Mommyville

Well, wow. Is all I can say. I have heard a supersad story that is just beyond me. A mom chooses to add to her family so now comes a baby. Super educated mom and dad with real income and experience in being parents. But, the sad part is that this mom is still at home with baby1 and the baby2 is in 12 hour a day daycare! I am for the need to have a break whether you work or stay at home. I also think a parent who works should not feel guilty about having to leave a baby. What do you say when neither of these apply? Thankfully Dad is there to drop off an pick up (they are not military either)and I will keep you posted on this.

Orignally I was going to blog about something else, but really this mommyille thing is where I am now. You know how the first time around everything is like the luvs commercial that says you start getting real.
You have rules like this
1. Everyone washes hands upon entering. You then wash hands before touching my little one and this will happen everytime. You also will get a squirt of anti-bacterial whenever I feel the need!
2. Absolutly no smoke smell on you, clothes, hair. Basically if you smoke just stay away from my baby.
3. When they are asleep do not ring my phone,door bell or anything else that could make noise.
4. Make sure anything that the baby wears is washed before putting it near the body.
5. Always wear a onesie whether hot or cold (I actually hated this one because it creates more laundry).
6. Sterilize everything and do not put it in the dishwasher because that would make life too simple.
7. Wear frumpy clothes because you will not leave the house anyway for fear of germs, kidnappings and other natural disasters.
8. Get ready to leave the house 2 hours before.
9. Pack everything in your diaperbag. Even things that baby will never use, but you just think its cute.
10. Never sleep when baby sleeps because you have other housework to be done.

Okay, so you know me people. This is not how i am with my kiddos. But, scary and true I was the above momma for all of 6 weeks. Then I got real. The only one that we kept because Mom-Mom insists that all babies wear onesies beneath their clothes until they are 2. ???????

Seriously though- I believe you need rules and a guide, but be human people. I think parenting is such a hard job, it needs to be serious and I know that everyone has different situations. I just don't get the rules we lay down. Why do we do it to ourselves? This is why I say get into a soap opera, 90210 or other "reality" shows. Take a breath and when you need help look to others that have been there. Even if its just to bounce an idea. If you want to vent then do not ask for help and then poo poo it away.

Its sad what we do to ourselves. You have to be strong for your kids and families. I love the saying- save the drama for your momma. If you want to complain then fine. But, please do not let the world suffer. Be tough and you can work through. I know that I learn and relearn this ALL the time. Plus, you are teaching very innocent eyes how to handle life. This is why when they are infants they say the baby can feel your stress.

Don't get me wrong ask Husker my silly rules that I now have now...ok here they are and you can laugh. I admit I am a weird rule making green girl.

1. Dog Leashes must be put up!!! A long story, but a definite danger for kids when they are playing dog because they can strangle themselves
2. Shut off and unplug everything. Save the Earth people.
3. Lock all bathroom doors so nothing gets flushed that is not suppose to go down the toliet.
4. No mismatched hangers and no wires.
5. Check the weather and get in the closet because a tornado is coming. (I don't think Dawn likes this one either because I would call to tell her,too.)

What a week and PPCD news

All I can say is WOW. We all made it through the new routine. I am fully rested after falling asleep the second I got in bed. Pj and Ant love their classes. I am into my classes. Our house is on its way to being done and Husker survived the opening of football. As for Ty Ty, well he is happily going to our PPCD... this is Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities through our local school district.



Ty Ty could have gone last year, but he needed to wait. It was a mother's intuition thing. I just did not feel right about the leader. This year it is completely different. The teacher and program are a breath of fresh air. It turned out I was right about the feeling from last year.



Ty Ty loved it. We will still work on some of his transitions and I am making him a new flip ring for the car. He is super confused about what we are doing when we leave the house. He will say "school", "see houses", "cades house" or "anthony go"aka where did anthony go. So I have taken pictures to put on a ring. Then I will put them in order so he knows what comes next. I will post a picture of what it is later...

In other news... Our Barnes and Noble opened. We are taking a Saturday trip to get ink,drop the recycling off and Ant wants to turn in his books read this summer for a free book.

