Day #44

Again with the spit! Josie was decorating our sliding glass door with her slobber...again. She would put that little drumstick in her mouth and dribble as much spit on it as possible then use it like a paintbrush and as she wiped it over the glass she would say "painting rainbow", I guess her drool looked all shiny and rainbow like in the light coming through the glass, not sure about that. Just as I snapped this picture she let loose with a big line of slobber, can you see it dripping its way down from her chin, eewwwww! :D

Day #43

Josie playing with Grandpa, she loves when he does "i wink em, i blink em, nose dropper, chin chopper, get ya get ya get ya", he has passed that little game on to another generation, I remember him doing that to me as a wee one. Josie will grab his hand and say 'winky winky' when she wants to play some more. Another girl child that has him wrapped around her little finger :D

Day #42

 

Maeve enjoying some Grandpa time while they look at a photo album. Grandpa and Maeve get along great and he is getting used to all her eccentricities. Lets face it, he is wrapped around her little finger :D 

Day #41

Oh the corruption!!! Uncle Keith letting Josie have soda! :O In his defense though he didn't know I do not give the girls soda but that didn't stop him from giving her a little bit more after he found out :D

Day #40

Daniel (Star's mentor) and I took Star back to Mind Matters in Murphys this morning for her ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) test which I was told by the ASD evaluator was 'very informative' but we have an observation during a workshop at Mountain Oaks before we get any results. Afterward we went to Ironstone Vineyards where Star got to see the worlds largest crystalline gold specimen, a whopping 44 pounds WOW!! She was so tired that shortly after we got back she crashed for a nap, the test must have been stressful on her because she hardly ever naps. As a P.S. Maeve initiated and played tea party completely on her own! First time ever! Setting out the dishes, pouring the little teapot and having her stuffies sip while she said 'thank you' YAY! :D

Day #39

Maeve waiting in the room at her pediatrician's office, we LOVE our pediatrician! She was very calm this time around, I was so proud of her. I took her in because her pica has gotten worse and since I have found her in the litter box a few times I thought I should have her checked for parasites. We are going to have a full blood panel done as well as stool samples, checking for iron deficiencies, toxoplasma, lead levels, .parasites, etc., but that is another day and another blog entry. She was such a big girl today!!

Day #38

What you can't tell in this picture is how much spit Josie has put on Maeve's foot board, you see Jo has become quite enamored with painting her slobber on things. She loves to draw with her spittle on the black leather couch because it comes out nice and shiny, and she laughs like crazy when I tell her to stop, that what she is doing in 'gross yucky', she just giggles and puts her finger back in her mouth to paint some more while repeating 'gross yucky'. What a kid! :D

Day #37

Took this picture with my phone while we were out walking today. We had to get out of the house the natives were getting very very restless. Walked around both cemeteries across the street and they still had energy to burn when we got back home. We need to figure out how to convert child energy into a sustainable and renewable energy source, my girls alone could light an entire city block every day :D

Day #36

Maeve got a hold of some fluff from the box spring in my room and decided to decorate the couch with it...fluff is fun to play with! I have said it before and I will say it again, baby gates do not work any longer, I need a better system :D

Day #35

First trip to the dentist for Josie and Maeve at Safari Smiles here in Sonora and it was a complete success. They were able to get x-rays of both girls, cleaned their teeth, doctor exam, all with little to no fuss at all. No cavities, YAY! I am to start using fluoride toothpaste every other night and try to limit there all day snacking as much as possible, but it was a great dental check up, having chocolate flavored toothpaste helped! They were even able to squeeze Star in and get x-rays, give her a cleaning, check up, sealing on her molars and filled a teeny weeny cavity. I am ecstatic that it went so well!! I went in apprehensively thinking that we weren't going to even get the girls to open their mouths, I am so pleased with how it all went. The staff at Safari Smiles is wonderful, we'll see them again in six months for sure :D

Day #34

Both my girls LOVE water but it wasn't always so. They used to scream uncontrollably in the water, hating to be bathed or shampooed, and to save on the torture of it all I was down to using no-rinse shampoo and washing them with a nearly dry washcloth just to get them clean. It was after letting them use a little watering can to water some plants on our deck that it all turned around. Oops, some splashed on you, oh you like that...hmm, ok lets bring this into the bathtub. From then on it was downhill and oh so easy to get them in the water. I was ecstatic the first time they each stayed in the bath long enough to get pruney! Now it is hard to get them out of the water, but I wouldn't change a thing.:D

Day #33

Here is some of Josie's (b/w) and Maeve's (color) artwork which I thought was very appropriate to the chaos which seems to be our life right now... a little dark, a little color, lots of twists and turns... utter unpredictability! Just to catch you up... my mom is in the hospital battling cancer, I am getting divorced, my niece is now living with me and going through ASD evaluations, my girls are having ABA, speech, OT etc, found out today my neighbor complained about all the noise coming from our apartment and if more complaints reach the corporate level I could face eviction, I have been unable to find a larger place not from lack of trying... wow, when it rains it pours! Looking on the bright side though my girls and I are all healthy and when you hit bottom there is nowhere to go but up! I promise this is the only rant post I will write :D

