2.17.13

Making snow angels....by his own choice!

Well, I think I can officially stamp this weekend with my "Worst Weekend Ever" stamp. I was rudely woken at 4am on Friday morning with some sort of stomach illness - still not sure if it was the norovirus, food poisoning or a gypsy curse. Regardless, it was violent, it was awful, and it lasted until this morning. The good news is, I lost four pounds, and right now my bathroom is really, really clean.
Saturday was Winterfest, some sort of "fest" that celebrates winter, I suppose. I took the kids last year, and I can't say I remember much other than a sleigh ride and street hockey.  Yay? Josh volunteered again with the fire department to control 2 bonfires there for roasting marshmallows (oh yeah, there was that too). Of course, I was unable to go, given my need to be within arms reach of a bathroom at all times. My in-laws took the kids, according to Wyatt, the sleigh ride was, "okay", the igloo "wasn't fun", and as for what else they did - "I don't know." A raving review.
Today was a gorgeous day, so Josh took the kids out after Paige's nap. I mustered up a bit of energy and headed out there with them for a while too. Wyatt made several snow angels (the fact that he willingly lay down in snow was kind of surprising), and Paige tried to climb to the top of a snow hill in our bay unassisted.
I can't help but parent Paige in a constant state of bemusement. I have lost count of the times Josh and I have said to each other, "I wish I knew what she was doing." Today she sat on the couch between Josh and I, pointed at Josh, then me, then loudly clapped and made kissing sounds. Josh tried giving her a kiss much to her dismay, so she grabbed him by the back of the head and pushed him towards me.  Apparently she is not grossed out by her parents kissing like some of us were. Later in the day, on one side of the table, Wyatt set up a "gate" - his tackle box full of cars and a car ramp - to block Paige from getting at his toys. She ran up to it and stopped dead when he yelled, "You can't get through the gate!" Then she turned to look at me - and I swear she shrugged - then sauntered around the other side of the table, grabbed a tractor off the table and ran into the living room.  She is no end of amusement. :D

2.14.13

Some good news today - Wyatt had an eye exam, and his vision is actually improving!  Unfortunately everything was an effort at the appointment. This was his 4th eye exam, third in the last year and we've never had any issues before. It was beyond frustrating - thankfully his optometrist was very patient but I was ticked. This whole sensory processing disorder thing is just damn frustrating at times. Because today I don't think it had anything to do with SPD. I think it had a lot to with a very intelligent 4 1/2 year old who knows that he's different somehow, and he knows how to use that to get out of doing things that make him even a little bit uncomfortable.
For example:
When he had his SPD testing, the occupational therapist noticed that after spinning him and having him look at the wall, his eyes had no nystagmus (the involuntary eye movement you experience after spinning - basically what makes you dizzy). She thought it was so bizarre, but a huge indicator that his vestibular system is out of whack.  However - when put into uncomfortable situations, before resorting to crying, Wyatt will often claim that he is dizzy.  We used to get confused about this, because he would complain about it during activities that should not make him dizzy. And now that we know that he will not get dizzy, it's clear that he uses it to manipulate. I mean, who's going to push a kid who says he's too dizzy to do something?
So herein lays my frustration. When do we push him, because he's just being stubborn, and when do we step back and accept that it's something he may not physically or mentally be capable of doing?

2.1.13

Happy February! Hopefully we're just that much closer to spring, but you never really know in Manitoba.
This week I did some reading on other treatment for sensory processing disorder, besides occupational therapy.  We still intend on following through with OT, but I was interested to see what other people had found helpful. I came across a few articles on chiropractor treatment, and decided to read a little further on the topic. You see, not only is SPD more common in boys, but also more common in children who required interventions during delivery (Wyatt had to be delivered with the help of a vacuum). The idea is that there is spinal trauma from the vacuum (or forceps) and that can have lasting effects on the nerve system, and in turn lead to sensory processing disorder (especially the vestibular and proprioceptive systems). Wyatt saw our chiropractor today, and although there was much resistance to actually laying down on the table ("It's not fun"), we eventually got him laying down and sure enough, the chiropractor found a lot of "activity" in his neck and lower spine. We'll try it out for a few weeks and see how it goes, he seems to think we'll see an improvement within a week or two in regards to his balance.
As for Paige, she's bumping along like any other 20 month old would. It's funny, when we're out in public, I get a lot of comments about how petite she is.  In fact, last week Friday on two separate occasions I was asked if she was walking early. Nope!  She's almost 2! I also get comments about how "adventurous" and "determined" she seems. Yup and yup. She's starting to be able to sit still for longer periods of time though, which means on occasion, I actually get cuddles from her! She's very affectionate - wanting to hug and blowing kisses often. :)