You Tube to the rescue

There are those days that everything gets off without any effort. But, when I am in a pinch I have a secret weapon that can distract Ty Ty or any of the kids. ..... YOU TUBE.

I found this a year ago. I head to You Tube and I type in what they are interested in. Ty Ty's is trains. Everything trains...model, real, thomas, etc.. Then I look for the longest one and he will sit and I see how fast I can empty the dishwasher, cook, get dressed,etc. His Favorite is one called Train Movie. Its a German song and then it is brio trains rolling around to the tune. Its pretty funny that he likes this one called Yuma Yuma or this is another odd choice.

Test it out with the kids. I think its pretty safe as long as you monitor them. I have these two favorites for Ty Ty, but I have found lots of stuff for all of my crazies!!

12p13.1 Chromosone Deletion

Finally, this is Ty Ty's diagnosis. All of the waiting was worth it. Most people ask what this means... Well, its all the same things we are doing for Ty ty. Hopefully he will get ECHO soon from Tricare which can give him some more therapy. He will also have a EKG and ultrasound of his kidneys. This is just a check up.

They have put Ty Ty into a national database and this could either put us into contact with other patients that have this and will help in the study of this deletion. It is a rare deletion and therefore is not named. But, I have since found out there are other children with deletions or duplications on different genes that are similar in fashion. They seem to be developmentally delayed and also affect the brain/muscle connection. Thankfully the segment Ty Ty has is small because the bigger the deletion the more they are affected.

Speech Delays are the biggest concern, but really everyday Ty Ty makes progress. I think what happens is that he progresses in one area (occupational, behavioral, gross motor,speech, etc) but then not in the others. He really is making so much progress though.

We will continue to focus on what Ty Ty needs now and know that the future is just that - the future. I think that of all my kiddos though. One step, one day at a time. I am so relieved that I can do this now. I used to worry myself over silly future stuff before.

good quote to share-- What do you need to do, to go from good to great????

Post it where you can see it. Make baby steps and it can happen.

Mascara - A Moment of therapy

A Day with Ty Ty- How our house incorporates mommy duties with Ty Ty therapy.
Also, See why I love the color green.

What happens when I leave my makeup out.

Now watch he shows me how he undid the top--(physical therapy no no the way he is sitting)

He is W sitting so before I proceed we, "Fix Legs, Tyler."

Now look here is a moment of speech with a little ot. We are moving our mouth saying, Hi Tyler and look at your mouth. OT for the way he is opening my mascara. The precision it takes to make his mustache work.





Finally, a moment of cleaning for critical self help skills. But, use your core muscles while we wash and I take a pic while you are balancing on my knee ( also a workout for mom- no step stool required). Gosh, I think the mirror along with the floor will now need a cleaning.







I guess I won't leave my makeup out. But, hey that was worth all of this progress. More to come I am sure. Never a dull moment here.

Texture Aversion Ty Tys story - More then a just picky eater

Almost all parents face issues with feedings - whether breast, bottle, toddler,etc. But, what happens when they tell you its nothing, but a "texture aversion". Umm what??? What texture? You mean to tell me I have a picky eater? Ummm, No.


We found out that Ty- Ty -(aka tu-tu buns is retired= see note at end) had a texture aversion- this means- issues with texture, taste or combo of both plus difficulties with chewing and swallowing. But, it was more complex then just texture issues because Ty Ty was small and close to being off the chart. At 15 months Ty-Ty was 17pounds or so, but had not been gaining for sometime. I wanted to prevent them from putting in a g-tube (feeding tube) if we could.



We really needed Ty-Ty to eat and to move past this hurdle fast and quick (in the middle of preparing to move, learning to crawl,etc aka life). I tried it all and made it a priority to prevent failure to thrive. Nutrition is huge for kids during their developmental stages.



Eating for Ty-Ty took making sense of the sensory issues orally. We needed to help him connect the brain to mouth wires in his central nervous system. He really needed to figure this process out. Ty-Ty never told me he was hungry or wanted food. He was completely quiet to some degree. He was super EASY GOING. Too much so. But, the development in this area is crucial for more then speech, but all areas.