Day #32

We have a potty watch and tried some big girl panties and plastic pants on Jo but I don't think she is quite ready for Potty Training 101 yet. She still needs to develop that urge to go understanding versus the "ew this is gross I just went in my pants" response after the fact. Even timing her for less and less time between she still didn't grasp the need to go in potty, not pants thing. We will keep trying and one day she will be ready, but aren't baby buns cute?! :D

Day #31

Not sure if this is curiosity, pica, or their Irish lineage (they'd fit right in at a chip shop) but Maeve and Jo seem to like the taste of vinegar which I found out while cleaning the counter top and stove this evening. Now I am so glad I use this vinegar/water mixture to clean rather then chemicals especially if the girls are wanting a taste. Next time they show an interest I will hand them a cloth, never too young to start cleaning :D  

Day #30

 

This is what happens to an almond poppy seed muffin in Maeve's hands! Star and I decided to make some muffins as a Saturday morning treat and as you can see Maeve enjoyed them, not as we had hoped but maybe next time. :D

Day #29

Here is my Maevey Baby eating a graham cracker and believe me it may not seem like much but for a little girl with a hyper active gag reflex and very limited diet it is a big deal to get solids in her. Through food play, suggested by our OT, we have gradually expanded Maeve's diet and acceptance of solid foods. By any standards she still has a very limited diet which consists of: Gerber 2nd foods, cereal bars, some cereals, yogurt, protein bars, various crackers, raisins, and a few other foods that seem to have to have a texture of soft puree or crunch, no middle ground. Cathy OT often says "if you force food on an autistic kid you have already lost", that is why she is allowed to play with her food, feel it, crumble it and eventually some makes it in her mouth, then she realizes it isn't so bad, and then we have chalked up another food to her repertoire. A long process! I was ecstatic when about a week ago I got her to eat 1 1/2 tater tots, yes only 1.5 tater tots but it was a "let's have a party!" moment, not to mention when she finally ate her first minute bite of meat, hasn't since, but it was a step forward. Food texture sensitivities and negative food associations can halt the process for a while but in time we will overcome! :D

Day #28

Look at me...Maeve look...eye contact has always been fleeting with Maeve and Jo. I do not take the lack of eye contact personally at all due to the fact that they are both so loving and attentive, honestly I don't even realize they don't look at me unless it is brought up somehow. What I used to think was great eye contact during play or snuggle sessions upon further notice I realized was great focus on any portion of my face except the eyes. I have often wondered why insist on eye contact when I can tell they are focused on the task at hand or listening to what is being said, why insist on eye contact which is just more sensory input they have to contend with. This is an interesting quote from an article I was reading called "Should We Insist on Eye Contact with People who have Autism Spectrum Disorder", it will give you something to think about: (spoken by a person on the spectrum) "Eye contact is something that I have always had trouble with. It does not come naturally to me and I do not appreciate having to give it all of the time, especially to people that I do not know. All of the stress that is put on doing it makes me more nervous, tense, and scared. Doing it also assumes that I can read the message in another person's eyes. Don't count on it! I can look at a person's eyes and not be able to tell what they are saying to me... ...as a child, my eye contact was much worse than it is right now. People without autism could not understand why I would not look them in the eye... just because I am not making eye contact with you does not mean that I am not listening to you or paying attention to you. I can concentrate better not having to keep eye contact at the same time. I tell people, 'You have a choice. Do you want a conversation or do you want eye contact? You will not get both unless I am comfortable with you and do not have to concentrate so much on the eye contact'."

Day #27

These 2 tiny little critters, especially the pink guy, which Josie has a death grip on have incited utter crisis several times today! When Jo ran up to me teary eyed and and yelling "where's bird?" it was a mad scramble to find the little buggar before she totally melted down...toss blankets, not there, look under couch, not there, kick toys around a bit, ah there he is hiding under a small pail...(sigh) all is right with the world again :D

Day #26

 

...and they crash! I have always found it amazing and amusing the positions little ones will fall asleep in, Maeve just leaned over the couch and Jo crawled into the pillow corner with her chicken and looks to be in a very uncomfortable position but they are both sound asleep as of 2pm...gonna be a late night...

Day #25

A puzzling picture...can you tell what is going on here? I told Jo to put her pants on, stepped out of the room and when I came back in she had both legs down one pant leg and looked very much like a mermaid and was perfectly content to be that way too :D

Day #24

 A girl after my own heart! Here is Josie playing her bodhran! She is so musical and loves drumming, tinking on her piano, strumming her ukulele which fits her like a full size guitar, tooting the various horns she has and dancing especially ballet. I see dance and/or music classes in her future :D

Day #23

I actually took this picture last night but decided it had to be today's entry. This is my big girl Maeve going number 1 and number 2 in the toilet first time ever! See how happy she is? She thought it was the funniest thing to be going in the toilet! Mama is so proud of you Maeve!! Not to say she is completely potty trained but this is step #1 :D

Day #22

I call this one "Boredom at the Celtic Faire"... learning how knights train to joust is NOT Josie's thing but she really enjoyed the Irish music and of course the fresh squeezed strawberry lemonade. I was able to take Star and Josie this morning for family day at the Sonora Celtic Faire. Maeve stayed home with her ABA therapist Pam and had an equally fun time minus sensory overload from all the sights, scents, sounds and smells from the faire. A good day for all!

