there may be hope after all...

Sumner kept his underwear dry all day today! First time ever! I decided to try potty training for a third time with him starting yesterday. I am so hopeful!

the brain is a funny thing

We've had a lot of successes with this go round of intensive occupational therapy that the boys are currently doing. Of note: Summy tried pudding, and went upside down on a swing for the first time. Jack's attending a bit better and overall getting a lot more from his sessions. He also successfully cut with scissors for the first time.

However, there are some "down" sides to therapy. Summy in particular, has somewhat unraveled. He's started this weird grimacing thing. At first I worried it was a facial tic, but I am not sure...it comes and goes so much. For now, we are keeping our eye on it.

The boys are still waiting to start therapeutic horseback riding. They are waiting for more volunteers. We've been asked to recruit, but we don't know a lot of people near us willing to devote an hour a week.

Summer has been super busy. I have completed 5 semester hours and I am in the process of finishing 7 more. I feel overwhelmed, and like life has been very hard.

I plan to post a bunch of pics from our visit with Emma, the boys' cousin, this weekend.

Go Jack Go!

Jackson is officially potty trained!

I'm going to post tonight or tomorrow with picture from our trip to the botanical garden to see the butterfly exhibit!

potty.

So here's the latest on the potty front:

Jack's there. He's staying dry, he's yet to poo in the potty, but he is about 90% there as far as p/t goes.

We decided to back off on Summy. He was just having so many accidents, and I felt like I was tricking him into sitting. I don't think he has the muscle control yet. Also, with the therapy, he has started to unravel. He's been stimming a lot and has been very vacant/absent. He's also been highly agitated. This is normal, but I think p/t might be too much right now.

I plan to retry in a month or so. He's still sitting and having successes, so that's good.

We're hoping to call a developmental psychologist this week and sit down to meet about Sumner.

potty?

Here's a blow by blow update:

Tuesday night Summy finally started being successful on the potty. (5 total accidents) Jack stayed dry all day.

Wednesday Summy had 3 accidents, Jack 2. Pretty good day. Jack asked if we could "please wear underwear again tomorrow"

Today: Jack had 2 accidents, one being a "#2" (that is just awful I will say) and Summy's had 1 accident, but hasn't pooed in 3 days.

I am thoroughly exhausted and hopeful that with my husband off tomorrow afternoon and the weekend, it's going to get a little bit easier. So far it hasn't been too bad but doing it mostly alone has been exhausting.

potty training, part deux

I attempted to potty train Summy over spring break. Day 1 went really well, and day 2 he was sobbing and begging for his diapers back. I knew he wasn't ready. He had been successfully going at home and at daycare, without consistency, and Jack hadn't gone once on the potty.

Today I decided to try round 2. Both boys. Jack had used our home potty a few times, and so we started the day in underwear. Much to my surprise Jack has been successful and stayed dry the whole day, whereas Summy's had 3 accidents and hasn't gone in a potty yet. My kids never cease to amaze!

I am just going to keep plugging along with Summy. He needs to potty train, and I know he can do it, I am just concerned it will become a power struggle. Anyone out there have advice on that?

giving up the paci

If there is one thing my boys love, it is sucking on their pacis. Perhaps it was the NICU, perhaps it is a sensory/calming thing: they love those green hospital pacis they got waaaay back when. They use them primarily for naps and bedtime.

We decided to take the plunge on Friday night. We took all the pacis we could wrangle up and put them into a bag. We took the bag to the mailbox so we could "mail them to the babies at the hospital." It seemed too easy.

Friday night was hell for Jack. Summy calmly rolled over and went to bed. (Color me surprised, Mr. must-stick-to-my-rigid-routine!) Jack, however, snotty and dripping with a disgusting cold, proceeded to scream for the next, oh, 3 hours. And then again from 12-1 am. Joy.

Saturday went only slightly better with a bedtime hovering around 10:30-11ish.

Sunday was a dream....it worked! Free at last!

(Did I mention the boys weren't napping now that the pacis were gone? Clearly they were tired, but I digress...)

And then there's tonight. The boys have been in bed for an hour, and I think they might be down now finally, but I am not holding my breath. I just went up again after hearing the pitter-patter of little feet on the floor above me.

God help me, I hope potty training is easier!

Do you know what joy is?

Joy is my children being accepted into the special needs preschool. There aren't words for my joy right now.

Who hit the weight chart? WE hit the weight chart!

Totally random post, just had to share our excitement! At our 2 1/2 year appointment yesterday, BOTH boys hit the weight chart. Summy was in the 5th and Jack was in the 1st percentile. Hey, even though it's small, it's something!

There I went, falling off the face of the earth again!

Where have I gone?!?