First thing first, the tools--I got the weirdest things from the Speech and OT - I got these items which I regret I have since donated, but they work. The first one was the teething vibrating tool by first steps.

Next we used this -



















Then we added vibrating tooth brushes, lollipops, whistles, every spoon made it seemed like, but take and toss was the best. Ty Ty had swallow studies to find how he swallowed and made sure he was not aspirating. So, make sure you check all of this out. He pooled his food so he had to be fed slightly tilted and I had to feed him. We use a high chair until he was 2.5 years. Getting him to eat his food without help will be a different post as this came a little later after we showed him food was fun.




Then I got very creative- Ty Ty only ate jar food that had no chunks, anything smooth and oatmeal/baby cereal. It was a little of a game for him at times when presenting new things. I had food all over the floor beneath him and on him. He would refuse and throw his head around. Really he could care less about eating.




So, I decided to try whip cream on Graham crackers since he liked whipped cream. Hm mm, he ate the whip cream and flung the cracker. I then found Graham cracker crumbs at Publix and began putting this with whip cream mixed. He liked it. Then I crushed anything I could find with whip cream. Pretty soon he tried eating crumbs with pudding, oatmeal,etc. Eventually he moved on to bigger and crunchier crumbs and did well. I would get through this without feeding tubes and swallow studies (which are annoying).




Next, I tried giving him little chunks of smooth things -- enter Ty Ty's obsession for strawberries, blueberries and every berry!! We took Ty Ty to the strawberry farm shortly after our move because Ant poked husker on accident and he had a eye injury. Since Husker needed rest I took everyone for a special outing to pick strawberries. It was all accidental, but it worked. Ty-Ty finally explored the fruits beyond applesauce. While I was paying for what we picked, he reached out of the stroller and tried to grab a strawberry. I then picked a baby one and put it into his mouth. He gummed it, but ended up eating it. Woo Hoo!!!

Then, the doors seemed to start opening. Whenever I found something that worked I worked it. Enter the Mac and Cheese. Its weird though Ty Ty had to have a certain brand and liked the Velveeta kind. From the time he took to some other texture then smooth he just blossomed. Broccoli in cheese, broccoli and mayo, corn,etc.




Finally, Ty Ty likes strong tasting food. Broccoli, carrots, Craw fish tails, pepperoni, anything salty and spicy. I picked this up and started trying to make sure what he ate was strong tasting and chunky. It really is all just trial and error and some tough love. You got to make them push. I pushed Ty-Ty to eat something other then pureed foods. But, in the end it is so he could get to where he is now.



He started eating what I say is easy foods- waffles, cereal, chicken nuggets,etc in Summer of last year. He loves sausage and hot dogs. I think too many nitrates are not healthy, so I buy the nitrate free kind.



I guess the thing is you have to find a balance and prioritize what matters most for your special needs kid or any child. Make a list of everything they like and eat. Then fix meals creatively with them one and try to introduce one thing at a time. They say it takes 11 times before a kid will actually try something.


In regards to eating fruits and veggies they can be canned, frozen or fresh. There are endless possibilities and many to choose from.



We were told to putt butter on everything to help Ty-ty, but I really prefer the healthier oils. I use olive oil with everything. I do not find it burns any faster and it tastes better. With butter- check out Olivio, Smart Choice and Brummels and Brown. Pj loves sugar and butter toast, but she uses what I call butter. Get smart- what your kiddo does not know won't hurt them ... change the packaging. When we tried the GFCF with Ty ty I had to use an old milk carton for the soy and rice milk.


A final note- you are the mother/caregiver and you are the one buying the food and overseeing their care . When there are suggestions - try it. If it works great if not keep trying. I think its frustrating because as a mom you are the one who will make sure it happens, so voice your concerns, but be willing to check the block as Husker says.




