So a quick note on the rest of our long weekend. Lots of good talking. Repeating us, repeating sounds and words he heard while we were at the park yesterday. We did have a frustrating experience. He was trying to tell us something, we weren't sure what. I asked him to show me and he couldn't. He started getting frustrated. It was tough. But in some ways really good too.
He's also had some interactions with Wiggle. Wiggle is starting to grab for things Bug has, invading space. Bug is not excited about this. But it's actually good that he's possessive about his stuff. Trying to teach him to say things like "No, that's mine" etc.
We took him to the park yesterday. It was great because it was empty, so he could really experience things. The favorite was definitely a spinning chair thing. He loved it. I would spin him until he would get dizzy, then he'd get down, reset and go back for more. He also enjoyed some good swinging, but wouldn't go down the slides.
We had OT this morning with Lauren. Bug got up quite late, so I wasn't quite sure what we were going to get. It was actually an awesomely good session. He didn't fuss at all about Lauren coming in, he actually interacted with her (talking, eye contact and even letting her touch him a little) WHICH IS REALLY REALLY FANTASTIC! He did decide after a bit that he'd rather have my company, but it was a huge improvement over the last session.
We reviewed his sensory profile which was about how we expected. The biggest thing is his auditory troubles. He takes longer to process auditory inform, so the best thing we can do for him is give him more time. We might have to touch him to get his attention, use simple directions (pointing at what we want) and giving him a little bit more time to respond. Patience. Lots of patience.
Our next step with Bug's sensory diet is layering in more vestibular stuff. It's funny, because we've actually kind of started this on our own. The park experience, with the spinning chairs, is perfect. We just bought a sit n spin for home. She said a small trampoline would be good too. Rocking, swinging are
She said that our issue with getting the tactile/proprioception stuff in every two hours is very common with parents. Life goes on, no matter what we're supposed to be doing. But she said to keep trying, and start paying attention to Bug as we become more used to it. Does he focus better? After an intense vestibular experience (like yesterday) does he jump and spin less? Even the next day?
Lauren and I also talked quite a bit about our social experiences. She said we are doing a very good job with not pushing Bug too hard, but encouraging him just enough. She agreed that our most successful experiences will be in "smaller" social settings (like Sunday in church, where there weren't a lot of other kids). She also suggested that if he is overwhelmed, that we take him out, do some of the tactile stuff (squeezes or lotion) in the car or another quiet place, and then bring him back in.
A lot of our work with Bug is really just about awareness. Being more aware of his needs, more in tune with what he's feeling, more aware of the situations we put him in and how they affect him. It can be so draining, but it is so important. It is a bit crazy how much time and energy I devote to just thinking about Bug and his needs, reflecting on how things went, how they could go better, how we could explore further, push him in a successful and positive way. I'm learning to really trust my gut. It can be difficult. On the one hand, I don't want to "baby" him, but on the other hand, I have to be sympathetic to his needs and his abilities. It can be so draining, but it's crucial. I'm sure that eventually it'll be second nature, after all, we've only been exploring this for 6 weeks or so. Kind of amazing to think about.
The other thing that has been weighing on me a lot lately is thinking about sending Bug to Early Childhood when he turns 3. I have very mixed feelings on it, and we need to make a decision about it within the next month or so. Adam and I need to do some discussing about our goals and wants for our boy. And I have lots of research to do too. It's complicated. While I definitely think Bug will need to continue his therapies and would benefit from the social interaction, I'm concerned that it's not the right environment for him right now. It's also hard because I have no idea where he'll be in 4 months or so, so it's difficult to know what the right situation is. Adam and I would really appreciate your prayers as we do research and make these big decisions. Prayers that God will be with us, bless us, give us wisdom.
Tomorrow we have speech, such a busy week!
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