after that. (Of course the lack of napping - see below- was likely part of the problem) She just became completely stubborn. Nicole showed her a picture card and asked her to say the word. Ayden Jane told her, 'all done cards'. We pushed her, tried to bribe her with stickers... There was just no way she was doing it. We did give up eventually and she proceeded to play with some animals she likes, but still was not really talking to Nicole. So what do you do when your kid won't talk to the speech therapist?

Napping. Well, Ayden Jane has decided that since she is approaching 2 1/2 she no longer needs a nap. She is wrong. Unfortunately she is also very stubborn about making this point and will find ways to keep herself awake. She would not even fall asleep for a few minutes in the car this week! When tired, Ayden Jane's speech is harder to understand and her patience with us is very small. Bad combination. At least she sleeps well at night.

I have to be honest in that I do like the stubborn, independent streak in Ayden Jane. She will likely need it down the road, but there are days...