I have 2 more days of school with students left. This is always a particularly busy time of year for me with lots of concerts and musicals, but add to it a baby sister and cousin graduating from high school within one week of each other, and the move, and you've got a busy lady! We've got a lot going on here too because we're really starting to feel settled it and every day I pinch myself that we live in this awesome house. We feel so lucky to have such a nice big yard, driveway, a nice neighborhood to walk in each night, and awesome nearby parks. I am so looking forward to the summer! The boys are so much fun and every day seems to fly by! The boys have a full scale assessment on Thursday with our new MRDD coordinators here in this county. We've had a bit of lapse in our services but hope to be up and running with them soon. In the meantime, here's what the boys have been up to:

Sweeping the driveway:







Up to no good with dad:





Hugging the cats:

Fun at COSI

On New Years Eve morning we went to COSI for the morning with Mimi. Unfortunately, 30 minutes after arriving, Jack fell and started limping, and 30 minutes later we were on our way to the pedi for an appointment. He ended up getting x-ray at Children's Hospital and thankfully everything was OK. Hopefully we can make a trip back soon to play again and spend more time.

I was really lucky to snap some awesome shots that I had to post. The light was great. A few of Jack's are blurry because he was just moving so fast. I just got so many good shots!















This week has been so far so good. It's been rough being back at work...child abuse training made this week really long because I was stuck at school until 8:15 last night. It's been hard being away from the boys. They continue to amaze me. Summy can sing the first two verses of twinkle twinkle, they can both recognize circles, ovals, triangles, stars, hearts and Jack can name a square. Both are talking up a storm. Both love Elmo and Sesame Street.

I can't believe that 2 is approaching. It makes me so happy that they are doing so well, but so sad that they are growing so quickly. Where has the time gone?

22 months old!

The boys are 22 months old today, and I can't believe they are just 2 months away from turning two. Where has time gone? Here's a status report:

Summy: Favorite words are "uh oh," "shut the door" "hi tree" "cheese" "Elmo" and "paci." Loves to run around and chase the cats. Loves to sing. Loves Christmas lights and trees and snow.

Jack: Favorite words are "cookie" "more cookie" (see a trend?) "no" "light" and "baby." Loves to do grown up things. Is curious about the potty. Loves to flush, wash his hands, climb up into his highchair, pick up, use a spoon and fork, and brush his teeth. Is currently trying to jump.

Both boys love to dance and play and run around. Both are a joy.

I'll leave you with a picture from last night until I can get today's "month shoot" downloaded. Enjoy!

18 months old!

Today my boys are 18 months old. My tiny babies, who lived at the NICU, and put their tiny preemie hands in front of their face, and waved them in the air. My little grunting, groaning babies. Where has time gone? I took pictures earlier and plan to load them tomorrow, but for now, my 18 month old babies:

Sumner (Summy) You are so sweet, cuddly, and loving. You love to cuddle and climb up frequently to sit in my lap. You are so funny...often saying "jack sit down" and "Jack Jack...no no no!" You love to talk on the pretend phone, and we can't help but laugh when you laugh on your "phone call." You love animals so much, particularly our cats. You have a certain sound you make when things make you happy. You love to splash and play in the water. You sometimes get scared at night. You love cheese, and fruit, and marshmallows. You really love to push your push toys. It's hard to wake you up in the morning and after naps. Your hair sticks up sometimes like a rooster! You always rub food in your hair. You mostly say "dada" and not "mama." You love to repeat words after I have said them. You are darling, precious, and wonderful.

Jackson (Jack) You are so independant. You love to talk, and will talk the ear off of anyone who will listen to you. You love to walk, to climb, and you are so determined. If you don't get it right the first time, you try again and again. You are ornery. You think that all the animals meow. You constantly surprise us with the things you say. (Today when I told you it was time to leave daycare, you said "I don't want to go.") You give kisses freely. You love to read and often bring me books to read to you. You love to point out lights. You love carbs and sweets, and chicken nuggets. Especially with ranch dressing. You primarily say "mom" and not "dad." When you dance, it looks like you are headbanging: frequently you fall over you get so into it. You make silly faces, and you love to make others laugh. You are spirited, strong, and loving.

I love you my baby boys. You aren't babies anymore. You're really toddlers.

Today at our 18m pediatrician. appointment Jack weighed in at 18 lbs 13 oz and Sumner 20 lbs 2 oz She thought the boys looked AOK! She also said we should consider Sumner a walker as he is now consistantly taking 5-6 steps in a row, and sometimes more. We met our daycare teachers. (Daycare starts Monday) and we spent our last night with Aunt e and Uncle j before baby puff arrives on Monday.

I'll post 18m pictures tomorrow.

Summy stood up and a trip to the zoo!

On Sunday, Sumner stood up all by himself in the middle of the room! LOL! This kid does it all out of whack...no casually letting go of furniture and practice standing for him! He's going to go whole hog! He was so proud of himself, and did it again quite a bit yesterday.

On Sunday we spent the day at the zoo, and their waterpark. We had a BLAST! David's work had their company picnic so it was more than worth it to go. The waterpark was really nice (it is brand new) and Summy especially really seemed to enjoy it. He practiced standing under the water which led to him standing up on Sunday evening.