Diagnosis update- Still nothing. Ty-Ty as I type is alphabetizing my book shelf aka making a mess of my books. But, I look at the bright side--he's quiet and not hurting the books or throwing them. It makes me laugh that he used to be super easy and I worried... haha. Wow, now I get exausted at the amount of care he requires. Ahhh, how life can change, but only for the better :). Ty-ty is



PS- the jury has decided to call tu-tu buns Ty-ty. Thanks mom-mom and pop-pop seeing that soon he will be four.

Signs that the times are Changing

When we were younger my sisters and I made signs to post on our bedroom door. Signs like knock before entering. So, walking by her bedroom door I see the fillowing sign that Pj decided to post .

Pj translation- Please knock. No guns or Weapons. Wow is all I can say.

Autism and Savage Nation, ESPY Awards

Well, I will have to tell you. My mother called today and told me about what was happening with Michael Savage. Basically, he thinks that 99% of Autism cases are kids that are brats. So I read and read news stories. Look here and here, too.





Really? Are you kidding me? Hmmm, lets see if he is willing to spend one day with them and then tell me its brattiness. I mean its what I remind myself when Tu tu buns is difficult. I can handle that he has a mystery diagnosis and it could be worse.

It reminds me of a mom who was at a playground with her son wandering around the playground wearing earphones playing mozart. I really did not know a lot about Autism. I was there when Tu-tu buns was a baby and I still did not know what was going on with him. It was during the time they had thought he had Cystic Fibrosis and we were waiting. Its vivid to me because I was amazed at how her demeanor was. She knew she would go and do whatever it took to help her child. Even if it meant wearing earphones that played music to get her child comfortable while being in public.

She watched as her three year old wandered -- not played-- at this playground. I know he had Autism because my friend knew her and she explained that this was the second time out with the headphones. This was her only way to take him out.



Brattiness... no. Pure survival. That is what these parents have to do. They are to be commended. I don't think many parents wish their child had Autism or any disorder. But, to call them brats. I think he is the brat- Pure and simple. Forgive him for being so ignorant. Honestly, I feel sorry for someone who thinks like this. I wonder what Glenn Beck will have to say. Hmmm...



On another note... Ladies, I love Justin Timberlake and I love that he was the host of the ESPY awards. Talk about a way to get spouses to watch ESPN together. PERFECT. I do like sports, but I know more women would watch and learn with Justin Timberlake songs included. So much fun and worth watching. It has been repeating so take some time out and watch it. I think that ESPN should keep Justin for next year. I loved that my Husker DVRd it for me to watch.

Save some Green on Groceries

Its been a week, but I will get better at blogging more often.

First off - can I tell you how crazy the grocery prices are. In our house cookies-are tu-tu buns term for his favorite snack that my Husker has dubbed "poop pellets". Really they are granola bites. These are a very hot commodity with all, but mainly tu -tu buns. They used to be $1.89 and then $2.07 and now they are $2.47!!!! This has taken place in all of two months.

So, now because this is about green and money is green I have to share my new secret weapon. COUPONS! I know its not a secret weapon, but its something that is hard to take the time to do. When you have ADHD like me your coupons are nothing you need and nothing you normally buy. It turns into a waste of money because its not your normal food or things you need.

Here is what I ended up doing early in the AM while Hi-5 was on. I decided to make a list of all of the name brands I always get and then I spent an hour online going to each manufacturer looking for coupons or offers. Then, I registered and printed. If I there were none I googled the name with coupon to see if I could find any. The last thing I did was fill out all of the ones that they would send you later in the mail. The end result... I saved $18.00 on products that I normally buy - Not products I do not need.

My favorites - Click here and register seventh generation. Then check this saving blog out for hard to find items that you love. I will put more as I find them. Its a start and a way to save with the rising prices that are going as fast as gas or possibly faster.

Finally, still working on getting through the summer without going insane. We are more then half way there and now its time to get school supplies again. I have gotten some from Wally world, but really not many Green items. Our new Target opens in A WEEK!!! I will be one that has to go the opening day. It will be an outing for the kiddos and I. They have some school supplies that are green so I will finish the remainder then.

PS- My helper aka PJ reminded me in the frozen aisle that we forgot our bags. This was after she had to run and get an employee to clean the exploding soda can that I dropped. Luckily it was me, right? But, we parked our cart and went to the car to grab our bags.

