Well, as I mentioned in my last post, Alex started his new school this month and riding the school bus. He LOVES it. I CANNOT believe it's only been one month that he's been there, March seems to have been a long month for us. I feel like Alex has been attending this school for much longer. I have great communication with the teachers and they've informed me that they are happy with his progress and are finding things that are working with him and have also shared some of the techniques with me to utilize at home. I, too, see lots of progress and couldn't be happier. While Alex is at school, Blake enjoys his time alone but always misses his brother. He spends his time having a "tea"/snack party with his dinosaurs, watching movies/shows that Alex doesn't allow us to watch (he has break-down/ out of control tantrums/crying during them). And Mommy enjoys one-on-one time with Blake and sometimes catches a nap along with Blake before Alex returns on the bus.
Here's a couple pictures of Alex waiting for the bus for the first time:
and a couple photos of Blake's "tea"/snack party with his dinosaurs:
I've also met with the developmental pediatrician again and he's given his diagnosis for Alex. He diagnosed Alex to have PDD-nos (Pervasive Develomental Disorder) which is an autism spectrum disorder. The two main characteristics of the disorder are difficulties with social interaction skills and communication. Initially the diagnosis was directed more towards Aspergers but generally people with Aspergers do not have a language delay (except pragmatically; its use in everyday life) and Alex has receptive language delays as well as pragmatic difficulties. The doctor said that this diagnosis is not a lifelong diagnosis and Alex will be reevaluated later to see if it changes. Truly, it does not matter whether he has one or the other because he is having the appropriate therapies at school anyways. Alex was also diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). I told the doctor that I wouldn't consider Alex to be hyperactive and wondered if he had just the Attention problem. The doctor then asked if Alex has impulse problems. The answer is yes. He said we have 5 options in treatment: 1) Do nothing; 2) Bypass strategies (i.e. sitting near the teacher, taking tests in another room, facing desk towards wall versus out the window)...not really age appropriate right now; 3) the use of Stimulant meds; 4) the use of Non-stimulant meds; and 5) the use of Alpha Omega 3 Fatty Acids (fish oil). We're leaning towards fish oil and after speaking with a customer at Old Navy, we're also looking into possibly treating him homeopathically. I'll fill you in on his progress along the way.
OK, so, what else has March been filled with? Well, we had one absolutely gorgeous day that happened to be on a Friday and Alex had off of school. The temperature was 76 degrees and sunny. We went and enjoyed time at the park. The boys had a great time and played with a bunch of other children around their age. When we got home, unfortunately, Alex, in a haste to follow Mommy & Blake to the potty (Blake is slowly beginning to potty train), missed the step down from our great room to dining room and he ended up smashing his front teeth into the hardwood floor. Mommy is super quick with ice and there wasn't much blood but Alex's top two front teeth appeared to be pushed in. After an emergency visit to the dentist, all is well so far. X-rays showed that he didn't break anything but his two front teeth will remain slightly angled in. Since he had an overbite to begin with, it does not interfere with his bite and his permanent teeth do not appear to have been damaged. Here's a picture of his teeth from that day and we have a follow-up visit with the dentist next Thursday. My poor boy.
Since that lovely day, we've not had any Spring-like weather and have actually had SNOW again. We're actually predicted to have snow again tomorrow!
Blake has been doing well. We did go and schedule an Early Intervention meeting to have him evaluated for any delays, per the woman that is in charge of Alex's special education's suggestion; since Alex's delays are medical-related. The evaluation is schedule for April 11th. I'm eager to find out where he stands, either way.
Both boys are super smart and I have to constantly watch them. They really enjoy spending time outside and are looking forward to the warmer weather. Blake is constantly looking to sneak out the door and I need to make sure that the doors are secure or else he would gladly let himself out. Alex is still very interested in his super heroes. Right now his super hero of choice is Superman. Blake enjoys them as well but his item of choice remains his dinosaurs. Alex also likes pretending he's a knight, since they've converted part of their classroom as a castle. We enjoy sword fights and Daddy even created a shield for him.
Some more photos from March:
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| Alex wearing his green for St. Patty's day |
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| Blake wearing his green for St. Patty's day |
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| Alex finds Blake |
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| little stinker was hiding in the toy cabinet |
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| both (ok, me too) thought it was hysterical |
til next time! Hopefully we'll have some outdoors pics to share!!!