The boys seemed to be so-so on the animals. They pretty much meowed at all of them, which was hilarious. Sometimes it seemed it was hard for them to see the animals from their stroller. We just had such a blast as a family and I think it's up there with one of my favorite days of all time, we had that much fun.

Enjoy...some zoo pictures! We're headed out to visit my husband's family for 2 weeks and I'll still post and read, but won't have any pictures until we get back.

17 months old and daycare meeting!

The boys were 17 months old on Tuesday. Where is time going? It moves so fast! This has been a big month with Jack starting walking, both boys doing a lot of talking, pointing, laughing, and growing! It's amazing to see how much they have changed even in the 5 weeks I have been home from school. It's sad to think about them starting daycare in a month and me having to return back to work. I have enjoyed every minute I have been home with them so much!







We sat down with the daycare yesterday and told them honestly that Sumner isn't walking. He might be walking in a month, but he might not, and I need to stop stressing and know if it will be OK if he isn't. The room they are going to be in is closed for the summer because it was repainted, carpeted, given new hardwood floors, and is all redone. When the boys start, there will only be 4 kids total in their room including them. (with 2 teachers!) They won't have a full class until October. For this reason, they feel comfortable with Sumner not walking. We'll re-assess end of September/beginning of October. I am confident Sumner will be walking by then. The boys will be 18m adjusted October 8th. So good news, and no more worries!

NICU developmental assessment

Today we went in for another NICU followup. The news is very good: Sumner and Jack are still behind in the gross motor department, Sumner especially since he isn't walking yet. We knew that would happen though. Both are ahead for fine motor, and Jack for cognitive. Ahead of chronological age. She was sightly concerned again about some repetitive behaviors Sumner does and their association on the autism spectrum. While in no way do we think Summy's autistic, there are a few behaviors we'll work to modify. She also commented on their "temper tantrums" stating they were both ahead of the curve for those...they fit more in the 18 month old category.

Overall, it was a great visit. As soon as I get the "official" report, I'll post more.

Houston, we have a walker!

It's official, I am now considering Jack to be a walker! He's been doing upwards of 10 steps in a row for a few weeks, but last night we had a lovely dinner with our friends A and P and their daughter V and Jack walked completely across their deck and only stopped because the door to the house was shut! He walked about 20 feet! He has definitely been walking a LOT today. Let the fun begin, right?

Sumner said "bye bye" today after I finished videotaping him splashing and laughing in the bathtub. He was extremely lovey all day, giving lots of kisses, and fell off the chair and bumped his head while trying to climb all over it.

Jack has been very protective of an ad with a cat on it...it has a coupon for cat food. He frequently gets it out of the coupon bin and asks David to hold it while he kisses the cat on the paper. It is so silly!

Lastly, Jack amazingly said "are you alright?" to David today. I practically fell over. The old talking Jack is back now that he seems to be getting the hang of this walking thing! David actually came in from the kitchen and we both just stared at Jack because we couldn't believe he said it. I talked in full sentences from a very young age, and it looks like Jack might be following in my footsteps...

pool time!

This has been a fun week so far! Some great things that have happened:

Sumner decided that my ponytail now looks to him like a cat tail. So when I have a ponytail, he loves to pet it, rub his face on it, meow, and then kiss me. A lot. It is precious.

The boys also tried milk for the first time on Monday. It is not going over well at all, and they refuse to drink it. This picture says it all:



If anyone has ideas, I'd love to hear them. I gave them milk in their sippies, and I also tried plain BM and they wouldn't drink that either. They will take a FEW sips of chocolate milk if desperate.

Then, we decided to try using spoons. They get the idea that they put stuff in your mouth, and that you make a scooping motion and then put the spoon in your mouth, they just didn't actually scoop any food. They had a great time trying though!







Jack has started to "vacuum" the floor with various objects. One time it was a pair of tongs (when he was done vacuuming, he fell in the cats' water bowl) one time it was a stick from a cat toy, one time it was a piece of trim from the kitchen floor. Every time he vacuums, he goes wooooooOOOOOOOoooooooooOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOO! It even has the inflections of sound a vacuum has.

Today we had our first attempt at the pool. At first, this is how we felt about it:





then once we got the hang of it a little, we felt like this:











The water was really cold and I think that's why they were so sad. Does anyone have a trick to heating their baby pool water up?

I cannot wait until the 4th of July! We are going to my Papaw's house (the boys' great Papaw's house) to eat a delicious dinner and watch fireworks. We still haven't decided if the boys will watch yet, but I am leaning towards yes, especially since they watched last year.

I have seen MULTIPLE attempts of 10-12 steps from Jack, but still no real "walking" so to speak. He still loves to crawl. I have made an official decision to stop stressing about my late walkers, and make an appointment to talk to the daycare. I'm not going to worry anymore about them not accepting them because they don't walk. They'll just have to.