01.27.13

The temperature was somewhat tolerable this afternoon, so after Paige's nap, we headed over to Minnewasta to do some sledding.  Wyatt was incredibly resistant (although his argument was that it looked "too fun"), but as you can see he tried it and loved it. Paige did too, but that's hardly a surprise. ;)

01.20.13

I just scrolled through all the pictures on my camera, hoping to find one decent one, but no.  All blurry.  I've stopped taking pictures because I am so fed up with my new camera.  That's good, right?
We got Wyatt's results back from his SPD testing.  Overall, he did amazingly well with anything vision-based (copying a pattern or a movement, for example). He struggled with the tactile tests and did poorly on all of the tests based on his vestibular system.  So his OT wants to start a 6-8 week program working with him to strengthen his vestibular system (his sense of balance and movement) so that he is more confident in that area.
Last week Wyatt had to undergo some pretty major dental surgery.  While he was a champ and did remarkably well, I have been having some serious issues with the administration and the dentist that did the surgery from Children's Dental World. It is causing massive stress for me, and I haven't slept well since Wednesday because I work myself into a rage as soon as I lay down. I won't go into details here because most of you have heard them, and it is such a long story. I hope to get some resolution tomorrow, but it won't be an easy process.
Other than that, not much else has been going on (thank goodness!).  Paige has been going through a disgusting phase of digging out already chewed food from her mouth and grinding it into her hair and clothing. Hopefully that ends...tomorrow?
Between the OT and the dental surgery I have been feeling pretty burnt out.  I tried to plan a few activities on the weekends to keep myself busy with things I enjoy, but so far none of them have actually come to fruition. Kind of drives you deeper down that hole. I've booked an appointment for a new tattoo for myself, but that won't come around until April. And I can't really plan much else right now - part of the issue with the dental clinic is the bill, which our insurance covers less than 50%, so until that is sorted out, I'm kind of living in fear of being broker than broke for the next few months.
So, to recap, I'm miserable, and my 4 year old has spent the last few weeks being dragged from one appointment to another. :|

01.08.13

On Sunday we decided to do something a little different, and headed out to the zoo in Winnipeg with my parents.  The wind was a bit brisk, but we still had a great time.  Lots of animals to see, even in the winter!
Last Friday, Wyatt had a 2 1/2 hour specialist appointment at the hospital to do testing for sensory processing disorder.  He co-operated incredibly well, and did everything he was asked. He did fairly well with some of the tasks, but struggled with a few.  Towards the end he was becoming visibly distressed, so thank goodness it was basically done.  We get the results tomorrow.
Today, Wyatt had a dental consult in Winnipeg. Long story short, he's having dental surgery next Friday and will have to be under general anesthetic for the procedure. Prayers and well wishes are appreciated.
I'm very grateful that I have a boss who is accommodating, so that I can take Wyatt to all of these appointments (basically on a weekly basis now). While some days the OT appointments seem overwhelming and I wish I had never started with them in the first place, I know it is necessary, especially because he will be starting school in 9 (!) months and we have to deal with some of the issues now.
Work has not been great lately, I find it incredibly stressful.  Very few of my co-workers seem to feel the same way though, so I wonder if I am stressing over nothing, or if I am the only one who still cares. There are also some personality...um, differences that I am having try deal with, and I am sure I am not handling that well either.
Something I AM looking forward to is checking out a new "paint your own pottery" place in Winkler with my mom this weekend.  It'll be nice to have something else to occupy my mind for a few hours. :)

1.1.13

Opening their pjs on Christmas Eve.

Pretty happy about the red combine he asked for!

Mixing up some treats.

Brunch with grandma and grandpa!

Christmas with the Schroeders included a visit with my brother and nephew on the iPad!

Well, Christmas has come and gone, and the new year is here.  Both children were soundly spoiled by both families this year. I think we'll be doing some purging of old toys later on this month.  I've been eyeing up new storage systems from IKEA for the kids' rooms to try to organize things a bit better.
I don't have any new year's resolutions to share this year.  We started the Biggest Loser competition at work a few weeks back, so I have been eating well and exercising for a while now and will continue after the competition ends.  I guess one thing I'd like to work on in general is just being a better person.  I've been struggling with depression on and off for the past few months, and when I get into a low spot, I become incredibly negative.  It's no fun for anyone around me.
2012 led to Wyatt starting his occupation therapy appointments to deal with his sensory processing disorder.  On Friday we have a THREE HOUR appointment with an OT from Winnipeg who specializes in sensory integration. I don't know exactly what the appointment will entail, but I do know that it will be exhausting for him.  We usual notice a lot of bad behaviour after his OT appointments, I imagine all the effort he's exerting is not only physically exhausting but also mentally and that's what leads to him lashing out.  A lack of activity also puts him in a fowl mood, so it's been a bit of a rough few months with him.  I think we'll need lots of patience and understanding going into 2013.