I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. - 1 Samuel 1:27
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Friday, October 30, 2015
Caleb's Three!
Caleb turned three on Monday, October 26th! Some good friends of ours have a daughter who also turned three this month. We have lots of mutual friends, so we joined forces and had a birthday party for both of them at a local play gym on the 17th. The kids had a great time playing on the equipment and eating cupcakes.
After breakfast and playing with some new toys, we headed off to his first day of preschool! His teacher said he had a great first day!
On Caleb's actual birthday, he woke up to a bed full of balloons. That's a birthday tradition I started on his first birthday. He loved it the first two years, but he wasn't too thrilled about it this time!
After breakfast and playing with some new toys, we headed off to his first day of preschool! His teacher said he had a great first day!
The day after his birthday, he had his three-year well visit. Our pediatrician is retiring at the end of the year, so this was his last well visit with her. We have been through so much with her, and she actually got a little teary-eyed as we said our "goodbyes". Caleb gained two pounds over the last year, so he now weighs 24.5lbs. He grew 2.25" inches and is now at 32.75" tall.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Tyler - Nine Months
Weight: 18 lbs, 4 oz (24th percentile)
Length: 29" (75th percentile)
Clothing size: mostly 9 month, but he's starting to wear some 12 month onesiesShoe size: Size 3
Diaper size: Size 3
Eating: Tyler is still nursing when he's with me and taking bottles at MDO. He eats pureed foods 3 times/day. He will eat almost anything I offer to him, but sweet potatoes are definitely still at the top of the list. He still isn't crazy about green beans or peas.
Sleeping: Tyler goes to bed at about 8:30pm and sleeps until about 7:00am. He usually wakes up 1-2 times each night, but he sometimes sleeps through the night. He often takes a short nap in the morning after a feeding or while we're in the car.. And he usually takes a decent afternoon nap in his crib.
Highlights of the month: Tyler got his first two teeth. He also started some pre-crawling where he rocks to his left side and then thrusts his right side forward with the help of his right arm and leg. It gets him where he wants to go, which is often to get close enough to grab something out of Caleb's hands.
Friday, October 23, 2015
IEP
We had Caleb's first IEP meeting yesterday morning. I've heard horror stories about IEP meetings, so I was a little uncertain about what to expect. We knew that Caleb would qualify to participate in the school district's PPCD (preschool program for children with disabilities), and we thought he might get some therapies while at school. We also knew that the school district doesn't have a program for "typically developing" three year olds, so Caleb would be in a class with other kids who have developmental delays.
Now Caleb has been in a Mother's Day Out class for the last two years with typically developing peers that are his age. They're all either three or turning three soon, so the same age as Caleb. And while Caleb's development lags behind in some areas, I know he benefits from the interaction he has with his classmates there and from being challenged by his teachers to do the same things that his peers do.
After much thought, Brad and I came up with a schedule that works for us. We decided that Caleb would go to preschool on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and he would go to Mother's Day Out on Wednesdays and Fridays. I suspected this 3/2 schedule wouldn't go over too well with the public school, but I really felt that it was what we needed to do.
So back to the IEP meeting...
We met with the principal, psychologist, special ed teacher, OT and SLP. The PT was at another school that day, so she couldn't be at the meeting. We were told that Caleb qualified to receive PT, OT and speech therapies at school, and he would be pulled out of his classroom for those therapy sessions. The teacher told us about some of the things they'll be doing in class, and we also learned about an adaptive PE class that Caleb will get to participate in. We were excited about everything we were hearing. Everyone seemed happy and excited.
As the meeting was wrapping up, I mentioned that we were only going to send Caleb to preschool three days per week. And instantly the mood in the room changed. They all insisted that attending school five days per week is best. I got a little flustered and didn't explain my reasoning as well as I should have, even though I had rehearsed my response in my head several times.
Believe me, I totally want what's best for Caleb. I want to see him grow, learn and reach his full potential. I would never purposefully do anything to hinder that from happening. I also understand that educators and therapists have extensive education, training and experience and probably have their student's best interests in mind too. I truly value their opinions. But ultimately, I feel that Brad and I know what's best for Caleb more than anyone else. So as we had planned, Caleb will attend the developmental preschool program on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. He will work with the PT, OT and SLP while at school. And he will attend Mother's Day Out on Wednesdays and Fridays. He will also continue working with his PT, OT and SLP that we've been seeing for the last few years in all that spare time we have. :)
Goodness. Caleb turns three on Monday, and he's suddenly a big boy! I can hardly believe he will start public school in just a few days.
Now Caleb has been in a Mother's Day Out class for the last two years with typically developing peers that are his age. They're all either three or turning three soon, so the same age as Caleb. And while Caleb's development lags behind in some areas, I know he benefits from the interaction he has with his classmates there and from being challenged by his teachers to do the same things that his peers do.
After much thought, Brad and I came up with a schedule that works for us. We decided that Caleb would go to preschool on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and he would go to Mother's Day Out on Wednesdays and Fridays. I suspected this 3/2 schedule wouldn't go over too well with the public school, but I really felt that it was what we needed to do.
So back to the IEP meeting...
We met with the principal, psychologist, special ed teacher, OT and SLP. The PT was at another school that day, so she couldn't be at the meeting. We were told that Caleb qualified to receive PT, OT and speech therapies at school, and he would be pulled out of his classroom for those therapy sessions. The teacher told us about some of the things they'll be doing in class, and we also learned about an adaptive PE class that Caleb will get to participate in. We were excited about everything we were hearing. Everyone seemed happy and excited.
As the meeting was wrapping up, I mentioned that we were only going to send Caleb to preschool three days per week. And instantly the mood in the room changed. They all insisted that attending school five days per week is best. I got a little flustered and didn't explain my reasoning as well as I should have, even though I had rehearsed my response in my head several times.
Believe me, I totally want what's best for Caleb. I want to see him grow, learn and reach his full potential. I would never purposefully do anything to hinder that from happening. I also understand that educators and therapists have extensive education, training and experience and probably have their student's best interests in mind too. I truly value their opinions. But ultimately, I feel that Brad and I know what's best for Caleb more than anyone else. So as we had planned, Caleb will attend the developmental preschool program on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. He will work with the PT, OT and SLP while at school. And he will attend Mother's Day Out on Wednesdays and Fridays. He will also continue working with his PT, OT and SLP that we've been seeing for the last few years in all that spare time we have. :)
Goodness. Caleb turns three on Monday, and he's suddenly a big boy! I can hardly believe he will start public school in just a few days.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Downright Blessed
Today, I'm guest blogging over at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too as part of Stefanie's "Downright Blessed: Life with Down Syndrome" series. Hop on over to her blog to read my post about Caleb - http://www.lexieloolilyliamdylantoo.com/2015/10/meet-caleb-downright-blessed-life-with.html
Monday, October 12, 2015
Nolan Blackmon
Mr Nolan, I look forward to the day I have the honor of meeting you in Heaven.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Hope for Nolan
We met Cody on Caleb's birth day in October 2012. She was his nurse in the delivery room and took amazing care of our precious boy. Over the years, we've formed a friendship... and an extra special bond when her first child was diagnosed with congenital heart defects earlier this year.
Cody and Rusty have temporarily relocated to Houston, so that Baby Nolan will be able to receive some very specialized medical intervention/care. Cody will be admitted into the hospital this evening for induction, and Nolan is expected to be born sometime tomorrow.
Please keep this precious family in your prayers. Also, pray for the medical team who will care for Cody and Nolan.
If you are able, please also consider making a donation to help with the family's expenses -
If you are able, please also consider making a donation to help with the family's expenses -
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