Day #21

 

 This is my Star Baby, my beautifully exasperating niece who I love with all my heart! I took her to Mind Matters in Murphys today with her mentor to see Dr. Thompson ( a wonderful man ) for her initial diagnosis evaluation. We have been dealing with issues for quite some time now never really knowing what we were dealing with, everything from social awkwardness, sensory sensitivities, to behavioral issues, and it all has leaked over into her academics. She is so bright, intelligent, engaging when she chooses and is so high functioning that all this we hoped was a phase she would grow out of. Dr. Thompson brought up some curious points and a few issues I had not even thought about and we came away with a definite ADD diagnosis and we are to make another appointment to see the ASD clinician for an autism evaluation and/or diagnosis. She will also have blood work done and possible urinalysis. The ball is rolling! Help and coping tools are on the horizon.

Day #20

Yes, I know Maeve still has her fingers in her mouth but we are working on it. I decided on this picture for today because it is showing Maeve while in the process of one of her stims, shorthand for self-stimulation. Both Maeve and Josie have stims, as any autistic child would and they seem to change as they get older. Maeve's include: repetitive jumping in place, ripping paper, grouping and sifting objects through her fingers, running laps (usually right before bed), and tapping things with her fingers (palms up and tapping with finger nails). Josie doesn't have as many stims and some have gone away since she was a baby, hers include: banging the back of her head against solid surfaces (seen only rarely now), shaking her head, spinning, and quite a bit of visual stimming ie looking out the corners of her eyes, pulling her hair down in front of her eyes to look through out of the top of her eyes, wiggling her fingers in front of her eyes etc. Once these kiddos get started on a particular stim it is very hard to brake the habit! Redirection and substitution are two good ways of deterring stims but only seem to work temporarily as of now. Hopefully they will grow out of most if not all of them!!

Day #19

Josie is probably thinking "...it is cold and wet outside but I don't care, I am in my pajamas on the deck and this is my happy dance!" :D My girls get cabin fever very very quickly and need some time outside every day even when conditions aren't the nicest. They need it and mama needs them to have it so we can all stay a bit sane in the chaos of life. Fresh air does wonders for body and mind!

Day #18

I had been sitting here wondering what picture I would take and/or post for today when inspiration just sort of struck me, well, disgusted me. After pulling Maeve out of the cat's litter box, as she was trying to shove as much in her mouth as she could before I got to her, and drenching her and myself in the process of cleaning her mouth I realized this had to addressed. Pica is a BIG BIG BIG issue for Maeve and what I have shown here is not all inclusive of the inappropriate items she tries to eat but does include: kitty litter, cat food, dirt, paper, and playdoh. Other items not pictured could be fiber fill stuffing, paint chips, wood, gravel, and I am sure there is more I just can't think of it all right now. She sure keeps you on your toes!

Day #17

There is totally the "big sister/little sister" relationship between Maeve and Josie, that being Maeve feeling since she is bigger and much stronger then Jo she can take whatever she wants without consulting anyone, especially Jo, first. Here you can see the "oh, she did it again mom!" look on Josie's face as Maeve's hand reaches in and quietly snags the crackers. It is hard to get through to Maeve how impolite that is and even though I want to be fair and strict on that point it is so darn cute to see Maeve skitter away on her tiptoes with a huge smile on her face like she has just gotten away with something grand. Sorry Jojo, I will get you more crackers :D

Day #16

Today called for two photographs, a sort of before and after or step 1, step 2 kind of thing...you see the girlies had gotten way too quiet in their room so of course when they get too happy like that mama has to go check because something is obviously entertaining them and if it's not destructive I am okay with that. I found Maeve on her bed inside the basket we use for stuffies and Josie sitting in the middle of all of her friends. They were so peaceful, content and there was an "everything is right with the world" vibe going on...I LOVE my girls!!

Day #15

LOL! Can you see the look on Josie's face? She is so mad, well, Maeve did just reach over and snatch a toy right out of her hand! I wanted to get a nice sweet picture of how they play together, parallel but near one another and here I snap the war face of a very perturbed Jojo. Though they are autistic their interactions are very age appropriate. I also like the restraint Jo is using, I am sure she is thinking "I would love to be sinking my teeth into you but I won't I will just sit here baring my teeth and growling!" I shouldn't find humor in this but I do...still very precious :D

Day #14

I woke up cramped between both girls this morning after they both woke during the night and crawled into bed with mama. After I gingerly extracted myself from their sleeping grips I just had to take this picture, aren't they the sweetest?!