Comic Relief

Okay, my dad got this one for me. It seems every time I come home I do this with the back seat. The helper is none other then my pj who loves to pass what ever she is bored helping with on. Thanks Dad... so like Husker

Movie Update, Progress and More

Okay so Dawn- will get her pic soon of the garage, but I have to make it to Best Buy to buy a camera rechargeable battery. Hopefully tomorrow. Also, I will include our little recycle spot. Its a start. Our only snag in this process is the cans...I bought a can crusher, but it has a million pieces- well maybe only 10, but to me its alot of pieces. Shawn would put it together, but he thinks we should wait for our house since it requires mounting to a stud. In the meantime he told me to put shoes on and smash them the normal way!!! yikes...maybe a hammer will work.



Went to see Wall E. It is super cute. You have to look past the lack of "talking", but the message is good. My only issue is that it did not show how the world got to be full of trash and ways we could have prevented it. But, it is a Disney movie and not a documentary-- :). Go see it and share with the little ones.



TU TU BUNS WENT TO THE POOL!!!!! YES HE DID and I STAYED WITH HIM 1 1/2 even with a adult swim break. I am celebrating everyone. Dawn, you totally understand this one. I went right away and bought all my ingredients for Cowgirl Coolers! It is celebration tonight--well I need an occasion right? Back to the pool-- I bought a special vest from Target that my sister recommended. Tu tu buns is small on the bottom, so a one piece with floaties was riding up and not letting him see. This one was a vest with a adjustable strap. It was great!!! He did swallow and puke on me, but we will work on the closing mouth thing. It was actually enjoyable.



For the first time ever he was scared of the water...he would not go down the little slide. He said no and wanted to get down with my help. I am so happy. Mostly tu tu buns has no fear. Its a little scary, but today I saw he was genuinely afraid of sliding down into the water. He even said, "tu tu good boy"! So, tomorrow we will go again to the pool.

Wall E

Today the kids and I are off to a movie to see Wall E . I will give an update later today. It is about how a young robot cleans up the earth. The kids seem to think that when something breaks we just have to throw it away. I think as a society we have gotten use to if something is broken we can throw it in the trash and not reusing it.

The kiddos also asked why we don't recycle. Our community does not. But, if we want we can bring the items on post or to another community. This week we will make our first attempt of recycle stops...1. best buy- electronics and batteries, 2. post- boxes and cans 3. ktown- glass and plastic.

This gives us something to do on Monday, Tues and Wed during therapy. I will update on how we do. We are using 2 old bins from the garage. Mrs. Dawn would be happy to see the dent in the garage after Shawn made a large Goodwill drop last weekend. He can look past the bins as long as it is not overflowing. He also is ready to get rid of the bag of batteries that don't work. I am looking into rechargeable. It is amazing how many we use with all the toys and electronics.

A green buy update-- I found these great bowls from HEB that are made of all recyclable materials by http://www.earthshell.com/. You can also buy from them online in large quantities- for super cheap! I payed about 8 cents per bowl and it was cheaper then my normal Dixie brand. I was super excited! I have microwaved food in them and they held up great. Finally, a slow down in dishes..which I cannot stand to do! Check it out ... a little goes a long way.

Waiting

Okay so I called to get the update on Tu Tu bun's test. He had a Chromosone Micro Array analysis. Basically it is a more indepth look at his genes. It will detect deletions and duplications on a micro level. So far our genetic counselor said that there are no results. Of course she will be leaving today for vacation until June 23. AHHHHH!!

She told me that if I can't wait to call back to one of her co workers. Thankfully they understand that we want to know ASAP. He also had blood drawn at the same time for a CK or CPK. Which basically shows muscle damage. Alot of times children like Tu Tu will have an elevated level. Tu Tu has had two in the past, but now it is normal. This is great because it suggests his muscles are not deteriorating.

I also met another one of Tu Tus therepists patients who looks like him. Weird huh? But, he too was negative for a FISH test. His mom was not there, but she asked if she could give her my information. OF COURSE!! Like Tu Tu buns he lacks speech and has other global developmental delays with no reason. He has the same physical appearance in his face - ears, underneath eyes, nose and mouth.

UPDATE- Here are pics from our fun in the sun after school got out. Tu - Tu is sucking on the paintbrush that was used to paint the fence--with water.





This is a pic of the water toys in the yard. The splash ball is in the rear of the pic.

Finally, a picture of worn out Tu Tu buns ready to go inside. He is so sleepy here.

Summer is HERE!

Well, I cannot believe that Summer is here, but it is. The kiddos are out of school for 12 weeks. So far I have a few things planned, but nothing super crazy planned. I am trying to come up with lowcost and no cost. But, that becomes so difficult when you take into consideration the cost of gas. I decided fun at home is better for all of us.

Here is what we have so far...check out my insanity saver ball.

Now PJ, being the other mother of our house informed me Sherman is not allowed anywhere near this as he will pop it. (Sherman is the crazy dog).

Other things I have planned for them are revolved around things they can do during tu tu bun's therepy. So far I have tracking the weather, tracking books they are reading and then some workbooks that my mom gave me. I would like to actually make it to Sea World, but I am not sure if it will happen. Of course when weather and tu tu buns permit we will go to the pool.

On a green note-- I got the deoderant and I have to say that it works!!! I am dry and I smell like roses..no really I do. It is worth the money. I am now on the hunt for sunscreen. I have the bug spray ordered and on the way. I will let you know how it turns out.

Sunny and Smelly

A little note on smelly and sunny...

Okay, so I ordered the deoderant. The deoderant by Dr. Haushuka. It should be here any day. I have to say this was super expensive- 19.95. But, if it works it will be well worth it. I always say, "Pay now or Pay later". Deoderant is known for causing cancer. Normal deoderant has aluminum and other carcingenics.

In other news, tu-tu buns had blood drawn for the test...Yesterday was a rollercoaster. He was happy and calm. Then by 10am crazy. A nice afternoon storm rolled in at 4:30pm and then he was calm again. I wonder what the connection is with the sun and his behavior if any. So far I have three weeks of sunny and miserable days logged. Thankfully it has rained and been cloudy.

START OF THE BLOG

My favorite color just happens to be green. It is also the color Tu-Tu buns will answer when you say what color is this? (adhd moment -If given two color choices like red train or blue train...Pick blue...he will). So, this is my blog about green, the adventure of my kiddos, all about sensory issues and the unknown diagnosis and just the funny blonde/ADHD moments that happen to me every day.

I think the first time I ever thought about chemicals (Clorox cleaner) and their affect was when Tu-Tu buns was first born. I was the mom who used it everywhere all the time. Then, when they thought he had cystic fibrosis, I read up about it on the internet and it said that strong cleaners and candles can aggravate the lungs…YIKES. But, that’s really when I started noticing what I was doing for their environment. (By the way- T u- Tu did not have Cystic Fibrosis. This was ruled out in Feb 2005. I wonder if my family will ever get over the licking at Christmas. Yes, I went around and asked everyone to lick Tu-tu buns to see if he was salty.)

In the fall of 2007, I read Jenny McCarthy’s book and started to research the Gluten Casein Free Diet. Because if Tu-tu had any form of a Spectrum Disorder I wanted a jump start and him to have a clean diet. I ordered a lot of books on recipes and went to HEB. We have since ruled this out, but it really started my look into the foods we eat. I should have already known this since I did fitness competitions and I knew what you put in your mouth was crucial to how your body develops muscle. Well, the brain is a muscle!

Shortly after the book and in the midst of my vida loca- my mother in-law, gigi, got diagnosed with CANCER! Lung cancer and totally separate from her other cancers. Now, I read THE HISTORY OF THE WAR ON CANCER. (See my reading trend-yes, I love books).
Well, I figure if I can do some small things then I can either impact my kid’s health or that of their kids. But, there is so much information and I figure the blog can help bring some of it together. Plus I would like a place to make sense of everything and maybe it will help in the way Dawn does- who introduced me to blogging two years ago. I tried before but could not really come up with anything. So here goes.